Sound technical content, curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ
The authoritative public forum
for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Water Ionizers. Is it safe to drink alkaline water?
Q.
I have came across a drinking water ionizer system; it uses electrolysis with five pieces of Titanium plate that coated with Platinum to split water into two out sources, Alkaline water and Acidic water. Alkaline water is used as drinking water, and acidic water is used for washing, my question: is the alkaline water safe for drinking.
Ken [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Singapore
2003
A. That would depend on how alkaline it is and what else is in it.
James Watts- Navarre, Florida
2003
A. It sounds like partial electrolysis is being used here. The neutral pH in water is 7, but domestic supplies can vary between 5 and 9, so alkaline water is safe to drink, as long as it hasn't any other impurities. Saying this, however, I would suggest you aim for as near 7 as possible, but do NOT try to remove the natural salts.
Trevor Crichton
R&D practical scientist
Chesham, Bucks, UK
2003
A. It's safe to drink water with a mild alkaline nature (of pH up to 8). At the same time, It also depends upon the nature of salts and the contaminations present in the water which make the water to fall in alkaline range. However, In general, we can drink water with a pH up to 8.
Ijaz Hussain- Faisalabad, Pakistan
2003
A. Be advised that alkaline (pH 6.6 and up) has the ability to carry more contaminants with increasing pH. Depending on if your source water has ever been chlorinated, you may be exposed to T.H.M.'S, or tri-halo-methanes, which are produced when organic matter is depleted by chlorides, and is extremely carcinogenic. The allowable limit for these THMs in drinking water is something like 1/10th of 1 part per million, and higher pH makes them more difficult to remove from water. If your water is lab-made (or D.I.) then this should not be a problem unless there is any source of organic contamination. Perhaps if you want to be sure of your water quality, settle it, then put it through a DAF (dissolved air flotation) system.
Jeff Swayze- Kelowna, B.C., Canada
2003
A. Hi. In researching this a bit, I see that Ken is referring to "water ionizers", a product line which some people believe in, but which others think is yet another of the many "wonky water" scams: - Snake Oil on Tap
To me there is a funny smell to this business; if you review the websites of several suppliers, it seems that most if not all seem to say or imply that "everybody else in this business except us is a cheat" :-)
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
A. Be cautious. Electrolysis does not split the water into acid and alkaline waters. The excess hydrogen ions at the positive pole lower the pH there, and hydroxyl ions raise the pH at the negative pole. You are not removing inorganic contaminants (usually) with platinum-doped plates, although you may be destroying some organic compounds by the electrolytic action and the presence of hydrogen and hydroxyl ions. If you are creating a sediment and removing it completely then the water may be fit to drink. If you are not removing a solid then use the water for drinking ONLY after analysis. Analysis is recommended in any case.
Paul Morkovsky
- Shiner, Texas, USA
2003
Q. Would like to get inputs on how do I choose a good alkaline water ionizer. From the thread, there is talk about making sure the ionizing does not remove impurities, only splits them into acid and alkaline. Though it does not seem to make sense, would you suggest getting a separate water filter and an ionizer? Hope to hear your thoughts on this... Thanks.
Isaac Peter- Singapore
2005
RFQ: I WOULD LIKE TO BUILD A WATER IONIZER.
I NEED TWO PLATINIZED TITANIUM ANODES, 1/2 INCH X 2 INCH, 2 MM THICK, WITH ELECTRICAL CONTACTS AND A DC POWER SOURCE, 30 VOLTS @ 20 M AMPS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP AND ADVICE.
KENNETH BILLINGSHOBBYIST - EDGEWATER, Maryland, USA
2005
Ed. note: Sorry, this RFQ is old & outdated, so contact info is no longer available. However, if you feel that something technical should be said in reply, please post it; no public commercial suggestions please ( huh? why?)
October 5, 2011
Q. Hi,
I am also looking for a good quality water filter, some say alkaline ionized water is good. I would like to share and seek for informative comment on ionized water
1. What is the water pH of this filter, is the pH value adjustable manually from pH 6 to pH 9? What is the recommended water pH for healthy drink?
A. pH is adjustable from 4-11 , 9.5 for normal people and 11 for those with high acidic in body, like those cancer patient, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc..
2. What is the ORP value of this water filter at pH7, pH7.5, pH8, pH 8.5, pH 9
A. ORP from -100 to -500
3. Can the filtered water be stored in plastic bottles?
A. Yes, but recommended in glass
4. Will the filtered water turn acidic after leaving it open outside for some time?
A. Yes.
engineer - Singapore
Q. Is it good for an infant to drink alkaline water -- mixed with milk. If no, at what age is it recommended?
Jp Odell- Singapore
February 22, 2012
Q. I am looking into getting a water ionizer. When I look at a comparison chart the pricing is much higher for a dipped electroplate versus just a regular electroplate. What would the biggest difference be for this? They both have 7 plates, the plates are described as platinum coated titanium, and the different plates are "[tradename deleted by editor]", electroplated, and dipped electroplate.
Can you help differentiate the different types of plates for me?
Thank you!
- Dallas, Texas, USA
April 15, 2013
A. Hi CC. Sorry, but just reading & watching those purveyors of water ionizers viciously attack each other on youtube and on the internet puts me in a foul mood :-(
If Honda & Toyota talked about each other that way we'd certainly buy neither; if Coke & Pepsi did, we'd drink neither. The first plate material was merely a trade name with no outside meaning; there is no particular meaning to "dipped electroplate" since the plates are all made by dipping into a tank and electroplating. I wouldn't recommend any brand of ionizer, but it looks like the cost differential largely has to do with its being much larger and higher in capacity.
I appreciate you including the chart of one brand's purported advantages, but we're choosing not to post that kind of stuff here and participate in their ridiculous race to the bottom :-)
Good luck.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
April 15, 2013
Q. Just in the last week, I built a water ionizer to produce high pH water. I was instructed to add an electrolyte, so I added sea salt. It worked, but the water had a strong salt taste. I ran a second batch with Baking Soda and my wife said she could taste the baking soda. We are both committed to drink 128 oz. of 9.0 pH water and I wondered if you knew of a good electrolyte that would not impart a strong after taste. What could I expect if I stepped up the voltage to 24 vdc instead of 12 vdc? Also, I am interested in process merits, pros or cons. The internet is filled with amateur opinions, but I would value your report based on your degree and experience. Many thanks.
Robert Cupp- Mobile, Alabama, USA
April 15, 2013
Q. Hi. We recently bought a portable alkali drinking water machine producing both alkaline and acidic water through electrolysis. I intend to store the acidic water for use with our washing machine. Do you foresee any potential oxidation problem? Thanks for your time. I miss New Jersey. I lived there (Lakewood area) for 6 years.
Jose GenerosoRetired engineer ME - Las Pinas, Philippines
October 15, 2017
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