When a customer wants the best water for their business or home, they will do their homework to find what they need. However, when looking at the concept of “the best” some confusion arises. It’s very difficult to determine what exactly a customer wants when they say they want the best. How does a business respond to such a request? Is the customer referring to the price, final water quality, the quantity of purified water produced or the number of treatment steps? What exactly does the customer mean when they want “the best”?
There are many good purifiers, most of which meet the above requirements, but the true test of quality is a filter system that delivers consistently through years. Our core belief is the best water purifier is the one that meets exact customer needs and will continue to do so reliably for years.
Let’s review some of the definitions for best:
- Price. Many manufacturers sell systems with Imported components and inexperienced assemblers. After utilizing all tactics to drive down the price, the post-sale service is near obsolete. The customer can be left with cheap, substandard systems that won’t last for any amount of time.
- Smaller unit. Some manufacturers sell customers on the fast, smaller units. However, in the long run, these fail to keep up with the water demand.
- Missing or improper pretreatment. Sub-standard and cheaply made systems will add up in costs and deliver questionable quality as RO system membranes will need constant cleaning or replacement.
- Out of spec water quality. If the system is built incorrectly or without the right specs, the water quality will suffer.
- Downtime. How will the customer meet their water needs when the system is out for repair?
To get the best water purifier, it is imperative to work with the best manufacturer. A quality manufacturer will have the best value for the dollar. They will provide quality equipment and systems that will give proven results over the years. In the off chance something breaks, they will have the skills and support to get the system up and running as quickly as possible.
There is currently a huge increase in interest in water treatment products. This interest level crosses all market segments- residential, commercial and industrial and appears to be fueled by health and water shortage issues at the residential level. Water treatment products interest in the commercial and industrial markets is motivated by a number of factors primarily water conservation, product improvements, and regulatory demands.As time goes on we anticipate the interest in and demand for treatment products to continue at an even higher rate driven by the publicity of water contaminants, water scarcity, increase in industrial sophistication and bureaucratic pressures.
One of the more positive results of an interest increase is the increase in water treatment options. Prior to developments in the 1970s water treatment options consisted of ion exchange, distillation, and a few filter media selections. Water got treated but chemical and salt waste (pollution) were high, water waste was out of control, energy consumption was out of line and spent media disposal loaded with toxic materials was the norm. Today, we are equipped with better water treatment plants and also highly regulated waste water treatment centers. Also, there are different stormwater prevention plan companies in houston tx (and elsewhere) that could make sure that the waste water from sewer systems, construction sites, and industrial areas are treated properly.
Current water treatment options still include ion exchange, distillation and media filters to be used judiciously and are now supplemented by new treatment products including reverse osmosis, forward osmosis, electro deionization, capacitive deionization, ultraviolet, advanced oxidation process, cartridge filtration, non-chemical (physical) hardness scale prevention, long life redox media and ultrasonic devices.An entirely new family of water options appealing to a rapidly growing group of water purists consists of treatment products and processes to increase alkalinity, add electrolytes, add elemental hydrogen, add crystalline vibrations, add magnetic impulses, follow the Golden Ratio, energize via vortex and improve hydration through surface tension reduction.
As a prospective purchaser of water treatment products, there is wisdom in doing due diligence and explore your water treatment options to obtain precisely what is best for you. Further, you are best served by working with a prospective supplier that offers more than one or two options and is prepared to discuss them at a technical level and not simply provide a glossy brochure.
Even the best water purification systems on the market require monitoring for total dissolved solids to ensure the filters and/or membranes are effectively removing the bacteria and unwanted particles from your water. Besides drinking water, where a lower level of TDS (purer water) is preferred, a TDS level is specific for each application and particular usage.
Fish and plants require water with widely varying TDS levels, most of which are higher than what we deem to be healthy drinking water for people. TDS in water supplies originates from natural sources, sewage, and urban/agricultural run-off.
What Are Total Dissolved Solids?
TDS, or total dissolved solids, is the term used to describe the inorganic salts and small amounts of organic matter present in solution in water. The principal constituents are usually:
- calcium
- chloride
- hydrogen carbonate
- magnesium
- nitrate anions
- sodium and potassium cations and carbonate
- sulfate
Total dissolved solids are differentiated from total suspended solids (TSS), in that the latter cannot pass through a sleeve of 2 micrometers and yet are indefinitely suspended in solution. Salts used for reverse osmosisad de-icing can also contribute to the TDS loading of water supplies. Concentrations of TDS from natural sources have been found to vary from less than 30 mg/L to as much as 6,000 mg/L, depending on the solubilities of minerals in different geological regions.
Why Should You Measure the TDS Level in Your Water?
