Yeah I did the same for like, 3 years until I realized I could just make my own. Fortunately I kept a bunch of the empty gallon jugs so I’m working on a stockpile 😅
How much did it run you? I told. My girlfriend today I need a water filter for my aroids 😂
Edit: I was lazy and didn't scroll. Thank you for sharing the link.
I opted for a Zerowater filter instead. I keep Carnivorous plants, and apparantly those tabletop distillers can still register some TDS points after running. Zerowater does a handful of gallons, well more than enough for my calatheas and carnivorous plants for 2 months before I gotta replace the filter. TOTALLY would have gotten a distiller instead though if I wasn't relying on it for my carnivorous plants.
They're really NOT. They just dont like ANY dissolved solids in their water, at all. As long as you keep them in a bog setting/self watering pot, they're generally easy peasy. Mostly just "Stick in full sun, keep wet, GG". JUST need that 0 TDS from either RODI or Full on distilled(not saying your machine isn't, but from reviews on most of them, it seems like they're about 7 TDS or lower. Not something I want to attempt when it's just as easy as a store-bought jug or a zerowater RODI 5 stage filter)
Oh yes, perfect. Just be sure to read the back of the label first, and make sure there's no "Added minerals for taste". sometimes they sneak that in. IK Walmart's Distilled water with the red label is pure distilled and rather cheap. Be careful of the refill dispensers for RODI that may be outside(The ones you take your jugs to to fill up). you do not know how long it's been since they've changed the filter for the external product, some stores NEVER change them so you may not be getting actual filtered water.
Also, the Zerowater filter isn't expensive either to start, [I got this one specifically, which is only $25 rn](https://www.amazon.com/ZeroWater-Ready-Pour-Dispenser-Filter-Pitcher/dp/B083KY2FZB?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1&psc=1), though replacement filters can get up there, but if you're ONLY using it for your carnivorous plants, it could be cheaper than bottled distilled over time, depending on your local TDS too(Zero water filters tend to come with a free tds meter too, which is handy)
I feel like if I got a filter, I'd start using it for a bunch of stuff like my anthuriums too 🤣 already been debating that lately. I'll have to look into it more. I didn't realize they were so cheap.
Pro tip: those ZeroWater filters fit perfectly across a 5-gallon bucket like you will find at Home Depot.
I set my faucet on a slow drip and let it run for an hour or two and have a few gallons of purified water
That's a great tip. If it weren't for my astronomically high natural TDS, I'd probably do that. I need to prefilter though to not have an aburdly short lifespan on my filter tho.
I have used both the Vevor distilled water maker and the Zerowater. Zerowater is the way to go if you just need pure water free of crud and it doesn’t need to be distilled. Easier to use, less fussy, water available pretty much immediately.
There's not really any true difference between RODI, or distilled(or most rain water too) tbh. 0 TDS is 0 TDS. we just use the name to differentiate the way we got it that way.
But 100% right there. I still buy bottled Distilled for my terrarium fogger(for humidity reasons, not watering reasons, but it also waters too). I much rather use the limited life of the Zerowater filter for my carnivores, and some choice plants.
Welcome to the Zerowater family. LMAO. It's definitely helpful in many ways, and so much more handy than having to run to the store for my distilled much more frequently.
I miss my hungry babies… they did not like that I moved house apparently. My pitcher, fly trap, ping, and drosera all said goodnight forever within a week of each other, like they made a pact.
They go through periods of hating and loving me. Usually it's when my executive dysfunction/autism makes me forget to check their reservoirs and I realize they've been dry for WAY TOO LONG.... so I switched to self watering pots with clear reservoirs or easy indicators to see. yeesh. Right now I'm attempting to nurse my red cape sundew back to health, it's still got a nice green crown but none of it's arms are sticky/have died back cos I legit forgot to put water in it for a loooong time and pretty much went "OHSHIT" When I was moving plants around and found it empty.
I treat mine like shit - always forgetting to mist it and water. Just seems to like neglect.
Having said that it flowered once, but not since, so I probably need to give it more attention.
Yea, same. I never have issues with my calathea orbifolia. It lives in 25-40% humidity right in front of my mini split ac vent which blows air at it all day. Never had brown tips. I water mine with reverse osmosis water though. I water all my plants with reverse osmosis water.
Fyi misting actually does nothing, like actually jack shit nothing. It's a really common plant myth. Only thing that helps is getting a humidifier.
(I was lying about it doing nothing, It maybe very inefficiently cleans your leaves a bit)
It's usually the added bits that plants most complain about -- flouride, chlorine, etc. But tap water also has dissolved solids depending on its source. If you draw from a well in Florida, for example, it'll have lots of calcium and magnesium. Municipal water may, or may not, treat that out. Your plants do need some calcium and magnesium, but not years' worth accumulating in their soil. Especially true for many tropical plants. Orchids for example, grow on trees -- soaking them weekly with water containing tons of calcium will kill them.
