Water Filters

[gkbt 8]

Deleted, double post, sorry about that

Edited December 13, 2016 by gkbt
double post

[gkbt 8]

On 12/5/2016 at 11:05 AM, aloha168888 said:

kangen alkaline water filter not bad. I just installed it 2 months ago. You can request for free 2L filtered water to try before buying.

http://www.sgfiltersolutions.com/

Hi Aloha,

Kangen is not an alkaline water filter... its a water ionizer. That being said, Kangen cost many times more than an average equally capable water ionizer as its run by MLM. 

I've visited the above website... there is no brand no model number no nothing... just basic information and a call to action.... seems "interesting" to me why say Kangen and not show anything about Kangen... 

Cheers

Edited December 13, 2016 by gkbt

[sarah833 0]

Hi gkbt  

I was directed by kstoh to this discussion topic after I PMed him for his opinions on the issues I disccused here.. I read through some of the recent posts and see that you have been quite active in the discussions regarding the different water filtering methods and products in the market,  wonder what is your take on the issue I am facing? I chose an under the sink system to hide the mess and I am quite reluctant to move it to above the sink when I am not fully convinced that the carbon catridge is not air tight.  What is your take on this?  Thanks in advance 

 

 

[papala 0]

Hi guys

im choosing between hyflux and espring

can help which one is better or a recommended choices ?

afterall both about same price

[ramster 0]

On 2/11/2017 at 6:52 AM, papala said:

Hi guys

im choosing between hyflux and espring

can help which one is better or a recommended choices ?

afterall both about same price

Hi Papala

I recommend you take a look at Ultrastream. You can contact their Singapore office at 6635 8138.

When choosing a water filter and ionizer, it is important to note that they are two different things.

A water filter is meant to filter impurities from the water supply while the ionizer makes the water better, commonly called alkaline water.


When looking at a water filter,
1) Look for lab test reports. All filters should come with lab test report to prove that they do remove the items they claim to remove.
Specifically, I would look at, chlorine, chloramine and fluoride as they are added into our water supply by pub. Most filters do not filter chloramine and fluoride as they are very difficult to remove.

2) Look for lifetime lab test report. If they claim 3000 litres, we should know how the filter will function when it reaches 3000 litres. Some filters are unable to filter the water once it reaches its maximum capacity. Some even begin to discharge the "stuff" it filtered back into the water when it reaches its capacity, making the water dirtier than unfiltered tap water. (This is the reason why some users whom did not change filters for years start to feel sick after drinking from their water filter)

3) Check for calcium and magnesium levels. A good water filter should only filter things that are bad for our body while keeping essential minerals such as calcium and magnesium in the water. 

 

When looking at a water ionizer.

1) Look our for the word molecular hydrogen or H2
Molecular hydrogen or H2 is the main contributor of the health benefits claimed by water ionizers. It has over 700 studies on its benefits on various diseases and is promising medical gas of the future.

Most ionizers uses a process called electrolysis to produce alkaline and acidic water. This process also creates molecular hydrogen in the process which was only discovered in 2007 to be the contributor of the health benefit. However, it is still unknown to most people and many machines are built to maximize pH and ORP rather than molecular hydrogen level.

Most machine can only produce H2 levels of 0 to 0.03 ppm, However, electrolysis machines also squeezes calcium out of the water making it stick onto the machine and electrolysis plates, this reduces the amount of H2 causing it to drop to 0 after 1 to 2 weeks requiring cleaning by the user. (The calcium can also be seen by drink bottles turning white after repeated use as the calcium sticks onto it)

Natural ionizers like Ultrastream is built to maximize H2 levels in the water, at about 0.8 to 1.2 ppm. This is 3 to 4 times the amount of hydrogen in electrolysis ionizers.
By not requiring electrolysis, natural ionizers do not produce waste water, requires no power supply and zero maintenance. 

Do note that a negative ORP does not mean that it is an antioxidant. In fact ORP is a poor measure of the benefit of the water itself due to how it functions.
See this article for the misconceptions regarding ORP meters

To learn more information about molecular hydrogen and the real science behind water ionizers, visit this link to the molecular hydrogen foundation website.

