Bypassing the RO membrane on a home water filtering system

Many people have an RO filter on their home or just their sink. If you wish to use this system for carbon filtration, it is fairly easy to bypass the RO part of your filtering system, in most cases.  This will allow you to keep using the carbon filtration part of the system, which is fine.

The procedure is to open up the cylinder or container on your filtration system that contains the RO membrane.  Then remove the RO membrane, and close up the container tightly.  In most cases, this is all you need to do.

An alternative method is to remove the small tubes or pipes going to the RO membrane container and simply bypassing the RO part by re-connecting the tubes in a different way.  Either of these methods should work okay.

CARBON FILTERS

 Carbon, also called activated charcoal, is an excellent filtering material.   It is basically charred wood or some other natural substance. The shape of the carbon molecule causes it to attract a few lighter minerals and most toxic chemicals.  At the same time, it seems to be quite harmless and does not add many toxins to the water it touches.

For best results, the carbon must touch the water for a prolonged period of time.  This means that the larger the carbon filter, and the slower the water flows through it, the better.

Types of carbon filters. Carbon filters comes in two main types. The less costly type is simply powdered charcoal or carbon.  A better type is called a carbon block filter.  The carbon has been compressed to form a more dense block.  The compressed carbon removes more impurities.

Advantages of carbon filtration of water.
Carbon is fairly non-toxic, inexpensive and will remove quite a few toxic chemicals and chlorine gas and other gases to some degree.  Also, and most important, carbon will not damage the water at all.  It is a very natural type of water filtration system.

Multi-stage home filtering units

These are heavily advertised today as being superior to carbon filtration.  It is true that these units will remove some fluoride, more toxic chemicals and some toxic metals as well.  Popular brands include Multi-pure, Zero Water and many others.

These units all contain several types of filters to remove different contaminants.  Many contain KDF, along with plasticized beads and other methods, and carbon, to remove fluoride and toxic metals.

Unfortunately, all the multi-stage filters that I have seen damage the water and make it less usable by the body.  As a result, it does not hydrate the body well.  I am not sure which filter medium is causing the problem at this time.  Stay away from these more costly and heavily advertised units at this time.

Alkaline water.  I know of three types of alkaline water systems.  All of them have problems and, for this reason, should definitely be avoided.  To alkalinize the body properly, eat loads of cooked vegetables along with kelp capsules.  These contain the alkaline reserve minerals.  As these accumulate in the body, the body becomes more alkaline naturally.  Also, one must avoid all sugars, all alcohol, and all wheat products and most grains for a while. Alkaline water machines are totally unnatural and have a stimulatory type effect that is not the same as truly alkalinizing the body with the proper diet, lifestyle and mineral replacement therapy.

The most popular alkaline water machines are the platinum-titanium type.  They include the Jupiter, I-Water, Kaagen, and many others.  They use tap water, which passes through a carbon filter.  Then the water passes over electrified platinum-covered titanium plates to alkalinize it.  Then some machines may add a calcium solution or powder to the water to further enhance its alkalinity.  Serious problems with these machines, that are heavily and falsely advertised in my opinion, include:

·           Yin. Drinking any water that is highly alkaline makes the body more yin.  Yin means sick, cold and expanded in Chinese medical terms.  It is vry harmful, even if one’s symptoms improve, at first.

·           Cleanliness. Tap water is not a very good base water.  It is quite variable, and most tap water in America and elsewhere is not of excellent quality.  It contains some chlorine compounds, fluorides, medical drug residues, hundreds of toxic chemicals, toxic metals and more.

·           Carbon filters cannot remove most toxic metals and many toxic chemicals, no matter what the manufacturers claim.  When water passes quickly over carbon, not that much is removed.  Also, as the carbon filter becomes dirty, it stops working well.

·           Platinum is too toxic for any human exposure.  While the amount of exposure is small, we have noted that after using the machine for 6 months or so, some who use it begin to develop a little platinum toxicity.  While this may be okay for most people, some with delicate kidneys or liver problems will be affected.  The amount of platinum absorbed will depend upon one’s tap water and one’s body chemistry.  The more poorly nourished one is, the more platinum one is likely to absorb.  Other factors such as one’s age, vitality, etc. also have an effect.

·           White powders added to the water.  One must find out exactly what it is.  Most is not that pure.  Avoid coral calcium powder, for example, or some other contaminated product that adds more toxic metals.

·           The advertising for these machines with claims that most Japanese hospitals, and most Japanese people use them is not true, as far as I know.

