First
of all, home water purification is far superior to buying bottled
water. The standards for bottled water are no greater than for
tap water, which is often the source of bottled water. In
fact, some bottled water is just city water with no purification at
all. Also, plastic from the bottle leaches into the water,
worsening the longer it is in the bottle.
A
report by the U.S. Environmental Policy Institute disclosed that its
product testing shows that bottled water "frequently" contains low
levels of contaminants, such as heavy metals and solvents, either
due to an inferior water filter, or poor maintenance of equipment.
A home water purifier is both practical and economical. Choosing among
water purification systems can be confusing due to the several types and
many brands offered. Each company claims theirs to be the best
and parades the features and benefits of their units.
A
water purifier comparison is helpful in making a choice.
Water
Purification Comparison
Both
independent analyses and personal experience to compare water purifying
systems and its various methods lead me to the following considerations:
Carbon
For
many years, granular activated carbon (GAC) has been the most
commonly used medium for home and industrial water filter
applications, effectively removing chlorine, odors, bad taste &
color from tap water. Most water filter systems use GAC even
today.
While GAC is an excellent
means of organic pollutant removal, it is unable to cope with bacteria
problems. In some instances silver impregnation has been utilized in an
attempt to prevent the common problem of bacterial growth in the carbon
filter, with questionable results.
Granular carbon will remove
chlorine, bad taste, odor, color and organic compounds from water, but it is
not effective against metals and other inorganic pollutants. Solid
carbon, a block of carbon formed under high pressure, can remove some
things that granular carbon cannot.. However, carbon technology, by
itself, has become overwhelmed by the enormity of the pollution and other
contamination problems we face today.
Nonetheless, carbon remains
an essential component of water purification because of its unique pore
structure and adsorptive quality. Because of the microscopic caverns
throughout activated carbon it is able to hold a great amount of contaminants.
A small amount of activated carbon is equivalent to a large surface area.
But to deal with today's level of contaminants, carbon needs to be combined
with other media.
For example, granular carbon
combined with sub-micron filtration (ceramic or solid carbon block) will
accomplish much greater removal of contaminants than carbon alone, including
bacteria, parasites and heavy metals. Many purists believe that
distillation plus carbon, deionization plus carbon, or reverse osmosis plus
carbon are the ultimate choices in water purification.
The combining of carbon with
redox media (KDF - Kinetic Degradation Fluxion, or ERA - Eagle
Redox Alloy) represents a
major technological breakthrough in affordable water filter systems, and
is perhaps the best industry news of the last 50 years.
Redox - A Significant
Breakthrough!
In 1987, an
exciting breakthrough technology for water purification was discovered. Developed and designed by a leading American scientist, this advanced system
of redox media was called
"Kinetic Degradation Fluxion" (KDF). It was awarded both U.S. and
International patents.
The redox media (KDF, Eagle Redox Alloy) process
is an all natural electrochemical reaction in which the "dissimilar" metals
copper and zinc are used to create a kinetic charge from the flow of the water
through them, that kills microorganisms and alters or removes many problem
contaminants. It also conditions water with a "softening"
effect.
Redox media has been proven to be the best way to remove major contaminants from our
water, and shown to stay active longer than any other purification method. The result is better water than bottled water, at a fraction of the cost.
In August, 1992, KDF, the original redox
media, was awarded the U.S. E. P.
A.'s approval as a "pesticidal device", which means it has the
ability to kill algae, bacteria (including Pseudomonas florescens, Ybrio
cholera, Legionella pneumophilia, and coliforms), fungus, mold, and many
parasites and viruses found in drinking water supplies, through the natural
process known as "electrochemical oxidation/reduction".
Redox
media has also been
certified
by independent water purification authorities to kill a target bacteria within
the "less than 1 minute contact time" required to be effective in
point-of-use water filters. Thus it is "bacteriacidal",
a much preferred classification to that of "bacteriostatic", a term
often used with filters impregnated with silver, which only slightly retards
bacterial growth.
When this redox technology is combined with
high-quality coconut shell granular activated carbon (GAC), the result is truly
revolutionary. The redox media protects the carbon from rapid exhaustion with
chlorine by handling the chlorine first, thus allowing the carbon to have a
much longer effective life. Redox media
itself has TEN TIMES or more the length of life of activated carbon that is
not protected like this!
