Top 8 Features to Look for in an Emergency Water Purifier

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A healthy source of drinking water is the most important item to have on hand in the likely event of an emergency or disaster, after breathable air. Food, of course, would rank second among the most needed items in the event of natural or man-made disasters or emergencies. In most cases, after a disastrous event, stores are quickly emptied of the most important items such as water and food, generators, flashlights, batteries, toilet paper, propane, stoves, etc.

The water is always the first to go. Not only from the shelves of supermarkets and convenience stores, but also from electricity and gas utilities, the water is also cut off. When the water stops coming out of your faucet and you have not been able to find anything in the stores, what is your plan? In a prolonged crisis of weeks or even months, neighbors will be draining sources like swimming pools, spas, and water fountains. They will be breaking down the fences and gates on the property to get to it, hauling buckets at a time and emptying in days for sure. Now what?

Martial law and curfews will eventually be enforced, resulting in widespread rioting and looting, starting first in the cities and then slowly migrating to suburbs and then rural areas. Gangs and small bands of marauding thugs will start taking whatever they need or want, most likely at gunpoint. You can quickly begin to see what you should have planned for a time like this.

My purpose in writing this article is to alert you and warn you that everyone who wants to survive a major crisis or disaster needs supplies, water, food and protection. Protection? What am I saying? I will be frank and direct, only those who have planned will survive. Are you a pacifist or a Christian fanatic? Are you willing to stand still and watch a woman in your family get raped and murdered? Get a weapon and learn to use it! With that said, let’s move on.

If the neighborhood is on fire, burning from house to house, you need to get out. Do you have an escape plan or are you going to get in your car and head to the nearest stop? What about buckets of beans and rice, wood stove and cooking utensils? Water? You can only carry a limited amount and water weighs 6 pounds per gallon. What you need is a way to purify any polluted water source using any heat source. Can’t I use a filter? If you’ve done your homework ahead of time, you’ll know that the American Red Cross, FEMA, Homeland Security, and the CDC recommend a non-electric water still and strongly advise against any type of filter in the event of an emergency or disaster. Why a non-electric still? First of all, you probably don’t have electricity. Second, they recommend boiling water to kill disease germs, bacteria, viruses, cysts, and waterborne diseases. Distillers do just that! Also, all non-electric stills can use any heat source, electric or gas stove, propane stove, barbecue grill, charcoal, camp stove, or even a campfire. There are only four or five non-electric survivor stills available.

Eight characteristics to look for in a non-electric survivor

1. Determine the volume of water you will purify per day. Distilled water production from available non-electric water stills ranges from 8 gallons per day to 18+. (Be careful to choose a model that meets the needs of your family.)

2. Choose a surviving still based on the gauge of the stainless steel pot and the one with the strongest construction and strongest materials and components. Especially since your life and that of your family will depend on your performance in the most difficult circumstances and conditions.

3. Most non-electric stills present a serious scald hazard capable of causing third degree burns. A child can quickly pull the boiling pot over himself just as well as an adult. That’s the last thing you need is a life-threatening injury during a disaster when hospitals may not be accessible for burn treatment. Choose a surviving still that uses a condenser cooling system and has the kettle hooked up to the condenser to prevent accidental scald injuries and the condenser water always remains at room temperature, which also prevents scald accidents.

4. Choose a surviving still that is automatic so there is no need to manually add water to the boiler or continually discharge and replace condenser water as needed with some units. It is tedious and dangerous work to handle the boiling pot and condenser. Most models require the condenser water to be drained and replaced with cooler water for the still to work and if not replaced regularly the condenser water can reach temperatures of 140 to 150 F hot enough to cause third degree burns with just 2 seconds of skin contact. . A Survivor model uses a 9-volt pump and a battery-backed 5-watt solar panel to keep the condenser cool at all times, rain or shine, day or night, and also automatically adds water to the boiling pot based on be necessary.

5. Choose a surviving still that doesn’t need to be level to work like some models do. If you’re in an outdoor camping situation and need a campfire as your heat source, you can’t worry about whether or not the Survivor is still perfectly level, as some brands need.

6. Some models do not have a closed system to prevent outside air contamination or debris from a fire. Choose a surviving still that is completely isolated from the boiler via the cooling coils and post-filter and within a closed collection vessel. You never have to worry about distilled water becoming contaminated in the distillation process.

7. Choose a survivor still that can be easily packed and transported, in case you need to get out fast. You don’t want to be dealing with a bulky boiling pot and condenser, especially if you’re on foot!

8. Most of the distilled water is produced using a stainless steel cooling coil inside a cold water filled condenser. For this reason, avoid models that use pots of cold water and use the bottom to condense steam. In this method, the steam is subject to contamination from the air and the bottom surface of the pot. Choose a model with a cooling coil suspended in a cold water condenser, the steam contained within the coil is protected from outside contamination. This method also produces three times more distilled water. That feature represents the higher cost of a non-electric survivor with a stainless steel cooling coil and automatic features. The quality of the automatic model, the high volume of pure water, and the ease of unattended operation and peace of mind knowing you can’t burn anyone justify the increased cost. This model also comes in a 7-gallon bucket with a Gamma screw-on lid that houses all the parts and has a handle for easy transport.

Whichever model or brand you choose, know that regardless of the water source, you can turn it into pure, healthy drinking water in any emergency or disaster.

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