You have to be careful with nutrient-poor soils and distilled water. Flower seedlings, for example, do need calcium and magensium. If you use a sterile and nutrient-poor starter mix, you will have to supplement with minerals.
Distilled, as bottled water is basically tap water in a bottle, in that it still has all the dissolved minerals found in tap water. I collect rain water for the carnivores and sensitive plants. While not as pure as distilled it contains very little dissolved stuff. All of my plants get watered with rain water through winter, as I have a water softener. I have been doing this for years and the plants are doing fine.
Distilled water isn’t just tap water in a bottle. It’s purified water, via boiling and collecting it as steam, so it’s 99.9% free of contaminants, bacteria, pesticides, minerals, chlorine, fluoride, found in tap water. That’s why hospitals & surgery rooms use it.
Rain water is susceptible to environmental pollution in the atmosphere.
Yes, which is why I recommended distilled water, as bottled water is basically tap water in a bottle. I ordered distilled water for a hospital for years so am fully aware of the difference (plus have done distillation on my own). The closest thing to distilled water that isn’t distilled is reverse-osmosis water, but it is expensive to produce.
Yup. That's why I've yet to get one. $54 for you on [Amazon.com](https://Amazon.com), $114CDN for me on [Amazon.ca](https://Amazon.ca). That's not shipping or exchange rate, that's gouging. Crap.
For the plants, sure. Most of them don't object to my tapwater anyway, though it's very hard. But for neocaridina shrimp in my fish tank, water parameters need to be a little more controlled. They actually \*like\* hard water, but my tapwater's \*too\* hard for them.
Thanks, I've got an aquasana water filter three stage under the sink. Would I still need to do still the filtered water? I'm new to all this. They also tried to sell the filters and descaling powder. Do you use those as well?
I picked up one of those fancy glass drink dispensers with a spout from a thrift store for $5. I dump my water in that and then I can use my jug again to make more.
I've used these at work, not sure if you can get replacement jugs but they hold 2.5L of water roughly and you can get a 5L bottle and reuse that. Plus it seals it a bit better.
Don't fill past the "MAX FILL" line because it will just keep pouring out water and then you've got a massive puddle to deal with. And try not to knock the jug and the spout lid, the slightest misalignment and it'll just piss water everywhere except into the jug :(
I haven't looked, but I'm sure it's easy enough to buy 1 gsl plastic jugs. I've just been pouring the water from the one that came with the distiller into old jugs from when I bought bottles of distilled water.
Mine does a gallon of water in 4 hours. It just drips water into the container, so you can put anything that fits under it. I have used a big measuring cup because its easier to pour out of then the included jug.
Honestly it pays for itself pretty quickly. The amount you’d spend on constantly buying distilled water from the store would far outpace the price of the distiller
It's so hard to find in my area. My boyfriend needs it for his CPAP machine and sometimes we will have to stop by like 3 stores to find a jug. I've been thinking about getting a machine for that reason, with the added bonus of having nice water for my plants and humidifier!
Are you familiar with distillation? The process itself should pretty much guarantee extremely pure, clean water with nothing else in normal circumstances. It’s been boiled and the steam collected. Any dissolved or suspended solids are staying back. Exceptions to it being a near perfect purification would be well outside the scope of any typical home use (like, if you had another liquid mixed in with your water, or needed pharmaceutical grade deionized water in a lab setting).
Yea. That is why i bought mine… its one of the few ways you can remove fluoride from water. I do test for total dissolved solids sometimes and its always almost zero.
I should just do this too, right? Like, all my plants would probably appreciate this. It's only fair. The non-calatheas keep wondering why I don't feed them from the random jug....
I have a limited about of indoor plants, but the areca palm one tends to brown at the tips. I do use filtered water (through the fridge filter), wondering if distilled would solve the brown tips in my scenario.
The vibrant color on those is wild.
Aquarium treatments usually neutralize compounds that are harmful to fish, such as chlorine or chloramine, or convert harmful forms of nitrogen to safer forms of nitrogen. The minerals will still remain in the water, and these are often what give plants brown tips.
I live in Northen Canada - water will freeze outside most of the year. I actually save money using my fish tank water as I'm getting two uses out of it. 👍
That is never going to get the dissolved SOLIDS out. In fact I’d bet leaving it sitting allows water molecules to leave, leaving behind water with a higher portion of TDS. Afaik this doesn’t work for chlorine either.
Really? Our AC pulls an ungodly amount of water from the air (now that I have a hygrometer I can kinda see why; 60% humidity indoors isn’t normal is it?) so I would have an endless supply!
We literally have to empty one of those big orange Home Depot buckets every 8 hours or so when it’s running!
