Many people call in wondering if they need a prefilter for their water if they want to use a water ionizer.  There is no one set simple answer.  Everyone has different circumstances.

Source Water

The first thing to do is to find out the quality of your source water.  Is it too hard?  Is it too soft?  You can often find this information online with your water company or call and ask.  These values are normally given in ppm (parts per million) or gpg (grains per gallon). The best range of hardness for use with a water ionizer is about 90 ppm to 160 ppm of hardness. If your water is within this range you should not need any additional filtration. Read more…

Hard water means that there is excess calcium and magnesium in the water.  This is not bad for your health, but it can cause what’s called scaling in pipes or machines that use water (such as a water ionizer).

Scale is particularly bad in any water ionizer that doesn’t have a continuous cleaning system because scale prohibits optimal contact with the platinum plated plates.  This is where the ionization takes place.  Now all water ionizers have some form of cleaning technology at work but some are better than others.  If you have really hard water, you will still need some form of prefiltration to take the hardness out of the water.

How to Prevent Scale

If you have moderately hard water, I would suggest either the Ionizer Armor http://www.alkalinewaterplus.com/product/Armor , CellSafe Anti-Scale device http://www.alkalinewaterplus.com/cell-safe or there is anti-scaling built into the Biostone Plus filters for Jupiter water ionizers. Also for extra hard water, Jupiter offers the Scale Guard inserts http://www.alkalinewaterplus.com/product/ScaleGuardInsert

For very, very hard water you might need a Spartan Ionizer Shield, which is designed for use with Jupiter water ionizers. http://www.alkalinewaterplus.com/product/Spartan or another possibility is to use a Reverse Osmosis Remineralizer System.

If you have hard water and you have a whole house water softener that uses salt or potassium to soften the water, you will need a Reverse Osmosis system.  This is one of the only ways to get salt out of water.  It is not recommended that you run salt or potassium through your water ionizer because it will tend to wear down the plates. http://www.alkalinewaterplus.com/product/RO-System

Once you have set up your water ionizer properly for your specific source water, there should not be much maintenance involved.  You will have to replace filters about once a year and it is recommended that you do a Citric Acid wash about once a year as well.  Here is a link to our page that describes this for you. http://www.alkalinewaterplus.com/water-ionizer-care

After over 16 years of drinking alkaline ionized water, I can say with conviction that the very best thing I could give to myself or a loved one is a WATER IONIZER! Give yourself and your family the gift of health this year!

Wishing You Water Wellness!
Sincerely,
Cathie LoGrasso

Email Us: Support@alkaline-water-plus.info
Website Home: http://www.alkalinewaterplus.com
Copyright © 2006 – 2011 Alkaline Water Plus
Call for a “Best Price Quote” 1-888-MY-ALKALINE [692-5525]

Or call my [Cathie's] CELL: 314-452-9560

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All water ionizers should have platinum coated titanium plates. This is the basis of sound and safe electrolysis. Never accept any water ionizer that has plates made of anything else. The safety and stability of the water ionizer is dependent on this above all other factors. Do not accept “platinum-titanium alloys”. The word alloy means that metals are mixed with other metals, and you do not want this with a water ionizer’s plates. The water you drink will be passing over these plates, and it is important to ensure that the metals used are pure titanium coated with pure platinum…both for safety and efficiency.

Why Titanium? The reason for titanium is its safety, strength, hardness, and ability to resist erosion. For these reasons titanium is used in bone and joint replacements. No other metal is better than titanium for these qualities.

Why Platinum? The reason for platinum is that every single other metal, including gold, has been tested for efficiency in ionizing water. Platinum exceeds all other metals in the ability to catalyze [speed up] electrolysis. It is absolutely essential to catalyze electrolysis in water ionizers. Water ionizers “instantly” provide you with ionized water. There are old-style water ionizers that “brew” the water for 20 or so minutes, and even these don’t work well without the assistance of platinum. The water molecule needs to actually be in contact with the platinum to have the process [of platinum catalyzing electrolysis]  work best. This is why I put such emphasis on the types of plates and types of cleaning systems found in water ionizers [below].

A low voltage current is passed through these plates which creates poles. These poles separate out the water into two streams. One is positively charged and the other is negatively charged.

During this process the water molecules are broken down into ions. One of the ions is OH-, which is a very simple and healthful antioxidant. This is concentrated in the alkaline water stream.