 

2) Convenience, Zero Maintenance. I find it best to have a filter that has minimum maintenance requirements or filter changes. Less items to worry about. Ionizers that requires 2h every 2 weeks are a big drain of time and money in the long run.

3) Waste water. Most electrolysis ionizers create waste acidic water which is difficult to utilize. I found myself wasting a lot of precious water using such ionizers.
(Yes I can use it for laundry/mop the floor etc, but it is not everyday that I do those and I create more waste water than I can use which goes down the drain) Please do not keep the water too long to prevent mosquito from breeding!

4) Filtration ability, most ionizers are NOT water filters and only have a basic filter that filters chlorine. Always ask for the lab test report to understand what it removes. 

Lab test reports should be easy to read such as the one below, note the comparison when filter is new and after it filtered 3600 litres of water.
 

Finally, a word of caution for RO systems or Nano filtration systems that makes the water too pure.

WHO has issued a warning that there are health risks from consumption of demineralised water.
Full report here WHO Report

Here is my summary and thoughts after reading it.

1) Demineralised water is, RO water, distilled water, nano filtered water or any water so pure that it has little to no minerals in it.

2) Demineralised water is harmful, takes away essential minerals from our body causing mineral deficiency which compromise the function of vital organs. Symptoms at the very beginning of this condition include tiredness, weakness and headache; more severe symptoms are muscular cramps and impaired heart rate.

3) It is very important and beneficial for our water to contain Calcium and Magnesium. Lack of these minerals in our water will result in deficiencies within weeks or months.

Although drinking water is not the major source of our calcium and magnesium intake, the health significance of supplemental intake of these elements from drinking water may outweigh its nutritional contribution expressed as the proportion of the total daily intake of these elements. Even in industrialized countries, diets deficient in terms of the quantity of calcium and magnesium, may not be able to fully compensate for the absence of calcium and, in particular, magnesium, in drinking water.

4) High loss of calcium, magnesium and other essential elements (over 60%!) in food cooked with demineralised water

5) Possible increased dietary intake of toxic metals as low-mineral leaches metals from materials in contact with water resulting in an increased metal content (highly aggressive water)

6) Calcium and, to a lesser extent, magnesium in water and food are known to have antitoxic activity. They can help prevent the absorption of some toxic elements such as lead and cadmium from the intestine into the blood



Choosing a water filter and ionizer is not an easy task. We all want the best for our family and it won't do us any justice if the product is unable to deliver what it claims. I choose to trust lab test reports rather than take what a salesperson says at face value. 

[gkbt 8]

On 2/11/2017 at 6:52 AM, papala said:

Hi guys

im choosing between hyflux and espring

can help which one is better or a recommended choices ?

afterall both about same price

Hi Papala,

It really depends on what you are looking for.

Hyflux and espring are water filters by nature so I'm assuming you are looking for filtration.

There is a lady facing issues about hyflux undersink and I never liked MLM companies with overpriced products (espring)

So here is my take, find a system that suit 

1) your budget (Including replacement filters on a regular basis)

2) has 0.01M filtration to remove the smallest bacteria

3) has filtration material that removes fluoride, chloramine and other contaminants etc  

Cheers!

[gkbt 8]

5 hours ago, ramster said:

Hi Papala

I recommend you take a look at Ultrastream. You can contact their Singapore office at 6635 8138.

When choosing a water filter and ionizer, it is important to note that they are two different things.

A water filter is meant to filter impurities from the water supply while the ionizer makes the water better, commonly called alkaline water.


When looking at a water filter,
1) Look for lab test reports. All filters should come with lab test report to prove that they do remove the items they claim to remove.
Specifically, I would look at, chlorine, chloramine and fluoride as they are added into our water supply by pub. Most filters do not filter chloramine and fluoride as they are very difficult to remove.

2) Look for lifetime lab test report. If they claim 3000 litres, we should know how the filter will function when it reaches 3000 litres. Some filters are unable to filter the water once it reaches its maximum capacity. Some even begin to discharge the "stuff" it filtered back into the water when it reaches its capacity, making the water dirtier than unfiltered tap water. (This is the reason why some users whom did not change filters for years start to feel sick after drinking from their water filter)

3) Check for calcium and magnesium levels. A good water filter should only filter things that are bad for our body while keeping essential minerals such as calcium and magnesium in the water. 