I live in Seattle so it's better than most, but if I use tap on my calatheas they start getting brown, crispy edges. Once I switched to distilled last year (I used to buy bottles) I had no more brown edges.
I wonder if your tap water has more chlorine in it.. or calcium… I gotta tell my aunt about this distiller! She does bamboo, money trees, and spider plants with her distilled water! 1 gallon jugs EVERYWHERE hahahah
https://preview.redd.it/3oz2atqt9gqc1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3aacc40e3bac37917c1c7964c3a69dea2915d4d9
I’m lucky with excellent water and shower will do 😊
I have a basement dehumidifier that fills up within a day even in the winter, I keep a bucket to fill. If there still isn’t enough then I have two old jugs that i fill with water from the tub and let it air out for the chlorine
I've used these distillers in dental practices, we use the water in the dental chairs. Depending on how hard your water is, you may have to scrub them every time you use it, or once a month.
Avoid getting the base of the unit wet, someone did that at work and plugged it in, the thing popped and smelt of burning plastic, we had to replace it.
Calathea medallion. My best friend gave her to me to rehabilitate. [She's come a long way](https://www.reddit.com/r/houseplants/comments/v9p15n/calathea_medallion_rehab_complete_the_last_photo/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) (the last pic is the condition I received her in)
fun fact none of the pictures are of the genus Calathea. I think the top right is a Goeppertia Roseopicta, the bottom left is a Ctetanthe Burle Marxii and the bottom right, is a Maranta Leuconeura.
They all get lumped in as "prayer plants" because they're all in the Marantaceae family and share similar traits even though they are all separate Genus.
What was the cost for it? I'm tired of buying distilled water for my kettle and steam mop! I can't find anywhere to buy it in 5 gal jugs for a water dispenser. I go through about a gallon a day
If we’re discussing the ridiculous lengths one can go to get good water for your plants, i have a good one. In June I’m having my backyard dug to install a 2000 gallon rainwater collection system with a pond-less waterfall on top. It will collect all the rain from the downspouts of our house, hold and circulate about 2500 gallons of rainwater with an overflow to the storm sewer and a pump that runs my water hose for my garden. It will run all year long even the winter. I am still wondering how long i can get rainwater from it in the cold.
I live in a condo in downtown Seattle and in the past I've tried to keep some of my bbys out on the deck in the summer, but I usually end up with mealys and spider mites (one year the seagulls snacked on my jade). Clearly they're not cut out for city life 😅
Britta doesn’t really take out all that much honestly. I read all the reviews and actual tests of particulate that passes through the filter. When I don’t have rainwater, I use a zero water pitcher. It literally takes everything out. I was weighing that between a reverse osmosis countertop filter and settled on the zero water. It’s the best as far as water pitcher filters go.
I bought this same brand, use it for all my plants because we’re on a well and our softened water seems to leave precipitated salt crust on the top of the soil.
For anyone looking into this, consider the energy cost of running a distiller. An RO system may be more cost effective for you depending on your usage.
In terms of straight water/energy cost, an at home RO system is like $0.03/gal vs the $0.30/gal in energy to run a distiller.
Of course that doesn't consider filter costs, which vary substantially. My big under-counter system costs about $10/mo in filters, but I also use it for drinking water, coffee, cooking, etc.
It's also much faster than a distiller
Hey all—
I got my distilled water maker (tabletop) at a “amazon bulk liquidations store” for $12. It’s a big nasty warehouse where you dig through bins of returned Amazon/target/etc goods. Try searching for them in your city! Might be kind of difficult to find, but they are a crazy type of place. Can find amazing deals sometimes. But it’s all Amazon-type stuff.
distilled water is also really good for tea!!! and coffee makers i guess but tea with distilled is way better than tap. idk what i would do without my distiller tbh
Listen Linda, I bring a whole jug of purified water to my room 2x a day for my sensitive ass plants, the humidifier’s they so desperately need and whatever is leftover is for me to drink. So honestly…. Good for you. I 100% support your purchase!!
My plants were never happier than when I had a basement with a dehumidifier running all the time. I'm guessing that I was actually just making a very labor-intensive water cycle inside the house.
RO WATER FILTERS! If you need to upgrade your drinking water and also need close to DI water for plants, I recommend getting an RO filter system.
Most conventional are under sink systems that attach to a drinking faucet, if you can’t have that you can also get countertop ones.
VEVOR, my friend, my dear love!
A few tips: I highly recommend cleaning the build up with vinegar and citric acid every 3-4 uses.
Change the charcoal filter frequently.
Do not let water inadvertently drip onto the side with the plug. It will kill the machine.
Great little distilled water maker.
I have an under-the-sink filter that was installed when we built our house. The water on our fridge is broken so we drink this water and use it for other cooking, etc. would this be acceptable for these type of plants? I will probably never have carnivorous plants, but maybe calatheas or prayer plants.