Types of Plates

Solid

Solid plates are the most common type of plate. The way that this works is the electricity will concentrate in certain parts of the the plate. Although this plate does work it is not the most efficient way to ionize.

Slotted

Slotted plates are one step above the solid plates. This gives the electric current a direction and allows for more efficient ionization.

Holed

Careful. Sometimes this is also called holed mesh and can be easily misinterpreted to mean a mesh plate. This has a handful of holes in it and does allow for more direction of the electric flow. However, it does not compare to the mesh plate

Mesh

Mesh is the most efficient plate in use in water ionization. There is the most direction of electric flow and also more surface area able to make contact with the water.

The only down side to having mesh plates would happen if the water ionizer does not have a method of continuously cleaning the plates. Remember from the first section of this article that the platinum has to have direct contact with the water molecule [for the most efficient electrolysis]. If the water ionizer self-cleans as you are ionizing then the platinum will always have this direct contact with the water molecule. So, while mesh is definitely the most efficient type of plate to use, please keep in mind that combining mesh plates with a water ionizer that uses a continuous cleaning system is best. The reason is that mesh plates will very easily scale without the continuous self-cleaning, and scaling reduces the plates efficiency down to the solid-plate-level.

Methods of Plating

Dipped

This is the most common type of plating process used in water ionizers.  Dipping the plates creates a smooth surface. Note: If your water ionizer doesn’t have a continuous self-cleaning system, dipped plates would be the preferable choice [because scale won't stick as easily to a smooth surface].

Nano-Plating or Electroplating

The terms nano-plating and electroplating are used by water ionizer manufacturers to describe a newer technology in plating. It is more costly, and allows for a less smooth surface [peaks and valleys on the surface of the plate], which allows for more surface area and more efficient ionization, provided the water ionizer has a method of continuously cleaning the plates.

Plate Cleaning Systems

Acid Wash

Acid washing [reversing the polarity of the two streams of water for several seconds every so often] is the most common type of water ionizer plate cleaning. Most people just wait several seconds while their water ionizer is performing this function and let the water which is produced at this time go down their drain. This type of system works with water ionizers which have solid plates. The problems with this method are: 1) waste of ionized water during the periods of acid washing, 2) waste of time for the consumer, and 3) the plates are only really clean for a very short while, and the performance of the water ionizer will start to drop off until finally they are acid-washed again.

Continuous Cleaning

Continuous cleaning means that the water ionizer design incorporates a system of reversing polarity as you are pouring. This allows you to not waste time or water, but more importantly allows the plates to remain free of calcuim [scale] build-up …which allows for the most efficient water ionization.

There are varying degrees of continuous cleaning, and the ionizers which do best [as of today's date] in this area are in this order: the Samsung Vesta, the Jupiter Athena, the Jupiter Melody, and the KYK. All other common US-marketed water ionizers have acid-wash systems.

Number of Plates

A lot of companies boast about the number of plates or size of plates they have in their water ionizers. Normally 5 to 9 are the numbers you will hear about. Seven or nine is not necessarily the best option as you can get the same or better ionization with less plates using different combination of plates, plating processes, cleaning systems and other engineering/design innovations. There are only so many volts of electricity going through the plates. It is an engineering-design combination of concentration of the electricity, concentration and strict control of the water flow, and ensuring the platinum is pure and the ultimate of clean so the water molecules can have direct contact with it as they flow in and around the plates.

How to Pick the Best Water Ionizer?

First thing is read this entire article [above]. This article provides the basics for choosing the best water ionizer. Then browse our water ionizer comparison chart to get more information about the different types of water ionizers. http://www.alkalinewaterplus.com/water-ionizer-comparisons

After over 16 years of drinking alkaline ionized water, I can say with conviction that the very best thing I could give to myself or a loved one is a WATER IONIZER! Give yourself and your family the gift of health this year!

Wishing You Water Wellness!
Sincerely,
Cathie LoGrasso

Email Us: Support@alkaline-water-plus.info
Website Home: http://www.alkalinewaterplus.com
Copyright © 2006 – 2011 Alkaline Water Plus
Call for a “Best Price Quote” 1-888-MY-ALKALINE [692-5525]

Or call my [Cathie's] CELL: 314-452-9560

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A few weeks ago my father, who has a Jupiter Melody water ionizer, sold his house in South Carolina and moved to upstate New York to live with my sister. He, of course brought his water ionizer with him. He had been getting great, high pH, alkaline ionized water, along with the accompanying health benefits, for over a year and did not want to be without it.

