Filter change | Descaling | Maintenance water ionizer
FAQ’s | Alkaline activated water | Water Filters | Water Treatment
The FAQ video interview about alkaline activated water is presented in detail by Mr. Asenbaum to deeply understand the subjects of water and water treatment. The video shows the most important questions and answers, which still cause doubt, for example: the subject about water and stomach acids. Below you will find our pool of collected FAQ’s and you can also browse through our FAQ database.
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FAQ’s | Alkaline activated water | Stomach acids
On this website you can submit your new questions. Please look through our complete FAQ database beforehand:
A categorised overview of all our Frequently Asked Questions about alkaline, electro-activated water, hydrogen water, opposed views, technical questions and answers, proof from experiments
The following questions and answers have been very kindly compiled by author and researcher Karl Heinz Asenbaum over the last 12 years (!) and these are continuously updated and extended. These FAQ’s and a few more dealing with the subject of water and water treatment can be found in German on his knowledge database.
Filter change | Descaling | Maintenance water ionizer
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My water ionizer has a fully automated descaling system. Why do I also have to descale it manually?
- A baby needs nappies, a dog has to go for walks, a coffee maker and an ionizer has to be descaled. It goes with the system. The manufacturers sadly use the term “automatic descaling” very widely. Therefore I will give you some background information: Limescale deposits in water ionizers always originate at the negative pole, the cathode, which gives off negatively charged electrons into the water. Positively charged calcium-ions are attracted and stick to the metal in thicker layers. This reduces the surface of the cathode, so the total production of the electrolysis cell is diminished.
- Additionally, the cathode side of a diaphragm can calcify. These deposits have to be eliminated by the decalcifying system. For that there are different systems on the market.
- Method 1: Upstream decalcification: To start with the drawing of water the electricity is reversed for 30 seconds. With this, the cathode becomes the anode, the positive charge repels the calcium. During the pole reversal the device will give warning indications, that the water from the alkaline outlet is not drinkable. In the long run it only runs perfectly if the water is tapped for only 30 seconds after switching the electricity back. Usually it is tapped longer, so that the cathode builds up a limescale layer. The disadvantage: The user has to wait 30 seconds until one gets activated alkaline water. The advantage: Warmed up stagnation water from the water pipes and the pre-filters flows out. The average user would still wait until the water flows out cold.
- Method 2: Downstream decalcification: At the end of drawing water the device still holds some water in the electrolysis cell for a few seconds and reverses the polarity like in Method 1. Subsequently the run off water flows through the drain pipe directly to the acidic water outlet. The advantage: No waiting time. The disadvantage: Only a few seconds of electricity current reversal and when first drawing water you will get warm stagnation water from the water pipes and pre-filters. Until the water flows out at a cool temperature, it takes time, in which a limescale layer can build up. Conclusion: Worse than Method 1.
- Method 3: Cyclic decalcification: The polarity of the electricity will be reversed after a certain rate of flow or a certain amount of time (usually 12 hours) for a 30 second cleaning cycle with alarm signals. The advantage: Technically easier than Method 2 and therefor cheaper. The disadvantage: Especially when drawing water frequently in small amounts a day no decalcification will take place, even though a big amount was produced. So a higher predisposition of scaling and a lot of manual post decalcifying is necessary. Annoying: Even if for 12 hours no activated water was produced, a decalcifying cycle takes place with current reversal.
- Methode 4: Flow change – Polarity change and drainage reversal: After drawing water the previously used cathode chamber used as a cell chamber becomes the anode chamber, in which the polarity is changed and the drainage is channelled to the other outlet. Like this a permanent self-descaling process takes place. The advantage: With smooth electrode manufacturing, (electrolysis cells), this method protects the cells reliably from calcifying. This method was patented by the Korean company Alkamedi (European brandname Aquion®). The disadvantage: As a rule only alkaline activated water flows exclusively out of the upper outlet and never acidic water. Since alkaline activated water starts to relax immediately after being produced, (relaxation period), minerals will be isolated when leaving the cells, which can constrict the outflow. So here with a decreased outflow a manual decalcification is necessary. Just not that often.