Water store alkaline water

 A few health food stores and water stores are selling even more dangerous alkaline water.  They begin with reverse osmosis water.  Then they add a calcium solution or powder, often coral calcium, to alkalinize it.  Problems with this methodology are:

·           Yin.  Once again, any alkaline water seems to have a negative yin effect.

·           Reverse osmosis does not hydrate the body well at all and should never be used for daily drinking water by most people.

·           The calcium solution or powder, especially if it is made from coral calcium, may contain toxic metals.

·           Very toxic, possibly.  When toxic metals are added to reverse osmosis water, the ‘hungry water’ seems to take up the metals easily and drive them deep into the body cells and the kidneys.

Minerals to add to drinking water

This is a popular idea, but not usually helpful and, in fact, adding salt can be dangerous.  Adding salt to water may remove a few molecules of toxic metals, but can unbalance the minerals in the body.  Sailors know that drinking salty water is harmful in all cases.

Other problems with added minerals are that one simply does not know which minerals are best.  Some are harmful as they contain toxic metals.  Especially avoid minerals that are added to drinking water that come from the sea, and those that come from land-based mineral deposits or earth mineral deposits.  In my experience, these all contain some toxic metals and the sea-based ones contain salts that can leach vital minerals from the body. 

Water softeners

Some people who have hard water (water with a high calcium content) have a tank in the basement or garage, and they add either salt pellets or potassium pellets periodically to soften the water.  The water passes over the pellets and picks up some sodium and potassium, which tends to dissociate or break up the hard calcium compounds in the water.  The result is a water that does not leave deposits on faucets, toilets and counter tops.  The water also causes soap and shampoo to lather up somewhat easier, and it may preserve the pipes in the house by getting rid of calcium deposits.

              Water softeners are not a way to purify water in any manner.  If one’s water is too hard, adding salt may help.  However, it also contaminates the water.  Drinking softened water has been shown to increase heart disease.  Adding potassium seems to be even worse.  An alternative is to place either fixed magnets or electromagnets on the pipe leading into the home, and this will have a similar effect to some degree on the water. 

SUMMARY OF WATERS TO AVOID

Ø  Trinity Water, as it is much too high in fluoride. 

Ø  All “drinking water” and “purified water” including Aqua Fina and Dasani.  Do not be fooled by fancy sounding names or fancy bottling. These are just filtered tap water or water produced by reverse osmosis.

Ø  Alkaline waters of all kinds.

Ø  Distilled water, except perhaps during a toxic elimination or healing reaction.  Too much distilled water will demineralize the body.

Ø  Water from water machines found at supermarkets, for example.

Ø  Water from water stores.  This is always made with reverse osmosis, in my experience.

Ø  Well water, in many cases.  

Ø  Tap water, unless filtered with carbon only.  Tap water is not ideal, but it often will hydrate the body.  If it is all you can afford, preferably at least use a Britta or other simple carbon filter and change the filter about once a month.

Ø  Multiple stage filters in most cases.  Beware that some multi-stage home and industrial water filters use reverse osmosis or other types of filtering methods that damage the water severely.  Carbon is safe, however.

Ø  Other “designer” waters.  These include Penta Water, Vitamin Water, Smart Water and others.

Other cautions about water:

Ø  Always read labels carefully to see if bottled water is actually spring water or just filtered tap water.  Also, some “distilled” water says in fine print “made with reverse osmosis”.  Stay away in this case.

Ø  I do not believe most people need to pay extra for water that has been altered by adding ozone, special minerals, prayers or by other processes.  Many of these are available today.  Some are obviously better than others, and there are too many to comment upon. Most begin with tap water and use reverse osmosis to filter the water. This is not good.

CONCLUSION

The amount of water is as important as the quality of the water. However, more of a poor quality water will actually do more damage. Children need less water depending on their size, but all need to drink water, not other beverages only such as milk, juices, soups, etc.  Here are the basic rules we suggest for adults.

·           The first choice is to drink a quality spring water that you have delivered, you buy in the supermarket, or you obtain directly from the spring if you prefer.

·           Second choice, not quite as good, is often to drink a CARBON-ONLY filtered tap water.

·           Most adults need about three quarts or more of drinking water per day.  More is needed in hot weather, dry weather and if one is more physically active or weighs over 250 pounds.  Drinking more water is not necessary or healthful.

·           As part of one's water intake, one may have up to two or even three cups of mild, caffeine-free teas and one cup of green or black tea. Preferably do not add honey, sugar, agave syrup, cream, lemon, caffeine or other things to your tea.  These will alter the quality of the water somewhat.  This is why many books state clearly not to use anything but pure water.

