Nevertheless, let us be very clear…  The only true way to soften water is with the use of SALT.  Therefore, a “water conditioner” is NOT A WATER SOFTENER… technically.  However, a water conditioner can solve many of the same water issues and do more than a softener can.  Also, be aware our competitors might tell you their water filtration filters will “soften” your water but we will never say that because it is untrue.

In most ways, a water conditioning system is better than a water softening system because they have more uses.  However, we will get to those reasons below.

A salt free water conditioner does just that.  It “conditions” the water.  At Pure Elements, our proprietary catalytic converter has a series of fins on its core, which expose its surface area.  This allows the water to meet with a larger surface area.  The salt less water conditioner can then permanently change the state of the hard water.  (Call and ask us for the scientific explanation if you wish.)  Therefore, it lessens hard water issues in the home, which is often the reason people buy soft water systems first.

In water softening system reviews for softeners by Culligan, Pelican, and Sears, you will find that they can cut out hard water issues like scaling.  They can help with laundry and detergent use.  In addition, depending on the level of iron in the water, they can reduce or remove some of that.  This is why water softening systems are common with people who are on well water systems.

Note:  We must mention that we even have clients who have skin issues where a softener works in conjunction to our HealthyHome Solution filter.  We prefer not using softeners because of the ecological damage the salt flush can cause but we are here to serve our clients so we help those special needs.

The disadvantages to water softening systems are significant.  For one, the water is too salty to drink.  We get enough salt in our diet as it is.  For people who have salt related health conditions or who are concerned about too much salt intake might find drinking water from a water softener system to be harmful to their health.

Another big disadvantage to water softening systems is they flush out the excess salt.  This salt causes problems with sewage plants because they cannot process it.  The extra salt theoretically ends ups causing ecological damage.  Several states have cities and counties that are banning or limiting use of water softeners because of the problems and continued potential problems.  Probably reason enough to consider an alternative unless you can afford to buy a different salt less water system in the future if they are outlawed entirely.

Water softeners do not filter water on their own.  If you want to remove harmful chemicals, chlorine, and other contaminants, a Culligan, Sears, or Pelican water softener must be married with a water filtration system.  Please do not be sold a water softening system if your goal is water filtration.  They are two different things.

Another two disadvantages to water softeners are they take up a lot of space and need much maintenance.  Water softening systems need to be refilled with 50-pound bags of salt regularly.  Those bags of salt need a storage space.

Look at this picture before and after pictures below.  This system below left was replaced because the client did not like to constantly refill the salt.  They also did not like the slimy feel of the water.  They ended with a HealthyHome Solution water filter to take care of their 4800 square foot home.  This water filtration system is fitted with an additional Fluoride, Arsenic, and Chromium 6 removal tank.  Notice how much space they gained back in their cabinet.

A common question we get from people considering making a switch from water softening systems to a salt less water conditioning and filtration is about the feel of the water.  Softeners deliver water with a slimy and slippery feel to it.  It feels like you cannot get the soap off your skin.  Many people do not like that feeling.
In addition, some more disadvantages to water softening systems is their use of salt causes them to not be good to pets, landscaping, spas, koi ponds, swimming pools, or other water features.

All the disadvantages that water softeners suffer are problems solved by salt less water conditioners and ours specifically.  This is why we feel replacing a water softening system with salt free water softening system is the way to go.

Something we were not aware of was the stringent Gerson Therapy water quality requirements.  In this short video clip from a longer interview, Peggy, our client, discusses her experience with using the Gerson Therapy to battle her cancer and how the clinic feels about water quality.  She went to the actual clinic at a private hospital in Mexico to learn how to apply the therapy at home.

The Gerson Therapy is a natural therapy invented by Dr. Max Gerson in the 1920’s.  While most water in ingested through daily juicing it has become apparent that the body must have clean bath and shower water to promote and maintain health of all people.

You can learn more by checking out the Gerson Therapy website.  http://www.gerson.org

The Gerson Institute guidelines include strict requirements on water quality.  We believe Pure Elements can meet and exceed these requirements.  Our technology is so new that it takes years to test and we are undergoing scientific verification of purity requirements from referrals given to Pure Elements by the Gerson Institute.

The Gerson Institute stresses clean water and sends a signal to anyone and everyone concerned with the preservation of health.  The government simply cannot, for what ever reason, keep up with the contaminants entering our water.  So as we take example from the Gerson Institute cancer patients can not take chances with anything that could hinder their healing and recovery.  They need these contaminants removed in order to reduce physical and emotional stress.

Peggy’s husband did diligent work researching whole house water systems in Orange County, California and got in touch with Pure Elements.  The family decided to go with our custom HealthyHome Solution Total Property system with additional fluoride removal.

A month after the system was installed independent laboratory tests confirmed that most of the fluoride was removed.  See fluoride removal test results here.   Further testing showed zero chlorine and chloramines present in home water.

These kinds of test results are why Pure Elements works with many cancer patients.  We can clean their water of toxins effectively so they can live with peace of mind and regain some quality of life while they work on healing.

As Peggy states in the video above, the cancer patients at the Gerson Clinic were all stressed over what to do about getting quality water once they got back to their homes.  It was the number one topic at dinnertime for patients at the clinic.  Once Peggy shared her test results with the other people at the clinic, many were  surprised with the results.  Many people thought  it was not possible to get such high quality clean water from a whole home water filter system.  The Gerson therapy feeling was only distillers could deliver the required water quality but the system we put in for Peggy and her family worked well for them.  Peggy herself felt she has peace of mind again and is able to bathe and drink high quality water comfortably.

