Customer Reviews

Waterwise 4000 Water Distiller Purifier

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I have had a Waterwise 4000 distiller for over 3 years now and it has been wonderful. With regular cleaning it runs 1-2 gallons per day without a hitch. I have found the company easy to contact and work with when I have questions.

Waterwise 4000 Water Steam Distiller with Glass Jug / Container"Expedited" shipping got the Waterwise 4000 Water Steam Distiller here the next day in perfect condition. It replaces the old Waterwise 5000 model and I am overjoyed with the company's improvements including taking only 4 hours to distill what use to take six hours. Lemon juice is the easiest and cheapest way to keep it clean- just let it sit, in between uses, with a little lemon juice and water on the bottom. Superb product and seller, Water Ionizers & Health!

This one works well except for a buzzing noise that it makes when is has warmed up. I have to run it out in the garage.

I've had it for a couple of years now. The thermostatic switch is beginning to go wacky. The unit will turn itself on again after all the water has been boiled away. Could be a fire hazard. I would give only one star now.

I bought this distiller from another website a few months ago because of the great discounted price I got but this distiller had turned out to be a major headache. I hate posting this kind of a review because it does distill water pretty well but my major issue with this product is a design flaw. Specifically the filter. It leaks like crazy and nothing that I've done has resolved this. Sure waterwise got back to me quickly with their standard response, which was to run a cup of water through the filter to rinse out excess charcoal then boil for 5 minutes and let cool. Finally, rinse briefly with more distilled water. Sounds easy, right? Wrong. I just installed my 4th filter yesterday and was so excited because my first gallon distilled perfectly with no spillage or filter leaks. Second gallon was not so good. I started it about two o'clock in the morning and by 2:30 it had started distilling. I walked over to the distiller and this time the water was pouring out of the side of the filter. I was forced to wrap a rag around the base of the bottle to absorb the excess water and this is frustrating. I don't like wasting water and clearly the problem lies in the fact that water is distilled faster than the filter can process it initially which results in a leaking filter. Now, as I mentioned in my title, the Pure Water Inc. water distiller does not have this same flaw, is stainless steel and is Made in the USA. Only the waterwise 8000 is Made in the USA. This one is Made in China! So, if I had to do this all over again I would buy the Pure Water Inc over this one anyday. In fact, I'll be buying one within the next month and putting this one into storage. I'd sell it on ebay but I wouldn't wish this headache on anyone.

Lastly, on the plus side, the water that is distilled does taste great! However, I can't recommend this product because of the constant problems I've had with this item and the fact that there is no solution to resolve it.

Update: I received a correspondence from Waterwise and they were very kind in their message to me. They mentioned that sometimes the filters are over packed with charcoal and this may present a problem with water not flowing through the filter correctly. I have trying their recommendation of poking a few small holds in the paper that separates the plastic cover from the charcoal. I used a pin, as they suggested. Also, they have offered to send me a six pack of filters as a replacement if I am still having problems. That's pretty good customer service if you ask me. Still, the filter design needs some work. Watch for an update after I process another three to four gallons after poking holds in the filter.

Update 2: Ok, I think I've figured out the correct amount of charcoal to remove from a new filter. I've been playing with different amounts and it seems like the correct amount to remove is 1/2 tsp. When you first go to replace the filter first remove the mesh screen sitting on top of the filter. It will pop out if you insert a thin knife at the back of the screen and then pry it up. Then remove the paper cover and finally remove 1/2 tsp of charcoal. Replace the paper cover then the screen and make sure it snaps back into place. After this proceed with pouring one to two cups of distilled water through the filter followed by boiling the filter for five minutes. Removing 1/2 tsp of the charcoal before aeration seems to take care of the problem with the leaking filter. If you have this same problem and keep beating the walls because your filter is leaking then try removing a little more. I suspect you can remove up to a teaspoon without it making a difference. So far though my waterwise is working perfectly. However, as stated in title of my review, my next distiller will be a Pure Water Inc. distiller. The Mini II can be purchased on the web at a discount or you can even message the folks at pure water inc. and they will offer you a substantial discount if there isn't a store in your area that carries it. Also, Pure Water Inc. Machines are all Made in the USA. That's another good reason to buy one. Oh, and the glass bottles for the Mini II are only about $20 if you want to purchase a second one. That's a significant difference from the Made in China glass bottle for this machine that sells for around $54 here on amazon.