I got a call from my sister shortly after the move, saying she wasn’t sure if the water ionizer was still working right, because there, in upstate New York, the highest setting of his water ionizer was only producing a pH of about 7.5-ish. I told her not to panic, it was probably her source water and not the water ionizer. But either issue is fixable.

Water Ionizers do not Always Work the Same in Every Location!

It is nice that I know how to fix just about any source-water issue, and in addition it’s good that the water ionizer has a lifetime warranty, so if it turns out to be something wrong with the water ionizer [rather than source water] it is covered. Whew!

I found that the pH of my sister’s source water [which is well-water, by the way] was about 4.5. That is a very low pH!

Her well water pH was over 100 times more acidic than neutral!

I thought at first perhaps the pH drops had gone bad. But, I did some research, and found that much of upstate New York well owners are likely to get a low pH like that in their source water. One reason is the high frequency of acid rain in the area, another factor is that fir trees add acidity to the groundwater and they are in the midst of a huge fir forest. One other thing that has a huge effect on the pH of well-water in an area is the type of soil and rock that the water filters through to reach bedrock, and in the Adirondacks [the main mountain range in upstate New York], the soil and minerals the water goes through is quite acidic. Here’s a pretty good article that explains more. http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/phdiagram.html The article even shows a map which demonstrates that most of the eastern states have a very low rain run-off water pH compared to the rest of the country.

Where my dad used to live, in South Carolina, he was on a regular municipal water supply. This makes a huge difference, as I explain, below in the section entitled “Life and Death Issues Regarding Your Water”, because when a municipality takes care of your water they buffer it [always] as one of their regulated safety measures.

The first thing we decided to do to fix my dad’s new source water was to do a “Comprehensive Well-Water Test”, which I offer for $29.95.

The test revealed that there were no toxicology issues, just pH issues! Great news!

So, knowing this, and knowing the geology of the region, I ordered a Remineralizer for them to put in-line and prior to their water ionizer. This should do the trick. What will happen is the acidic water, being acidic due to a lack of exposure to alkaline minerals to buffer it, will travel through the mineral-rich filter and buffer itself. It is possible that they may end up needing a second Remineralizer if the one filter doesn’t provide enough buffer. However, in my experience one Remineralizer is usually good enough.

I’m waiting for the Remineralizer to reach them, and will post the results when I find out how that worked. I predict that with the remineralizer they will once again be able to get about a nice 9.5 pH alkaline, ionized, drinking water.

Life and Death Issues Regarding Your Water

The pH of water is so important that it can actually be a matter of life and death for you, if you are a well owner, to learn this essential information, so read on…please.

Well Owners Must Know The Following Facts About Water!

Acidic water can be a matter of life and death for you to fix, and fix quick. Here’s an example of the life & death nature of the water’s pH. Changes in the pH of rain, due to pollution, has literally wiped out whole species of animals in ecosystems which are affected by acid rain. See these Government sites for more details about this very serious issue. http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/phdiagram.html , http://epa.gov/acidrain/effects/surface_water.html ,

Normally, rain is slightly acidic anyway, because as it falls through the sky it picks up acidic minerals [such as carbon or nitrogen], but in areas that are polluted there is extra carbon, nitrogen and even sulphur given off into the air [as emissions from fossil-fuel burning, etc.]. These, being acidic minerals, lower the pH of the rain as much as 100 times its normal, slightly acidic, pH! The effects are often catastrophic to animals, whose health is jeopardized when they drink acidic water from the streams, rivers and lakes in their habitat.

The effects of rain on the pH of groundwater vary from region to region based on the nearby cities, their altitude, location of their watershed, types of minerals which are found in the soil, types of trees growing in that region and rock in that region, etc.

Rain, going through limestone, will suffer a far less serious effect than going through coal or iron. What happens in limestone regions is that the limestone [mostly calcium] buffers the acid in the rain and the groundwater in that region will be found to be neutral or even slightly alkaline. That’s why in limestone regions, groundwater coming up through wells tends to be more alkaline than the water in nearby streams, rivers and lakes.

People are often shielded from the devastating effects of acidic water supplies, because their local water companies buffer their water supply for them. Well owners, on the other hand, are often not aware of the dangers of pH imbalances in their well, and so possibly do not buffer their well-water properly.

What are the dangers of acidic well-water or acidic groundwater?

