FAQ 6 - Water Characteristics

What exactly is Ionized Water?
A1: To ionize simply means to gain or loose an electron. Water that has been ionized becomes either alkaline or acidic, meaning that the pH has been adjusted up or down from the neutral 7pH.
Alkaline water is full of Hydroxyl ions while Acidic water is full of Hydrogen ions.

Why should I drink Ionized Water?
A2: There are many benefits to drinking Ionized Alkaline Water. Some key aspects of the water are its higher pH, a powerful antioxidant, reduced molecular cluster size and the detoxification properties . 

How does Ionized Water taste compared with conventional water?
A3: A common remark regarding the taste of Ionized Water is that it has a pleasant taste and feels smoother than conventional water making it easier to drink.

Is lake water safe to drink using this system?
A4: Dong Yang Science, the manufacturer, recommends using it on municipally treated water only. That is a because there can be such diverse and polluted waters out there these days. You may want to test the lake water before considering this .
We, however, do have many people using it on well water systems and it should be safe. The filter is  rated as 0.1 micron plus the silver impregnation in the activated charcoal is there to destroy bacteria. In addition the higher pH in the reactor will destroy bacteria and also a small amount of ozone is created in the reactor which also helps.
A concern may be whether there are enough minerals in the lake water to promote good ionization. You should also check that.  If there is a problem we could have you install an acid neutralizer cartridge which puts a calcium into the water. This is often used  with RO / Distiller systems.

Is any water with high pH good ?
A5: To answer this I will  quote Mr. Sang Whang.
“The higher the pH the more OH- ions in the water.
However, it is dangerous to conclude that any water with a high pH is good. I can add potassium cyanide into water to raise the pH, but that water would obviously be fatal.
High pH water, obtained from 'drinkable' water by filtering out pollutants and removing acid minerals and enhancing alkaline minerals that were in the original water, is good. Not just any high pH water.”  This is what a unit like the Regency does.


What is the reason for the cloudiness or milky appearance of ionized alkaline water as it is produced?
A6: As the water goes through the water ionizer some of the water molecules are separated into OH– and H. It is the very fine hydrogen bubbles that you see and they dissipate quickly.



How long does Ionized Alkaline Water maintain its characteristics? 
A7: The Antioxidant (hydroxyl ions) will last approximately 10-24 hours. The Higher pH (alkaline properties) will last approximately 1-2 weeks. The smaller molecule cluster size will last approximately 1-3 months.

Why does the pH test paper I use for a urine test, not seem to indicate a proper water pH test for my alkaline drinking water?
A8: I have done some research on the “litmus” paper v/s liquid reagent testing of pH and here is what I learned.

In a  University Chemistry test book Chemistry and Chemical Reactivity, Third Edition by Kotz and Treichel 1996 Copyright, I found 22 different common acid-base indicators shown. These are used in many different formulas for all types of specific product testing. The text book states that electronic instrument measurements are more reliable than the  paper test strips. From our comparisons with electronic readings it appears that the liquid reagent used and supplied by Jupiter is a reliable test for the water pH, more so than the  paper pH strip indicators .

Because of the wide spectrum of chemical indicators available for a variety of test conditions, I recommend you use the liquid reagent prepared for and supplied by Jupiter. Each unit does come with a small container of this solution, a color chart and 3 test tubes.

I have another model of a Jupiter Ionizer. My ORP readings drop pretty quickly during storage. Within 4 or 5 hours the Negative ORP is almost gone although the pH remains virtually the same. Could you please explain why this happens?
A9: Here is some information in regards to the water characteristics:
1. The ORP factor depreciates quickly – as you found from 5 hr. to 12 hr. range.
2. The pH remains for 3 days to a week or even 2 weeks.
3. The micro clusters ( smaller molecular groups) will remain for 2 or 3 months.

At first I had difficulty understanding the difference between the ORP and the pH, especially since they are so closely related to the OH-ions produced. There is a complex formula used to determine the ORP factor, which pH is a part of. Therefore, knowing that these are different measurements, it is reasonable to see that their life span would be different.

