Distilled vs RO Water: Health Benefits, Purity & Daily Use

Distilled vs RO water? Which one is better and why you should get one for your daily life choice. Both types provide clean and pure water. Distilled water is mostly used for medical purposes, labs, and high-tech appliances such as batteries and autoclaves. 

RO water still contains some impurities(controlled), but it remains within safe limits and provides healthy, tasty, and drinkable water. Knowing the exact difference between tastes, purity level, and daily life use, and expert recommendations can help you decide which one meets your needs. So let’s understand reverse osmosis water vs distilled water in detail. 

Reverse Osmosis vs Distillation: How They Work?

Distillation is the process that relies on phase change. The water is boiled, evaporated, and converted into steam, then it cools down and gets back to the liquid state known as Distilled Water. 

Distilled water is obtained through the evaporation and condensation process, in which you get the desired impurity-free, non-volatile water free from salts, minerals, and heavy metals. 

On the other hand, Reverse Osmosis gives you water by letting the impure water pass through a semipermeable membrane. This membrane filters out heavy metals, calcium, magnesium, salt, sand, and dust particles, giving you comparatively pure and refined water. 

Reverse osmosis uses the separation technique, and you get clean and pure water while the large particles are left behind the semipermeable membrane. 

Key Differences Between RO and Distilled Water

Reverse osmosis and distillation processes give clean and pure water. But there are certain differences in the mineral content, purity level, taste, cost, and other factors. Let’s see all of them. 

Aspect	Reverse Osmosis Water	Distilled Water
Purity (TDS Levels, Contaminant Removal, Bacterial Removal)	99.5% pure, TDS levels below 25 PPM. It removes all types of contaminants, giving reasonably drinkable water.	Extremely pure with ~0PPM  TDS levels
Mineral Content	Calcium<2-5mgLMagnesium<5mg/L(Before remineralization)	Almost 0 mineral content in distilled water
Taste	Tastes good, pleasant	Plain or Bland taste
Applications (Drinking, Cooking, etc.)	Cooking, drinking, cleaning, bathing, industrial, or all daily life needs.	Usually used in industry, high-energy needs, chemical labs, and pharmaceutical applications.
Convenience	Installation cost is less, easier to handle, covers less space, and can accommodate the needs of a large family.	It depends upon the source. Buying small amounts is easy; installing a plant requires investment.
Cost	The cost ranges from $150-$6000. Comparatively less expensive than other systems. Cost depends upon the size of the system.	The cost ranges from $100-$20000, depending upon size, type of system, and the use.
Environmental Impact	High water wastage in the process. Brine waste also contains harmful contaminants.	It has adverse environmental impacts, including carbon footprints, higher energy costs, and plastic waste.
Health Considerations	Good for health, it can be used on a regular basis. Does not eliminate essential minerals from the water.	Good for industrial or pharmaceutical companies, but not recommended as drinking water for long-term use.

Advantages of RO and Distilled Water

There are certain benefits of both water types and their applications. Knowing their pros will help you make the right decision. 

Pros of RO Water 

Reverse osmosis water is a go-to choice for every homeowner for its extreme purity, easy setup of the RO water filtration system, low cost, and higher productivity. It is beneficial for those who live in low water quality areas and want to be free of contaminated water. These are the advantages of reverse osmosis water. 

• RO water is filtered out of many harmful substances. The impurities, including heavy metals, chemicals, pesticides, and dissolved solids, are filtered out, and you get pure water passed through a permeable membrane. 
• The separation technique gives you cleaner drinking water, which also supports overall health. 
•  It is gentle on your kidneys and helps improve skin and hair health with better-tasting water, used for cooking and drinking too. 
• The system is quite economical, the maintenance cost is low, and the productivity of RO systems is quite high. 

Knowing these advantages, if you’ve decided to go with RO water, then check out WaterMart’s Reverse Osmosis Systems.

Pros of Distilled Water 

The main advantages of distilled water are higher purity levels, usage for high-energy applications, no heavy metals, and reduced bacteria and viruses. 

• In distilled water, almost all contaminants are left behind. No bacteria or harmful elements evaporate and become part of distilled water. So it remains safe for drinking purposes and for appliances, as it does not create any limescale buildups. 
• Distilled water keeps human bodies healthy as it flushes the toxins out of the body. It also helps with kidney stones, as no further minerals go to your body, so you don’t get more stone build-ups in your body. 
• You also get consistent water without paying additional cost for mineral water purchase. The initial setup costs are higher, but then you may get rid of buying bottled water every time. 