The dangers are, the more acidic the water is, the more it tends to dissolve and absorb various minerals in the soil or rock it travels through. The water can travel through toxic heavy metals, such as lead, nitrites, pesticides, radioactive materials, or even pharmaceuticals on its way to a well.

In coal-mining regions, for instance, the water sifting down through the layers of coal tend to become dangerously toxic. According to these articles, http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/phdiagram.html , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid_mine_drainage , water found running out of abandoned coal mines is very dangerous. It has been found to be up to one hundred-thousand times more acidic than neutral. This is quite deadly to any animals or people drinking it.

Changes in the pH of water can also alter, and make worse, the way the chemicals in the water effect you.

According to this article, http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/NR_WQ_2005-19.pdf
“Ammonia is relatively harmless to fish in water that is neutral or acidic. However, as the water becomes more basic (the pH increases) ammonia becomes increasingly toxic.” Also, “Heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, and chromium dissolve more easily in more acidic water (lower pH). This is important because many heavy metals also become much more toxic when dissolved in water.”

So, what is a well owner to do?

There are usually plenty of good and inexpensive methods of fixing your source water if you are a well owner. It often is a much simpler job than you’d think. Water pH, for instance, is good for washing, showering, etc. if it’s slightly acidic. Therefore treating the whole house or well is often unnecessary if it is a simple pH problem. It is of utmost importance, though, for you to know what contaminants are coming into your tap by testing what’s in your water.

A well owner should definitely test their water periodically, and treat it either at the source or point of use if dangerous chemicals, such as arsenic, lead, nitrites, etc., are found in it. Point of use treatments are usually easiest and cheapest. It is ultimately up to you to decide.

These articles discusses what a well owner might expect and what they can do with their water, based on where they live in the country http://water.epa.gov/drink/info/well/index.cfm , http://www.wellowner2.org/2009/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=56

One point-of-use method is reverse osmosis. Often well owners filter their drinking water using reverse osmosis, because they have been told that this is the best filtration. Reverse osmosis seems like a good solution for getting the toxic minerals out of the water, however in many cases more simple, contaminant-specific, filters are easier, better and cheaper,

With reverse osmosis you are going to end up with drinking water that is too void of minerals [similar to rain water], and it will be slightly acidic [similar to rain as well], so when it travels through the terrain of your body it will pick up the minerals it finds there, which usually means it will leach minerals [calcium] from your bones and joints. This is not good. However, if you run your filtered reverse-osmosis water through an additional filter or two full of healthy minerals it will buffer the water first before entering your body. This would be a better solution. Then of course the next thing to do would be to put a water ionizer on the end of the line. And, that would be the best solution.

After over 16 years of drinking alkaline ionized water, I can say with conviction that the very best thing I could give to myself or a loved one is a WATER IONIZER! Give yourself and your family the gift of health this year!

Wishing You Water Wellness!
Sincerely,
Cathie LoGrasso

Email Us: Support@alkaline-water-plus.info
Website Home: http://www.alkalinewaterplus.com
Copyright © 2006 – 2011 Alkaline Water Plus
Call for a “Best Price Quote” 1-888-MY-ALKALINE [692-5525]

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The Jupiter Biostone Plus Filter has been improved!

As well as using improved cutting edge filter medias, the Biostone Plus has also added another all-natural element which helps prevent scale build up inside all of the hoses and water cell of the water ionizer. This is a great new feature. In addition the new Biostone Plus filter has special filtration to improve taste.

This filter is manufactured in the United States.  It is made for United States water, in that it will filter out chloramine [chlorine + ammonia] and fluoride. Both of these chemicals are toxic and both are commonly found to be added as part of most water companies’ treatment processes in the US. These are also hard to filter out of the water, due to size and stability, and so take specialized filter media to do the trick.  The Biostone Plus filter has always had superior filtration quality, but now is even better due to the new filter media in use.

Vortex Hydraulics

The Biostone Plus filter uses the natural properties of “vortex hydraulics” to ensure optimum performance.  A vortex is “a spiral motion of fluid in a limited area, especially a whirling mass of water or air that sucks everything near it towards its center.”  This allows for a filter to be able to clean the water more thoroughly.

Filtration

With the new improvements in the Biostone Plus filter, comes an improvement of contaminant removal and improved flow rate!  There is an increased contact time and reduced resistance of granulated filter beds.  The more contact time the water has with the filter media, the better the filtration will be.

So, not only does the Biostone Plus filter out chlorine, chloramines, and heavy metals, it also prevents hard water scaling and improves the taste of your water!

