This section will help you become an expert on all the terms used regarding water ionizers.
Filter Life – This is the amount of use that you can expect to get from a set of filters. Be careful with this one, because it is going to vary based on how many people are using it. We laugh when we see companies mention an amount of time for filter life, because it is a variable measurement based on usage, not time.
Filter Material – The is the material that is inside the filters. Many companies preach about their number of stages, but the real test comes from what the machines will actually remove from your water. We like filters with at least some ceramic in them . Ceramic from our research has the best performance. Most companies do not want to pay for the high cost of ceramic, but it is a great option when available. See other types of filter material below.
Biostone - This is the brain child of Jupiter and Ionways. We think it might be made up. If you do search on the internet for biostone, the only thing you will find is from water ionizer dealers. What is Biostone? We can’t find any supporting evidence that is does anything. We can’t even find evidence that it exist.
Active (activated) CarbonActive carbon - We know this is the age old standard for removing chlorine. It is a good idea to have at least some acive carbon in your filter.
Polyethylene – We are not sure what Life Ionizers™ was thinking when they put polyethylene in their filters. Do a search on google.com™ for “Polyethylene Toxic” and you will see what we mean. This link sums up why we think you should steer clear of anything with polyethylene in it
http://www.citizeninsane.eu/polyethylene.html
Flow Control – Flow control refers to the speed at which the water passes across the plates. Flow control can be either manual or electronic. With manual flow control, You must adjust the rate of water flow by hand. We found that it is nearly impossible to get consistent ph levels out of a machine with a manual flow control. Electronic flow control means that the ionizer adjusts the speed for you. Since this is done electronically, you never have to guess what PH level water you are getting. Consistent water everytime. What a great idea!
Flow Rate – Flow rate refers to the speed at which the water comes out of the machine. Flow rates ranges from ¾ of a gallon per minute to over 1 gallon per minute. Some companies make it a big selling point, but we found that the extra few seconds it takes to fill up a glass is a negligible concern (to us anyway).
Power – This is a big deal! Why? Well, water ionizers do not like heat. If they get hot, they get angry. There are only two types of power sources available today. The first one is the age old transformer. It is a time tested power source, but it gets hot, and it does it fast. This means you can only use machines with transformers for a limited time before you need to give them a rest. The other method of power is called an SMPS. This is the wave of the future. More and more manufacturers are going this way, because it provides clean, cool power and it doesn’t get hot. This means no unnecessary wear the is the same power method used in high definition televisions, and no time limit on usage.
Plate Quantity – Most machines on the market have 5 plates. There are some plates with 7 plates as well. So what is the difference? Simple, you get slightly faster output. The water is not going to be any better or worse with more or less plates, it is just going to increase speed at which the water comes out. There isn’t much to say about plate quantity, other than it seems to be used as a marketing ploy for by some manufacturers. Take a look at the “plate size” and “plate design” section. This is what is really important when it comes to plates.
Plate Size – Plate size is extremely important. The longer the water stays in contact with the surface area of the plate, The more affect the plate will have on the water. It is a simple scientific fact with no explanation needed, and no room for debate. That being said, you will get the old “Our machine is more powerful so it doesn’t need large plates” along with “Technology gets smaller as time goes on” and the infamous “Our plates are superior to other plates so size isn’t important”. Don’t buy into any of it. It is simple science. Try using a tea bag that is 1 centimeter x 1 centimeter and see what kind of affect is has on the water you put it in.
Plate Design – This is the single biggest consideration when choosing a machine. Mesh, Mesh, Mesh! We can’t say it enough. Mesh plates are the future of water ionizers. A solid plate will never be as good of a conductor of electricity as a plate that uses mesh technology. So many companies won’t spring for the mesh technology and tried to convince us that solid plates are better. We passed 9th grade science buddy! Again, be ready for tons of jargon as the manufacturers that don’t have mesh plates try to justify it.
Plate Material – Almost all quality ionizers use Platinum/Titanium plates. KYK™ uses “white gold” coated titanium. It’s a good money saving short cut, but “white gold” contains a chemical called palladium which is extremely toxic. Stick with Platinum/Titanium plates, they are safe, they work, and they last. Be wary of words like “platinized titanium” this is not the same at platinum titanium.
Ease of Use - We set a rating system for ease of use. The system is the same one used in high school. F being the least user friendly and A+ being the most user friendly. Look for an A or an A+, you will be glad that you did.
Warranty – We have 3 words for you. “Read the warranty”. Most companies are going for the “5 year warranty” pitch, but they are not all created equal. Some are 5 years parts and service, while most are 2 or 3 years parts with a couple extra years for service. If you can find a machine that you like with a full 5 year parts and service warranty, then by all means go for it. Warranty is an important consideration and should not be taken lightly.