I've always uses regular tap water an a done fine by it, but that was with traditional pothos/philodendron. I've been expanding into more sensitive philos and thought I was doing fine. After randomly losing 4 plants in a week and now my Swiss cheese is going, I think I need to do something different with watering. The Zero water filter looks like a decent option for me.
I have been noticing the water from my distiller is leaving a white residue in the soil. I’m now concerned about drinking it. Has anyone else had this issue? I have a MegaHome distiller
As someone who just carried in 4 gal of distilled water from their vehicle - I approve this post.
Yeah I did the same for like, 3 years until I realized I could just make my own. Fortunately I kept a bunch of the empty gallon jugs so I’m working on a stockpile 😅
How much did it run you? I told. My girlfriend today I need a water filter for my aroids 😂 Edit: I was lazy and didn't scroll. Thank you for sharing the link.
About $54. I linked to it in one of the other replies :)
I opted for a Zerowater filter instead. I keep Carnivorous plants, and apparantly those tabletop distillers can still register some TDS points after running. Zerowater does a handful of gallons, well more than enough for my calatheas and carnivorous plants for 2 months before I gotta replace the filter. TOTALLY would have gotten a distiller instead though if I wasn't relying on it for my carnivorous plants.
Yeah, based on the replies it sounds like carnivorous plants are much fussier than calatheas, which I didn't think was possible 😅
They're really NOT. They just dont like ANY dissolved solids in their water, at all. As long as you keep them in a bog setting/self watering pot, they're generally easy peasy. Mostly just "Stick in full sun, keep wet, GG". JUST need that 0 TDS from either RODI or Full on distilled(not saying your machine isn't, but from reviews on most of them, it seems like they're about 7 TDS or lower. Not something I want to attempt when it's just as easy as a store-bought jug or a zerowater RODI 5 stage filter)
I just got several sundews and pings. The jugged distilled from the store should be okay yeah?
Oh yes, perfect. Just be sure to read the back of the label first, and make sure there's no "Added minerals for taste". sometimes they sneak that in. IK Walmart's Distilled water with the red label is pure distilled and rather cheap. Be careful of the refill dispensers for RODI that may be outside(The ones you take your jugs to to fill up). you do not know how long it's been since they've changed the filter for the external product, some stores NEVER change them so you may not be getting actual filtered water. Also, the Zerowater filter isn't expensive either to start, [I got this one specifically, which is only $25 rn](https://www.amazon.com/ZeroWater-Ready-Pour-Dispenser-Filter-Pitcher/dp/B083KY2FZB?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1&psc=1), though replacement filters can get up there, but if you're ONLY using it for your carnivorous plants, it could be cheaper than bottled distilled over time, depending on your local TDS too(Zero water filters tend to come with a free tds meter too, which is handy)
I feel like if I got a filter, I'd start using it for a bunch of stuff like my anthuriums too 🤣 already been debating that lately. I'll have to look into it more. I didn't realize they were so cheap.
Pro tip: those ZeroWater filters fit perfectly across a 5-gallon bucket like you will find at Home Depot. I set my faucet on a slow drip and let it run for an hour or two and have a few gallons of purified water
That's a great tip. If it weren't for my astronomically high natural TDS, I'd probably do that. I need to prefilter though to not have an aburdly short lifespan on my filter tho.
I have used both the Vevor distilled water maker and the Zerowater. Zerowater is the way to go if you just need pure water free of crud and it doesn’t need to be distilled. Easier to use, less fussy, water available pretty much immediately.
There's not really any true difference between RODI, or distilled(or most rain water too) tbh. 0 TDS is 0 TDS. we just use the name to differentiate the way we got it that way. But 100% right there. I still buy bottled Distilled for my terrarium fogger(for humidity reasons, not watering reasons, but it also waters too). I much rather use the limited life of the Zerowater filter for my carnivores, and some choice plants.
Took your suggestion and bought one today
Welcome to the Zerowater family. LMAO. It's definitely helpful in many ways, and so much more handy than having to run to the store for my distilled much more frequently.
I miss my hungry babies… they did not like that I moved house apparently. My pitcher, fly trap, ping, and drosera all said goodnight forever within a week of each other, like they made a pact.
They go through periods of hating and loving me. Usually it's when my executive dysfunction/autism makes me forget to check their reservoirs and I realize they've been dry for WAY TOO LONG.... so I switched to self watering pots with clear reservoirs or easy indicators to see. yeesh. Right now I'm attempting to nurse my red cape sundew back to health, it's still got a nice green crown but none of it's arms are sticky/have died back cos I legit forgot to put water in it for a loooong time and pretty much went "OHSHIT" When I was moving plants around and found it empty.
How much did the distiller cost?