After over 16 years of drinking alkaline ionized water, I can say with conviction that the very best thing I could give to myself or a loved one is a WATER IONIZER! Give yourself and your family the gift of health this year!

Wishing You Water Wellness!
Sincerely,
Cathie LoGrasso

Email Us: Support@alkaline-water-plus.info
Website Home: http://www.alkalinewaterplus.com
Copyright © 2006 – 2011 Alkaline Water Plus
Call for a “Best Price Quote” 1-888-MY-ALKALINE [692-5525]

Or call my [Cathie's] CELL: 314-452-9560

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I had a customer say some really great things about our Vitamin C shower filter that we sell. It inspired me to do a little research on shower filters and specifically why Vitamin C is an important factor. http://www.alkalinewaterplus.com/product/RADVITC

Why A Shower Filter?

1. We absorb more chlorine from our skin than we do from drinking water.

2. While taking a shower, your pores open up which allows for you to absorb the chemicals in the water.

3. Chlorine is highly volatile and is concentrated in the steam from a shower.

4. Chlorine has a drying effect on skin and hair.

5. Inhaling chemicals allows for it to get to your bloodstream faster and without having to go through the digestive system.

6. High levels of chlorine has been found in women with breast cancer.

Why Vitamin C?

Vitamin C is known to be very good for the skin. Per http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908203742.htm Vitamin C helps in healing wounds and also prevents damage to DNA.

Vitamin C helps in skin regeneration, which would allow for you to keep your skin looking younger. This vitamin is an antioxidant so it helps prevent the aging process of skin. When the skin oxidizes, it looses it’s elascticity and developes wrinkles. So, C will help in preventing your skin from aging!

It seems that this combination of filtration and adding vitamin C is actually very well thought out.

After over 16 years of drinking alkaline ionized water, I can say with conviction that the very best thing I could give to myself or a loved one is a WATER IONIZER! Give yourself and your family the gift of health this year!

Wishing You Water Wellness!
Sincerely,
Cathie LoGrasso

Email Us: Support@alkaline-water-plus.info
Website Home: http://www.alkalinewaterplus.com
Copyright © 2006 – 2011 Alkaline Water Plus
Call for a “Best Price Quote” 1-888-MY-ALKALINE [692-5525]

Or call my [Cathie's] CELL: 314-452-9560

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What is UL?

UL stands for Underwriters’ Laboratories. This is a privately owned company that specializes in safety and quality inspections. They were established in 1894 and do many different kinds of tests on each one of the products that they certify. Their mission statement includes promoting safety and preventing loss of life and property. They are actually contracted by home insurance companies with the idea to help prevent fires in the home.

Why Should Your Water Ionizer Have a UL Certification?

Well, if you think about it, your water ionizer is a breeding ground for disaster if it is not properly made. Water is a conductive material. Metal is also conductive and then you add electricity into the mix. And the water ionizer has to be able to safely produce alkaline water without harming you or the machine.

I would say that warrants a thorough safety inspection and testing to make sure that it is a reliable and not potentially hazardous machine!

So, with a UL certification you can rest assured that your water ionizer was tested and tested again to make sure that it is safe and there isn’t any loss of property or danger to you as the customer. And be able to enjoy your alkaline water without worry.

And we are proud to say, at Alkaline Water Plus, that all of the water ionizers we sell are UL certified!

After over 16 years of drinking alkaline ionized water, I can say with conviction that the very best thing I could give to myself or a loved one is a WATER IONIZER! Give yourself and your family the gift of health this year!

Wishing You Water Wellness!
Sincerely,
Cathie LoGrasso

Email Us: Support@alkaline-water-plus.info
Website Home: http://www.alkalinewaterplus.com
Copyright © 2006 – 2011 Alkaline Water Plus
Call for a “Best Price Quote” 1-888-MY-ALKALINE [692-5525]

Or call my [Cathie's] CELL: 314-452-9560
WE ARE OPEN FROM 8am TO 10pm CENTRAL TIME [7 DAYS PER WEEK!]
Get the Latest Water Ionizer Deals and News: Tweet! Tweet! Follow AlkalinePlus on Twitter!

For those of you who are not aware of this… we offer you free instant financing and no shipping, taxes or fees with your water ionizer purchase. Click the “Store” button, above.