 

When looking at a water ionizer.

1) Look our for the word molecular hydrogen or H2
Molecular hydrogen or H2 is the main contributor of the health benefits claimed by water ionizers. It has over 700 studies on its benefits on various diseases and is promising medical gas of the future.

Most ionizers uses a process called electrolysis to produce alkaline and acidic water. This process also creates molecular hydrogen in the process which was only discovered in 2007 to be the contributor of the health benefit. However, it is still unknown to most people and many machines are built to maximize pH and ORP rather than molecular hydrogen level.

Most machine can only produce H2 levels of 0 to 0.03 ppm, However, electrolysis machines also squeezes calcium out of the water making it stick onto the machine and electrolysis plates, this reduces the amount of H2 causing it to drop to 0 after 1 to 2 weeks requiring cleaning by the user. (The calcium can also be seen by drink bottles turning white after repeated use as the calcium sticks onto it)

Natural ionizers like Ultrastream is built to maximize H2 levels in the water, at about 0.8 to 1.2 ppm. This is 3 to 4 times the amount of hydrogen in electrolysis ionizers.
By not requiring electrolysis, natural ionizers do not produce waste water, requires no power supply and zero maintenance. 

Do note that a negative ORP does not mean that it is an antioxidant. In fact ORP is a poor measure of the benefit of the water itself due to how it functions.
See this article for the misconceptions regarding ORP meters

To learn more information about molecular hydrogen and the real science behind water ionizers, visit this link to the molecular hydrogen foundation website.

 

2) Convenience, Zero Maintenance. I find it best to have a filter that has minimum maintenance requirements or filter changes. Less items to worry about. Ionizers that requires 2h every 2 weeks are a big drain of time and money in the long run.

3) Waste water. Most electrolysis ionizers create waste acidic water which is difficult to utilize. I found myself wasting a lot of precious water using such ionizers.
(Yes I can use it for laundry/mop the floor etc, but it is not everyday that I do those and I create more waste water than I can use which goes down the drain) Please do not keep the water too long to prevent mosquito from breeding!

4) Filtration ability, most ionizers are NOT water filters and only have a basic filter that filters chlorine. Always ask for the lab test report to understand what it removes. 

Lab test reports should be easy to read such as the one below, note the comparison when filter is new and after it filtered 3600 litres of water.
 

Finally, a word of caution for RO systems or Nano filtration systems that makes the water too pure.

WHO has issued a warning that there are health risks from consumption of demineralised water.
Full report here WHO Report

Here is my summary and thoughts after reading it.

1) Demineralised water is, RO water, distilled water, nano filtered water or any water so pure that it has little to no minerals in it.

2) Demineralised water is harmful, takes away essential minerals from our body causing mineral deficiency which compromise the function of vital organs. Symptoms at the very beginning of this condition include tiredness, weakness and headache; more severe symptoms are muscular cramps and impaired heart rate.

3) It is very important and beneficial for our water to contain Calcium and Magnesium. Lack of these minerals in our water will result in deficiencies within weeks or months.

Although drinking water is not the major source of our calcium and magnesium intake, the health significance of supplemental intake of these elements from drinking water may outweigh its nutritional contribution expressed as the proportion of the total daily intake of these elements. Even in industrialized countries, diets deficient in terms of the quantity of calcium and magnesium, may not be able to fully compensate for the absence of calcium and, in particular, magnesium, in drinking water.

4) High loss of calcium, magnesium and other essential elements (over 60%!) in food cooked with demineralised water

5) Possible increased dietary intake of toxic metals as low-mineral leaches metals from materials in contact with water resulting in an increased metal content (highly aggressive water)

6) Calcium and, to a lesser extent, magnesium in water and food are known to have antitoxic activity. They can help prevent the absorption of some toxic elements such as lead and cadmium from the intestine into the blood



Choosing a water filter and ionizer is not an easy task. We all want the best for our family and it won't do us any justice if the product is unable to deliver what it claims. I choose to trust lab test reports rather than take what a salesperson says at face value. 