If you are interested in a water filter system that successfully takes care of the Gerson Therapy water quality requirements, contact us immediately.

The quality of your water affects – skin – hair – ice cubes and peace of mind.  And it could be affecting your health in ways you do not know.

Our client Peggy, who is on a journey fighting cancer, talks here about some of the little things she likes best about the Pure Elements’ HealthyHome Solution water filter.

When asked what she likes best about her whole house water conditioning and filtration system, Peggy comments about the peace of mind it brings to her and her whole family.  The very thought that they all are now bathing in and drinking good high quality water is a comfort.  She likes the assurance and knowledge that so much of the dangerous contaminants have been removed or reduced to insignificant levels.

The whole family has noticed how their skin feels better.  It does not feel dried out or itchy.  The family has noticed that their hair feels softer.  Those chemicals that dry out the skin and hair are not present in the water any longer.

Even little things like the ice cubes in the refrigerator are crystal clear now.  Most people in Orange County, San Diego, and Los Angeles, California have experienced those white foggy looking ice cubes.  We went to a party in Long Beach recently and saw these ice cubes being served.  That is the result of impurities and contaminants in the water.  The Pure Elements HealthyHome Solution water filter removes those issues from your drinking water.  Now people in New York, Boston, Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Florida and all over the United States are experiencing clean water from Pure Elements water filters.

The high quality and scientifically selected filter media are filtering out all that nasty stuff.  In addition, much the filtering effectiveness is the result of how the media is presented to the water.  It must be in a specific order to work at full capacity.  This is why we get better results than many of our competitors.  They cannot be bothered to put the media in correctly because they figure the customers do not know anyway.  Plus, they plan to charge the customers yearly maintenance.  If they were to set the water filtering systems up correctly in the first place, the customers would not need to incur such maintenance and its cost.

If you would like your skin and hair to feel better, call us and ask us about it.  If you would like peace of mind knowing the contaminants in your tap water are not going to harm your family, email us for more information.  If you want nice clear ice cubes like those that you buy at the market, you should contact us today.

Pure Elements offers clean clear water and peace of mind for pennies a day.

At Pure Elements several common questions we have received refer to dish film and white dirty looking ice cubes.  The solutions are always involving water quality.

Many people spend a lot of money for their dishwashers.  People figure that if they spend money on a dishwasher it should deliver very clean dishes.  However, that is only part of the equation.  No matter how expensive a dishwasher is if the quality of the water coming into it is bad, the dishes will not be cleaned correctly.

As Peggy discovered in the video above, the appliance maintenance people do tell the truth about bad water.  This is more often the issue and not the appliance.  You have to put high quality water into the dishwasher in order for it to perform correctly.  They cannot do what they are supposed to do without good clean water.

The Pure Elements water filter and conditioning systems deliver the sparkling clear water your high-end dishwasher needs in order to give you the performance you paid to get.  You will not need to add chemicals to the water and that hard water scum will no longer be an issue.

Moreover, you will have one more health benefit to add to the list of health benefits Pure Elements water filtration delivers.  After installing a HealthyHome Solution water conditioning and filtration system, you will no longer eat off plates that are covered with contaminant residue.  You will not serve your family glasses with leftover chemical film on them.  Would you like that?

In addition, if you have a refrigerator that produces those milky white ice cubes, you can rest assured that it is not your refrigerator’s fault.  It is the water quality you are putting in the ice cube trays that is making them so disturbing looking.  If you use a water filter we make, you will not be experiencing those ice cubes anymore.  Your refrigerator will be working at top performance and produce nice clean clear cubes for you and your family’s health benefits.

For residue free dishes that come amazingly clean and crystal clear water in your ice cubes, contact us today.

If you rent but still want safe and clean water, we suggest you get an Aquasana AQ-4100 shower filter for your shower.  Bathing in chlorine is bad and you do not want to do that.  When steam is produced, the pores of your skin open and chlorine can enter your skin in larger amounts then just drinking chlorinated water.  These little shower water filters offer some protection against chlorine and other contaminants.  They are better than nothing.  The Aquasana shower filter offers good media exposure to shower water and can easily go with you when you move.  They are easy to screw on and off when you need to change the filter cartridge.  You can use a different shower head than the one that comes in the box.  (The picture below shows a different shower head.)  As long as there is only one or two you using the shower, you need to replace the filter cartridges every 6 months or the filters are ineffective.  If more people are using the water, the filter will need to be replaced more often.  We suggest you mark on your calendar 6 months from the date you install the new filter.  This is a good way to keep track of when to change the cartridge.

(The one in the picture is using a different showerhead than the one that comes with the Aquasana AQ-4100.)

In addition, for renters that want a good drinking water system, we like the Multi-Pure drinking water filters.  These filters are a bit more expensive but they are durable and more effective than most of the drinking water filters available for people on a budget.  Most of the less expensive filters have plastic casings that crack very easily.  There are many reviews on Amazon complaining about the cracking or shoddy material some water filters are made of.  In addition, the cheaper filters just do not offer the removal or reduction range of chemicals and contaminants the Multi-Pure filters can remove/reduce.  So depending on your chemical removal concerns, you can customize this little filters to some extent.

These Multi-Pure drinking water filters have a large solid carbon block filter inside stainless steel housings.  The housings seal tightly with no leaks.  They will filter about 600 – 750+ gallons depending on the model.  Alternatively, you can figure they roughly last about a year.  You can get counter top or under-the-counter models too and if you want extra contaminants removed, you can find some models that cater to that.  The model we have experience with is the MCPT counter top filter like the one seen in the picture above.