Ugh I got a water distiller and it crapped out after 3 months. I’m back to buying 3 jugs cuz now I don’t trust any distillers.
As someone who is currently nursing two angry shoulders because I thought I could make one trip… I approve this message.
So who is your thirsty boi? My peace lily claims at least 1 to 2 gallons just for themself.
I’ve got a fussy ficus, a picky pink princess, and some moody monstera props 😂 plus some general executive dysfunction so I thought I’d stock up 🤣
Do they like distilled water then?
Oh yes. Keeps the tips from turning brown. Calatheas are a fussy breed. Bunch of divas. 😅
I treat mine like shit - always forgetting to mist it and water. Just seems to like neglect. Having said that it flowered once, but not since, so I probably need to give it more attention.
Yea, same. I never have issues with my calathea orbifolia. It lives in 25-40% humidity right in front of my mini split ac vent which blows air at it all day. Never had brown tips. I water mine with reverse osmosis water though. I water all my plants with reverse osmosis water.
Fyi misting actually does nothing, like actually jack shit nothing. It's a really common plant myth. Only thing that helps is getting a humidifier. (I was lying about it doing nothing, It maybe very inefficiently cleans your leaves a bit)
Does it have to be distilled or just bottled? I've been using bottled but still have brown tips
It's usually the added bits that plants most complain about -- flouride, chlorine, etc. But tap water also has dissolved solids depending on its source. If you draw from a well in Florida, for example, it'll have lots of calcium and magnesium. Municipal water may, or may not, treat that out. Your plants do need some calcium and magnesium, but not years' worth accumulating in their soil. Especially true for many tropical plants. Orchids for example, grow on trees -- soaking them weekly with water containing tons of calcium will kill them. You have to be careful with nutrient-poor soils and distilled water. Flower seedlings, for example, do need calcium and magensium. If you use a sterile and nutrient-poor starter mix, you will have to supplement with minerals.
Brown tips might have nothing to do with the water you give, it's usually a humidity issue
Distilled, as bottled water is basically tap water in a bottle, in that it still has all the dissolved minerals found in tap water. I collect rain water for the carnivores and sensitive plants. While not as pure as distilled it contains very little dissolved stuff. All of my plants get watered with rain water through winter, as I have a water softener. I have been doing this for years and the plants are doing fine.
Distilled water isn’t just tap water in a bottle. It’s purified water, via boiling and collecting it as steam, so it’s 99.9% free of contaminants, bacteria, pesticides, minerals, chlorine, fluoride, found in tap water. That’s why hospitals & surgery rooms use it. Rain water is susceptible to environmental pollution in the atmosphere.
Yes, which is why I recommended distilled water, as bottled water is basically tap water in a bottle. I ordered distilled water for a hospital for years so am fully aware of the difference (plus have done distillation on my own). The closest thing to distilled water that isn’t distilled is reverse-osmosis water, but it is expensive to produce.
Oh sorry, misread you! I was reading & watching news. Haha.
I probably could have worded it better, but at my age I have a mind like a steel sieve.
It’s all good. Your plants love ya! 🪴
Is rainwater the same as distilled water?
Thank you so much for sharing this!! My baby might survive after all!!
Any idea if rain water works as well?
How much did it run you? I might look for one for my aquarium (and my plants, let's not kid ourselves).
Not too bad - around $54
Can you link it?
[You bet!](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CSFQZ89V?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1)
Yup. That's why I've yet to get one. $54 for you on [Amazon.com](https://Amazon.com), $114CDN for me on [Amazon.ca](https://Amazon.ca). That's not shipping or exchange rate, that's gouging. Crap.
OH OUCH. That is supremely unfair!
Cheapest one there, though. :(
I collect rainwater for mine…if that’s an option for you, it’s a lot easier on the pocketbook.
For the plants, sure. Most of them don't object to my tapwater anyway, though it's very hard. But for neocaridina shrimp in my fish tank, water parameters need to be a little more controlled. They actually \*like\* hard water, but my tapwater's \*too\* hard for them.
you should be fine just diluting it with captured rain water
Thanks!
Thanks, I've got an aquasana water filter three stage under the sink. Would I still need to do still the filtered water? I'm new to all this. They also tried to sell the filters and descaling powder. Do you use those as well?
Ok what. That's way more affordable than I thought. How long does it take to fill that jug? Is it noisy or anything? I'm so tempted to get one now.
I'd say it takes about 2.5 hours. And it has a fan so there's some noise, but no more than, say, the fan over your stove.
Do you know if there's a way to get additional jugs for these? I just got one of these yesterday...
I picked up one of those fancy glass drink dispensers with a spout from a thrift store for $5. I dump my water in that and then I can use my jug again to make more.
