Tech Talk: Hard Water

(Thanks to Ionways USA for this useful info)


We hear the term "hard water" quite often in the business of ionizers. Hard water is water that contains high levels of minerals, usually found as calcium and magnesium. This type of highly mineralized water is more common in some areas than in others: WA, South Australia, Central Australia and NT to name a few. Hardness is usually measured in milligrams per liter, (mg/L - also known as parts per million). We raise a flag of concern when we see hardness levels near or above 290mg/L.

When we consider that our ionizers take hard water and make it harder by concentrating alkaline minerals, the level of hardness in the source water can become a factor in the way you maintain your machine. Why? Because high concentrations of calcium and magnesium (essential alkalizing minerals needed for optimum health!) can create a build-up called, "scale." Scale build-up is treatable and completely preventable if it's caught early enough, and knowing where to look for it is important. 
Take a peek at the end of your stainless steel flexible spout, or, if you have an under-sink model, the tip of your faucet. If you see a build-up that looks slightly off-white, light green/bluish, or with hints of tan or yellow, you are looking at scale. 

The easiest way to clean the visible scale on external components is to use plain white vinegar, which can be purchased at almost any grocery store. Because it is acidic, the vinegar will dissolve the alkaline mineral scale and leave your ionizer nice and clean!

For internal cleaning, our patented cleaning system uses acidic water to clean and prevent scale from forming. The built-in cleaning system inside our ionizers is so effective that we've never seen a single water cell with build-up on its plates - not even one! Even so, the cleaning system doesn't reach the dispensing end from which the alkaline water flows and this is where the build-up that slows down water flow and causes blockage is found. A simple and very effective way to prevent this is to change the way we get our alkaline water. 

If you are drinking level 3 alkaline water, the discharge from your acid hose will be level 3 acidic water. To get all the benefits of your own post cleaning system, set your ionizer to dispense acidic water from the  spout and drink alkaline water from the acidic discharge hose. Its that easy, and very effective! Run it like this for a few days.
(ian: a great idea!)

Of course there are preventative measures that can be taken to protect your ionizer, such as using an anti-scaling device or, in extreme situations, the use of a reverse osmosis system. In the meantime, this will help a few folks to prevent scale build-up on their machines. If you need help with a scaling issue, it's always better to contact technical services sooner than later - because the sooner we can catch the problem, the better the chance of avoiding costly repairs.