Megahome 316 Deluxe Water Distiller Review

The Megahome 316 water distiller is a product of Megahome distillers, which is a company that has been manufacturing domestic water distillers for over 20 years now. They have been persistently refining and improving their distillers and this model, the Megahome MH943SBS clearly demonstrates that.

It’s an efficient water distiller that’s able to eliminate 99.99% of contaminants found in water, both organic and inorganic. It also includes an additional carbon filter to clear out volatile organic compounds. However, what really makes it stand out is the high quality of its overall construction.

The interior is made from 316 marine-grade stainless steel which is a special heavy-duty steel that’s more robust and durable than standard 304-grade stainless steel. It’s a material that not most manufacturers use on their distillers.

Besides that, the machine is generally user-friendly, easy to maintain, and has some nice features like the auto shut-off function. The major downside is that it’s not compact and the distillation process is slow.

Design

The Megahome 316 design is not the most captivating. It almost resembles a freestanding pitcher or coffee machine with the typical kitchen appliance look which makes it presentable and also matches well with other appliances in the kitchen – there’s nothing attractive about it, although the design of the glass carafe with the two stainless steel rings running around it is pretty appealing.

The unit is also a little bigger (20cm wide x 36cm tall) than a coffee maker, even the glass carafe is big, about twice the size of a normal 12-cup coffee maker. You would need sufficient counter space to accommodate the whole set.

Carrying it might be challenging too as there’s no handle on the distiller itself, but it’s light, weighing just 3.5Kg (7.7 lbs). The glass jug is designed such that it actually fits inside the stainless steel pot which is quite convenient as it makes the whole set very portable and no plumbing is required – it’s a freestanding unit. You can easily take it with you on camping trips.

Build Quality

As mentioned earlier, one of the main things that users liked about Megahome 316 model is its high-quality build. The main body (the boiling chamber and upper dome) is made of 316 marine-grade stainless steel while the condensing coils are full 304-grade stainless steel.

This is one of the few or even probably the only water distillers in the world that’s built using 316 stainless steel. This is more heavy-grade steel than the normal 304-grade steel that most standard water distillers are made from.

What makes the 316 stainless steel stronger is the addition of molybdenum. It’s added to a maximum of 3% and it effectively increases the corrosion resistance of the steel allowing it to withstand corrosive attacks by industrial chemicals and solvents including phosphoric acid, hypochlorite solutions, and sodium and calcium brine. It, particularly, inhibits pitting caused by chlorides.

With this 316 stainless steel construction, the Megahome is sturdier and longer-lasting than models made frame standard 304-grade stainless steel. The boil chamber can’t easily get corroded or develop pitting making the unit ideal for use in areas with corrosive source water or water that has corrosive chemicals. You could actually distill even seawater with the machine.

The collection jug is made out of glass and has a removable lid for convenience. It’s thick glass and it’s well made such that it’s not likely to break quickly – it’s not totally indestructible though. It can break if it falls on the floor. The best part, however, is that there’s no leaching of particles into the water unlike when using a plastic container to collect the distilled water.

The other parts are equally of decent quality. The porcelain-lined nozzle is sturdy while the inside of the top cover, the cooling fan, and the electrical connector are all made of sturdy food-grade plastic material that is also BPA-free.

The distiller does also feature a silicone gasket between its top and bottom parts which are also a food-grade and BPA-free material – it doesn’t get in contact with the distilled water. The handle of the glass jug is plastic too. It seems sturdy, even when the jug is full but you may have to support the jug when pouring to prevent the handle from weakening or loosening up over time.

Generally, in terms of build quality, the Megahome 316 scores full marks. It’s a well-made machine that can hold up to regular use for a long time, provided you don’t abuse it a lot. Some users reported that it can start developing a leak in the bottom after about 3 years if it often goes through a lot of heavy use.

Distillation Performance

The Megahome 316 does exactly what it’s designed to do, clears all the contaminants out of tap water. It utilizes a 565 watts heating element that’s hidden below the boiling chamber. It’s a medium-power heater that’s able to heat water to a boiling point of 100°C (212°F) which is enough to eradicate most contaminants from the water.

The water is gently boiled killing off biological contaminants (bacteria, viruses, etc.) and as the steam rises, it leaves most of the remaining pollutants behind. The steam then enters the condenser unit where stainless steel coils capture it and then cool and recondense it into pure, distilled water.

From there, the water finally goes through an activated charcoal filter fitted in the spout/nozzle which serves as the final filtration stage. It helps to further remove any remaining volatile organic compounds like solvents and pesticides whose boiling point may be lower than that of water.

The addition of this extra filtration stage not only helps clear out VOCs but also ensures that odours and unpleasant residual tastes that may result from chemicals are removed.

Overall, the whole distillation process eliminates up to 99.99% of contaminants from tap water including all fluoride, antibiotics, fertilizers, inorganic chemicals, heavy metals, radioactive (like radium), and much more. Most of the users reported getting TDS levels of 400 to 500 ppm from their tap water but after distillation, it significantly drops to about 0 to 1 ppm.

It’s a suitable distiller for home and office use as well as for use in labs, hospitals, and dental clinics. You can use it to distill seawater too since the 316 stainless steel boil chamber can withstand corrosive chemicals and compounds, especially chlorides (salt) which tend to be aggressive against stainless steel and can easily eat away at the welds.

