Lack of Minerals in Water – Dangerous?
Published December 30, 2008 | 
Anna from Wyoming Writes:
Hi, we get our water from a well and we use a water distiller for our drinking water. I am totally confused if this is the best water for us or not, because I am concerned about the water not having any minerals in it. Right now I add colloidal plant minerals to add some minerals, but please let me know if you have any better suggestions, the internet makes me scared with all their claims that distilled water leaches minerals out of your body!
Hi Anna, thanks for the question.
Two things happen to water when it passes through an R.O. membrane or a distiller:
- The removal of minerals. Water is the worlds most universal solvent, which is why you find naturally occurring minerals and metals in water. Once these minerals are removed, it does allow for very fast ion transfer from a source of high ions (the minerals) to low or no ions (the “pure” water). Think of it like heat – if you have one room at twenty degrees and another room of equal size beside it at ten, eventually both will be fifteen degrees. This can suck dissolved minerals from your body and pass it into your urine, which can be a problem, assuming you have a major mineral deficiency in the first place.
- The formation of carbonic acid. With the minerals gone, the H2O is free to combine with the carbon dioxide in your water, forming carbonic acid. This will bring the pH of the water down to around 6.
The real question is will this do any long term damage. The internet supports a lot of sensationalists that like to do fear mongering. Fear mongering gets attention, and traffic, which is what webmasters like. Creating this unfounded fear also drives sales for products that are not needed or just plain do not work, for the profit of these unethical business people.
I have not run across any sufficient long term studies stating if this lack of minerals is truly harmful or not. The concept of “pure” water being harmful is a relatively new one and long term study is required. However, there is no doubt that pure water is in reality an fairly aggressive and effective solvent. That is scientifically valid.
My own personal thoughts are that if you are in good health, and have a healthy, balanced diet, there shouldn’t be any problems. However, if you are very young (infant/toddler), very old, weak, infirm, or have or are at risk of having osteoporosis, than ingesting de-mineralized water might be a risk for you, a risk that you might not want to take.
Personally, I drink and cook with the municipally treated tap water available from my taps. As a member of the municipal treatment industry, I am familiar with local and federal regulations as well as industry wide standards and have every confidence that I am getting safe water.
If you do feel that your distiller is no longer working for you, I would be happy to help point you in the right direction of other effective water treatments for your well water. But for now, happy drinking!
Free Computer Consulting at, Computer Choice – We’ll find your perfect computer to fit your needs, free.
Want more information, have a question or want to see more cool water stuff? Then Head on over to the main site!
Posted in Drinking Water, health | 
distilled water, distiller, fear mongering, hype, minerals, pure waterSoftener Repair, Sulfur Content, and Copper Pipes
Published December 29, 2008 | Eddie from Ohio writes:
my water softener broke. we called culigan to come fix it and they sent a salesman out. without looking at it he told me that it will cost $1,400 and that i have a sulfur problem and i need a $2,000 sulfur filter. he said that sulfur eats my copper pipes. my parents live across the street and this has not been a problem in 30 years. do i need a sulfur filter?
Hi Eddie, thanks for the questions.
It seems that you have two questions. I’d like to address your softener question first.
Common sense tells you that you cannot determine the damage to an appliance without actually looking at it. The salesman was hoping to catch you off guard, to agree to the sale of brand new equipment. This is what salespeople do.
There are several things that can go wrong with a softener. The mechanics that initiate back washes etc. can break. The ion exchange resin inside the softener usually will last about ten to fifteen years, depending on how hard your water is and how much water you use. Your resin could also be clogged with iron, in this case back flushing with some Iron Out will solve this problem. The point is, a good service technician will be able to tell in short order what the problem is and if it’s worth it to fix it or purchase a new one, and allow you to make that choice.
If your softener is from Culligan, I suggest calling them back and insisting on a service technician. If they give you a hard time, make some calls to local plumbers. Often, plumbers have the experience, and knowledge to troubleshoot and fix softeners and the supplier connections to find the correct parts.
If it does turn out that you need a new softner, I would suggest you consider a company called Kinetico. They make a wide range of water treatment as well as water softeners. They tend to be more expensive than Culligan, but their equipment is of higher quality. You do get what you pay for.
With regards to your sulfur issue, in short, the various forms of sulfur that may or may not be in your water will have no effect on your copper pipes. If you do see some degradation of your pipes, it’s likely that you have an issue with your cathodic protection. Again, your local plumber will be able to help you with this.
Sulfur is commonly in your water in one of two ways. The first is as dissolved sulfate. This will not cause any odour or any adverse problems, and the only way to remove it is with reverse osmosis filtration.
The second is hydrogen sulphide, which does cause a rotten egg smell. It’s usually present in very low concentrations if it’s there. This is only an aesthetic problem, and can be dealt with for much less than $2,000. If you don’t smell rotten eggs in your water, it’s not there.
I hope I’ve helped you. If you would like further clarification or have another question please do not hesitate to write back in.
Free Computer Consulting at, Computer Choice – We’ll find your perfect computer to fit your needs, free.
Want more information, have a question or want to see more cool water stuff? Then Head on over to the main site!
Posted in Drinking Water, health | distilled water, distiller, fear mongering, hype, minerals, pure water