·           Avoid drinking much soda pop, fruit juices, too much vegetable juice, more than about 6 ounces of any kind of milk, and avoid rice, soy, hemp, or almond milks, alcohol and caffeinated beverages.  If you have some, they should not be counted as part of your water intake.  In fact, eating or drinking anything containing sugar, caffeine and alcohol definitely tends to dehydrate the body.  For more on this important medical topic, read Hydration on this website.

How to drink.

An excellent way to begin your day is to drink several large glasses of warm water, up to a quart, upon arising in the morning, up to about a quart.  This will supply you for several hours and you won’t have to think about how much to drink all day long.  Drinking a number of glasses of heated water will often help with constipation, as well. 

Otherwise, it is best to drink about four large glasses of water between meals.  Keep the amount of water at the meals low, so as not to dilute the digestive juices.  Drinking after about 6 PM can cause men, in particular, to be up urinating during the night, which is not helpful for resting and for sleep.

DETAILS ABOUT WATER QUALITIES

Large textbooks are written about water.  Water has so many properties that I can only touch upon some of the most important ones and other practical considerations. 

Water has a spin, moment, particle size, specific gravity, acidity, hardness, total dissolved solids, boiling point, bond angle, overall quality and microorganisms.   Let us discuss each of these in more detail.

Spin. Water molecules spin in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. This influences the water’s effect on the human body. The spin should be clockwise. When it is reversed, the water pulls minerals from the body and disrupts normal mineral metabolism.  From what I have read, the problem with reverse osmosis water is that the spin of the water is disrupted by the plastic membrane, and this cannot be corrected by adding minerals, boiling the water or other simple means.

Moment. Water has a weight or molecular structure that depends on its moment.  Moment is the manner in which a substance behaves in the presence of other substances.  Water is, of course, in contact with many substances which influence it and which it, in turn, influences.  Moment has to do with the way water interacts with these substances.

Particle Size. Water contains dissolved particles.  These are ions, electrical and protonic particles.  The size of these particles also imparts qualities to water that are easily measured with electrical conductivity testers.

Specific Gravity. Water has a specific gravity index that also influences its effect on the body.  The higher the specific gravity, the more it adheres to cell walls and other structures.  This is the viscosity of the water.  Ideally, water should have a very low specific gravity.  This means the water is ‘wetter’ and will penetrate the cells better, bringing more nutrients to the cells and carrying away more toxins.

Weight.  One may think that all water weighs the same.  However, this is not true.  Some water is heavier due to the isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen that make up the water.  Lighter water is best for the human body.  For example, some spring waters contain less deuterium, a heavier isotope of hydrogen that contributes to a heavier water.

PH or Acidity. Water, like all substances, has a degree of acidity or alkalinity that also influences its effects on the body.  The higher the pH, the more alkaline the water.  Water that is too alkaline or too acid is not healthful. Some people are using machines that alkalinize the water by adding or removing minerals from it.  This I consider very risky as it changes the properties of the water, often in unnatural ways.  I do not ever recommend these machines for extended use, as they seem to make the person much more yin, a negative consequence that will eventually offset any positive benefits of drinking alkaline water.

Hardness. All naturally-occurring water contains minerals to some degree.  Hardness refers mainly to the amount of calcium in the water.  I recommend a water that is hard, but not too hard.

Total Dissolved Solids. This refers to the total of the minerals contained in the water.  This can vary tremendously from various water sources.  A good total dissolved solid level (tds) is about 300-400.

Boiling Point. Water is said to boil at 212º F.  However, the boiling point varies with the altitude.  It also varies with the nature of the water. Salt water, for example, boils at a higher temperature.  It also freezes at a lower temperature.  This is why salt is applied to sidewalks and roads, as it causes ice to melt.The boiling point of water is more important than one might imagine. This has to do with vaporization of the water in the body and its excretion through the lungs and skin.  Water that boils at a lower temperature will volatilize or vaporize faster.  This is beneficial for removing toxic substances from the body.   I recommend a water with a lower boiling point. The boiling point depends on the minerals in the water.  It also depends on the structure of the water and on subtle factors related to the spin, moment, weight and other factors.

 Bond angle. This is a very interesting quality of water.  The bond angle is the angle between the two oxygen atoms in the H2O molecule.  The more open the bond angle, the wetter or lower the surface tension of the water.  A more open bond angle also affects many other properties of the water.  This very interesting topic  is discussed in more detail in another article on this website entitled Open Water, What it is.

