Water Distillations and Stills Lab Equipment Manufacturer, Supplier and Exporter in India

Fifteen items are listed here, WDS-0001 to WDS-0015: water stills in bench and automatic forms, all-glass single, double and triple distillation apparatus, all-quartz double distillation in vertical and horizontal arrangements, single-stage quartz units, and cabinet-mounted automatic equipment. The choice between them comes down to three things the listing does not state: what the wetted parts are made of, what water quality that produces, and whether the still protects itself if the feed water fails. The third is the one that matters for the building.

Material decides water quality, and quality decides the price

Ask, for every code: what the still is made of at every wetted surface, and what water quality it produces, as a conductivity or resistivity figure, and against what standard that figure is quoted. Then match that to the work: rinsing glassware and filling an autoclave needs far less than trace metal analysis, and buying quartz for the former wastes money while buying a metal still for the latter invalidates results. If your analyses are at trace level, say so when you enquire, because that is the only way to arrive at the right code.

Dry-run protection: ask about this before anything else

The failure that destroys stills and starts fires is simple: the feed water stops, the heater stays on, and the element runs dry. It happens when a building supply is isolated, when a tap is turned off at the end of a day with the still still switched on, or when the feed line blocks with scale. Ask, in writing:

• Is a low-water cut-out fitted, and is it independent of the main control? This is the protection that matters and it should not be optional.
• Is there a separate over-temperature cut-out, and does it latch or reset itself?
• What happens on loss of feed pressure, and on restoration? A still that restarts by itself when the water comes back has to be safe doing so.
• On the automatic models (WDS-0004, WDS-0012, WDS-0013), what exactly is automatic: feed, level, shut-down on a full reservoir, or all three? And what does the unit do when the receiving vessel is full?

Whatever the answers, make it a local rule that the still is switched off at the socket at the end of the working day rather than left running unattended, and that the water supply valve is not closed while the still is on.

Scale, and the running cost nobody quotes

Scale is what kills a still. Hard feed water deposits on the heating element, the deposit insulates the element from the water, the element overheats and fails, and output falls long before it does. So ask: what feed water quality the still is designed for; whether a pre-filter or softener is recommended, and if so plan for its cartridges; how the boiling chamber and element are reached for descaling, and how often that is expected; and what descaling method the supplier approves, since the wrong acid attacks the chamber.

Then ask the figure most quotations omit: how many litres of cooling water the condenser uses per litre of distillate. A simple still can run that ratio into double figures, which over a year is a substantial water bill and, in a water-scarce area, a real constraint. Ask whether any model recirculates its cooling water or can be fitted to a chiller, and compare that against the purchase price, because for a heavily used still the cooling water can cost more than the machine. Ask also the output in litres per hour and the power rating, and work out the electricity per litre, which is the other running cost.

Is distillation even the right answer?

This is worth asking before you buy. Distillation removes dissolved solids, most organics and micro-organisms, and it does so reliably with no consumables beyond cooling water and electricity, which is why it is still the standard for autoclave feed and for reagent water in many laboratories. But distilled water is not the same as deionised water, and for many analytical purposes a reverse-osmosis stage followed by an ion-exchange polisher produces water of higher resistivity for less energy and less cooling water, at the cost of cartridges to replace and a quality that depends on them being replaced. If your requirement is high-resistivity water for instrumental analysis rather than bulk water for general use, ask the supplier to quote both approaches and compare the running costs over five years, not the purchase prices.

Installation and handling

A still combines water and mains electricity, so ask about earthing, whether the unit must be on a residual-current device, and whether it is designed to be wall-mounted or bench-standing, with the fixings. Ask the feed water pressure range it needs, the drain requirement, and the physical dimensions and weight, which for the cabinet models decides whether it goes through your doors. For the glass and quartz units, ask how the apparatus is supported, since an unsupported glass train is fragile and thermal shock cracks it; ask whether a stand and guards are included, what a replacement section costs, and how long one takes to arrive, because a broken still is out of service until it does.

Also worth confirming

Note that one product name in this listing spells distillation as "distillaton", so searches for the correct spelling will not reach it. Several codes differ only by the words table model, automatic, horizontal or by heater type with no further explanation, so ask for the specification sheets side by side before choosing. Ask also for the installation requirements as a document, the supply voltage, frequency and plug type for your country, the service arrangement and spares, and the warranty, including whether it covers an element failed by scale. Any output or quality figure quoted is confirmed in writing on the quotation; ask for the test conditions behind it.

Related ranges on this site

The meters that tell you whether your water is actually as pure as the still claims are under Conductivity and Dissolved Oxygen Meters and TDS Meter, Photocolorimeter and Flame Photometer. Autoclaves, which are usually the largest consumer of distilled water in a laboratory, are under Autoclaves, Sterilizers and Shakers. Acid digestion and distillation are under Kjeldahl Digestion and Distillation Unit, solvent extraction under Mantles and Soxhlet Apparatus, and solvent recovery under Rotary Vacuum Evaporator.