However, according to the article it looks like not everyone is complying with the law.  Now violators are facing a stiff $1,000 fine if they are caught with the illegal water softeners.  There might be about 2,000 violators risking the hefty fine in these already uncertain economic times.  We are not sure if the inspectors can legally inspect people’s homes for banned softeners systems.  Yet is it worth the trouble to hide from the inspectors?  Seems like a lot of drama just for salty water to us.

Being a company that is not in favor of water softeners unless they are absolutely needed because of specific skin conditions, we feel people do need to take notice of what Santa Clara Valley is doing.  There is an excellent chance this will spread to other counties in California as well as in other states.  It may take 5 to 10 years but it has some momentum.  Environmentally aware folk want to help preserve our wetlands and watershed to ensure the quality of life for their children.  Young people that are embracing new “green” technology will not be wasting money on outdated technology sold by selfish corporations.

This is why we offer saltless water conditioning systems.  These are environmentally friendly that need much less maintenance.  Often, maintenance may not be needed for just less than 10 years.  That exact maintenance period is dependent on how much water your family uses over the years.

We are proud to say that our HealthyHome Solution water filtering system will never become illegal.  It does not have internal ingredients that are not “green” in design.

Moreover, we want to clear up some confusing talk about water softeners and water conditioners.  We need to state that our conditioners do not “soften” water.  They are not water softeners because the only way to soften water is by using bags of salt.  Our whole house water system uses a newer technology where you get the benefits of “soft water” without the detriments.  We believe our conditioners work better than softeners on a number of levels.  If you want the scientific run down on how the conditioners work, call or email us.  We will be happy to run you through the scientific process because it is quite interesting.

We would also like to note that while we do not sell water softeners… most our competitors sure do.  You need to be aware of that.  In fact, some will sell you anything they think they can.  They will sell you a water softener because it is an easy sell if they think they cannot get you to buy a whole house water filter.  Softeners are simple to sell because a customer can feel the physical difference in the water.  Softeners give tap water that “slimy” feel so people in their minds think there is a big difference in the water.  Well there is… It is now loaded with salt!  Therefore, be aware and get educated on what you want out of a water filter.  (By the way, water softeners are not water filters.  They can be put in line with a water filter but softeners only function to soften water, nothing else.)

Our mission is to educate people about the water they drink and bathe in.  Not everything is as rosy as some would have you believe.  That concerns us and we think it should concern you.  If you want to embrace those concepts and learn more about how we can help you achieve the benefits of crystal clear water, talk to us.

Hunt for illegal water devices…

If a client wishes to add a reverse osmosis system, we suggest two options. While we do not make RO filters ourselves, through a partnership, we can get you a reverse osmosis system that fits your needs. Here in Southern California we have people who supply and install your system for you. Call us for details.

However, if you outside Southern California and you want a reverse osmosis installed at one of your kitchen faucets, we would like to recommend one that can be bought online. You can put in this RO system yourself if you are handy or you can hire a plumber to install.

Our 30 plus years of experience with reverse osmosis has taught us there are certain features that are ideal in RO systems. One feature is the filter has multiple stages of filtration. The more stages of filtration the better but we find four or five stages to work well. We also like some indicator system to let you know you need to replace the RO membrane. Also, we like an RO system that is designed to make replacing the filters an easy task.

The Hydrotech 1240 Pro Series is a premier RO system that has these features and we feel for the moneyspent is the best reverse osmosis system for a drinking water application. This is a four-stage filter. The more stages the reverse osmosis system has the more efficient it is at removing organics, pesticides, chemicals, pathogens, dissolved solids and VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) from your home’s water. We like this particular 1240 Pro over the Hydrotech 1240 E model because it has an additional micron sediment filter. This efficient filter removes larger dirt particles and debris. This in combination with the reverse osmosis membrane and two carbon filters delivers thorough filtration. The system can filter about 50 gallons each day.

Depending on your use, you will need to replace the filters about every 6 months to a year. To replace filters you simply push a button and remove the spent filter without having to depressurize or turn off the water supply. Just snap the new filter in. This is easy to do or you can hire a maintenance person to do it. The snap in feature is an excellent feature and we cannot stress how nice it is to have it.

The RO membrane only needs replacing every couple of years or so. This is again dependent on how much you are using the filter. There is a push button monitor called the Smartap to help you know that your membrane does need replacing. A green light means the system if functioning correctly while a yellow light signals a membrane replacement is needed.

The Hydrotech 1240 Pro Series reverse osmosis system comes with a limited warranty that covers the construction of the unit but not the replaceable filters or membranes.

You can get one here.  We think they offer a better deal with free shipping and more information on the system than Amazon.

Is the idea that tap water and cancer are increasingly becoming related?  It appears they are.  Drinking water expert is Dr. Thomas Burke begins this video discussing the process where the slag from mills is thrown out and, which gets used for fill.  Chromium 6 is in the slag.  The stuff sits there and people walk on it or even skate on it.  The companies did not know how dangerous it is and of course neither did the public.  To make matters worse the chromium 6 is soluble and when it rains, it enters the water table.  That is why it if found in our drinking and bathing water.

Dr. Oz raises the question as to why it takes so long to fix this problem.  It is an obvious pollutant so he wonders what the holdup is to fixing the situation.  Dr. Burke explains that even though a lot is known about it, it is a tough regulatory argument.  As with everything nowadays it seems to come down to cost.  We are talking about cleaning up a billion pounds of slag spread all over an entire state.  The argument starts to waver because of that cost.  People wonder if it is harmful enough to spend the millions of dollars needed to clean it up.