The presence of dissolved solids in water may affect its taste. The palatability of drinking water has been rated by panels of tasters in relation to its TDS level as follows:
- EXCELLENT – less than 300 mg/L
- GOOD – between 300 and 600 mg/L
- FAIR – between 600 and 900 mg/L
- POOR – between 900 and 1,200 mg/L
- UNACCEPTABLE – greater than 1,200 mg/L
Parts per million (ppm) is the weight-to-weight ratio of any ion to water.
The EPA Secondary Regulations advise a maximum contamination level (MCL) of 500mg/L (500 parts per million) for TDS. However, numerous water supplies exceed this level and when TDS levels exceed 1,000mg/L it is generally considered unfit for human consumption. A high level of TDS is an indicator of potential concerns, and further investigation should be done. Most often, high levels of TDS are caused by the presence of potassium, chlorides and sodium.
Water with extremely low concentrations of TDS may also be unacceptable because of its flat, insipid taste. Certain components of TDS can influence corrosion or encrustation in water-distribution systems. Excessive scaling in water pipes, water heaters, boilers, and household appliances such as kettles and steam irons can occur with high TDS levels (>500 mg/L). High TDS levels can shorten the service life of these appliances and others. Reliable data on possible health effects associated with the ingestion of TDS in drinking water are not available.
Measuring Water TDS at Home
TDS handheld meters are a great and generally inexpensive way to test the water quality in your home at any given time. They come factory calibrated and are ready to use out of the box, are designed to stay consistent. A TDS meter is based on the electrical conductivity (EC) of water. Recalibration is necessary after prolonged usage and you will need a commercial standard Na-Cl-based solution. Here are a few tips on how to care for your TDS meter:
- always rinse the sensor pins in distilled water and allow them to air dry before replacing the cap
- clean the electrodes to prevent residue build-up after repeated usage in high TDS water
- do not drop or completely submerge the unit in water or dip beyond the maximum immersion level
- do not store the unit in high temperature or direct sunlight
- if the tip is heavily fouled with organic material, soak it in alcohol or bleach; gentle wiping with a soft, non-abrasive cloth may also be acceptable
- make sure that the battery compartment and probe gasket ring are firmly tightened before submerging in water
- pH and ORP electrodes must be stored in a special storage solution
- TDS electrodes should be stored dry
- the batteries may need to be replaced after extended usage or lifespan
- when necessary, clean the electrodes by soaking the tip in an acid (e.g., vinegar or diluted hydrochloric acid) and then rinsing well in water
How Do You Reduce the TDS in Your Water?
Common water filter and water purification systems that have proven to reduce the TDS in water include:
- carbon filtration
- reverse osmosis (RO)
- distillation
- deionization (DI)
Call us at 760.734.5787 and get in touch with one of our water experts today!
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Water Ionizers: Process Explained
Water ionizers claim to produce “pure alkaline water”, but it is extremely unlikely this “pure alkaline water” would have any effect on health. Because the pH of blood is tightly regulated at about 7.4, alkaline water would not have any effect on blood pH, nor would it be desirable to alter blood pH.
A water ionizer is a device where you pass in an electric current through water and when you do that, water will break apart. Instead of being H2O, it will break into an ion of Hydrogen and an ion of Hydroxyl, which is OH. The Hydrogen portion will make water quite acidic and the Hydroxyl portion will make water on that side basic. So, it is just a way of breaking water apart and ending up with two water sources or two water samples, one with a low pH and one with a high pH.
“Ionized water” is an essentially meaningless term. Water can contain dissolved ions (electrically-charged atoms or molecules) and almost all water found in nature acquires ions such as bicarbonate and calcium as it comes into contact with reverse osmosiscks and sediments. Pure water consists almost entirely of H2O molecules, which are loosely bound in a network-like structure in which individual molecules are constantly changing partners.
These water molecules do exhibit a very slight tendency to dissociate (ionize) into Hydrogen and Hydroxide ions. Because the reverse of this reaction is much more rapid, the extent of this reaction is severely limited and only about 2 out of every billion water molecules is dissociated. No electrical device or chemical additive is capable of increasing these ion concentrations in pure water above these levels.
Ionization Advantages and Disadvantages
In my opinion, “ionized water” is nothing more than sales fiction. The claims about the health benefits of drinking alkaline water are not supported by credible scientific evidence. Pure water can never be alkaline or acidic, nor can it be made so by electrolysis. Alas, there are many websites and companies with emphasize on the importance of drinking ionized and the health benefits it provides for those who want to achieve better health. Some of these advantages include:
- ionized water is up to 6 times more hydrating than conventional water
- ionized water improves cellular hydration
- ionized water acts a a powerful antioxidant
- ionized water restores the body’s pH balance
- ionized water improves the taste and quality of food
The disadvantages of alkaline water include:
- the cost
- there are no official studies to verify the validity of the claims deeming it pure and safe to drink
- it is an overpriced version of the water available on tap in nearly every American home
Purified water is a must not only for human consumption but for a variety of other purposes, including meeting the requirements of medical, pharmacological, chemical and industrial applications. Water purification is the process of removing undesirable chemicals, biological contaminants, suspended solids and gases from contaminated water, with the sole goal of producing water that fits a specific purpose.