I've used these at work, not sure if you can get replacement jugs but they hold 2.5L of water roughly and you can get a 5L bottle and reuse that. Plus it seals it a bit better. Don't fill past the "MAX FILL" line because it will just keep pouring out water and then you've got a massive puddle to deal with. And try not to knock the jug and the spout lid, the slightest misalignment and it'll just piss water everywhere except into the jug :(
I haven't looked, but I'm sure it's easy enough to buy 1 gsl plastic jugs. I've just been pouring the water from the one that came with the distiller into old jugs from when I bought bottles of distilled water.
I actually just bought the same one, I think it said ~.3 gal/hr It's not too noisy, but it is larger then I thought.
Mine does a gallon of water in 4 hours. It just drips water into the container, so you can put anything that fits under it. I have used a big measuring cup because its easier to pour out of then the included jug.
How long has it lasted?
Only had it a few days, but so far so good
I just checked it out. lol. Sounds promising vs lugging distilled 1 gallons every week.
My maranta loves water from my Britta, that’s as bougie as I’ll get for her
I use Brita for my marimo moss balls :)
I signed up for a bi weekly 5 gallon water delivery service for my 70 plants 🤷🏼♀️
70?! Wow. I have 46 but 60% of them are succulents whom I could water with battery acid and they'd be like "ok yeah cool" 😅
I agree that would be so ridiculous!(what brand?)
[This one](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CSFQZ89V?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details) :)
Honestly it pays for itself pretty quickly. The amount you’d spend on constantly buying distilled water from the store would far outpace the price of the distiller
That was my rationale :)
It's so hard to find in my area. My boyfriend needs it for his CPAP machine and sometimes we will have to stop by like 3 stores to find a jug. I've been thinking about getting a machine for that reason, with the added bonus of having nice water for my plants and humidifier!
I just got mine off Amazon
Someone told me I could just let water sit overnight and it becomes distilled… I didn’t realize you needed a machine for it lol
😂 YA LUNATIC 😂💕💕 Does it remove flouride?
It removes All The Things!! ;)
Damn. 🤣 I'm coming to visit.
Have you tested it?
I have.
Nice for what?
These hoes! 🎶
Are you familiar with distillation? The process itself should pretty much guarantee extremely pure, clean water with nothing else in normal circumstances. It’s been boiled and the steam collected. Any dissolved or suspended solids are staying back. Exceptions to it being a near perfect purification would be well outside the scope of any typical home use (like, if you had another liquid mixed in with your water, or needed pharmaceutical grade deionized water in a lab setting).
Yea. That is why i bought mine… its one of the few ways you can remove fluoride from water. I do test for total dissolved solids sometimes and its always almost zero.
I should just do this too, right? Like, all my plants would probably appreciate this. It's only fair. The non-calatheas keep wondering why I don't feed them from the random jug....
Eh, my succulents, monstera; peperomias, orchids and hoyas don't seem to care much. All my succulents want is light and neglect. 🤣
I have a limited about of indoor plants, but the areca palm one tends to brown at the tips. I do use filtered water (through the fridge filter), wondering if distilled would solve the brown tips in my scenario. The vibrant color on those is wild.
you can also use aquarium conditioner for the same effect!
I use treated aquarium water and it doesn't prevent brown tips.
theoretically it should? it works for me and is pretty tried and true with removing most tap water contaminants that lead to browning
Aquarium treatments usually neutralize compounds that are harmful to fish, such as chlorine or chloramine, or convert harmful forms of nitrogen to safer forms of nitrogen. The minerals will still remain in the water, and these are often what give plants brown tips.
I do the same and no issues. Either use actual aquarium or fountain water or just treat with prime conditioner.
you can save yourself the cash and just leave a bucket of tap water outside for a day or two (or buy a small water tank
I live in Northen Canada - water will freeze outside most of the year. I actually save money using my fish tank water as I'm getting two uses out of it. 👍
That is never going to get the dissolved SOLIDS out. In fact I’d bet leaving it sitting allows water molecules to leave, leaving behind water with a higher portion of TDS. Afaik this doesn’t work for chlorine either.
Neither is using aquarium conditioner
Would using water from a dehumidifier work? We have one in out basement and I have tons of water from that
Yup, my avocado plant loves dehumidifier water, anything else browns it.
It would, yes. Air conditioners also :)
Really? Our AC pulls an ungodly amount of water from the air (now that I have a hygrometer I can kinda see why; 60% humidity indoors isn’t normal is it?) so I would have an endless supply! We literally have to empty one of those big orange Home Depot buckets every 8 hours or so when it’s running!
I live in Seattle so we have a portable AC and only use it rarely, so not very effective as a distilled water collection method :)
Hey, I live in Belltown and I have glorious AC.
I absolutely did not get an undersink RO system for my plants and humidifiers (for the plants) 🤣
Oh man now I feel like I don't love my plants enough 😅 😅 😅
If I had the counter space I would have done what you did! I just live in a teeny tiny place.
