The Athena water ionizer and the Tyent Turbo water ionizer are both very high quality alkaline water ionizers.  I have tested these two great water ionizers against each other many, many times. Just this past week I did some more extensive water ionizer comparison testing, and you can see the videos and brief summary of each water ionizer’s performance verses the other below.  When it comes to choosing the best water ionizer for you and your family, who best to do the looking and deciding than YOU?

In any case, both of these water ionizers are far superior in performance than many other water ionizers on the market.  I say this based on personal tests and evaluations of water ionizers for many years.

Here are some of the general features of each water ionizer:

Tyent Water Ionizer vs. Athena Water Ionizer

Tyent Water Ionizers:

7070T Water Ionizer – The 7070 Turbo is the water ionizer we are testing in the video, below.  It is a 7 plate water ionizer.

9090T Water Ionizer – The 9090 Tyent Turbo water ionizer is the next step up from the 7070T water ionizer.  The main difference is that it is a 9 plate water ionizer.  It will get slightly better readings because of that. You can see an earlier blog post comparing the two main Tyent water ionizers [7070 vs 9090] here: http://alkalinewaterplus.info/blog/2010/12/18/is-the-new-nine-plate-water-ionizer-an-improvement-or-not/ .

9000T Water Ionizer – This is the under-sink version of the 9090T.  It will get very similar results as the 9090T.

Jupiter Water Ionizers:

Athena Water Ionizer – The Athena Water Ionizer is the top of the line water ionizer at the Jupiter company.  It has continuous cleaning (it cleans continuously, behind the scenes, with no wait time).  It also has mesh plates so it allows for more thoroughly ionized water (hence the great ORP ratings.) The Delphi water ionizer is essentially the same machine as the Athena water ionizer, save one filter port, but it is the under-sink version.

Melody/Isis Water Ionizer – The Melody/Isis water ionizer is the next step down from the Athena.  The cleaning system is very good, but it’s not continuous.  It reverses polarity [cleaning the plates thoroughly] with every use though, and this is done behind the scenes…so there is no wait time for the consumer.  It also gets pretty good ORP readings.  They aren’t as good as the Athena [because the plates are solid], but the pH and ORP are pretty impressive with the Melody/Isis water ionizer. Here’s an article that will demonstrate the quality that is typical of the Melody/Isis water ionizer: http://alkalinewaterplus.info/blog/2010/11/04/kyk-vs-jupiter-melody-water-ionizers

Venus Water Ionizer – This is the next step down.  It is a good machine and will get the range of pH.  However, the ORP readings are not as great as the Melody or Athena.

Below, I have included several videos and charts comparing the Athena Water Ionizer versus the Tyent 7070T Water Ionizer.  In all videos, I use a moderate flow rate for both water ionizers, between 1.5 and 2 liters per minute.  I try to eliminate the flow rate variable and keep both water ionizers at the same flow rate.

Test Number One

Test Number Two

In this video, I slowed down the flow rate for both water ionizers.  I also assured that the flow rate for both the Athena Water Ionizer and the Tyent Water Ionizer were the same before starting the testing.

Conclusion

The Athena Water Ionizer gets a really great ORP at all pH levels, even the lower level alkaline pHs!  The Tyent Water Ionizer doesn’t start to get good ORP until level three. The Tyent water ionizer gets a lower acid pH [2.3 vs. the Athena's 2.6 in St. Louis water]. The lower the acid water, the better the acidic water is for use as a germicidal cleaner [killing germs], although any pH lower than 4 will kill germs.

rH

There is another method to evaluate these test results.  We could measure the rH (relative hydrogen).  The formula is:

(ORP + 200)/30 + (2 x pH)

The closer the number is to zero the better.  The scale goes from 0 to 48.  If it is below 28 it is antioxidizing and if it is above 28 it is oxidizing.  The Athena water ionizer beats the Tyent water ionizer on this, but the Tyent water ionizer is still exceptional.

Other Related Blog Posts

I wanted to provide all blog posts that the Athena or Tyent water ionizers are compared in so you can see past tests and results. Here are the titles of each followed by a link:

New and Improved Water Ionizer Comparison Chart

http://alkalinewaterplus.info/blog/2011/08/03/water-ionizer-comparison-chart-new-and-improved/

Is the New Nine-Plate Water Ionizer an Improvement or Not?

http://alkalinewaterplus.info/blog/2010/12/18/is-the-new-nine-plate-water-ionizer-an-improvement-or-not/

Athena vs Tyent Water Ionizers: More Testing

http://alkalinewaterplus.info/blog/2009/10/22/athena-vs-tyent-water-ionizers-more-testing/