In general, the methods used to purify water include:
- physical processes (filtration, sedimentation, distillation)
- biological processes (slow sand filters, biologically active carbon)
- chemical processes (flocculation, chlorination)
- electromagnetic radiation processes (ultraviolet light)
Sometimes, the general public hardly distinguishes scientific fact from pseudoscientific hype when the two are closely intertwined and when the public lacks the scientific background to do so. Many of the clinical uses of ionized water are done in Japan and Korea, where water ionizers are certified by the Korean and Japanese Ministries of Health as approved medical devices. They have been using them for over 40 years but they do not follow the same guidelines as the United States for testing.
To conclude, I hope that these two blogs have shed a little more light on water ionizers and deionzers, the processes they involve and the pros and cons of owning one of these water treatment devices.
Water Deionizers: Process Explained
There are many ways to deionize water, some are small and simple, while others are large and complex. The method used will be determined considering the volume of water deionizers and the desired purity. Deionization or ion exchange is a rapid and reversible process, in which impurity ions present in the water are replaced by ions released by an ion-exchange resin. Ion exchange resin has an attraction for dissolved inorganics, which are typically about 95% of known water contaminants.
The resin must be periodically regenerated to restore it to the original ionic form. There are 2 basic types of resin:
- cation-exchange resins – release Hydrogen (H+) ions or other positively-charged ions in exchange for impurity cations
- anion-exchange resins – release Hydroxyl (OH-) ions or other negatively-charged ions in exchange for impurity anions
Calcium and Magnesium ions are removed when the water passes through the first ion exchange material. The exchange material releases its Hydrogen ions on a chemically-equivalent basis as metallic ions in the water affix themselves to the exchange material. A Sodium ion (Na+) displaces one Hydrogen ion (H+), a Calcium ion (Ca++) displaces 2 Hydrogen ions and a Ferric ion (Fe+++) displaces 3 Hydrogen ions and so on.
The solution will become very acid as a result of a relatively high concentration of hydrogen ions, and, at this point, the deionizaion process is only half complete. Water now contains positive Hydrogen ions and the anions originally in the water before treatment. The partially treated water will flow through a second unit with anion exchange material, which consists of replaceable Hydroxyl anions and fixed irreplaceable cations.
The negative ions in solution (anions) will be absorbed into the anion exchange material, which releases Hydroxyl anions. The result of the entire process will be ion-free water, which contains:
- positive Hydrogen ions released in the initial exchange
- negative Hydroxyl ions released in the second exchange
Now, through their combination, these ions have produced water molecules, which are not different in any ways from the water in which they were produced. This two-stage ion exchange process results in mineral-free water.
Deionization Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages of deionization include:
- removes over 98% of contaminants
- no wasted water
- no need for electricity
- fast flow rate
- no need for a storage tank
- relatively inexpensive initial capital investment
- regenerable (service deionization)
Purified water is a must not only for human consumption but for a variety of other purposes, including meeting the requirements of medical, pharmacological, chemical and industrial applications.
Water purification is the process of removing undesirable chemicals, biological contaminants, suspended solids and gases from contaminated water, with the sole goal of producing water that fits a specific purpose.
Distilled water and deionized (DI) water are the most common forms of purified water. The first order of business is to determine what is meant by high purity for the proposed application. We must also consider suspended solids, dissolved solids, dissolved gases, organics, and the biology of the water. A few of the most common uses of distilled water are aquariums, laboratory experiments, steam irons, and car cooling systems. It is not uncommon for companies such as Golyath distilled water to promote their products for commercial purposes as well.
In general, the methods used to purify water include:
- physical processes (filtration, sedimentation, distillation)
- biological processes (slow sand filters, biologically active carbon)
- chemical processes (flocculation, chlorination)
- electromagnetic radiation processes (ultraviolet light)
If it is used in combination with activated carbon, deionization can remove organic chemicals and parasites, and can protect the resin from chlorine. The limitations of this process involve a diminished capacity when used on water supplies with a high mineral content.
Also, it does not effectively remove particles, pyrogens or bacteria. If the resin is not regenerated at proper intervals, contaminants can return to the water. Deionization beds can generate resin particles and culture bacteria over time. It also has high operating costs in the long run.
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