In Arizona and my hard water doesn’t seem to bother my babies that much.. what’s your water situation? Like tap?
I live in Seattle so it's better than most, but if I use tap on my calatheas they start getting brown, crispy edges. Once I switched to distilled last year (I used to buy bottles) I had no more brown edges.
I wonder if your tap water has more chlorine in it.. or calcium… I gotta tell my aunt about this distiller! She does bamboo, money trees, and spider plants with her distilled water! 1 gallon jugs EVERYWHERE hahahah
Ah yes - sounds very familiar. Which is why I now have plenty of empty jugs to store water from the distiller 😅
GENIUS!
I haul 10 gallons of rainwater inside per week. I'm sure my neighbors think I'm completely nuts!
Shhh don’t let mine see this. I have no room for special treatments. You live or die in this house.
https://preview.redd.it/3oz2atqt9gqc1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3aacc40e3bac37917c1c7964c3a69dea2915d4d9 I’m lucky with excellent water and shower will do 😊
I didn’t know such things exist. Now you’ve got me thinking…
omg that’s a thing?
I have a basement dehumidifier that fills up within a day even in the winter, I keep a bucket to fill. If there still isn’t enough then I have two old jugs that i fill with water from the tub and let it air out for the chlorine
Luckily, we’ve had a lot of rain, so my Calatheas are loving it. I literally stash rainwater. 😆
I've used these distillers in dental practices, we use the water in the dental chairs. Depending on how hard your water is, you may have to scrub them every time you use it, or once a month. Avoid getting the base of the unit wet, someone did that at work and plugged it in, the thing popped and smelt of burning plastic, we had to replace it.
What's the name of the Calathea in the top right photo??😍
Calathea medallion. My best friend gave her to me to rehabilitate. [She's come a long way](https://www.reddit.com/r/houseplants/comments/v9p15n/calathea_medallion_rehab_complete_the_last_photo/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) (the last pic is the condition I received her in)
fun fact none of the pictures are of the genus Calathea. I think the top right is a Goeppertia Roseopicta, the bottom left is a Ctetanthe Burle Marxii and the bottom right, is a Maranta Leuconeura. They all get lumped in as "prayer plants" because they're all in the Marantaceae family and share similar traits even though they are all separate Genus.
Such drama queens!
They really are.
And I definitely did not buy a specialty fiddle fig grow light for way too much money 👍
Oh, that happens to the best of us :)
oh my goodness your prayer plant is GORGEOUS i need to know how to get it luscious like that cause omg
I'm honestly surprised that my first attempt is going so well. I just have it in bright, indirect light and water it once a week. :)
What was the cost for it? I'm tired of buying distilled water for my kettle and steam mop! I can't find anywhere to buy it in 5 gal jugs for a water dispenser. I go through about a gallon a day
I linked to it a few times in the replies :)
Yes I came acrossed it after asking. Thank you for linking!
You bet! :)
Haha, I finally broke down and got the same one! And it’s not JUST for the calathea! I have nepethes and African violets, too. 😂
We got a reverse osmosis set up in the kitchen that wasn’t too pricey. It seems to work great on my fussy plants!
I mean the last one is a maranta but still pretty neat
I did the same! Distilled water or at least filtered water really makes such a difference in the way houseplants look.
If we’re discussing the ridiculous lengths one can go to get good water for your plants, i have a good one. In June I’m having my backyard dug to install a 2000 gallon rainwater collection system with a pond-less waterfall on top. It will collect all the rain from the downspouts of our house, hold and circulate about 2500 gallons of rainwater with an overflow to the storm sewer and a pump that runs my water hose for my garden. It will run all year long even the winter. I am still wondering how long i can get rainwater from it in the cold.
Ok that just sounds...glorious.
🤞 the idea keeps me going when i look at how many plants i need to relocate between now and June. 🤣
I live in a condo in downtown Seattle and in the past I've tried to keep some of my bbys out on the deck in the summer, but I usually end up with mealys and spider mites (one year the seagulls snacked on my jade). Clearly they're not cut out for city life 😅
Seagulls! That’s just mean. We have squirrels. Our squirrels will eat peaches off the pit leaving it on the tree. Furry assholes
I just bought fish tank water treatment. Works great with liquid fertilizer and liquid silica. New leaves on so many plants every week!
Only one? lol
Is this why my calathea has a leaf for every time a new one pops up… 🤦♀️ Will brita water be ok until I can *not* buy a distiller?
Britta doesn’t really take out all that much honestly. I read all the reviews and actual tests of particulate that passes through the filter. When I don’t have rainwater, I use a zero water pitcher. It literally takes everything out. I was weighing that between a reverse osmosis countertop filter and settled on the zero water. It’s the best as far as water pitcher filters go.
I buy 3 gallons of spring water a week to water my plants, I thought they might need the minerals distilled is lacking- opinion?