An easier way to think of this is to view the ORP as an electrical charge which can be positive or negative. A negative reading means that you have extra electrons. These are easily used up by such things as shaking the water container which creates positive ions and  neutralizers the negative ORP. Even if the water remains undisturbed, the electrons move among each other and cause the neutralization.

The very same thing happens in air. Most air has a positive ion surplus after moving through an air vent and this is part of the “sick building syndrome”. Hence we also sell negative air ionizers!

Regarding this ORP, here is an email from Sang Whang which I think you will find interesting.
A10: “ I do not pay attention to ORP. When alkaline water  with high ORP touches a conducting body such as a human body, it disappears. It is not the ORP that matters, it is the number of OH-ions in the water that seeks for H+ ions (acid radical) and neutralizes acid. Even the pH value of the ionized water drops as time goes by. However, the only reason for the pH value going down is because the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere gets dissolved into the water, not because any acid minerals went into the water. Inside the body, your lungs discharge carbon dioxide and restores the full strength of original alkaline water effect.”
In health, Sang Whang

I purchased a Regency Elite water purifier last year.  The water is somewhat cloudy when first dispensed and when I called your company on your toll free help lineI was told it was the ionized water.  Now the “cloudy formation” settles into some kind of light sediment at the bottom,  a process which usually takes a few to several hours. Can you explain what is happening?
A11: There are two types of ‘cloudiness’ that can occur and the initial cloudiness you see is discussed earlier, the hydrogen gas bubbles. We probably talked about this when you called. 

The other cloudy appearance is from calcium and can come into the water in two ways. The most common is the formation of calcium bicarbonate as a result of carbon dioxide coming into contact with the ionized calcium in the water. This may take minutes or hours of sitting and can create flakes that settle to the bottom or may adhere to the side of the water container. This can be flushed out by using vinegar to rinse the container. It sounds like this is what you have happening.

You may also get calcium directly from the unit as the water comes out. A small amount of calcium may have formed on the inside of the internal reactor or on the tube and small flakes of it may come off and into the water. You can clean the internal reactor  by using more of the clean cycle.

Keep an eye on the flow ratio of the alkaline v/s acid water. When you notice that have more acid water than alkaline, you have a build up of minerals and will need to flush the unit. Should that happen , we can give you instructions at that time.

There is no harm in the drinking of the flakes but it is not pleasant to look at. It would be similar to crushing a calcium tablet into the water. Trust this helps understand  what is happening. Top

HARD WATER AND COFFEE - What if I notice a strange film on my coffee?
A12: There seem to be two possible sources which may cause that to happen. The smaller water molecule cluster sizes of Alkaline Ionized water may make this more noticeable.

The residue on the surface of your coffee is probably either a soap film or an oil slick.
A soap film can be caused by magnesium and calcium carboxylates. These come from the reaction of certain types of soap to our hard water. If not properly rinsed from a coffee maker or cup, these deposits could build up causing a film to form on top of the coffee. Keeping your coffee maker and dishes clean and well rinsed should minimize this type of residue.

An oil slick floating on the top of your coffee could come from the coffee itself. All coffees contain oils that are insoluble in water and form a slick on top of the coffee. These oils are extracted from the grounds in a variety of ways:
Over-extraction of the grounds. If the coffee takes longer than five or six minutes to brew, the extended contact with the hot water will extract more oil. Brewing with soft water and using too few grounds can extend brewing beyond the recommended time.

Excessive heating. The longer the coffee is heated the more oil that is extracted from it. If coffee is left to warm on a burner for a long period of time, more oil will be extracted.

Improperly cleaned brewing equipment. Here again, it is important to keep your coffee-making equipment clean. Improperly cleaned coffee makers allow the oil to accumulate in the coffee maker and eventually come out in the coffee. The oils and tars in the coffee will be more likely to adhere to a coffee maker lined with a lime build-up.

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