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Tap water that has been left to sit out slowly begins to acquire an off taste. Many assume that this is because of micro-organisms. Treated water's added chlorine will take care of small communities of these little guys, but at room temperature they begin to multiply rapidly and can really get the party started. Even with clean water and a clean glass; one sip introduces a host of germs to the mix, in addition to whatever the water may have picked up by ambient dust.
But that's not what makes old water taste stale. For that we can thank carbon dioxide. After about 12 hours tap water starts to go flat as carbon dioxide in the air starts to mix with the water in the glass, lowering its pH and giving it an off taste. But it's most-likely safe to drink.
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As for plastic water bottles that have been left out in the sun or the car, step away from the bottle, warns Dr. Kellogg Schwab, director of the Johns Hopkins University Water Institute. "A chemical called bisphenol-A, or BPA, along with other things used to manufacture plastic can leach into your water if the bottle heats up or sits in the sun," he explains. BPA, as you likely know, is a hormone disruptor has tentatively been linked to everything from heart disease to cancer. Schwab also says that plastic used for bottled water isn't meant to be washed or refilled, so use only one time and recycle. Or way better, don't buy them at all; use a refillable water bottle instead.
I like to let mine sit out until it acquires malarial mosquito larvae.
(Score: 3, Informative) by TrumpetPower! on Friday July 24 2015, @03:04AM
It's one of the Megahome models on Amazon. There're several different variations that all seem to be the same save for materials and cosmetics. And there're other very similar ones with different brand names that likely come from the same factory. The one I settled on had the highest ratio of good ratings.
I have no complaints about the unit. You should be aware that it's a bit noisy and produces a fair amount of heat and steam. I keep it in the utility sink in the laundry room; as such, the noise and heat don't bother me. It'd be a disaster to try to use it in the kitchen here in Tempe, Arizona, this time of year, though.
One note: before filling, I wipe the inside down with a towel. By doing so, it takes a long time for the deposits to build up to the point that it's worth running a cycle with citric acid to clean the unit...I've had it a few months and only done the cleaning thing twice, both times after I got lazy for a few days and didn't bother wiping it down. With religious wiping, I won't be surprised if it takes a few months before it gets to the point that I feel like cleaning it again.
b&
All but God can prove this sentence true.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 24 2015, @09:00AM
I have a desktop water distiller, it also sits in the laundry. Mine's 10-14 years old. It's due for the trash heap sometime (the fan now goes off balance, the unit is rusting, the plugs have all cracked and broken, the plastic cap that holds the carbon filter long ago disintegrated) although with a bit of work and some new sockets I could probably resurrect it for a few more years.
I never thought about wiping it out with a towel, our water leaves a lot of crap in the bottom of the distiller, I'm having to wash it out a few times a month. To clean it, I use straight white vinegar, just enough to cover the crap on the bottom, run the distiller until the crap has come loose.
One of "those" anti-distiller stories I've heard is that, if you drink only distilled water your kidneys shut down because you don't use them.
(Score: 1) by SiriusStarr on Friday July 24 2015, @11:43AM
Thanks!
Cheers, mate.