Request a quote

State what the water is for, how many litres a day you need and how hard your feed water is. For example a stainless-steel chamber still (WDS-0003) at the output your laboratory consumes, with the low-water cut-out, the conductivity of the product water, the cooling water consumption per litre of distillate and the descaling access confirmed in writing, and ask for a reverse-osmosis and polisher alternative quoted alongside it for comparison. Contact Ray Export for specifications, prices and lead times.

Frequently asked questions

Which still material do we need?

Match the material at every wetted surface to the work. The metal stills, whose chamber material is to be confirmed, suit general laboratory and teaching use, glassware rinsing and autoclave feed; WDS-0003 has a stainless steel chamber for better corrosion resistance and less metal pick-up. The all-glass single, double and triple units, WDS-0005 to WDS-0007, suit reagent-grade water where metal ions must be avoided. The all-quartz units, WDS-0008 to WDS-0011, suit trace analysis, where even borosilicate contributes measurable impurity. If your work is at trace level, say so when you enquire.

What dry-run protection should a water still have?

The failure that destroys stills and starts fires is simple: the feed water stops, the heater stays on and the element runs dry. Ask in writing whether a low-water cut-out is fitted and independent of the main control, whether a separate over-temperature cut-out latches or resets itself, and what happens on loss and restoration of feed pressure. Make it a local rule that the still is switched off at the socket at the end of the day, and that the water valve is never closed while it is running.

What is automatic on the automatic models?

Ask exactly, because the names do not say. For WDS-0004, WDS-0012 and WDS-0013, confirm whether automatic means feed, level control, shut-down on a full reservoir, or all three, and what the unit does when the receiving vessel is full. A still that restarts by itself when the water supply comes back has to be safe doing so. The cabinet-mounted units, WDS-0012 and WDS-0013, are installed as plant rather than bench apparatus, so ask their dimensions and weight to check they will pass through your doors.

How do we stop scale from killing the still?

Hard feed water deposits on the heating element and insulates it from the water until it overheats and fails, and output falls long before that. Ask what feed water quality the still is designed for, whether a pre-filter or softener is recommended, how the boiling chamber and element are reached for descaling, how often descaling is expected, and which descaling method the supplier approves, since the wrong acid attacks the chamber. Ask too whether the warranty covers an element that has failed because of scale.

How much cooling water does a still use?

Ask for the litres of cooling water the condenser uses per litre of distillate - the figure most quotations omit. A simple still can run that ratio into double figures, which over a year is a substantial volume of water and, in a water-scarce area, a real constraint. Ask whether any model recirculates its cooling water or can be fitted to a chiller. Ask also the output in litres per hour and the power rating, so that you can work out the electricity used per litre of distilled water.

Is distillation the right choice, or deionised water?

Distillation removes dissolved solids, most organics and micro-organisms reliably, with no consumables beyond cooling water and electricity, which is why it remains the standard for autoclave feed and much reagent water. But distilled water is not the same as deionised water: for many analytical purposes, reverse osmosis followed by an ion-exchange polisher gives higher-resistivity water for less energy and cooling water, though its quality depends on cartridges being replaced. If you need high-resistivity water for instrumental analysis, ask us to quote both approaches side by side.

Key takeaways

• Quality first, then material: metal, stainless steel, glass and quartz stills produce water for different work.
• Ask for a number: the product water's conductivity or resistivity, and the standard it is quoted against.
• Low-water cut-out is not optional: it must be fitted and independent of the main control.
• Plan for scale: feed water quality, descaling access and the approved method decide how long the still lasts.
• Count the cooling water: ask litres per litre of distillate and whether recirculation or a chiller is possible.
• Support the glass: for glass and quartz units, ask about the stand, guards and replacement section lead time.

About this page

Ray Export is a manufacturer and exporter of laboratory, scientific and educational equipment based at Plot No. 449, HSIIDC Industrial Area, Saha, Ambala, Haryana 133104, India. Enquiries: [email protected], +91-9817319615.

Written by Palak Mall, Senior Content Writer. Technically reviewed by Arvind Kumar, Lab Equipment Specialist, 12+ years in laboratory and testing instrumentation. Last updated: 18 October 2026.

Specifications for every code, including wetted materials, product water quality, output, power rating and cooling water use, are confirmed in writing on the quotation. For any certificate, contact us for the latest copies of the relevant certificates. No price is quoted on this page. Listing notes: one product name spells distillation as distillaton; several codes differ only by table model, automatic, horizontal or heater type with no further explanation; and the chamber material of the metal stills is not stated.