The truth about trials – Many companies are trying to pull this 60 day trial pitch. Just be sure to ask about re-stocking fees. Many companies charge 200 to 300 dollars in re-stocking fees, this is to dissuade you from returning your machine even though you aren’t liking its performance. There are some companies without re-stocking fees. Restocking fee or not, don’t go for a machine until you do your research, because if you don’t do your research and you buy a machine because you figure you have 60 days to try it, its most likely going to cost you. Restocking fees = “We get a lot of returns and we need to charge restocking fees”.
Chemical Injectors – A chemical injector is a compartment inside the water ionizer that injects a chemical into the water to enhance the electrolysis of the water. Only one machine has a chemical injector. The Enagic™ machine has a chemical injector. This is the secret that Enagic doesn’t talk about. The only reason Enagic can get PH levels under 3 and over 12 is because they inject a chemical into the water. At that point its not just water anymore. We are not quite sure what exactly is in the chemical, but the bottle says “do not drink” on it, so we figured that was all of the research we needed to do.
Source Water - Source water is the water that comes out of your faucet. Source water has a great impact on your water ionzers ability to alkalize the water. A machine that puts out a 9.5 in California may only put out an 8.5 in North Carolina. This is because of the minerals that are in the source water before it even hits the machine.
Adaptability – One of the things that boggles our mind is how a machine with a button that says 9.5 is going to be able to get 9.5 in areas that have varying source water. If you press 9.5, do you have to live in California or North Carolina to get 9.5? The solution to this problem is adjustable ph levels. We only know of one company that has addressed this challenge, but it seems like it can’t be long before others have to follow suit. It is next to impossible to get accurate ph settings without adjustable ph levels.
ORP Ratings – This is the biggest benefit to a water ionizer. ORP stands for Oxidation Reduction Potential . ORP is the measure of the machines ability to create anti oxidant properties in the water. In general, the lower the negative number, the better. Don’t believe the hype! We hear claims of -800 ORP, but we have yet to see it happen with any machine. We called a bunch of manufacturers and said send us a picure of your ORP meter with todays date and a reading of anything near -800 ORP. Not one could do it. If you are getting around -200 ORP, you are doing well, there are some doctors that believe that anything too far under -300 ORP isn’t as good as drinking approximately -200 ORP. Depending on your source water, your ORP ratings will vary. We have seen better than -600 in some circumstances, but it is not necessary or common.
PH Ratings – Source water plays a huge part here. The recommended drinking level is approximately 9.5. Depending on the minerals in your water, you may find that you struggle to get low acid water from your machine. This will likely be the case with any water ionizer, so don’t panic, its your source waters fault. Back to top
Filter Life – This is the amount of use that you can expect to get from a set of filters. Be careful with this one, because it is going to vary based on how many people are using it. We laugh when we see companies mention an amount of time for filter life, because it is a variable measurement based on usage, not time.
Filter Material – The is the material that is inside the filters. Many companies preach about their number of stages, but the real test comes from what the machines will actually remove from your water. We like filters with at least some ceramic in them . Ceramic from our research has the best performance. Most companies do not want to pay for the high cost of ceramic, but it is a great option when available. See other types of filter material below.
Biostone - This is the brain child of Jupiter and Ionways. We think it might be made up. If you do search on the internet for biostone, the only thing you will find is from water ionizer dealers. What is Biostone? We can’t find any supporting evidence that is does anything. We can’t even find evidence that it exist.
Active (activated) CarbonActive carbon - We know this is the age old standard for removing chlorine. It is a good idea to have at least some acive carbon in your filter.
Polyethylene – We are not sure what Life Ionizers™ was thinking when they put polyethylene in their filters. Do a search on google.com™ for “Polyethylene Toxic” and you will see what we mean. This link sums up why we think you should steer clear of anything with polyethylene in it
http://www.citizeninsane.eu/polyethylene.html
Flow Control – Flow control refers to the speed at which the water passes across the plates. Flow control can be either manual or electronic. With manual flow control, You must adjust the rate of water flow by hand. We found that it is nearly impossible to get consistent ph levels out of a machine with a manual flow control. Electronic flow control means that the ionizer adjusts the speed for you. Since this is done electronically, you never have to guess what PH level water you are getting. Consistent water everytime. What a great idea!
Flow Rate – Flow rate refers to the speed at which the water comes out of the machine. Flow rates ranges from ¾ of a gallon per minute to over 1 gallon per minute. Some companies make it a big selling point, but we found that the extra few seconds it takes to fill up a glass is a negligible concern (to us anyway).
Power – This is a big deal! Why? Well, water ionizers do not like heat. If they get hot, they get angry. There are only two types of power sources available today. The first one is the age old transformer. It is a time tested power source, but it gets hot, and it does it fast. This means you can only use machines with transformers for a limited time before you need to give them a rest. The other method of power is called an SMPS. This is the wave of the future. More and more manufacturers are going this way, because it provides clean, cool power and it doesn’t get hot. This means no unnecessary wear the is the same power method used in high definition televisions, and no time limit on usage.