Dear Ramster,

Thanks for adding information to this forum and I can't say it better than someone else reinforcing that drinking the type of water is very important for overall health.

However my concerns are more on your introduction of products that are not requested by any forumer which constitute to "marketing"

Though most of your articles are right up the alley, some do raise an eye brown or two which I will have to clarify.

Water ionizers are that produces ORP will inevitably produce active Hydrogen, the more -ve the ORP the more concentrated the active hydrogen. It is the only technology that is capable of producing instant high active hydrogen without input of minerals such as magnesium used by non ionizer systems which will ultimately needs soaking time to reach a therapeutic concentration. BTW active hydrogen is measured in PPB not PPM and water ionizers I know can go up to 5 ppb or higher.

I do understand that calcification do appear from time to time affecting possible active hydrogen concentration, but this is applicable in hard water areas experience in other countries, Singapore water is considered soft and will not cause calcification unless the user does not allow the system to maintain itself.

Water ionizers do produce acidic water, but the volume is extremely manageable, this water can be use of everything external, including washing laundry. Ratios are around 70:30 to worst case 50:50. Even at 50:50 say a family of 4 drinking their max water consumption plus cooking will give u say 10L - 15L of acidic water. Its not that useful for mopping much less laundry...... you just have to recalibrate habits. btw acidic water does not breed mosquitos

As for filtration, most water ionizers will have standard filters that will remove the standard harmful chemicals / heavy metals etc, some are much stronger and removed dissolved heavy metals - (though Singapore water does not have them.) 

Lastly do send my greetings to Ian for me.

Cheers

[ramster 0]

9 hours ago, gkbt said:

Dear Ramster,

Thanks for adding information to this forum and I can't say it better than someone else reinforcing that drinking the type of water is very important for overall health.

However my concerns are more on your introduction of products that are not requested by any forumer which constitute to "marketing"

Though most of your articles are right up the alley, some do raise an eye brown or two which I will have to clarify.

Water ionizers are that produces ORP will inevitably produce active Hydrogen, the more -ve the ORP the more concentrated the active hydrogen. It is the only technology that is capable of producing instant high active hydrogen without input of minerals such as magnesium used by non ionizer systems which will ultimately needs soaking time to reach a therapeutic concentration. BTW active hydrogen is measured in PPB not PPM and water ionizers I know can go up to 5 ppb or higher.

I do understand that calcification do appear from time to time affecting possible active hydrogen concentration, but this is applicable in hard water areas experience in other countries, Singapore water is considered soft and will not cause calcification unless the user does not allow the system to maintain itself.

Water ionizers do produce acidic water, but the volume is extremely manageable, this water can be use of everything external, including washing laundry. Ratios are around 70:30 to worst case 50:50. Even at 50:50 say a family of 4 drinking their max water consumption plus cooking will give u say 10L - 15L of acidic water. Its not that useful for mopping much less laundry...... you just have to recalibrate habits. btw acidic water does not breed mosquitos

As for filtration, most water ionizers will have standard filters that will remove the standard harmful chemicals / heavy metals etc, some are much stronger and removed dissolved heavy metals - (though Singapore water does not have them.) 

Lastly do send my greetings to Ian for me.

Cheers

Hi gkbt

Thank you for highlighting that to me, was sharing about it as I was previously a Kangen user till I found out more about hydrogen which led me to Ultrastream.

What I wanted to say about ORP is that high ORP is not equal to high dissolved hydrogen levels. We have to understand how an ORP meter works. I am not an expert on this matter so I will quote what I read from Randy Sharpe with a screenshot at the end of the post.

1) An orp meter compares the difference in oxidation state between two species of the same element in the water. These pairs are called "redox couples".In the case of H2 water, the element is hydrogen and the redox couple is H2/H+.

2) The meter calculates a voltage potential based on the relative concentration of these two species in the water according to the Nernst equation: E = E0 - [RT/zF*Log[H2/H+] (you can see the redox couple in the brackets).

3) Remember that the H+ ion also happens to be the ion responsible for the pH of water: pH= -log[H+].

4) Therefore, since both the concentration of the H+ ion (pH) and the H2 molecule contribute to the negative orp reading, changing EITHER ONE will change the orp reading.