- Method 5: Manual decalcification. When the achieved pH output noticeably diminishes with the same water flow amount or if the flow capacity of alkaline activated water is less compared to acidic water – The same amount of activated acidic water should flow out, never more than alkaline water – then you have to decalcify manually. Most manufacturers provide fixed intervals for hard water. Premium devices even indicate automatic guidelines for a due manual decalcification. Please follow these indications and don’t forget to unplug your device.
- Please carry out the manual descaling with the included descaling pump, also available as an accessory. The pump should run at least an hour (up to 12 hours) with the descaling agents. It should not get warmer than 35°C.
- With heavy calcification – for example when citrates (lime salts from the descaling agent citric acid) fall off as white crystals or the descaling agent turns yellowish, you should replace the descaling solution. Please do not forget, after the descaling process, to rinse the pump thoroughly with clear water, since it can get blocked because of incrustations.
- An incrusted pump, that does not start, usually runs again when you soak it in clear water for an hour. After the manual decalcification set your water ionizer on “Purified” (filtered water) and let about 10 litres of water flow through to rinse. This is not drinking water and can still contain traces of the descaling agent.
Excerpt from the book “Karl Heinz Asenbaum: Electrically activated water – An invention with extraordinary potential.”
Copyright 2016 www.euromultimedia.de
Link to this post | Descaling a water ionizer
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How often do I have to change the diaphragm of my batch water ionizer? Does the membrane of a flow through ionizer last longer?
- The diaphragm, a semi permeable membrane, which separates the anode chamber with the electrolysis cells from the cathode chamber, reduces the rate of ion exchanges, because by laws of nature the hydroxide ions attract the protons, respectively to the anode, through the diaphragm and the immediate execution is hindered.
- Whole water molecules, as opposed to water ions, do not go through the pores of the membrane. The membrane is also gas tight, so the hydrogen being released from the cathode does not unite with the oxygen being separated by the anode to make water again.
- With a batch ionizer you see the membrane right in front of you. With simple devices it consists of a piece of cardboard or fabric, sometimes baking paper is used or greaseproof paper. These simple diaphragms show wear and tear quickly, this you will recognise, for example, when water flows through. Then you have to change it immediately. The same is necessary when it gets dirty, when algae or mould is present, when germ traces can be seen through a biofilm – in principle, when any colouration is noticed: replace.
- A diaphragm should be dried once a day. A diaphragm that has limescale traces can be descaled with citric acid.
- A diaphragm from a domestic flow-through device is made of a durable artificial membrane, mostly based on polymers. As opposed to the membranes of the batch ionizers, these are heat sensitive and lose their pores and clump up because of a thermal strain. Usually these membranes cannot resist over 40° Celsius. Like the electrodes they have to be regularly freed of the limescale traces. Here you can see a slightly calcified membrane of a flow-through ionizer from a scanning electron microscope taken at a 1000 times magnification. One can already see crystalline scales on the polymer.
- The durability is assessed differently. I myself have seen membranes that after 8 years of use have no signs of wear and tear. Manufacturers that offer a modern descaling technology with reverse flow give up to 15 years guarantee. Others only 2 years.
- If such a membrane is damaged in a closed electrolysis cell, without a visual inspection this can only be diagnosed if the output of the device is clearly reduced, even though there is no calcification and no electronic defect.
- Industrial devices also have a ceramic diaphragm, that even survive a cleanse with citric acid. Yet these are mainly used for the production of anolyte, highly acidic activated water from a saline solution.
- Even household devices with electrolysis cells without a diaphragm are on offer. The advantage is: You can run hot water through it and even have a shower with activated water. In 2013 a German institute tested such a model for a German import company. But with a water flow of 1,6 litres/minute the achieved pH value increased to 0,7 pH. Devices with a comparably similar price with diaphragm cells gain an increase of up to 2 – 3 pH levels. The diaphragm cells with more layered electrodes are by far still the best technological solution. (Published September 2013)
Excerpt from the book “Karl Heinz Asenbaum: Electrically activated water – An invention with extraordinary potential.”