Redox and carbon working together are proven
effective against microorganisms, chlorine, heavy metals, (aluminum, arsenic,
cadmium, iron, lead, mercury, etc.), hydrogen sulfide, nitrates, odor, poor
taste, THM's, PCB's, dioxin, and thousands of other organic chemicals and
inorganic poisons, for an extended time, . . . at the minimal cost of
approximately one cent per gallon!
Even more effective
purification is provided by following the redox and carbon with a solid carbon
block and / or a ceramic cartridge. This filters out particles of less
than a micron in size, which includes most parasites and bacteria which may
be present in water. Most of these that survive the chlorine are killed
by the redox, but it is still desirable to remove them.
NOTE: Redox media is a relatively expensive substance. Our water purifiers have the substantial amount of redox alloy
needed to do a thorough job. There are other brands,
some with the same kind of housing as ours,
that contain only a small amount of redox media so they may say they have
it. These will do a lesser job for a shorter time than ours.
Distillation
Distillation is the
process of capturing recondensed steam from boiling the source water. Small home distillation systems usually cost
$300-$400. If done properly, the resulting distilled water is very
pure.
It is essential to
use carbon as a follow-up, especially with chlorinated water,
because chlorine and some other chemicals in the water will be
heated into gas and travel with the steam. The carbon will
remove most of this chlorine and other volatile organics.
The main drawback
of distillation is the lack of minerals (see below).
Deionization
Deionization uses a resin to remove ionically charged contaminants. It is also
important to accompany the resin with carbon for the additional chemical
removal that carbon provides. It is not unusual to spend $350-$400 or
more, for a good deionizer.
Deionized water
also has a low mineral content.
Reverse Osmosis
Reverse Osmosis
(RO) is a specialized type of screening of water contaminants
using a fabricated membrane.
"Osmosis" is
a term you may remember from biology referring to the passage of a substance
through a membrane from a solution of greater concentration to one of lesser
concentration.
Reverse osmosis is forcing water under pressure through a
membrane, which excludes substances with a molecular structure larger than the
pores of the membrane. A home reverse osmosis unit operates from the
source water pressure.
A unique feature of reverse osmosis, compared to standard water filter methods, is
that the molecules of water actually enter and become part of the membrane as
they pass through.
The membrane also allows oxygen through, as well as
some other elements with a very small molecular size, including some colloidal
and subcolloidal minerals.
The pores are small
enough to screen out bacteria and even some viruses. Still, some small
molecule contaminants can make it through, so a reverse osmosis unit should
always include other types of media such as redox media to eliminate chlorine,
biologicals and metals, and carbon to catch any organic
chemicals.
Prices on quality RO
units run from $170-$800, depending on style and features.
Most reverse osmosis membranes
are of the Thin Film Composite (TFC) type. A Cellulose Acetate
(CA) membrane may be used in special situations.
Since
sediment can clog a membrane, a sediment pre-filter is often included.
Chlorine
can also harm membranes. With chlorinated water, reverse osmosis requires a carbon
or redox pre-filter to protect the membrane's longevity.
Reverse osmosis units are
susceptible to the growth of bacteria and mold within them when
not in regular use. These agents can attack and ruin a membrane,
resulting in contaminated water coming through.
Redox media preceding the
membrane will help prevent these microbes from getting to it.
Frequent use of the unit will reduce the potential for bacteria
or mold to get a colony started. A low bacterial count
in the source water is also important.
Corrected Reverse Osmosis
Reverse
osmosis water actually has an increased oxygen concentration, as O2
has a small enough molecule to cross the membrane. RO water also contains
small quantities of colloidal and subcolloidal minerals.
However the reverse osmosis process
removes most of the minerals from the water.
Mineral devalued water may draw
minerals from the body when consumed regularly. Further, the pH of
RO water is usually too acid for the human body.
For this reason, it is
recommended that a "Corrected Water"
remineralizing alkalizer unit
be added to correct these problems making our "Corrected Reverse
Osmosis" the best choice in home water purification.
CLICK HERE
for
information on "corrected" reverse osmosis systems.