 

Dissolved hydrogen or H2, is measured in both ppb and ppm. PPB is simply parts per billion and ppm is parts per million. Hence, 1PPM = 1000PPB.
I think you might want to check on your 5 PPB measurement as that is very low and difficult to measure. For example, H2 blue reagent drops measure H2 in units of 0.1ppm or 100PPB.

I personally used the H2 drops on my Kangen machine and found that it gave a reading of 0.3 PPM or 300 PPB after doing ecleaning, and 0 PPM or less than 100 PPB after just 1 week of use.
My ultrasteam on the other hand gave me 0.8 to 1.2 PPM even though both machines have similar ORP of -500 to -700.

Although Singapore water is soft, it still causes calcification. My water bottles still form a white layer after repeated use and the H2 level dropped after only 1 week.
Other brands do have other methods to slow down the rate of calcification but it would still occur over time and cleaning using citric acid would be required. (Note using acidic water from the ionizer is not enough as it does not have sufficient acidity. It is low in pH but does not hold it pH well. It can be shown by the amount of 9.5 or 11.5 water needed to neutralize a 2.5 water vs 7up which is similar in pH.

For users of electrolysis machine, it is important that they clean their machine regularly to prevent calcium build up on the plates and tubes. When calcium builds up on the plates, it can damage the plates making it very costly to replace. Some machines alternate between the cathode and anode to prevent calcium build up on the plates, but calcium will still build up on the tubes and other areas of the machine.

As for waste water, in theory yes, it should not be too much. but from practice, we have about 1 pail of water each day to throw away. Am glad that you pointed out acidic water does not breed mosquitoes, I still pour away the water each day just to be sure if I didn't get to use them.

For ionizer filters, not all of them remove/reduce chloramine and fluoride as they often come with basic carbon filters. I can't speak for all ionizers, just have to check their test reports on what it removes and look out for chloramine and fluoride.

Thank you for contributing and helping others make an informed decision about water filters and ionizers.

.

 

[wirriam 3]

any reason why change from  Kangen to UltraStream?

[ramster 0]

23 hours ago, wirriam said:

any reason why change from  Kangen to UltraStream?

Hi Wirriam

There are a few reasons why I made the switch,

1) Dissolved hydrogen, the amount of dissolved hydrogen from my kangen machine is 0.3 PPM after cleaning and drops to 0 within a week.
   UltraStream gives me 0.8 to 1.2 PPM without the need to clean.

2) Maintenance (Time cost), as kangen loses its dissolved hydrogen level quickly, there is a need to spend time every weekend to do ecleaning, which is very time consuming and troublesome.
    At first it was fine, then it became a chore and I start to get lazy to keep cleaning it. As UltraStream does not use electrolysis, zero maintenance is required, just 1 filter change a year.

Edit: Adding in the link to Enagic Machine Maintenance Steps this shows the amount of time it takes to maintain it. The constant cleaning/flushing adds on to the waste water as well.
Which is why my experience is much more waste water than the 10 to 15L in theory.

3) Filter, Kangen is an ionizer not a water filter, it only has a basic filter that removes chlorine, while Ultrastream remove chlorine, chloramine, fluoride, heavy metals and more.
    I didn't see much information on what kangen removes but for UltraStream there is lab test reports and even one for the life time of its filter (3000 litires)
    This is assurance on how the filter will perform towards the end of its life.

4) Cost ($$$) Ultrastream cost only $999 for a new unit while kangen cost over $5000 even $8000. It is much more affordable and reasonably priced since it is not a MLM company.
    When using kangen, I need to replace filters about 3 to 4 times a year, purchase its cleaning powder for ecleaning, do a annual deep cleaning.
    All this cost adds up to over $500 a year, excluding utility cost.

5) Upgrade cost. As technology improves, to upgrade I need to buy a brand new kangen ionizer.
    For UltraStream, it is built into the filter, so when they improve their filtration and ionization media, I get it with each filter replacement. No need to buy a new machine.

6) Waste water, plenty of waste water for kangen, at least 30% of the water is wasted while Ultrastream has zero waste water.
    There is also no need to have unsightly and space consuming pails around my ionizer to catch all the waste water.

