Have you ever come across the terms- acidic and alkaline water?
If not, you most probably have been drinking water that is nothing but detrimental to your health. Usually, the water supplied to most houses has a high amount of chlorine in it, due to which the pH balance is disturbed. In addition, several other dissolved acidic salts alter the balance and make the water highly acidic. As a result, drinking it will cause an imbalance in your body fluids and accumulate toxic content in the blood.
Several studies have been conducted about the side effects of drinking acidic water (having pH between 1 and 6), and it’s proven that such fluid intake can cause deterioration in your health. That’s why they have put a lot of focus on the importance of drinking alkaline water whose pH is altered and restored above 7 so that the concentration of hydronium ions can decrease considerably.
Also Read, How Much Water is Wasted in RO Water Purifier?
How is water made alkaline in nature?
Like the water you receive at your home is acidic, it means that the concentration of hydronium ions and acidic anions are high. To restore the pH balance, you need an alkaline purifier with filters having the capacity of restoring the basic nature of water by removing these negatively charged ions and adding more positive ions in the form of dissolved minerals.
This is mainly achieved by reinforcing the purification appliance with RO and UV/UF filters. Such a combination will improve the mineral content of the supply water, thereby acting as a pH balancer.
Are RO water purifiers the same as alkaline purifiers?
“All alkaline water purifiers have RO membranes, but all RO water purifiers don’t behave like alkaline ones.”
Usually, the alkaline water purifiers implement RO membranes and the UV lamp or the UF membrane. This particular arrangement helps block the acidic ions from being present in the dispensed water. In these appliances, the RO block will prevent the negatively charged ions from passing to the other side of the filter, thereby lessening the solute concentration. To restore the balance, an in-built TDS adjuster will release positively charged metallic ions that will automatically restore the pH balance because most of these cations are basic.
Considering the RO water purifiers only, you won’t term all of them as alkaline water purifiers. This is due to the availability of many purifiers with either a separate TDS adjuster or its alternative, a mineralizer. Unfortunately, you will also have a couple of products with no such facility, which is why it can’t restore the pH of the water to the alkaline level.
What are the differences between alkaline and RO purified water?
To understand the differences between the alkaline and RO water purifiers, you need to understand how the dispensed water varies.
- In alkaline water, the concentration of OH and positive ions is more, while in the RO purified water, you can find the presence of negatively charged ions also.
- The RO purified water’s pH level doesn’t have to be more than 7. If the concerned purifier does not come with a TDS adjuster, the pH might be less than 7, which is why the dispensed water will be acidic. On the other hand, the pH level of the alkaline water will be greater than seven always.
- The mineral content of the acidic RO water will be less in comparison to the alkaline water (dispensed both from regular alkaline and TDS-controlled RO purifiers).
Is electricity required for both RO and alkaline water purifiers?
No, electricity is not needed to operate alkaline water purifiers, provided it does not have an RO filter or UV lamp. This is because if the RO filter were there, it would require electricity to maintain the hydrostatic pressure of the water flow so that the molecules can travel from a high solute concentration area to a lower concentration zone while overcoming the natural osmotic pressure. Similarly, suppose you consider the UV lamp. In that case, it won’t work unless electricity is offered, so the absence of these filtration technologies will eliminate the need for an electric supply.
On the other hand, all the RO water purifiers will need an external electric power source to operate. So it doesn’t matter whether it has any TDS adjuster or mineralizer. To overcome the natural osmotic pressure, the water flow needs to have a minimum pressure of 150psi to 800psi.
Which water purifier is more efficient- RO or Alkaline?
Suppose you do not want any extravagant water purifier. In that case, you can opt for the regular alkaline water purifier that won’t operate on electricity. It will be a small appliance, and you can carry it anywhere along with you without any hassle. The main function of the purifier will be to restore the pH balance only and not remove the dissolved impurities from the water.
On the other hand, the RO water purifier will remove all kinds of dissolved contaminants, starting from heavy metals to salts making the water hard. Suppose the chosen appliance has a TDS adjuster. In that case, it will restore the mineral content of the dispensed water, and its pH level will improve further. On the other hand, if there is no such facility, then the dispensed water will have a normal pH as that of the supply water.
Conclusion
Since you know the differences between RO and alkaline water purifiers, we are sure that you won’t face any problems. Just make sure that the water purifier you are buying is made from high-quality materials that won’t contaminate the water by any means and can last for a long time.
While searching for the best water purifiers, What are the essential features to look for.
Also, you should check whether the appliance will consume too much electric power or not. If the electric consumption is high, it’s better to look for another product. Rest assured, if your home receives water with a pH of less than 7, you either need to get the alkaline water purifier or a RO water purifier with having TDS adjuster or mineralizer.
Also Read, best water purifier between 10000 and 20000.