However, Dr. Burke is optimistic because with the new information becoming known.  That information has shown the link between water and cancer.  Water contaminated by chromium 6 is related to intestinal cancer.  Now things seem to be moving ahead aggressively.

More water and cancer talk continues.

Dr. Oz proceeds to go through the findings of water test participant Mendy of Norman, Oklahoma.  Her tap water contained 58 parts per billion of chromium 6.  That is 1,000 times higher than the goal limit that is being proposed as the legal limit on chromium 6 in California.  We think she desperately needs a whole house water filter like our HealthyHome Solution with the  added fluoride removal system.  This system will remove or reduce fluoride, arsenic and chromium 6 thereby reducing the relation between water and cancer.  Dr. Oz asks Mendy how she feels about the chromium 6 level in her water and she is alarmed.  She says she is switching to bottled water but Dr. Oz heads her off to note that he will be talking about bottled water and its problems too.  “I’m not sure that’s the solution,” he says.

Dr. Oz also goes on to say this contaminant and some metals could be naturally occurring in the Oklahoma water.  The local water utility said the drinking water was still okay.  We are not so sure we would believe that.  Whether it is naturally occurring or not does not matter if the stuff is dangerous.  We would prefer not to risk it and to have it out of the water altogether.  We do not want to find out later it was poisoning us.  There is no worse feeling than believing one thing to find out later your source was wrong.  And especially to find they were wrong at the expense of your health.

Dr. Oz then asks Dr. Meinhardt to comment and she informs Mendy that her community leaders in Oklahoma are on top of the situation.  These leaders have a chromium 6 working group and they are talking to technical advisors.  They are actively taking the situation seriously and dealing with it as it evolves.  That is good news for Mendy and her community.  These civic leaders are in charge of protecting the public health along with the utility people.  Therefore, for now, things are moving but the story is evolving in that community.  Again, in our minds, why wait till the politicians figure it out?  We say remove the offending contaminants with a high quality water filter today.

Dr. Oz talks further about some of the other toxins that were tested for in the water samples from all over the country.  Heavy metals like lead and arsenic were next in testing.  Arsenic occurs naturally but is also found in paints, dyes, fertilizers, metals, and animal feed.  Arsenic is harmful to your skin but can also cause bladder and liver cancer.  It can also lead to partial paralysis and nerve damage.

The connection between lead, water and cancer is explored.

Dr. Burke comments that lead, which has been used in plumbing historically, can under the right conditions become mobilized.  Lead poisoning is a very real danger.  Arsenic is different because it can be a naturally occurring substance.  It is part of the earth’s crust and often found in wells in the Western United States.  Arsenic is a known carcinogen and people are working to reduce it as well as find new sources of water.  Both lead and arsenic are metals we need to be more concerned about and getting out of our water.

Next in the video, Dr. Oz talks with Ann from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  She too was one of the water test volunteers.  She had .003 points per billion of lead in her tap water.  The EPA goal is zero.  Her water is deemed safe but the EPA still wants the number to be zero.  This small amount may not re-enforce the link between water and cancer.  But even small amounts can cause worry.

Dr. Oz goes on to clarify the difference between “good enough” and “Ideal.”  He notes they are not the same thing.  You may know where you want to go but you may have to tolerate some things because they are naturally occurring.  Nevertheless, you have to see the difference in what you know is present in the water and what you are comfortable letting your kids drink.  For example, long-term exposure to lead will not be obvious in what conditions it might cause you.  It is a subtle thing.  Maybe just a little memory issues might be the first signs or damage from lead.  Maybe your blood pressure goes up a little bit over the years.  Dr. Oz relates these instances to the questions he often gets from people.  Patients may feel they are not as sharp as they once were or little things like that.  Dr. Oz starts to wonder if those conditions are caused by the long-term exposure to the contaminants like lead in our water supply.  One would have to figure it could be a factor because of our exposure to the water every day.  And we know what the contaminants can cause on their own.

The Pure Elements HealthyHome Solution water filter with an added Fluoride removal system will remove or reduce chlorine, fluoride, chromium 6 and arsenic.  Contact us for more information and break the relation between water and cancer.

Link to Dr. Oz video on water and cancer.

The current economic environment has led more people to stay in their homes for the long term, and more remodeling or complete rebuild projects are getting underway.   Because it is an important time during construction for the design and installation of a whole house water filter system, Pure Elements, Inc., has seen an increased demand for its proprietary environmentally sound systems.

The remodeling processes is a challenge from agreeing on a final design, picking a contractor, demolition, and especially seeing the construction process through to successful completion.  The installation of Pure Elements’ HealthyHome Solution system requires planning and coordination with at least three other trades to insure a flawless installation.

Recently, Pure Elements’ owner Rick Allen was excited to find a company providing a personalized service that eliminates the hassle of a remodel (or a ground-up) project for the discerning client.  Shelia Kuhn, of D & S Kuhn, Inc. in Newport Beach, California, has made the dream of a stellar result a reality for many southern California owners.  And she has helped specialty trades like Pure Elements, Inc. enjoy a smooth, coordinated construction process.

Shelia is carved out a specialty niche as today’s leading Owner’s Representative.  She and her team help people who are challenged with with a busy lifestyle, work long hours, don’t live near their project, or have limited construction experience.  Therefore, the expense, time and challenge of managing the project can initially appear daunting and may seem too difficult to attempt.  With the use of an Owner’s Representative like Shelia, a daunting undertaking is transformed into an efficient, organized and fun experience.