About Minerals In Water
The water
resulting from distillation and deionization is so devoid of mineral content
that it becomes aggressive in drawing up minerals. This can result in a
significant mineral loss from the body which must be compensated for by adding
utilizable
supplementary minerals to the water
or to the diet (which I recommend for anyone, in any case). Also, these
methods result in water that is too acid for biological systems.
Distilled water is also practically devoid of free oxygen, an important
beneficial health factor.
There are those who would suggest that water is not a dependable source of all
the minerals required for nutritional purposes, as the mineral content may
vary from place to place, and even from the same source over time.
This
is true, however some people get more mineral value from their drinking water
than from their food intake today, because of poor diet and the mineral
deficiency of agricultural soils due to overworking without restoration.
Further, the body
needs the subcolloidal minerals in water to accomplish certain electrical
transmissions throughout the system. The
net loss of minerals from the body due to consuming mineral devalued water can
have a significant long term negative impact on health and longevity.
"Corrected
Water"
It is recommended
that our
"Corrected Water" remineralizing alkalizer be included
with a reverse osmosis unit.
NOTE:
In recent years
there has been an influx of expensive water alkalizing equipment
originating in Asia. These units are considered medical devices.
The consumption of water that is TOO ALKALINE is just as
unhealthy as water that is too acid. There is a drug-like effect
on the body that may bring short term improvement, but which is
harmful in the long run.
Our "Corrected
Water" remineralizing alkalizer brings the water pH to neutral
or slightly alkaline, as it should be. This has a very low cost,
especially when compared to the expensive and harmful Asian
alkalizing systems.
Conclusion
While
truly purified bottled water may be
an improvement over chlorinated tap water, any onsite point-of-use or
point-of-entry water treatment with a well-maintained system would be
preferable over bottled water, which is clearly unreliable and expensive.
With point-of-use purification you know what you are getting, and the cost per
gallon is vastly lower than with bottled water.
We have sought to
compare water purifiers of the most common types. The comparison above should help clarify the relative merits and deficiencies
of the various methods of water purification.
For their lack of minerals and other
reasons, distillation and deionization have serious drawbacks.
Further, distillation
and reverse osmosis are inefficient in their use of resources.
Reverse osmosis produces a substantial
amount of discharge water. This water flushes away the
contaminants rejected by the membrane. Distillers not only flush
a lot of water, but most require a good amount of electricity to
operate.
Distillation
and deionization require frequent attention to maintenance.
Reverse osmosis and filtration systems need maintenance only
periodically, but this should not be overlooked. No purification
method works well if not well-maintained.
Maintenance is most
important, because if people do not keep up with replacement of exhausted pre,
primary and post filters, RO membranes or deionizing resins, the water quality
will be quite poor, often before it is recognized by the
consumers.
For this reason, it is recommended that a date card or sticker
be placed on the unit at each cartridge change to help determine
the appropriate time for replacement.
The combination of redox media and carbon
is an affordable alternative for home
water purification. Redox media
and carbon in combination maintain their effectiveness longer
than deionizing resins or carbon alone, reducing the
likelihood of drinking contaminated water from failure to change
cartridges in time.
The reverse osmosis
systems we offer have redox and carbon included for the
important work they do. Redox assists the carbon and they both
protect
reverse osmosis membrane from deterioration.
For
the cost-conscious individual who is interested in protecting their health,
redox technology combined with high-quality coconut shell granular activated
carbon offers an attractive water purification choice when it comes to
quality, value, and maintenance-free performance. Countertop,
under-the-counter and shower units are available at modest cost.
NOTE: A cartridge
that contains redox alloy and the special media "alumina" is
available for our "Mega Heavy Duty" units to fully remove
fluoride from city water
using a flow-through filtration system. This should be combined with
a solid
carbon block and a
remineralizing alkalizer cartridge, as alumina
tends to leave the water more acidic.
For the ultimate in affordable contaminant-removal,
corrected reverse
osmosis provides the best of all solutions: the very high quality
purified water you
want, . . . conveniently at home, . . . at a low affordable cost, . . . with a minimum of service & maintenance.
WATER PURIFIERS
FROM
WaterUS.com
New!
Corrected Water Systems
"The
Water You Want" ~ Pure Water Fit To Drink
We have been in the water purification business for
over 30 years.