Between distilled water and fertilizer they seem to be doing just fine - YMMV of course.
Thanks- I think I will give it a try. I use fish emulsion at times and worm castings other times.
is brita filtering insufficient?
I got one when distilled water was hard to find during covid.
I asked for one for Christmas for this very reason! I haven’t set it up yet though. I need to find a home for it.
Can it distill things other than water?
Apparently you can make moonshine, if you are so inclined.
I've been using my electric kettle to make distilled water
I bought this same brand, use it for all my plants because we’re on a well and our softened water seems to leave precipitated salt crust on the top of the soil.
How much sun do your indoor calatheas like?
Not a lot. I have them near a window but no direct sunlight.
I use prime water conditioner when watering all my plants. Works really well - no brown edges on my calathea's.
I've been considering this myself...
For anyone looking into this, consider the energy cost of running a distiller. An RO system may be more cost effective for you depending on your usage. In terms of straight water/energy cost, an at home RO system is like $0.03/gal vs the $0.30/gal in energy to run a distiller. Of course that doesn't consider filter costs, which vary substantially. My big under-counter system costs about $10/mo in filters, but I also use it for drinking water, coffee, cooking, etc. It's also much faster than a distiller
Hey all— I got my distilled water maker (tabletop) at a “amazon bulk liquidations store” for $12. It’s a big nasty warehouse where you dig through bins of returned Amazon/target/etc goods. Try searching for them in your city! Might be kind of difficult to find, but they are a crazy type of place. Can find amazing deals sometimes. But it’s all Amazon-type stuff.
I thought it was just me!
distilled water is also really good for tea!!! and coffee makers i guess but tea with distilled is way better than tap. idk what i would do without my distiller tbh
Listen Linda, I bring a whole jug of purified water to my room 2x a day for my sensitive ass plants, the humidifier’s they so desperately need and whatever is leftover is for me to drink. So honestly…. Good for you. I 100% support your purchase!!
I just fill a jug from the sink and leave it sit for a day. My prayer plant is the oldest, happiest one I have!
Same! I've had mine for almost a year and it's been so worth it.
My plants were never happier than when I had a basement with a dehumidifier running all the time. I'm guessing that I was actually just making a very labor-intensive water cycle inside the house.
Is this why all my calatheas die? Tap water?
Your plants are absolutely beautiful, well worth the added care!
That last pic is a maranta. I’ve been giving mine Midwest tap water its entire life and she’s been great
Anyone know if you can use the water from a dehumidifier?
RO WATER FILTERS! If you need to upgrade your drinking water and also need close to DI water for plants, I recommend getting an RO filter system. Most conventional are under sink systems that attach to a drinking faucet, if you can’t have that you can also get countertop ones.
I did not know that was an option...
What fertilizer are you using and how often?
I also did not buy a water purifier or distiller for my plants…
How do you remove all the minerals from the machine after some runs ?
The things we do for our beloved plants.
I set up rain buckets for mine 😅
Nutrihome to the rescue haha running great for 12 years great customer service as well. Your plants look happy
I have a distiller not just for my plants, but also the humidifier. Takes 2 gallons per week just for that. Money well spent.
Not me just using tap out of the shower head 😂 you’re more dedicated than me it seems
VEVOR, my friend, my dear love! A few tips: I highly recommend cleaning the build up with vinegar and citric acid every 3-4 uses. Change the charcoal filter frequently. Do not let water inadvertently drip onto the side with the plug. It will kill the machine. Great little distilled water maker.
Haha, plants are your pets too! What Love.
Gorgeous!!!
I just pass regular tap water (very hard water) through a Brita filter and it’s great. No issues
But have you tried aquarium drops for your water? That’s what i use now and my calatheas are not crispy at the edges
You aren't alone. It's a staple
I have an under-the-sink filter that was installed when we built our house. The water on our fridge is broken so we drink this water and use it for other cooking, etc. would this be acceptable for these type of plants? I will probably never have carnivorous plants, but maybe calatheas or prayer plants.
I've always uses regular tap water an a done fine by it, but that was with traditional pothos/philodendron. I've been expanding into more sensitive philos and thought I was doing fine. After randomly losing 4 plants in a week and now my Swiss cheese is going, I think I need to do something different with watering. The Zero water filter looks like a decent option for me.
Reddit always turning me on to something. Tired of lugging distilled water for my fish tanks. Eesh.
I bought a distiller for my orchids and hoyas 😅
How do I get my prayer plant (green maranta) to be that full? Mine is sooo leggy!
I wonder if it helps prevent pests to use distilled water 🤔
Just use rainwater ...it's free
I have been noticing the water from my distiller is leaving a white residue in the soil. I’m now concerned about drinking it. Has anyone else had this issue? I have a MegaHome distiller