Rick and Shelia have worked together on several high-end remodels and ground-up construction projects.  Several of these projects in Newport Beach, Huntington Beach and Hermosa Beach are enjoying the finest water quality for bathing, cooking, drinking and ice, as well as salt-free water conditioning to address hard water issues.

Pure Elements, Inc, and D & S Kuhn, Inc. provide the perfect marriage of talents and proprietary products/services that benefit clients with a healthier home living environment.  Rick Allen has become the favored referral for healthcare experts, from general practitioners of Eastern and/or Western medicine, to longevity experts, and even for clinics focused on the treatment of cancer and serious diseases.  Shelia is also an expert in preventative health, so she understands the importance of chemical-free water, both for throughout the home and as part of a healthy lifestyle.

In addition, the ability to deal with hard water issues with Pure Elements’ proprietary saltless water conditioner eliminates the long list of problems associated with outdated salt-based water softeners.  This technology also makes total property water treatment possible, benefiting pools, spas, water features and landscaping.

With remodeling and rebuilding on the rise, owners are definitely in need of leading companies and innovative thinkers like Rick Allen and Shelia Kuhn.  Don’t undertake a project without contacting either one—you will be happy you did.

For more about Shelia’s business and the beneficial services D & S Kuhn, Inc. can provide, contact Rick Allen from Pure Elements. Inc. at (949) 644-1800 or visit Shelia’s site at www.dskuhninc.com.

This total property water filter conditioning system not only deals with regular filtration but also conditions the water.  Hard water issues are treated effectively with these environmentally friendly whole house water filters.

Built into this system are not one but TWO catalytic water conditioners, which are alternatives to traditional water softeners. They do not use or discharge salt.

There is one water conditioner put inside the tank for the whole house and the primary water conditioner on the inlet that handles not only the whole house but also the total property. This means that swimming pool, koi ponds, and their racing horses will benefit from the healthier conditioned water. Even the landscaping will benefit from the anti-scaling and percolation process this water conditioner will provide.

The catalytic water conditioners change the state of the calcium and reduce the hard water issues. They do this without the use of bags of salt or any chemicals. It is all natural. These conditioners are small physically and require virtually no maintenance. That means that unlike a water softener, which requires you to frequently dump 50 pound bags of salt into them, you can expect to do no maintenance with these but once every 10 years or so. And they don’t create the slippery or slimy feeling you get from an old fashioned salt-based water softener. With a water softener, your skin will feel like you cannot get the soap off. You waste more water and more soap because of this. You do not experience that feeling at all with the Pure Elements Healthy Home Solution water filter.

These water filters are very environmentally friendly and “Green” alternatives to water softeners. If you are ecologically minded, this type of total property water filter conditioning system is a more natural and responsible decision to choose.

Question:  What is your name?

Answer:  Richard M. and I live in Mission Viejo, California.

Question:  How did you first come up with the idea of getting a water system?

Answer:  Well, my wife and I had actually just moved to the US.  We’d only been in the country like two or three weeks.  We went to the Long Beach Home Show and we just purchased a property that we were closing in escrow about a month later.  We were looking at all kinds of things but one of the things that caught our eye was a whole house water treatment system, which we were very keen on.

Question:  And after all the research you did, what made you go with Rick Allen and Pure Elements?

Answer:  Well, you know, I saw a lot of very expensive systems at the show.  A lot of high-pressure sales tactics and I really just liked the kind of integrity and sales approach that Rick brought to the equation.  His focus was really on the quality and benefits of the water treatment systems, the technology that he was offering and the health benefits that went along with it.  And he presented the whole package in a way that made you feel very comfortable with dealing with him.

Question:  So after you met him, then what happened when you talked to Rick?

Answer:  Well, we were living in one of those extended stay hotels at the time in Orange, California.  And we called Rick and Rick came round to see us and…  We did a little bit of negotiating going on and…  Rick offered us a good price in return for cash.  So I gave Rick a check for $3500.  After I’d given it and he said, “Okay, I’m going to go away and get you this water system and when you move it your house it will all be there and ready…”  And I must admit that once or twice after I’d given him the check after only being in the country for three weeks I thought…  I said to my wife, “Have we done the right thing?”  But we bought our house.  We moved in.  Rick was there.  The installation was flawless.  And since then he’s always been there to answer any questions that we had and we are very happy with our system.  The quality of the drinking water is just fabulous.  We have a whole house treatment system.  It breaks down the calcium that naturally occurs in the drinking water in Southern California.  The quality and health benefits, we are very impressed with.

Question:  And to this day how is your relationship with Rick and how long has it been since that first time…?

Answer:  Ah, Rick and I’ve had laughs for the last nine years.  We talk to each other at least a couple times a year.  Rick has always been there for service advice or whatever.  His customer service is just exemplary.

Question:  Would you trust Rick as a referral to one of your other friends or family members?

Answer:  Oh, absolutely.  I would have no hesitation in recommending Rick’s Pure Elements services to either a friend or family member or even just a member of the public.  Rick is very knowledgeable.  Very trustworthy.  And his service is just great.

Question:  Now having good water, what has been your favorite thing between you and your wife by having this system?