We offer
multiple
choices for good water purification, including both "corrected" reverse
osmosis units, and advanced filtration systems, all centered around redox media
(KDF or Eagle Redox Alloy) because of its
unique properties, effectiveness and affordability.
NOTE:
Redox alloy is a relatively expensive material.
Our purifiers have the substantial amount of
redox media
needed to do a thorough job. There are other brands,
some with the same kind of housing as ours,
that contain only a small amount of redox media so they may claim to have
it. These will perform less well and for a shorter time than ours.
Our redox and carbon water filter
cartridges do a great job for one to two years depending on the volume
and type of water processed. The larger the family, or the dirtier
the water, the sooner you would change the cartridge.
Clean your water
of bad taste & odor, chlorine, volatile organic chemicals, heavy metals,
agricultural poisons, drugs,
lime and scale. Our revolutionary processes effectively clear more
household water chemicals and other water problems than other types of water
treatment.
The solid
carbon block water cartridge used in some of our systems has an extra fine
screening ability. The pure,
high-pressure solid carbon in our filter systems will remove particles
as small as a micron,
eliminating even most bacteria. The reverse osmosis units screen down to
sub-micron size for very thorough removal of chemicals and
microorganisms.
We also
have several systems that remove the toxic
fluoride added to most
cities' water supply, supposedly for dental benefits. Those wishing to
use it for their teeth can use toothpaste and mouthwash with
fluoride.
You should not be drinking this toxic chemical.
Our unique
reverse osmosis and
ultrafiltration systems have the option of including a
"Corrected
Water" cartridge
to improve water, which may otherwise be too acidic. This
remineralizing alkalizer
is also an option with our fluoride filtration systems. It can be added to most of
our systems.
Our
Corrected Water cartridges "energize" the water as well, by conditioning it
with minerals and Far Infrared energy. The resulting water is ideal for
functionality in the body. The water performs better at doing the things
that water does.
Current prices for our complete
line of quality point-of-use kitchen water purifier
systems range from $78.97 for the Single Counter Top unit to
$309.70 for a corrected under counter reverse osmosis system.
All of our drinking water purifiers have replaceable cartridges.
Single Counter Top Filter
Under Counter R.O. System
|
One of our
point-of-use Redox & Carbon units or reverse osmosis
systems will
effectively reduce or remove the following contaminants:
~algae
~bacteria ~parasites ~mold/fungus ~bad taste ~bad odor
~pesticides (eg. Endrin, Lindane, Methoxychlor, Toxaphene, etc.) ~herbicides
(eg. Silvex; 2, 4-D; etc.) ~fertilizers ~nitrates
~detergents ~PCB's ~THM's ~arsenic ~aluminum ~barium
~cadmium ~chlorine ~chromium ~fluoride ~hydrogen sulfide ~iron ~lead
~mercury ~radon ~selenium ~and many more
|
NOTE: For those on
fluoridated city water, our special units with
redox
+ "alumina" or our reverse osmosis systems will more thoroughly eliminate fluoride.
NOTE:
It is recommended you have a
Corrected Water cartridge
with either of these systems.
All
components of our water systems are free of BPA.
WARRANTY: Our
point-of-use water filtration system housings and hardware have a
warranty to be free of defects in materials and manufacture,
with repair or replacement
for up to one year from date
of purchase, and our water cartridges for up to 90 days.
(See return
and liability policies.)
CLICK HERE
to view the ISO, NSF and CE certifications for our water systems.
CLICK HERE for
details on our systems for fluoridated city
water.
CLICK HERE for
details on
our point-of-use
redox
& carbon water purifier systems.
CLICK HERE for
information on our UltraFiltration systems.
CLICK HERE
for
details on our Reverse Osmosis systems.
CLICK HERE
for
information on the AquaWizard Faucet R. O., a unique
reverse osmosis unit.
CLICK HERE
for information on our "Corrected Water" remineralizing alkalizer units.
CLICK HERE for
information on a whole house system that can purify all the water in
your home.
CLICK HERE for information on
our Pitcher Water Filter.
CLICK HERE
for information on shower
and bath purifiers.
CLICK HERE
for information on combination water purifier,
cooler, and heater units.
CLICK
HERE
to view
pictures of our purifiers.
We also offer Ultra Violet units for
water with bacteriological problems.
Contact
us
for more information.
CLICK HERE To Order