Update 3 (final comments)

After contacting Waterwise about the issues with their filter dripping they promptly sent me out a pack of filters for free. The first thing I noticed when I took one of the filters out is that the mesh top has been redesigned. Clearly the realised the last screen was a poor design and changed it. It works much better now. The new screen is plastic, instead of metal mesh, and the sections are larger, which allows for more water to drip down through the filter. So far the filters are nice and I've had no problems. I have started purchasing activated charcoal from a local aquarium store. It just makes sense to refill them myself. Eventually, I'll have to replace the paper that sits between the cover and the screen. I'm sure the aquarium store can tell me what kind of paper will work for this purpose. So, I bumped up the number of stars to 4 but this unit will never get a 5. There's too much plastic that my water comes in contact with. If you want a good, inexpensive distiller that will make produce quality water then look no further than a waterwise 4000. However, if you have additional concerns about your water making contact with plastic, like me, then go with a Pure Water Inc. distiller. All of their distillers are Made in the USA and your water only makes contact with stainless steel.

Purchased this product about a month ago and we LOVE it! We make a gallon of fresh, clean water every night. It tastes great! Now that we are used to tasting clean distilled water, we don't like the weird flavors in tap water.

I wash the stainless steel container every morning with white vinegar. There is a little filter that needs to be changed every couple of months, and an extra one is supplied with your order.

The unit is sturdy and well made with a nice simple design. The only complaint we have is that it is tricky to pour from the glass jug without spilling a little.

Note that you'll need to plug the unit into an outlet with GFCI circuit breakers, like those in most kitchens and bathrooms.

Highly recommended!!!

DISTILLER WORKS WELL FOR DISTILLING ONE GALLON TAKING 4 HOURS TO MAKE.
WOULD LIKE TO SEE AN IMPROVED GLASS CONTAINER. WHEN POURING,THE LIP ON CONTAINER LEAKS WATER OUT ONTO COUNTER-POOR DESIGN,AS LIP IS NOT WIDE ENOUGH.

RETIRED INDUSTRIAL GRAPHICS DESIGNER

I was looking for a replacement for my Sears water distiller and did some research. The WaterWise 4000 had all the features I liked PLUS it has a glass container!!!! I really recommend it. My friend has one that he bought almost 20 years ago.

I bought this distiller to use in my autoclaves ay my dental office. It won't get the water purified enough for the autoclaves to accept it. They automatically shut down when the water is not distilled enough.

I'm not sure why this product is so expensive, but it provides excellent quality water for so many uses. The only trouble I have is producing enough to keep up with my needs. I found the chlormines in my city water supply are converted to ammonia when using a dechlorinator, so I tried mixing some of that with the distilled water this unit provides. I add this to my aquarium (I have very particular fish - discus) and in the days since, my fish look 100% more healthy and active. Now I do fewer water changes because the quality is so much better. If my fish like it, that tells the whole story. Now if I can provide enough for my family needs too! This unit is running around the clock. Only complaint is that the switch on the front doesn't seem very durable, and be careful opening the top after the unit shuts off or you could get burned from the steam that will erupt from the base upon opening(wait 30 minutes)

Like another reviewer, we bought a distiller like this one years ago under the Kenmore name. We purchased ours because we moved into a house with well water and we were expecting our first baby... and well, you know how it is, we were worried about water quality.

Well our darlin' is now 8 years old and the distiller is still going strong, providing us with water for drinking and the coffee machine.

Recently, as the kids are now older, we have purchased another Waterwise unit which is more attractive: Waterwise Distiller I found though that I still prefer the old unit, mostly because it makes more water.

If appearance isn't a problem, I'd definitely buy this distiller. Ours has run for years. The only thing I would do differently is that I would clean it with vinegar more often so the mineral deposits wouldn't build up and make the interior so unaesthetic.

Notes: Like our other Waterwise, this distiller is fairly noisy. I've got it in the dining room where it's noise is blocked.

Pam T~