Answer:  Well I just think it’s the ability to go to the tap on your sink and drink pure water.  No contaminants.  No chlorine taste or smell.  In fact, when you go into a restaurant and often an expensive restaurant, and they serve you up a chlorinated water, it is just awful.  I mean you just don’t want to drink it.  So, we live in a very harsh water environment, and coming from New Zealand, we are used to pure water without even having to put a whole house treatment system in place.  But in Southern California we have a very harsh water environment.  And I think that if you care about your family and your health and the quality of the water you drink, everyone should have a whole house water treatment system and a reverse osmosis under their sink for personal drinking water.  And I think the environmental benefits I’d have to say are much better than buying bottled water and plastic bottles, which all end up in the land fill systems or most of them do.  You know, I think you are doing yourself a favor and the environment as well.

Question:  After 9 years have you had any issues or problems with your system?

Answer:  No his systems work flawlessly.  And whenever we’ve had a service issue or a question we call Rick and he is there.  So no problems.

Question:  Well, thank you very much for answering these questions.  And I’m glad we could help another satisfied customer.
Answer:  Thank you very much.  It’s been terrific.

This video shows a custom installation water filtration and conditioning system. The main lines coming into the property are 1 ½-inch copper pipe. Upon entering the property the first thing the water sees if the first catalytic conditioner. This reduces the amount of water required for landscape. (It allows the water effectively to percolate, therefore hydrating the plants better. It also keeps the root balls of the plant life free of scale, which usually occurs in hard water situations and inhibits the ability to use the nutrients in the soil. Also reduces requirement for fertilizer, saves water and fertilizer volume by up to 40% and can reduce pumping costs on a golf course by upi to 27 %.)

It benefits irrigation and it benefits koi ponds and fountains. It does this without the use of salt or chemicals. (Koi ponds benefit the same as a pool or spa does. There is less staining at the water line and on fountain spillways and overall water features. Moreover, helps protect the heaters, pumps, filters, and plumbing from hard water issues.)

The network of plumbing done by our installers is very high quality and not achieved by our competitors. This attention to detail is not seen in Southern California by other whole house water filter companies. We know because a large portion of our business is rebuilding the systems they put in.

The water in this system moves from the conditioner and then into fluoride water filters and whole house filtration. This addresses the water in the house for the family and that clean water is delivered at every faucet, tub and shower head. In addition, the water for the horses in the stable is filtered too. This healthier water is not only better for them to drink but it gives them shinier coats. So that is what this system accomplishes.

Moreover, this particular system was buried four-feet in the ground in the backyard and camouflaged to blend nicely into the landscaping. This was done because this was the best place physically to place this seven-foot tall water filter tanks.

This type of system is an environmentally conscious alternative to water softeners, which are known to pollute the environment with discharged salt. That is why water softeners will probably be eventually banned in California even though many of our competitors will not agree with us on this statement. The ban must happen because the damage water softeners are causing is too great to be overlooked for much longer.  This custom installation water filtration system utilizes the newest water treating technology.

This is a custom filtering fluoride and whole house  water filtration and conditioning system.  The fluoride filtering effectiveness is excellent as you will later see in the test below.

One tank removes fluoride, arsenic and chromium 6 or Hexavalent chromium. The latter poison and carcinogen is well known because it was what the Erin Brockovich film was about.

In addition, a secondary tank removes chlorine, chloramines, organics, pesticides, odors, tastes, and colors. It is a very effective whole house water filter system in a house where there is some very serious disease. We are doing everything we can to protect the family from the incoming chemicals and contaminants in the water.

In this particular application, there was no room to put these tanks, these tanks are actually seven feet tall total. Therefore, as part of what we do in terms of our custom installations we were able to excavate down four feet and bring the tanks down into the dirt. That way we could get them at about three feet total.

You will also notice the camouflage paint to help the tanks blend into the landscape. At Pure Elements, we pay attention to aesthetics whenever possible.
The capacity handling of this water filter system is impressive. The chlorine removal is in excess of 3 million gallons and fluoride removal is in excess of 2 million gallons. Other contaminants have different individual levels or removal and reduction.

The independent water test that was done on these was done by National Testing Laboratories to confirm that we had very effective removing fluoride. That is an especially sensitive component in this particular case due to the health issue in this home.

Click on the test photo for a larger picture in order to see the filtering fluoride test results.

Our client is currently using the Gerson Therapy as one of her treatment regimens.  This therapy has extremely strict requirements for water quality.  Patients are required to drink and bathe in only distilled water, utilizing sponge baths.  The reason for this is to insure the body does not have to deal with any added toxins.

However, acquiring enough distilled water is often a serious problem for patients.  Distillers are cumbersome, slow and inefficient – usually not able to create enough water in a day for the patient’s essential needs.   Gerson Therapy patients used to endure a stressful situation when trying to obtain water of the high quality necessary for their regimen, until Pure Elements developed specialized systems to make their lives easier and give them peace of mind.

By installing our Pure Elements’ HealthyHome Solution system with the added fluoride water filter, people who are on a journey to fight serious disease can experience greatly reduced stress relating to water quality concerns.  Listen to our ecstatic client talk about the added convenience and availability of unlimited, high quality throughout her home. Check out her video and interview here: Gerson Therapy Water Quality

To see for yourself, click on the test report image below to see how well our fluoride filter system performed in the independent laboratory test.

This Laguna Beach, CA client gave us a testimonial on his experience with the Pure Elements’ Healthy Home Solution water filter.  This is a whole house water filter that is unlike most of the others available on the market.  It is customized to each client’s wants and needs.  Since home water supplies can vary from place to place, it makes more sense to customize the filter to remove or reduce the specific contaminants in the water.  We have found that just setting up the same filter for every home across America does not do a thorough enough job so that is why we offer a more hands on approach to water filtering, water conditioning,  and in some cases fluoride reduction and chromium 6 reduction.

