Absorption

A physical or chemical process or where ions, molecules or atoms fill pores in the absorbing material. In the body, absorption describes the uptake of nutrients from food in the digestive tract, or cellular uptake of a substance.

Ceramic

Inorganic, nonmetallic materials processed or consolidated at high temperature. Traditional ceramics include clay-base materials such as brick, tile, sanitary ware, dinnerware, clay pipe, and electrical porcelain. Glass, cement, abrasives, and refractories are important classes of traditional ceramics.Ceramic water filters, often called ceramic candles, are made from Kieselguhr Diatomaceous Earth and fired to above 1000 degrees Celsius.

Chloride

Chloride is required for normal metabolism (the process of turning food into energy) and to control acid-base balance. The amount of chloride in the blood is carefully controlled by the kidneys. One of the most important electrolytes in the blood, chloride helps keep the amount of fluid inside and outside of your cells in balance, while helping to maintain proper blood volume, blood pressure, and pH of your body fluids.

Chlorine

Chlorine is a poisonous gas used to kill harmful bacteria in water and to sanitize industrial waste and sewage. Chlorine is also used to bleach paper, in the manufacture of petroleum products, antiseptics, solvents, paints, plastics and many consumer products. Chlorine combines with plant material in water to form trihalomethanes (THMs) which are carcinogenic compounds.

Distillation

The process of heating a liquid until it boils, capturing and cooling the resultant hot vapors (steam), and collecting the condensed vapors.

Filter

A porous material through which a liquid or gas is passed in order to separate the fluid from suspended particulate matter, or a device containing such a material, especially one used to extract impurities from air or water.

Fluoride

Sodium fluoride (NaF) is used as a cleaning agent, often to remove iron stains, and to enhance the strength of teeth by the formation of fluoroapatite, a naturally occurring component of tooth enamel. Fluoride, like chlorine, is a halogen gas, and is one of the most bone seeking elements known to man. Fluoride has been linked to higher rates of osteosarcoma in young boys, is more toxic than lead, and has been shown to depress thyroid function.

Hard Water

Hard water contains excessively high levels of calcium (lime) and magnesium, which causes mineral build-up in showerheads, dishwashers, pipes, and water heaters, reducing water flow. In addition, soap and detergent lathering is reduced causing less effective cleaning, with soap scum on glasses and dishes and lime deposits on bathroom fixtures, toilets and bathtubs.

Inline Filter

An inline water filter is a sealed plastic device normally used to filter water that supplies ice makers and water dispensers in refrigerators. Inline filter designs are also used to add specific filtering capabilities to traditional 10” water treatment designs, by installing horizontally above the 10” vertical filter housings.

Ionized Water

Water with a higher concentration of negative hydrogen ions (hydroxyl ions), ionized minerals (minerals with a negative charge), alkalinity and dissolved oxygen. Ionized water has increased levels of negatively charged hydrogen ions (OH-), also called hydroxyl ions, which have the ability to donate electrons to counteract the damaging effects of positively charged ions (oxidants), also called Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS).

Reverse Osmosis

A water filtration system that uses pressure to force water through a semi-permeable membrane that retains the dissolved minerals and impurities (solute) on one side (which are washed down the drain as waste water) and allows pure water (solvent) to pass to the other side.

In reverse osmosis, pressure is applied to the compartment with high concentration. In this case, there are two forces influencing the movement of water: the pressure caused by the difference in solute concentration between the two compartments (the osmotic pressure) and the externally applied pressure.

Sediment

Solid particles, including rust, sand, silt, gravel, chemical precipitates, fossil fragmenmts or particles that come from the weathering of rock, carried by water, ice, or wind.

Shower Filter

Shower filters are designed to remove chlorine from shower water. As our largest organ is our skin, and as the body can absorb as much chlorine from a 5 minute shower, as from drinking eight glasses of chlorinated water, shower filters are recommended when there isn’t a point of entry (whole house) water filtration system installed.

Soft Water

Water that contains little or no dissolved minerals, as compared to hard water which may contain high levels of minerals, especially calcium and magnesium. Soft water tends to be more corrosive to metals including steel, and water softened by water softeners will have a higher sodium ion content, potentially raising the risk of hypertension in susceptible individuals.