7) No electricity, one less worry. No electricity means no worries if my ionizer gets wet, operating with wet hands etc. Kangen is safe, but I am probably more paranoid about electronics near water.

There are probably more reasons but higher levels of hydrogen, lower cost, zero maintenance and ability to upgrade are my biggest reasons.
One afternoon every weekend to do ecleaning was just too much for us.

The above are all my personal experiences with the ionizers that I have and am using. Different users may have different experiences.

Edited February 15, 2017 by ramster
Added Enagic Maintenance Steps Link

[srscontracting 0]

When we shift to new place.Tangs got rebate and better service. Even though Best staff are supposed to be more knowledgeable, I find that they cannot go beyond whatever info that is already written on the boxes on most items.

[10153218960838133 0]

Is hyflux even that good?

[ramster 0]

1 hour ago, 10153218960838133 said:

Is hyflux even that good?

For its price, I believe there are better ones. Hyflux wins in its marketing due to its size.

As mentioned:
When choosing a filter, look out if it removes, chloramine, chlorine and fluoride.
Request for lab test reports to prove it does that, and a filter life test to ensure that it keeps doing that till the end.

When comparing replacement filter prices, take note of the number of filters it needs and the replacement cost as a whole annually.
Some systems have multiple filters that needs replacing at different times at relatively low prices, but summed up can be much more expensive.

When choosing an ionizer, look out for molecular hydrogen, H2, dissolved hydrogen as the antioxidant. Not negative ORP.
Again, make sure they have lab test reports on the level of dissolved hydrogen. Many systems have negative ORP but very low or zero dissolved hydrogen.
Ignore microclustering claims as it is technically impossible for water to behave in that manner.

For more information check out http://www.molecularhydrogenfoundation.org/core-information/

Also take note of maintenance, different systems require different amount of maintenance. For me I prefer those with zero maintenance.

[gkbt 8]

Hi Ramster,

Thanks for your contribution.

However I do not agree with a few things.

1) -ve ORP does not readily mean antioxidant, however in the case of water ionizers, they definitely are able to reduce oxidant substances in the case of iodine being reduced (kangen which you were using before and other water ionizers sellers perform) This proofs that the water from ionizers are antioxidant in nature and are active scavengers not "just potential".

2) Microclustering is real and achievable via ionization. There are scientific journals available, do let  me know if you need them. In fact the Ultrastream you are promoting does indicate microclustering and softening qualities as one of its abilities. Since water bonds are covalent and electrical in nature they require an opposite electrical force to break them apart which ionizers can do easily. I guessing magnet for ultrastream since I've seen magnetic resonance being used to break up water clusters.  

3) Dissolved Hydrogen is definitely the next buzz word. I've check with my water ionizer supplier, their next generation systems achieve 1600 ppb, if I'm correct it would translate to 1.6 ppm. Tester used was similar to Ian's. My 7 year old water ionizer still gets me 889 ppb. Seems good in my opinion. Apologies for being misinformed since I'm just a educated curious user not an expert. I do believe the concentration strength of dissolved hydrogen is based on ionization (of course the caveat would depend on what type of water ionizers u are using), using magnesium to achieve the release of dissolve hydrogen will only lead to an eventual untherapeutic H2 concentration due to the fact magnesium is leeched out as the filter is being used on a daily basis. Again when will this happens is anyone's guess as there is no data even from alkaways Australia.

I do believe that there are many differing benefits of water ionizers compared to water alkalizers but its up to users to see the pros and cons and choose for themselves.  

I've seen data from Alkaways conducted in Australia, since source water is extremely different region to region, I hope to see those test being done here, including bacteria and dissolved H2 when new and after 3600L as advertised.   

Cheers

[ramster 0]

Hi gkbt

Thanks for your reply.

Regarding what you have said, here are a few things I would like to point out.

1) Iodine turning colourless, below is an explaination on how Iodine reacts with OH- in the alkaline water. Similar to the experiments of adding iodine to starch or bleach for colour changes.

What I want to point out is that ORP is greatly affected by pH and not a good indicator. Actual H2 levels should be measured as the antioxidant in alkaline water is H2. ORP is simply a proxy for H2 and it is not a good proxy.