Pure Elements also does conversions of old salt based water softeners as well as competitor’s water filters into the Healthy Home Solution.  Call us today to discuss your options.  (949) 644-1800

Peggy of Orange, CA shares her journey with cancer in this candid interview. She talks about the different therapies she is trying out such as the Gerson Therapy in addition to traditional Western medicine.  As she sees her way through each therapy and her awareness grows, she describes how water quality is of great concern to her.

DISCLAIMER

The information on this video and website are designed for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care.

Enhanced water quality can play a role in a healthier lifestyle and in a program of preventative maintenance designed to promote longevity. Consult your expert health care professional or practitioner on any matter relating to your health and well-being.

This video and website are not responsible for errors or omissions.

Rick Allen – Question:  So first, tell us your name and what city you live in.

Peggy from Orange, CA – Answer:  My name is Peggy and I live in Orange California.

Question:  And I understand you have been on a journey, what type of cancer are you dealing with?

Answer:  I was diagnosed almost three years ago with advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, which is a very rare type of cancer.  From what I understand, the type that I have is about one in ten-million people are diagnosed with this type of cancer.

Question:  So what type of treatment have chosen?

Answer:  Well, since I was diagnosed a while ago, I’ve been able to sample a few different types of treatments, still looking for the “silver bullet,” but I think everything has helped a little bit.  I have used Ayurveda, which is ancient Indian, from India, 5000-year-old-science of healing.  I’ve used diet and herbs and lifestyle, and I continue a lot of that.  I’ve been on a clinical trial for a year working with my oncologist.  And both the Ayurveda and the clinical trial drugs slowed down the rate of growth of the tumors by about 50%.  Which was good but again when you are talking about periods of time there’s a point where even 50% is too much growth.  And now I’m on another type of treatment that has also helped but again from my oncologist.  But it’s a still, there’s some slow growth and now we are getting into a really dangerous zone so I’ll be starting radiation, also a clinical trial of radiation, in July.  So I’ve done a little bit of a lot of things.  I added the Gerson Therapy also this year.  Elements of that were attractive to me.

Question:  Tell us about the Gerson Center.  They’re located in Tijuana, right?

Answer:  Well the national, the global headquarters for Gerson, the Gerson Institute, actually is in San Diego, California.  They have clinics in Hungry and in Mexico and then there‘s a start-up in Japan right now.  Actually being started up by a medical doctor who had cancer and went on Gerson and was able to cure his cancer.  So he is building a Gerson clinic in Japan.  But there are three locations and I went to their actual clinic, which is a private hospital in Mexico to get started on the therapy.

Question:  So in the process of ridding yourself of the cancer, how important does the Gerson Center say clean water is?

Answer:  Oh, you know, there are a few things that are absolutely at the top of the list, and among the top two or three are to consume water that is as clean as possible.  At the very least water, that doesn’t have Fluoride in it.  And ideally water that is as clean as distilled water.

Question:  And chlorine is also a big issue isn’t it also?
Answer:  Yes.  Chlorine too.  Fluoride then comes chlorine and then come… gosh last time I looked there were thousands of approved chemicals and residuals and unhealthy minerals and byproducts that are actually allowed in our public drinking system.  And again they just ask us to get as much of that out as possible.

Question:  And before the Gerson Clinic heard about Pure Elements what was their recommended for bathing and drinking?

Answer:  You know, a lot of us were just reduced to sponge baths because most distillers if we are going to hold true to the Gerson mandate, you want to use distilled water and most distillers can only produce a few gallons every, I don’t know how many hours.  When I started on the Gerson program, I was using personally six gallons of distilled water a day.  And most distillers can’t keep up with that rate of production.

Question:  So when we got into this process, Gerson was not aware of Pure Elements’ systems that use the latest technology to remove Fluoride.  And in fact they were very skeptical of our ability to do so.  And one month after we installed your system we received a test result on your water from an independent laboratory, which validated the removal of the Fluoride with our custom whole house system.  And in addition we did in home testing and we were able to show zero chlorine and chloramines present.  And this means that people who are going through the Gerson program can enjoy showering in clean water and avoid the process of taking sponge baths and buying those costly, and bulky and inefficient distillers.  How convenient has that been for you?

Answer:  It’s been incredibly convenient.  And I have to tell you that it was very stressful for the patients at the Gerson Clinic in Mexico, as we all were trying, you know we’re focusing on getting well from our cancer…  Trying to figure out how we were going to set up our water systems when we got home.  It was the number one topic of conversation at every mealtime, you know, “What are you doing?  What did you find out?”  Now I was one of the few who was there without my spouse.  My spouse stayed home and I came with my sister to the clinic so while I was at the clinic my husband was at home working very hard on research and feeding his findings to us at the clinic.  And in fact, it’s true that when he sent me the Pure Element’s information and I shared with Charlotte Gerson on her weekly visit to the clinic, she said that it just can’t be possible.  She said the only way to get the, the clean value of distilled water is through using a distiller.  So it was very hard for her to believe but it worked for us.  The tests came back and that was very comforting also.

Question:  So aside from the health benefits, please tell us what you like most about your whole house water system from Pure Elements?