Tyent Water Ionizer vs Athena : Tested @ Level 3 [with tap & reverse-osmosis-remineralized water]

http://alkalinewaterplus.info/blog/2009/10/22/tyent-water-ionizer-vs-athena-water-ionizer-tested-level-3-with-tap-reverse-osmosis-remineralized-water/

Water Ionizer Comparisons: Tyent Turbo vs Athena Water Ionizers

http://alkalinewaterplus.info/blog/2009/09/12/water-ionizer-comparisons-tyent-turbo-vs-athena-water-ionizers/

A Real Quick Look at the Major Strengths of the Tyent, KYK, Chanson, Melody, Athena, Enagic and Life Water Ionizers

http://alkalinewaterplus.info/blog/?p=58

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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Most people associate aching bones, arthritis, memory loss, among many other ailments, with aging.  These are all common things in the elderly.  But who really knows why these things occur as we get older?

Water in Aging

At infancy we are made up of about 75-80% water.  As we age, that percentage decreases to 60-65% for men and 50-60% for women.

Your brain is made up of 85% water, yet many autopsies show shriveled, dehydrated brains in older people.

Even your bones contain water, 10-15% water, and this needs to remain this way for good bone condition.

One theory of aging is that the body’s percentage of water has a lot to do with the overall health of the body. If your water content decreases in any particular body parts [such as skin, muscles, and organs], then the health of these specific parts of your body would decrease. You’d look and feel less youthful and more aged.

A phenomenon of aging is that as people get older they tend to drink less. Whatever this is due to, it is not good. You can easily get into a habit of drinking too little. Maybe you don’t like the taste of water, because your taste buds have been spoiled to tastier drinks. Or, maybe you are too busy or preoccupied to think of drinking. Whatever the reason, it is a dangerous habit to allow, as you can get dehydrated. Dehydration sounds so harmless, but if you want to avoid diseases and other ailments as you get older and you want to continue to look nice well into your senior years, you should increase your water-drinking habits to about 2 1/2 – 3 liters or so. It’s not too hard to do, just pay attention to how much you are drinking, and drink a little bit more each day.

Recommended Drinking Quantity of Water

You will find many different recommendations for how much water you should drink in one day.  Per the Mayo Clinic, they have concluded that the “Adequate Intake” of liquid (not just specifically water) is 3 liters for men and 2.2 liters for women. Dr. Robert Young says to drink 3 to 4 liters depending on your body weight [i.e., 1/2 oz. of water per pound of body weight.] I, personally, drink about a gallon of ionized water per day.

In my experience, the more ionized water I drink the better I feel! I, personally, drink about a gallon or so of ionized water every day.

Why Choose Alkaline Ionized Water?

With ionized water you’ll be drinking well-filtered water, rich with antioxidants.

Do not count all fluids toward your daily intake of water.  Anything with caffeine in it, coffee, tea, etc, will act as a diuretic.  This means that it will increase urination, and you’ll end up dehydrating your body rather than hydrating it.  Also, there’s the matter of chemicals. Lots of popular drinks today contain harmful chemicals. The more toxins you put into your body the more water you need to flush the toxins out of your body. Toxins put a strain on your liver, kidneys, and other organs. In the end, drinking and eating junk food contributes to overall poor health due to dehydration and toxin build-up in the cells.

Drinking ionized water, which is virtually free of toxins, full of anti-oxidants, and contains an abundance of pH buffers to allow more toxins to be flushed out of your body per unit of water than any other drink, is the best thing you can do for the health of all of your cells. Also, alkaline ionized water is micro-clustered and more quickly and easily absorbed by the body than any other drink.

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 concerned customer ask me why there were so many air bubbles in their alkaline ionized water. Here’s the answer.

Tiny pockets of air bubbles are created during the process of ionization. These come from separating the acidic water from the alkaline and the micro-clustering that takes place. The amount of air bubbles depends in part on the source water [i.e., on the amount of dissolved oxygen in the source water] and in part on the degree, strength, and efficiency of ionization.  These little pockets of air are harmless and will usually go away after several minutes of letting the water sit.

So these bubbles are just an indication that your water ionizer is working.

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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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!]
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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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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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What are the health benefits of calcium in alkaline ionized water?

I have gotten this question regarding the health benefits of calcium in alkaline ionized water in one form or another many times.  I’d like to address it here:

Question: “I boiled my alkaline ionized water and this is what it looked like.  What are the white flecks?”

Answer: The white flecks in your alkaline ionized water are actually Calcium, Calcium Carbonate to be exact.  The above picture is an extreme example, because this customer lives in an area of extreme water hardness, but don’t be alarmed if you see a few white flecks in your alkaline ionized water, especially if you boil it.

The first thing to know is that usually calcium is dissolved into the structure of the water molecules so well that you can’t see it, but boiling [or even ionizing] the water will un-dissolve some of the calcium. It’s similar to putting a few tablespoons of salt in a glass of water and then stirring. After a minute or two, you won’t see the salt anymore, because it will dissolve.