Plate Quantity – Most machines on the market have 5 plates. There are some plates with 7 plates as well. So what is the difference? Simple, you get slightly faster output. The water is not going to be any better or worse with more or less plates, it is just going to increase speed at which the water comes out. There isn’t much to say about plate quantity, other than it seems to be used as a marketing ploy for by some manufacturers. Take a look at the “plate size” and “plate design” section. This is what is really important when it comes to plates.
Plate Size – Plate size is extremely important. The longer the water stays in contact with the surface area of the plate, The more affect the plate will have on the water. It is a simple scientific fact with no explanation needed, and no room for debate. That being said, you will get the old “Our machine is more powerful so it doesn’t need large plates” along with “Technology gets smaller as time goes on” and the infamous “Our plates are superior to other plates so size isn’t important”. Don’t buy into any of it. It is simple science. Try using a tea bag that is 1 centimeter x 1 centimeter and see what kind of affect is has on the water you put it in.
Plate Design – This is the single biggest consideration when choosing a machine. Mesh, Mesh, Mesh! We can’t say it enough. Mesh plates are the future of water ionizers. A solid plate will never be as good of a conductor of electricity as a plate that uses mesh technology. So many companies won’t spring for the mesh technology and tried to convince us that solid plates are better. We passed 9th grade science buddy! Again, be ready for tons of jargon as the manufacturers that don’t have mesh plates try to justify it.
Plate Material – Almost all quality ionizers use Platinum/Titanium plates. KYK™ uses “white gold” coated titanium. It’s a good money saving short cut, but “white gold” contains a chemical called palladium which is extremely toxic. Stick with Platinum/Titanium plates, they are safe, they work, and they last. Be wary of words like “platinized titanium” this is not the same at platinum titanium.
Ease of Use - We set a rating system for ease of use. The system is the same one used in high school. F being the least user friendly and A+ being the most user friendly. Look for an A or an A+, you will be glad that you did.
Warranty – We have 3 words for you. “Read the warranty”. Most companies are going for the “5 year warranty” pitch, but they are not all created equal. Some are 5 years parts and service, while most are 2 or 3 years parts with a couple extra years for service. If you can find a machine that you like with a full 5 year parts and service warranty, then by all means go for it. Warranty is an important consideration and should not be taken lightly.
The truth about trials – Many companies are trying to pull this 60 day trial pitch. Just be sure to ask about re-stocking fees. Many companies charge 200 to 300 dollars in re-stocking fees, this is to dissuade you from returning your machine even though you aren’t liking its performance. There are some companies without re-stocking fees. Restocking fee or not, don’t go for a machine until you do your research, because if you don’t do your research and you buy a machine because you figure you have 60 days to try it, its most likely going to cost you. Restocking fees = “We get a lot of returns and we need to charge restocking fees”.
Chemical Injectors – A chemical injector is a compartment inside the water ionizer that injects a chemical into the water to enhance the electrolysis of the water. Only one machine has a chemical injector. The Enagic™ machine has a chemical injector. This is the secret that Enagic doesn’t talk about. The only reason Enagic can get PH levels under 3 and over 12 is because they inject a chemical into the water. At that point its not just water anymore. We are not quite sure what exactly is in the chemical, but the bottle says “do not drink” on it, so we figured that was all of the research we needed to do.
Source Water - Source water is the water that comes out of your faucet. Source water has a great impact on your water ionzers ability to alkalize the water. A machine that puts out a 9.5 in California may only put out an 8.5 in North Carolina. This is because of the minerals that are in the source water before it even hits the machine.
Adaptability – One of the things that boggles our mind is how a machine with a button that says 9.5 is going to be able to get 9.5 in areas that have varying source water. If you press 9.5, do you have to live in California or North Carolina to get 9.5? The solution to this problem is adjustable ph levels. We only know of one company that has addressed this challenge, but it seems like it can’t be long before others have to follow suit. It is next to impossible to get accurate ph settings without adjustable ph levels.
ORP Ratings – This is the biggest benefit to a water ionizer. ORP stands for Oxidation Reduction Potential . ORP is the measure of the machines ability to create anti oxidant properties in the water. In general, the lower the negative number, the better. Don’t believe the hype! We hear claims of -800 ORP, but we have yet to see it happen with any machine. We called a bunch of manufacturers and said send us a picure of your ORP meter with todays date and a reading of anything near -800 ORP. Not one could do it. If you are getting around -200 ORP, you are doing well, there are some doctors that believe that anything too far under -300 ORP isn’t as good as drinking approximately -200 ORP. Depending on your source water, your ORP ratings will vary. We have seen better than -600 in some circumstances, but it is not necessary or common.
PH Ratings – Source water plays a huge part here. The recommended drinking level is approximately 9.5. Depending on the minerals in your water, you may find that you struggle to get low acid water from your machine. This will likely be the case with any water ionizer, so don’t panic, its your source waters fault. Back to top