Another advantage of this unit is that it gently boils the water – there are no splashes of hot water like in other models that often distill at very high temperatures.

Distillation Speed and Holding Capacity

The distilling speed of the Megahome 316 is not quite impressive. It’s a slow process that takes around 5 to 6 hours to produce a gallon or 4 liters of distilled water. That means you can only make about 4 gallons of pure water per day – it’s not much but it’s at par with most standard water distillers.

Moreover, the slow distillation produces cleaner water than distillers that offer quicker distillation rates because they distill at very high temperatures hence sacrificing the purity of the distilled water – contaminants with boiling points slightly higher than water are likely to rise alongside the steam thereby ending up in the distilled water that you collect.

The capacity of the boiling chamber and the glass collector jug is 4 liters which are pretty decent and suitable for a family of four – you’ll not have to refill the unit frequently. The jug itself pours well – there are no spillages or drips from the spout when and after pouring. Furthermore, you can buy additional glass jugs for the distiller for continuous distillation.

Safety Feature

The unit is fitted with an automatic shut-off function, so it’s able to stop automatically at the end of each distillation cycle. You don’t have to stay around to watch over it although several users claim that it sometimes fails to shut off – you have to buy a timer so that you can turn it off after around 4½ hours of distillation, otherwise, the unit will overheat.

Moreover, you have to push the reset button each time you want to start the distillation which can certainly shorten its life and cause it to eventually fail.

There’s, however, a temperature-controlled switch which is a useful addition as it helps protect against overheating in case you forget to add water to the boiling chamber.

The other advantage of using this machine is that it has passed safety standards for the countries it’s destined for. One of these standards is the UL (Underwriters Laboratory) which is a private independent safety science company that usually tests all appliances to determine if they comply with United States safety standards. This Megahome model is UL listed, meaning it’s tested and certified as safe.

Installation

The whole set arrives well packaged and many found it easy to set up. Included in the box are the main distiller body, the glass collection jug, the distiller top, a power cord, 6 activated carbon filters, and a 250-gram residue cleaner.

Putting the unit together is a breeze. The glass jug doesn’t come with the handle attached – you have to attach it with two screws that are provided. That’s the only assembly aside from putting the activated charcoal sachets inside the nozzle, then clipping it in place.

From there, what’s left is to fill up the boiling chamber with tap water up to the “Full” mark on the inside and put the top on. You then ensure the spout of the glass jug and the distiller nozzle are aligned to avoid water leaking out. Once everything is in place, you just plug in the power cord and turn the main switch and the machine on.

The unit is supplied with a UK 3-pin plug but Megahome also sells the product across the European markets, so if you are not from the UK then you can request the type C plug (the round 2-pin plug) or the one that’s actually used in your respective country – if you are within Europe and use a different type of plug.

The machine operates on domestic electricity (230-240V AC power source) and the entire system consumes a total of around 580W of power – the heating unit uses 565W, and the cooling fan in the condenser unit uses 15W. It’s one of the most energy-efficient distillers.

The average consumption per distillation cycle taking 5 hours is about 3.19kWh, so it can cost you around £0.37 – £0.49 to produce one gallon of pure water, which is cheaper than buying bottled water. If you average 10 cycles per week, then it will cost you around £4.88 each week to get 40 liters of distilled water.

The fan is a bit loud while running – it makes background noise that might be disturbing for those that are very sensitive to noise.

Maintenance

Maintaining the unit is easy too as there’s little to worry about. Before using it for the first time, you have to clean it with warm water and dish soap. After that, it’s only the charcoal pouches that you’ll need to keep an eye on – they need changing every three months and there’s no way to know when it’s time for a change. You may need to get a ppm tester.

The other maintenance left to do is just regular cleaning of the entire set which is relatively easy and there are cleaning instructions provided which are simple to follow. Despite that though, it can get challenging if you let the boiling chamber run dry often and gunk/gross brown stuff builds up.

The good thing is that a cleaning powder is included in the package and it seems to work effectively – it can be boiled in the boiling chamber with the lid off to get all the hardened residue off.

White vinegar or citric acid can equally be used for deep cleaning as they are able to easily lift out heavy deposits. The distiller may need descaling once or more each month depending on the hardness level of your water supply. It requires cleaning after about every 15 to 20 gallons to ensure optimal efficiency.

The lid as well needs to be dusted after a while, probably after 1 or 2 years, or when you start to notice a build-up. The hardest part may be removing the top part of the lid to get to the fan and the motor. It gets a little tight with time requiring force to unscrew the three screws.

With regards to customer service, they have a very friendly team that is responsive and helpful. You get professional support fast when you contact them in case of any issue and the unit is even backed by a 2-year warranty.

Final Words

The Megahome MH943SBS is a special heavy-duty water distiller that may not be necessary for most customers. It’s a great product, particularly, for areas where the water is hard or for those with corrosive source water or whose source water contains high levels of corrosive chemicals mostly chlorides, sodium, calcium, or acids. It’s built to resist corrosion and can last for a long time compared to water distillers that are made using standard 304-grade stainless steel.

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