The distiller is well constructed, sturdy, and fits in a small, neat area. It produces slightly more than one quart of distilled water per hour. Once hooked up to a filtered water line, it refills automatically, with no signs of overfilling the boiling chamber. I have a soft water feed, so I drain the boiling chamber after collecting five gallons of distilled water. I don't have to remove scale, since there is little calcium in my water. I drain the boiling chamber, because sodium salts build up as the water is removed. A salt build up changes the boiling characteristics of the hot water and can splatter salty water past the baffles into the cooling tube. This defeats the purpose of purifying the water. So I drain this water regularly.

The carbon filter is necessary for the feed line, since it serves as a polish line and removes chlorine. This unit uses 110 volt service. A larger unit will use 220 volts.

I collect 1-2 gallons of distilled water every day and use the water for all our drinking and cooking requirements. It takes 4 to 7 hours to collect. When I need more, there is plenty of time to produce it.

Soft water is great for bathing and washing clothes, but mine contains too much sodium for drinking purposes. I have not had to clean the heating chamber of my coffee brewer since I bought it more than ten years ago (I drink coffee every day). My wife drinks tea and hot chocolate. Her tea kettle is spotless and has been used for many years.

I have owned several water stills over the years and this unit is the most convenient and least expensive to operate. I bought this unit new, after using a older model for many years (more than 10). I bought the older model used and got good service out of it. That's why I stayed with this company. Durastill makes a good product. I plan to use it the rest of my life.