The second thing to know is that alkaline ionized water will contain more Calcium than your tap water because Calcium is an alkaline mineral. Inside the ionization chamber [water cell] of your water ionizer it is split into two “poles”, alkaline and acidic. The alkaline minerals are drawn to the alkaline “pole” while the acidic minerals are attracted to the acidic pole. Therefore there will be a greater concentration of alkaline minerals in your alkaline ionized water.

The third, and most important thing to know is that…

Calcium is very healthy for you.

As a matter of fact, studies have been done revealing that people who live in hard water areas [which basically means they have more calcium in their water] live longer and have less disease in general than those living in soft-water areas. Here are just a couple [of the many thousands of links] to studies that show “people who drink soft water tend to have higher death rates than people who drink hard water”

• http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969781800472
• http://www.springerlink.com/content/uh28022555t11082/

Is it possible to get too much calcium in alkaline ionized water?

The amount of calcium you will get via alkaline ionized water will be insignificant compared to what you’d get in a calcium tablet, for instance. People who take tablets and tablets of calcium daily would possibly come to a point where they were taking too much calcium, but the small amount of calcium in alkaline ionized water is not a problem at all. Check your alkaline setting, though, on your water ionizer and, for drinking, don’t set it too high. The ideal alkalinity for alkaline ionized water is 8.5 to 9.5 pH. Setting your water ionizer too high will make your alkaline ionized water have more minerals in it and that may make it taste less desirable to you (although I like the taste myself), it also may be too alkaline for the most efficient entry into your body. Here’s a link to a page describing the proper pH for consumption…and why:  http://www.alkalinewaterplus.com/digestion

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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We are going to do a before and after water ionizer comparison with the Athena Water Ionizer before and after using the Spartan Ionizer Shield.

We just got a new TDS (total dissolved solids) meter, and we are very interested in finding out what the Spartan Water Ionizer Shield will do to the TDS measurement as well as the pH and ORP of the water ionizer. It would seem logical that the TDS would decrease with the use of the Spartan Water Ionizer Shield, but we will see what happens.

We are testing the water ionizer in St Louis, and as a note, the water is not particularly hard here, and our water ionizer works very well without any prefiltration. But, I wanted to see what the Spartan Ionizer Shield would do to it. My hypothesis was that it would possibly make it easier for the water ionizer to do it’s job and increase the ORP.

What is the Spartan Ionizer Shield?

The Spartan Ionizer Shield consists of three prefilters.  It is used in cases of very hard water to protect the water ionizer from scaling and improve the taste and quality of the ionized water.

• Filter Number One:  This filter conditions the pre-ionized water by changing the scaling calcium into a non-scaling form which helps protect your water ionizer and also optimizes the pH into a range that is more effective in removing fluoride.  This stage also removes iron, hydrogen sulfide, manganese, chorine, chloramines, fluoride, lead, arsenic, and selenium.
• Filter Number Two:  This stage removes lead, mercury, nickel and other heavy metals as well as chlorine and chloramines.  It also prevents scaling in hard water areas.  This filter also improves the taste and clarity of your ionized water.  The final stage in this filter reduces water tension and makes the water ideal for ionization.
• Filter Number Three:  This filter reduces the harmful effects of hard water scale on the water ionizer and also improves the taste, odor, and water clarity and offers added protection from chlorine/chloramines, VOC’s, and disinfectant byproducts in the ioinzed water.

Go to this link on our webpage for detailed information on the Spartan Water Ionizer Shield.  http://www.alkalinewaterplus.com/product/Spartan

Athena Water Ionizer

Athena Water Ionizer Plus Spartan Ionizer Shield

Results

Summary of Results

TDS

It looks like the TDS was not dramatically changed one way or the other in the ionized water.

It seems like the higher the pH of the alkaline ionized water, the higher the TDS reading. This makes sense to me because the concentrate of alkaline minerals increases as the pH increases in the ionized water.

pH

The Athena water ionizer seemed to have trouble getting a wide range in pH before the Spartan ionizer shield was put in. After, the ionizer shield was put in, there was a wider range in pH. It allows you to get a lower acid water which is very useful in many different circumstances.

ORP

The ORP seems to be slightly higher at the lower pHs and lower at the higher pHs in the ionized water. It’s hard to tell from just one test, but the ORP overall looked better without the Spartan ionizer shield.

Conclusion

The Spartan water ionizer shield is not effective in improving the ionization in St Louis.  However, in very hard water areas, such as the Las Vegas area, it would improve the quality of the water and also prevent scaling.  I have had several customers in this area give very positive feedback on the results of the Spartan water ionizer shield.

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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