Disadvantages Of RO & Distilled Water 

As everything has some good and bad aspects, you must know the disadvantages of both systems so that you can have a better idea before using either of them. 

Cons Of RO Water 

Ro water may contain certain impurities, water wastage, and may come with high maintenance costs. 

• RO systems waste a huge amount of water, which is not environmentally friendly, especially in places where water scarcity is high. 
• Important minerals like calcium and magnesium are also filtered out, which are necessary for your health. The water without minerals results in a bland taste. 
• The initial installation and maintenance cost of the RO filtration system is high. 
• The RO system needs regular maintenance, a change of filter, and cleaning. Otherwise, bacteria may harbor, resulting in impure water. 
• Potential environmental impacts are associated with wasted brine.
• The flow rate is flow and a large amount of water is required to continue the process and give you clean water. 

Cons Of Distilled Water 

Distilled water is expensive and has no minerals, resulting in a flat taste. Here are the disadvantages of using distilled water at large scale. 

• Don’t use distilled water as a primary source of drinking water. It lacks the essential minerals needed for good health. You may face fatigue, body cramps, hormonal imbalance, and long-term health issues. 
• It tastes so bland that you can’t consume it for a long time. 
• The production of distilled water is quite slow, and you may not get enough water more frequently. 
• The initial setup cost is quite high. The process needs intense heat to evaporate the water, so a lot of natural resources are used during the process. 
• It leaves behind a highly concentrated waste byproduct that can damage nearby ecosystems if it’s not disposed of responsibly.

Common Myths About Distilled & RO Water

Let’s see a few common misconceptions and myths people hear about RO and Distilled water. 

• Myth: Distilled Water Leaches Minerals from Your Body
  Fact: Though it is said that distilled water leaches minerals from your body, this is not true. 95% of your minerals come from the diet and food resources instead of water. So its minerals from water add up very little to your dietary requirements. You can safely drink it, but long-term drinking is still not recommended as it tastes flat and may not be equally good. 
• Myth: Distilled Water is Only for Industrial Use
  Fact: Distilled water is widely used in industrial and pharmaceutical applications, but you can also use it for household purposes, like in irons, humidifiers, aquariums, and for other cleaning devices, as it does not cause mineral buildup. However, long-term drinking is not a recommended choice. 
• Myth: Distilled Water is ‘Dead Water’
  Fact: It is considered “dead water” because it lacks minerals and microorganisms, but actually, it is not dead. This is a misconception, as it is a pure form of water and is mostly used in high-energy requirements. 
• Myth: RO water is acidic and dangerous
  Fact: Thinking RO water is acidic and dangerous is not factually correct. Yes, the RO water is a bit acidic(pH 6-6.5), but it does not affect the body at all. Moreover, remineralization solves this problem as well. RO water is safe and a healthy choice for drinking purposes. 
• Myth: RO Alters the pH of Water Significantly
  Fact: Yes, this is true. RO systems alter the pH of water, making it slightly acidic because of the removal of minerals like calcium and magnesium. These minerals are natural buffers that keep the water neutral, and their removal makes it acidic. Though this water is drinkable and safe, you can get an additional remineralization filter attached to the RO system. They balance the mineral levels of filtered water, giving you the exact taste and composition you need.  
• Myth: RO Water Tastes Flat

Fact: Many people think RO water tastes flat, but in reality, it’s not. Rathe,r they miss the absence of unwanted flavors. What they really feel is the absence of unwanted flavors. RO systems remove impurities, chemicals, and strong-tasting minerals from the source water, so the result is clean, neutral-tasting water.  Instead of water with chlorine or other contaminants, they get hygienic water with a natural taste. In fact, the taste depends on the original water quality and the system used, and for many people, RO water tastes fresher and cleaner once they get used to it. Another tip for getting the natural taste is the Alkaline RO water system, in which a remineralization unit is added, which adds the required minerals in the filtered water afterwards. This results in a good taste that most people are used to. 

You may also like our article on the comparison of RO Water & Mineral Water. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Conclusion

Distilled vs RO water? Which is better for you? Actually, both types of water give you the purest forms of water and help you get rid of contaminants, impurities, sand, dust, and other heavy particles that ruin the quality of water. 

Choosing the right water filtration system for your house requires important things to consider. The number of your family members, the size of your house, daily water requirements, and the needs(whether you need it for drinking purposes or some commercial use) are crucial to take into account. 

Always ask for an expert’s help before making a final decision. At Watermart, our consultants provide complete guidance according to your requirements. Call us for professional help and get your needs assessed today.