Boiled Water vs UV Treated Water – What’s Better?
Written by: Gene Fitzgerald // Last Updated: Dec 22, 2022
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Boiling water is one of the oldest and best-known methods for disinfecting it. It’s a tried and tested approach, and it can work well under a variety of circumstances. This even includes survival situations where you’re working with limited resources and you need to make the most of them.
On the other hand, UV water purification is a relatively new approach that utilizes UV light to target pathogens. It works very well in this regard, and is commonly used in modern households as part of a larger water purification system.
So, boiled water vs UV treated water – what’s better?
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Key Takeaways
- Boiling water is a great way to sterilize it, but it has various drawbacks compared to UV purification when used continuously.
- Boiling is still a great method for purifying water in small quantities. You don’t need any advanced equipment to get the job done, and you are in control of how much water you purify and how much energy you use for that.
- If you need to filter your water on an ongoing basis, using a UV water purifier can make much more sense. They work constantly and without any user interaction, providing you with a continuous stream of pure, fresh water.
Boiled Water vs UV Purified Water – What’s Better?
The difference between boiling water and purifying it with UV light mostly comes down to convenience and long-term viability. Both methods work great, but they have some inherent differences in how effective they are under the given circumstances.
Which Method Kills More Germs?
Both boiling water and using UV light are pretty much equal in terms of effectiveness. They can kill viruses, bacteria, cysts, algae, and fungi and will keep your water sterile in terms of such biological contaminants.
Convenience
When it comes to convenience, UV purification definitely takes the lead. Boiling water involves some degree of manual work and is limited in capacity. You must always boil each batch of water separately, pouring it into a container and watching over it as it boils, then removing it from the stove and storing it somewhere else.
You must also pay attention to how long you’ve boiled the water, and you’ll typically need to wait a little more after it’s started boiling to ensure that the container is thoroughly sterilized.
Finally, boiling water results in some loss. Some of the water will evaporate in the process, leaving you with less than you started with.
With a UV water purifier, on the other hand, you just install it once and then enjoy its benefits for as long as the device is running. You don’t need to turn on the purifier manually or do anything else beyond opening on a faucet and having clean water dispensed from it.
Energy Usage
One perceived downside to UV purification compared to boiling water is that it consumes more energy. However, in reality, UV purification is actually more efficient in most cases. A UV light bulb typically runs at around 50-60 watts, meaning that a UV water purifier would consume around 1.2 kWh in 24 hours. On the other hand, an electric stove will consume around 0.2-0.3 kWh to boil a quarter gallon of water.
Boiling might seem more efficient in this regard, but you need to remember that your average household consumes several gallons of water on any given day. This can make a UV purifier much more efficient.
In addition, some modern UV water purifiers come with a flow meter. This allows them to shut off automatically when no water is running through the purifier. This can significantly reduce the energy consumption of the purifier, although it can also mean having to spend more on the unit in the first place.
What’s Boiled Water?
Boiled water is simply water that’s been allowed to reach 212°F, and has been left to boil for a while. Boiling is highly effective at killing bacteria and most (but not all) other microorganisms.
However, it doesn’t physically remove them from your water – it just kills them. Good news is, this doesn’t matter, especially when comparing the effects of boiling water against purifying it with a UV light, as UV purifiers also don’t remove anything from your water supply.
How to Safely Boil Water for Purification
Boiling water for purification is very simple. Just pour the water in a suitable container – like a pot or kettle – and set it on a fire or stovetop. Wait until the water starts boiling, then continue to boil it for at least one more minute.
If you’re in a high place, for example climbing a mountain, you need to boil the water for longer to achieve the same effect. Most guides recommend boiling it for at least three minutes at elevations above 6,500 feet to stay on the safe side.
Pros and Cons of Boiling Water
Pros
- Easy and convenient
- Useful when on the go
- Low upfront cost
Cons
- Some water is lost to evaporation
- Not suitable for continuous treatment
- More expensive than UV purification
- Time-consuming
- Need to wait for water to cool down before you can drink it
- Risk of harming yourself, especially if you have to boil multiple batches quickly
Further Reading:
What’s UV Purified Water?
UV purified water is water that’s passed through a UV water filter. Like boiled water, it contains (almost) no germs. There is no other specific difference between regular water and UV purified water. UV purifiers don’t introduce any chemicals to your water supply.
Pros and Cons of UV Treated Water
Pros
- Constantly available with no manual interaction needed
- Can easily purify large amounts of water
- Relatively low maintenance
- Purified water can be consumed immediately
- Lower ongoing cost
Cons
- Requires an upfront investment
- Requires constantly running power
- Need to replace the UV bulb regularly
If you have any questions about boiled water vs UV treated water please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!
About the Author Gene Fitzgerald
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