Copyright 2016 www.euromultimedia.de
Link to this post | Changing the diaphragm
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Is there an increased calcium content in alkaline water?
Eberhard P.: In your video presentation “The Redox-Revolution” you speak of an increased calcium content in alkaline activated water. You also see this in the bottles when after some time a white sediment settles. I am really convinced about drinking activated water but is there a danger of arteriosclerosis if I drink it constantly?
- Iron is good for the blood, but you can also make cannons from it and go to war. It is the same with calcium. You can build houses with it or prisons. The police is not to blame for the crime. In our body we have the “wonder weapon” calcium: calcium is a butter soft earth alkaline metal, that just loves to bond with acid, so it practically isn’t seen pure.
- Limestone (CaCO3 Calcium Carbonate), for example, is a bond of calcium with carbon dioxide. When carbon acid rain seeps through limestone, it dissolves and releases, among other things, calcium into the water. The most limestone in our surroundings comes from the coral of the prehistoric seas. We do not need to buy coral calcium from Okinawa island. Coral calcium is already found in our tap water. Please note: Just because it comes from coral does it not mean that it is an organic or bio-calcium! The nature of minerals have and always will be inorganic.
- Calcium ions build, together with phosphate ions, our skeleton or regulate the nerve signals. Calcium ions are vital. In our body we have roughly 1 kg of calcium. Calcium is the mineral that we need the most, for in a house without walls you cannot place any furniture. This is why in the drinking water supply there is no top limit. If there is too little calcium in the water, the water works are obliged to add calcium.
- Calcium ions are also our most powerful reserve troop against the Lord of acidity. It saves the vital alkaline body environment, when the much smaller infantry division of potassium and magnesium is exhausted. To eliminate excesses of acidity, capture it with your electric ion power. But what to do with all these prisoners, if the capacity of the prison camps is no longer enough because of the year long war with hyperacidity? Each organism deals with this differently.
- Fatty acids and amino acids captured by the calcium can contract the blood vessels, (arteriosclerosis) or lead to growths (f.e.: shoulder calcification). The fault is the over accumulation of protein and fat in the blood. In an emergency it can only be reduced with a buffer substance. The biggest one at hand as a buffer substance is calcium. So over acidity consequences are perceived mostly because of a calcium slag.
- Calcium captured by uric acid can develop gallstones. Usually the fault from alcohol misuse or certain blood pressure sinkers is preventing the passing of uric acid, not the calcium.
- Only when you remove the bound acids, does the calcium become a free ion and can be, in the watery solution, a wonder weapon put to good use for the body. Because of this and many other reasons 100 million people drink alkaline activated water.
Excerpt from the book “Karl Heinz Asenbaum: Electrically activated water – An invention with extraordinary potential.”
Copyright 2016 www.euromultimedia.de
Link to this post | Increased calcium content
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Roman R.: I have read that the electrodes should always be dry after use. How so?
- This is with all counter top ionizers. Would activated water still remain there, this is subject to the rules of the relaxation time, that is, among other things, that minerals like calcium fall out which would ultimately hinder both electrolysis and the flow of water through the outlet hose.
- The reason why I recommend so far only one model of under the counter ionizers, lies precisely in this: The activated water cannot flow and forces in calcareous water which leads to unreasonably frequent manual decalcifying procedures.
- Corrosion is not an issue in this question. An electrolytic cell in a modern water ionizer is corrosion resistant for decades, as long as the plated platinum layer is not damaged. In case of inadequate filtration, iron particles that come to the anode build up an oxide layer on the platinum layer, which reduces performance. One can scrape off the oxide layer and have the platinum plate clean again, yet for that you must disassemble the electrolytic cell.
Excerpt from the book “Karl Heinz Asenbaum: Electrically activated water – An invention with extraordinary potential.”
Copyright 2016 www.euromultimedia.de
Link to this post | Keeping electrolysis cells dry