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Alkaline water is water in which the oxygen molecules outnumber the hydrogen molecules and it has an extra electron. The benefits to alkaline water come in the form of antioxidant bubbles called hydroxyl ions. These ions act to remove free radicals from the blood and decrease oxidation and aging, two factors in many types of cancers, claims Beat Cancer.
As time goes on, factors such as a poor diet, stress and smoking increase the acidity of the blood, making the body more susceptible to diseases such as cancer. Cancer cells find it difficult to grow in an alkaline environment because alkaline water gives the cells an inhospitable environment in which to grow.
Below is a summary of benefits provided by alkaline water produced by Apollotek International products:
There are two types of water softeners, a salt-based water softener and a salt free water softener. Salt based water softeners will give you more of the “slick” feeling in the shower and you will notice the soap creating more bubbles. Other benefits you will see include brighter colors in your clothes, reduced scale build-up on your showers and softer skin.
Salt-free systems will also reduce scale buildup and provide brighter clothes and softer skin using a healthier method. The main benefit with salt-free systems is the ability to soften water without having to add sodium to the water. This is a more heart healthy and environmentally friendly system.
In summary, the benefits are:
As important as water is to us, while it travels on the ground to reach us, it picks up soluble matter wherever it goes through. The bottom line is that water is full of minerals. Calcium and manganese are of importance due to the way they affect the way we use water at home. The presence of these minerals and how they interact in water as we use it, make water hard.
One effect of hard water is that soaps and detergents lose some effectiveness. Instead of dissolving completely, soap combines with the minerals to form a coagulated soap curd. Because less soap is dissolved, more is required. And the sticky insoluble curd hangs around–it clings to the skin and may actually inhibit cleansing. Washed hair seems dull and lifeless.
In the laundry, things aren’t much better. The soap curd can work its way into your clothes as they’re being washed in your automatic washing machine. This can keep dirt trapped in the fibers, and it can stiffen and roughen the fabric.
In addition to affecting the actual washing process, insoluble soap deposits leave spots on everything you wash–from your dishes to the family car–and a soap film will build up in your bath and shower.
Another reason to be concerned about hard water is its effect on your plumbing system. Calcium and magnesium deposits can build up in pipes, reducing flow to taps and appliances. In water heaters, these minerals generate a scale buildup that reduces the efficiency and life of the heater.
The solution to the problem is to remove calcium and magnesium from the water. While there are chemical treatments that do this, the most popular answer is a water softener.
The typical water softener is a mechanical appliance that’s plumbed into your home’s water supply system. All water softeners use the same operating principle: They trade these harmful minerals for something else, in most cases sodium or potassium. The process is called ion exchange.
The heart of a water softener is a mineral tank. It’s filled with small polystyrene beads, also known as resin or zeolite. The beads carry a negative charge.
Calcium and magnesium in water both carry positive charges. This means that these minerals will cling to the beads as the hard water passes through the mineral tank. Sodium ions also have positive charges, albeit not as strong as the charge on the calcium and magnesium. When a very strong brine solution is flushed through a tank that has beads already saturated with calcium and magnesium, the sheer volume of the sodium ions is enough to drive the calcium and magnesium ions off the beads. Water softeners have a separate brine tank that uses common salt to create this brine solution.
In normal operation, hard water moves into the mineral tank and the calcium and magnesium ions move to the beads, replacing sodium ions. The sodium ions go into the water. Once the beads are saturated with calcium and magnesium, the unit enters a 3-phase regenerating cycle. First, the backwash phase reverses water flow to flush dirt out of the tank. In the recharge phase, the concentrated sodium-rich salt solution is carried from the brine tank through the mineral tank. The sodium collects on the beads, replacing the calcium and magnesium, which go down the drain. Once this phase is over, the mineral tank is flushed of excess brine and the brine tank is refilled.
Apollotek International, Inc. has been in the water filtration industry for over 25 years with a mission to be a leader .