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Testing  the Chanson VS-70’s pH and ORP

Why would I need to test the pH and ORP of the VS 70 water ionizer? The reason is that the VS 70 water ionizer is programmable and in order to get the best results, it should be programmed for the specific source water where it will be used.

The first thing that I did, before testing the Chanson VS 70 water ionizer, was to clean my pH and ORP meters. This is done to ensure that the test results are accurate.

Setting the VS-70 Water Ionizer up Step-by-Step

Once I had the meters cleaned, then I tested the Chanson VS 70 water ionizer at the factory settings.  These settings will need to be adjusted depending on source water and other factors. I did this for the VS-70 water ionizer and the readings were unsatisfactory, as shown below.

Test #1    pH    ORP
Level 1    10.2    -75
Level 2    10.3    -100
Level 3    10.6    -130
Level 4    10.6    -160

The next thing that I addressed to improve the pH and ORP level of the Chanson VS70 water ionizer was to slow down the flow rate of the water. Since this is an undersink water ionizer that does not have a flow control knob, so I had to adjust the “T valve” (see picture below) that hooks the water ionizer up to the water line under the sink.  Once I did this, the readings were much better.

Test #2    pH    ORP
Level 1    10.3    -120
Level 2    9.2    -149
Level 3    10.7    -785
Level 4    10.8    -760

As you can see above, all four levels of alkaline were 9, or higher, in pH.

Then I adjusted the pH settings on the machine a little lower because I wasn’t getting a good range in pH.

Test #3    pH    ORP
Level 1    7.4    40
Level 2    8.2    -10
Level 3    9.8    -260
Level 4    10.9    -405
Low Acid    2.3

The ORP ratings are not so great on this third test.  Although I did achieve a good range in the pH of the alkaline levels.

I had to do a little more adjustment after this to try and correct that.  I adjusted the pH settings a little higher, and finally found the correct equilibrium for this machine!

Test #4    pH    ORP
Level 1    9.0    -200
Level 2    9.5    -325
Level 3    10.4    -660
Level 4    10.6    -700
Low Acid    2.5

In this fourth test, there is a nice range in pH and the ORP readings are much higher than before for the alkaline settings.

As you can see, programming can take some time, effort and trouble-shooting but once you have set your machine up, you have the use of some very healthy and healing alkaline ionized water right at your fingertips!

After over 16 years of drinking alkaline ionized water, I can say with conviction that the very best thing I could give to myself or a loved one is a WATER IONIZER! Give yourself and your family the gift of health this year!

Wishing You Water Wellness!
Sincerely,
Cathie LoGrasso

Email Us: Support@alkaline-water-plus.info
Website Home: http://www.alkalinewaterplus.com
Copyright © 2006 – 2011 Alkaline Water Plus
Call for a “Best Price Quote” 1-888-MY-ALKALINE [692-5525]

Or call my [Cathie's] CELL: 314-452-9560

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Reverse Osmosis is considered one of the best forms of filtration.  A lot of people have RO machines that think that they are drinking really healthy water.  I would like to shed some light on this subject and relate/compare it to alkaline ionized water, which you would get from an alkaline water machine [AKA... water ionizer].

What is RO?

RO stands for Reverse Osmosis.  This is more easily understood if we define osmosis.

Osmosis is the tendency of a fluid, usually water, to pass through a semipermeable membrane into a solution where the solvent concentration is higher, thus equalizing the concentrations of materials on either side of the membrane.

So, likewise, reverse osmosis is when pressure is applied to one side of a semipermeable membrane in order to get fresh water out of a solution.  This actually defies the nature of water.

A typical home RO system would include a sediment filter, an RO membrane, a pressurized water storage container, a post filter, and a separate water tap.

Benefits and Disadvantages of RO

This process is well known for the ability to desalinize water.  This is one of the best ways to go about treating brackish water or seawater.  It will remove up to 93% of the sodium dissolved in water.  This is often used when someone uses a whole house softener that uses sodium.  It is considered unhealthy to drink water that has sodium in it as you can easily get too much sodium that way.

Reverse osmosis will inevitably reduce the total dissolved solids(TDS) of the water as well.  The plus side to that statment is that there will not be contaminants in the water.  However, there will also be very little mineral content left in the water after reverse osmosis.  This is not particularly good for the body to drink as water too void of minerals will tend to leech the body of minerals as it circulates around.

Now, some RO systems do come with an inline remineralizer which would add minerals back into the water, or you always have the option of adding a remineralizing filter (and housing) to the line.