 

2) Microclustering, yes in the past, Alkaway used to advertise microclustering as well, but when Ian learned about microclustering as a myth, he has explained about it on his website here and no longer promote microclustering. In fact, he has been educating consumers on why microclustering is a myth for a while. I am happy to take a look at the studies you are going to show me. However, I hope you can look at the articles explaining why microclustering is a myth below. There are four parts to the article and I have posted the first. http://www.molecularhydrogenfoundation.org/microclustering-the-making-of-a-myth-part-1-facts-claims-and-history/

3) Dissolved hydrogen levels, no worries about that the ppm and ppb, we are all learning more about it here. I haven't got to test out the system you mentioned yet, and may I know which ionizer you are using? You said the same method that Ian uses, can you be more specific about the method as there are a 2 main methods of testing H2 levels.

First is using a H2 blue reagent which is blue but turns colourless when there is dissolved hydrogen. Each drop = 0.1ppm. This is currently the most accurate method available for residential users.

The second method is to use a H2 meter such as the one from trustlex. However, it is important to note that those meters are not suitable for ionized or alkaline water. It is another form of ORP meter that also has a pH meter to attempt to correct for the effects of pH, but it does not work properly in ionized water. The company actually states that it is not suitable for ionized water in its manual as well.

Proof below

I have tried a similar ionizer that claims high dissolved hydrogen levels, but unfortunately due to the low amount of TDS in Singapore water, it does not perform as well as US where the TDS is much higher. TDS or minerals in the water is necessary for electrolysis to be performed effectively as water is not a good conductor of electricity. I do hope to know how it measured the 1600 ppb and how you measured 889 ppb. Since you mentioned 889 ppb, I suspect you are using a meter as well which might not be an accurate reading.

 

Regarding the magnesium being used on a daily basis, the Ultrastream uses a slow release magnesium which is designed to last a year. After a year, the replacement cartridge will be replaced where a new media for producing H2 will be present. Thus, at each filter replacement, the machine would be like brand new. In short it might dip over the year but it is replaced annually, but the plates in electronic ionizers are not replaced and can only be cleaned. However, cleaning depends on the user and results may vary.
About the use after a year, the difficulty is that every user is different and to conduct such test will be difficult. I haven't heard of any ionizers that shows its levels of dissolved hydrogen after a year. For my own filter, I still had 0.5ppm when I measured it casually using the H2 drops before I replaced my filter. Note that measuring with H2 drops is a delicate process since H2 escapes very easily and will affect the final result.

Note that cleaning is very important to prevent calcium built up such as these.

Note that even if the machine have self cleaning for the plates, calcium can still build up in the tubes and other areas of the machine.

 

Regarding testing in Singapore vs Australia, I agree that source water may be different. However, both water quality standards in Singapore and Australia is high and we already have a relative high standard of water. The comparison I can find for the two is https://www.numbeo.com/pollution/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Singapore&city1=Singapore&country2=Australia&city2=Sydney, which shows that our water quality is quite similar. PUB does publish reports on Singapore water quality but I can't find similar reports in Australia. Would appreciate if you can show me that Australia water differs significantly from Singapore.

I would also like to note that the aim of such reports is to show the safety and reliability of the filter at the end of its life, which is something most filters and ionizers did not conduct or publish. Alkaway is already setting up a high standard even if it is only tested in Australia and I do hope all water filters/ionizers can follow as well. Ideally, testing for every country and every substance would be the best, but not very practical especially when most countries are following similar water guidelines set by WHO. Also note that during the testing, highly contaminated water is used and it is still able to be filtered to meet compliant concentrations at the end of the filter life.

Source water usually vary in terms of TDS (Total dissolved solid) or the amount of minerals, salts and metals in the water. Singapore have low TDS or soft water, which is why electrolysis machines works better in US (High TDS hard water) compared to Singapore. This is why I use UltraStream as a natural ionizer does not depend on the source water to produce dissolved hydrogen which electric ionizers depends heavily on it.

Regarding bacteria, there is already chlorine and chloramine in our tap water for it. On top of that, UltraStream uses KDF filter which removes bacteria too. KDF filters can last up to 6 years which is more than sufficient for our 1 year usage.

Cheers