Overall Quality. This refers to the amounts and ratios of the various minerals and other substances in the water.  This is a complex area as there can be over 100 minerals in a particular water, plus thousands of toxic chemicals, pesticide residues, pharmaceuticals, solvents and added chemicals in any particular water.

Unfortunately, today most water is very contaminated with heavy metals and toxic chemicals.  Therefore, most tap and well water is not of very good quality and will not hydrate the body as well as a quality spring water.

Micro-organisms of Water

by Lawrence Wilson, MD

 All water, except perhaps triple distilled laboratory water, contains microorganisms.  These include bacteria, fungi, parasitic organisms, viruses and mycoplasma.  Water may also contain insect larvae, parasite ova, plant matter, animal feces and many other biological compounds.  I recommend water than has been filtered by passing through the earth to produce well and spring water.   Carbon filtration also helps remove many micro-organisms, but it does not remove others, and does not remove toxic metals, for the most part.

            Deep well and spring water is generally cleaner in this regard, as it comes from deeper within the earth.  Surface water from rivers and lakes, for example, is often far more contaminated with insect, fish and algae residues.

The Best Drinking Water 6 Key Qualities

I don’t assume to know what the best drinking water is for every person. After all, “best” is a subjective term.

Many factors come into play when we think of choosing the best drinking water for ourselves and our families.

Just a few of these factors include lifestyle, health objectives, finances, living accommodations, sports and fitness levels, and so forth.

However, getting past the semantics, we could probably all agree that “good” drinking water is: 

(1) safe to drink (relatively contaminant and chemical free) and (2) it tastes good.

Drinking clean, healthy, chemical-free water is the foundation to health. However, just because water is safe to drink and tastes good doesn’t necessarily mean it is healthy.

For example, experts agree that all tap and bottled water contain traces of unhealthy synthetic chemicals. So even though tap or bottled water may not make us sick initially, the cumulative effects of these chemicals (hundreds of which have never even been tested) in our body are significant.

Even minute traces of these contaminants can lead to a weakened immune system (or worse) with long-term exposure.

The Healthiest Water Is Mineral Rich

Thus, many water experts today agree that the healthiest water is produced by home water filters and water filtration systems that selectively remove contaminants but not the naturally occurring minerals.

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Even though there are health studies that argue the benefits of de-mineralized water (such as reverse osmosis and distilled waters), the most recent and credible studies are conclusive that water that contains trace minerals is the healthiest and best drinking water.

Dr. Mu Shik Jhon, considered by the scientific community to be the top water expert in the world, writes that the best drinking water contains a balance of essential minerals.

In his book The Water Puzzle and the Hexagonal Key, Jhon says that from a biological and medical point of view, de-mineralized water is simply not healthy to drink.

In fact, Japanese water experts consider de-mineralized water as “dead” water, while mineral-rich water is referred to as “living” water.

De-mineralized water is not found in nature. Nor does is promote growth or health of living organisms.

Best Drinking Water Qualities

If your priority is health and wellness, your best drinking water will have at least the first three of the following qualities—and optimally, all six:

1. Contaminant free. The water is filtered of unhealthy toxins, including synthetic chemicals, toxic metals, bacteria and viruses, radioactive substances, and other treatment additives such as chlorine and fluoride
2. Mineral rich. The natural occurring minerals in the source water are not removed through purification processes, such as reverse osmosis and distillation.
3. Alkaline pH. The drinking water has an alkaline pH between 7.0 and 9.5, which means that the water contains a healthy level of alkaline minerals such as calcium and magnesium.
4. Micro-clustered. Water that is electrolyzed or "reduced" will have smaller groupings of water molecules. Drinking reduced water can improve cellular hydration and cell-water turnover (i.e., nutrients into the cells and toxins out)
5. Anti-oxidant. Water that is ionized has a negative oxidation reduction potential (-ORP) and thus acts to neutralize free radicals in the body and slows the oxidation (i.e., aging) process in the body.
6. Good taste. If it doesn't taste good, you'll simply won't drink enough water to stay hydrated enough to optimize the health benefits.

Alkaline, Ionized Water Has All 6 Qualities

After many years of research and testing, I have found the type of water that best provides all of these qualities is alkaline, ionized water. It is produced by a home water filter system that sits on a counter top or is installed under the sink.

It is important to note that all alkaline water ionizers are NOT the same. Beware of marketing hype and misinformation online.