Even with the remineralizer added in, reverse osmosis may tend to make the water acidic, which is not ideal for drinking purposes.

There are specific contaminants that RO will get out of the water.

Contaminant

Lab Test

Field Test

Nitrates

83-92%

92%

TDS

95-99%

60-99%

Sulfates

90-98%

60-98%

Sodium

87-93%

60-93%

The field test here is for properly maintained units, un-maintained, the amounts could be as little as zero.

Something else to keep in mind is that if there is more than one contaminant in the water, the rejection rate for each contaminant could be reduced or hindered.

There is also quite a bit of waste water produced by reverse osmosis.  You only use 5-15% of the water entering the system.  This is a lot of waste water being produced.

How is Alkaline Ionized Water Better than Reverse Osmosis?

Well, obviously it’s alkaline!  It helps prevent the effects of food, drinks, stress, etc. in making your body acidic. It will counter the acidic lifestyles that we lead, and help the body get to a homeostasis.

By the way, you can combine a reverse osmosis machine with an alkaline water machine [water ionizer], but you need to know this one thing:  a water ionizer needs minerals in the water in order to ionize it properly. Many people purchase a water ionizer and request that one of the water ionizer’s filters be traded for a remineralizing filter, or if that brand of water ionizer has no internal remineralizing cartridge, then it’s easy enough to buy an external one. We will often include a remineralizing cartridge at no extra cost, so make sure you request this if you plan to purchase an alkaline water machine [water ionizer] to use with your reverse osmosis machine.

There are healthy, alkaline minerals in alkaline water. This is good because this means that the water you drink from an ionizer will not leech the body of minerals. All water ionizers have filters built into the machine. These filters, depending on the machine, will filter a large number of contaminants. There are some contaminants, such as fluoride, amonia, sulphur, and arsenic, which are not as thoroughly eliminated using a reverse osmosis machine as they would be using an alkaline water machine which utilizes specific filter media targeted toward eliminating that toxin. Fluoride is a great example of this. An unfiltered water ionizer [which there are none, but theoretically] will eliminate 85% of the fluoride from the drinking water [because fluoride is acidic]. A reverse osmosis machine will eliminate about 85% as well.

The reason that reverse osmosis is so uneffective with fluoride is that it relies on the size of the molecule to sift the contaminants out of the water. Fluoride is such a small element, it’s right next to oxygen on the periodic table. A slow flow [trickle] of water through a carbon filter will eliminate about 85% of the fluoride as well. The specialized filter media, called activated alumina, will eliminate up to 99% of the fluoride. Why so much better? Because the activated alumina filter media is chemically attracting the fluoride to it and then when it bonds it is trapped in the media and can’t go anywhere.

Besides for Better Filtration, Why Else Would You Want to Combine a Water Ionizer with a Reverse Osmosis Machine?

Alkaline ionized water has an abundance of antioxidants.  Ionized water actually has one of the most basic forms of antioxidant built right in.  This is measured by Oxidation Reduction Potential (ORP).  The lower the ORP the better.  Some of the water ionizers we have tested consistantly get an ORP of -600 to -700!  Normal tap water is a positive 200 or 300 ORP, meaning it will oxidize the body. Even if you handle the acidity problem of reverse osmosis, the ORP is another, separate, issue that reverse osmosis doesn’t handle. RO water is usually around +300 ORP, which is very oxidizing.

For most contaminants, other than sodium, extreme hardness or radium, there is not a big advantage in using reverse osmosis at all. Obviously, good filtration is desirable, but many water ionizers provide you with this. You can go to our water ionizer comparison page to compare various ionizers’ filters, http://www.alkalinewaterplus.com/water-ionizer-comparisons We suggest that the best way to filter city water is to use either the H2 or H3 Prefilter System rather than reverse osmosis. With these filter systems you can customize what filters you need [if any] prior to your water ionizer.  Also, if you have a well and you are concerned about bacteria or viruses there are filters for that specifically.  For bacteria, viruses, pharmaceuticals, nitrates, chlorine, chloramine, amonia, arsenic, lead and other heavy metals, the best way to handle is to customize for the water contaminants that you are concerned about.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_osmosis

http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/h2oqual/watsys/ae1047w.htm

After over 16 years of drinking alkaline ionized water, I can say with conviction that the very best thing I could give to myself or a loved one is a WATER IONIZER! Give yourself and your family the gift of health this year!

