Pricing and Operational Cost Calculations
Before Considering Purchasing… Pricing and Operational Cost Calculations
Cost of Distillation Equipment Purchase Price
|
Distillers cost from $200 to $1500 for home use models. Counter top distillers will range from $200 to $500 and automatic models from $600 to $1500. In addition to the purchase cost, there are yearly operation costs. These include electricity, chemical cleaners, and possibly replacement ACFs. Yearly operation costs depend on how often a distiller is used.
Examples of purchase cost:
For about $250, you can purchase a 5 quart batch unit (about the same size as a coffee maker). Five quarts of raw water are poured into the boiling chamber. The unit is plugged in, and the distillation process starts. Distilled water is stored in an external plastic container. The unit shuts off automatically when the boiling chamber is empty. It has a maximum output of 4 gallons per day.
For about $1200, you can purchase a 10-gallon per day continuous flow unit with a 4-gallon storage container. When water is removed from the storage container, the unit refills the boiling chamber and begins distilling. The unit shuts off when the storage container is filled. Typical dimensions of this system are about 3 feet high by 2 feet wide by 1.5 feet deep.
Operation Costs:
Distiller operation costs are directly related to the amount of distilled water you will use daily.
The largest operation cost is electricity.
- Small batch distillers range from .25 to .30 gallons per kilowatt-hour (gal per KWH)
- Larger automatic continuous flow distillers range from .30 to .34 gal per KWH. The electrical cost is easy to calculate:
For Example: 1100 watt distiller produces 8 gal per day, operation time is 3 hr per gal, and electricity costs $0.10 per KWH (kilo watt hour)
Typical electrical cost for a family of four will range from $275 to $400 per year (or $22 to $34 per month), because the average family of four uses 3 gallons per day (1100 gallons per year) of water for drinking and cooking. Consult the owners manual or check with a dealer for the cost of a ACF cartridge replacement for a particular distiller. Cleaning cost increases with increased distiller operation.
Total Cost over the life of a distiller
The total cost of running a distiller includes the purchase price (or rental cost) and cost of operation (electricity and maintenance cost). Typical operational costs range from $0.35 per gallon to $0.50 per gallon. Bottled distilled water, in comparison, costs from $0.30 to $1.50. Based on the example below, it will cost an average family of four $38.60 per month for distilled water or $456.50 per year.
Example of Total cost of distilled water per gallon:
Lets assume for $800 you could purchase an 1100 watt distiller that would last 10 years at full production of 8 gallons per day. In this scenario electricity costs $0.10 per KWH (kilowatt hour).
How much will a gallon of distilled water cost?
Cost assumptions:
- Electricity = $0.10 per KWH
- Repairs & Cleaning = 10% of purchase price per year
- 10 year life span
- Purchase Price $800
- 1100 watt unit produces 8 gal per day
Cost Per Gallon Over 10 Years:
Purchase Price:
- Purchase price
$800 divided by 8 (gal per day) = $100 - $100 divided by 365 (days per year) = 0.27
- 0.27 divided by 10 years = $0.027 per gal
(based on continuous operation)
Electricity:
- 1100wt unit divided by 1000 (1000wt = KWH) = 1.1
- 1.1 X 3 (3hr per gal) X $0.10 (at $0.10 per KWH)
- Electricity: = $0.33 per gal
Repairs & Cleaning
- Purchase Price = $800
- $800 X 0.10 (10% of purchase price) = 80
- $80 divided by 8 (gal per day) = $10
$10 divided by 365 (days per year) (annual cost = 10% of purchase price) - Repairs & Cleaning = $0.027 per gal
$0.33 per gal plus $0.027 per gal plus $0.027 = $0.384 per gal.
- TOTAL: $0.384 per gal. (38.4 cents per gal)
A typical distiller might realistically only run 60 to 70 percent of the time. The above total cost per gallon was figured at full production. If the distiller ran 70 percent of the time, the cost per gallon would increase by $0.0314 per gallon. The distiller idle time varies with how much distilled water is needed by the user. Based on the example above, it will cost a typical family $38.60 per month ($456.50 per year) for distilled water.