Wishing You Water Wellness!
Sincerely,
Cathie LoGrasso

Email Us: Support@alkaline-water-plus.info
Website Home: http://www.alkalinewaterplus.com
Copyright © 2006 – 2011 Alkaline Water Plus
Call for a “Best Price Quote” 1-888-MY-ALKALINE [692-5525]

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I was doing a little research on distilled water verses ionized water, and I found some pretty interesting things.  I have a few friends who insist on drinking distilled water because their rationalle is it does not have any chemicals in it and it is pure water, so it obviously is “good for you”. This sparked an interest in what the health benefits or consequences are from distilled water versus alkaline water.

I found a few things that I thought were very interesting about distilled water.  Now obviously distilled water is not going to kill you, but I wanted to find out how healthy it really was for you, especially in comparison to alkaline ionized water.

Distilled Water

• No minerals
• Slightly acidic
• Removes contaminants
• Leeches body of minerals

I found that distilled water tends to be slightly acidic.  The reason for this is that distilled water is void of all minerals.  This is how water gets a pH value [by assimilating minerals]. If it has no minerals, it will assimilate the carbon or other minerals in the air [which are mainly acidic].  On the other hand, distillation removes a broad amount of contaminants, which are in typical tap water.  Contaminant removal is the main reason people drink distilled water.  “Pure water” just sounds so good for you, right?”

Since there are so few minerals in distilled water, it tends to want to get minerals from other places.  If you drink distilled water it would tend to leech the minerals from you.  If you cook with distilled water, it would tend to leech the minerals from the food you are cooking.  This is called adhesion, the attraction of water to other materials.  Water has a positive charge on the Hydrogen side of the water molecule and a negative charge on the oxygen side.  That is what makes water so attractive!

Ionized Water

• Alkaline
• Filters out some contaminants
• Allows good minerals through

As you may well know, diseases thrive in acidic environments. People have known for years that eating raw fruits/vegetables, whole grains, etc., which are alkaline, and avoiding acid-producing foods [white flour, sugar, processed foods...] are good for their health. However, some how or another it doesn’t always sink in that what you eat/drink is directly proportional to how well you are. The last time I checked, doctors don’t ask very often about what your eating/drinking routines are. The availability and desirability of junk foods, processed foods, fast foods [all highly acid-forming] along with our fast-paced lifestyles today, drives people to eat more and more of the wrong things and avoid the right foods.

Alkaline ionized water is alkaline. The alkaline ionized water will allow for acidic wastes to be discarded much more easily and also turns the state of your body more alkaline. Alkaline ionized water will help to buffer the less than perfect diet. In addition, alkaline ionized water is packed full of antioxidants, which also ward off diseases.

All water ionizers allow for the good minerals, such as calcium, magnesium and potasium to go through their filtration process.  This is important because in order for electrolysis to work you do need minerals in the water.  You cannot ionize distilled or reverse osmosis water without remineralizing it. Water ionizers also filter out many of the contaminants found in tap water. Some ionizers have better filters than others. For a comparison of water ionizers [including their filtration] see http://www.alkalinewaterplus.com/water-ionizer-comparisons .

There actually have been studies showing that hard water prevents cardiovascular disease.  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3396141.stm . [Hard water is just water with lots of calcium in it.]

So, the idea that “pure water” is better for you is just not true.  You don’t get a significant amount of calcium or any mineral from water, but it does seem to have an affect on health.  In the link above, it was found that acute heart attacks were significantly lower in areas of the country where water was harder.

Conclusion

The one benefit that distilled water has going for it is that it does not have contaminants in it.  Other than that, it is actually not very healthy for you.  Alkaline ionized water, on the other hand, is going to help alkalize your body.  If you’re concerned about the purity of your water [from the standpoint of eliminating pharmaceuticals, water-treatment chemicals, and other harmful contaminants], some water ionizers have better filters than others. So, do your homework, and check out the link I gave you above. There are also some great pre-filters out there that will take care of pretty much anything you would be worried about.

After over 16 years of drinking alkaline ionized water, I can say with conviction that the very best thing I could give to myself or a loved one is a WATER IONIZER! Give yourself and your family the gift of health this year!

Wishing You Water Wellness!
Sincerely,
Cathie LoGrasso

Email Us: Support@alkaline-water-plus.info
Website Home: http://www.alkalinewaterplus.com
Copyright © 2006 – 2011 Alkaline Water Plus
Call for a “Best Price Quote” 1-888-MY-ALKALINE [692-5525]

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