Answer:  Well, you know what I really like about it is…  Okay, yeah, I’m the one who’s sick in the family but all of us deserve to have assured health.  And to bathe in water that we can feel good about that we know is clean.  Our skin feels better.  All of us have commented on how soft our hair feels.  Our ice cubes in the refrigerator aren’t white anymore.  They are crystal clear.  That’s comforting just by itself.  I’m like where’d all that stuff go?  Well, it went to the filter.  So piece of mind.  As well as just a physical feeling of well being.

Question:  How are your dishes with your new system?

Answer:  Oh, that’s true.  The dishes…  We had so much trouble.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve called out the appliance people over the last five years to complain about the poor quality of our not so cheap dish washer.  And they always assured me that it was the water, it’s the water and I thought they were scapegoating the water.  But now that we have good water, I don’t have to put the chemical additives to get the scum off of the dishes when I wash.  So that’s one more health benefit that we are not eating off of plates with residue, with chemical residue on them.

Question:  So from design through delivery, installation, start-up and in fact validation of performance, how well did Pure Elements perform on a scale of one to ten?

Answer:  Oh, I would say, really we’re very happy.  I would say a ten for Pure Elements in all of the service we’ve gotten.  Starting with when they were, you know, pitching the idea to us.  Every question, and my husband is very thorough, every question he asked was answered thoroughly.  And if the answer wasn’t on hand, it was researched and brought back within 24 hours.  So we had a lot piece of mind when we actually committed to the system.  Installation was as scheduled.  On time.  Even finished a little ahead of schedule and the guys that came out were courteous and just really nice people to have running around your house for a full day.  So we have been really happy with everything so far.

Question:  So would you recommend Pure Elements not only to the Gerson patients but also to anyone concerned about achieving a healthier home lifestyle through quality water?

Answer:  Yeah, not only would I recommend Pure Elements to people who want a healthy lifestyle, but I already have.  I’ve given the Pure Elements name and information to several people including sharing it with my Gerson patient buddies.

Question:  And in fact, I understand you’ve started a Facebook group or page for your fellow Gerson patients to be able to share recipes and help support each other.  Where can people go online to interact and share those things?  What’s the name of the Facebook page?

Answer:  Well, our group is called, “Baby Charlotte.”  And if you, go in, you have to be accepted as a friend but if you just let us know that you are a legitimate seeker, I’m sure one of us would accept you as a friend and into the group.

Question:  That’s great, Peggy.  Thank you very much for taking time to share with us today.  Appreciate it.

Answer:  You’re welcome.  My pleasure.

This is the fluoride filtering system used in this instance.

For example in a normal water softener conversion, we take the existing Culligan or Water Techniques water softener and turn these into new environmentally sound whole house water filters.  Now instead of “softening” the water using salt we use organic or more natural water filtering methods to “condition” the water to get better results.  By using our own proprietary Catalytic Conditioner our clients feel good about making this choice to convert their old softeners over.  They now own a “green” water filter system and do not have to buy 50lbs of salt frequently.  No more salt is washed into the environment and left to pollute local wetlands.  Our clients save money on maintenance too.  In addition, they save even more money because by performing a softener or old water filter conversion, we use their existing water softening system’s components.  It is very easy and fast to complete.

In the case of a competitor’s water filter conversion, we take apart the outdated filter and remove all the expired media.  Often inside there will be other components that do not seem to work or restrict water flow so we remove these mystery elements as well.  All the parts and components are checked to see they are functioning properly and there are no cracks or stripped threads.  Our installation crew often find improperly seated control values or water systems so badly assembled they ceased to work properly years ago.  The next step in the process is to refill the filter tank with the right amounts of new water filter media.  Our media is the most technologically advanced in removal of chemicals and reduction of hard water that homeowners have access to.  Pure Elements uses only environmentally safe methods.  Moreover, we have a specific order in which the four types of media are aligned within the new rebuilt filter.  This is very important and has been scientifically engineered to work optimally.  Our competitors do not bother to do this but we think they should.  This proper sequencing of the media affords our clients maximum benefit over the next 7 to 10 years.

Pure Elements is extremely knowledgeable and skilled in this conversion procedure.  Maintaining our meticulous attention to detail is important to us and affords our clients better water filtering results.

Presently we carry out numerous water softener conversions and water filter upgrading throughout Southern California.

All the big counties like Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego County are covered.  As people become more enlightened, they realize they do not need to pay yearly maintenance fees to other water filter companies when they can convert to our water filtration systems inexpensively.  Pure Elements’ water filters need servicing only every 7 to 10 years depending on your water usage.

Our HealthyHome Solutions whole house water filter upgrading and conversions are locally occurring in Ladera Ranch, Aliso Viejo, Laguna Niguel, San Juan Capistrano, Coto De Caza, Mission Viejo, El Toro, Foothill Ranch, Irvine, Newport Beach, Corona del Mar, Laguna Beach, Dana Point, and San Clemente.

We can be reached at (949) 644-1800 to discuss water filter upgrading and conversions.

Check out this video on fluoride in the water and toothpaste.  We found it disturbing, enlightening and another example of why we must use a water filtering system in our homes.

In the video, Dr. Osmunson is introduced to us as a leader in the opposition for fluoride in the water.  His creditability includes being a full-time dentist for over 30 years in Pacific Northwest.  He also has an MPH or Masters in Public Health and brings a unique perceptive because of his growing up in Africa the son of missionaries.

The interview focuses on some of the recent research Dr. Osmunson has been doing on fluoride in toothpaste and fluoride in the water.  He provides information on why fluoride should be removed from our drinking water.  This plays into why we at Pure Elements have for years believed in filtering fluoride using some type of water treatment or water purification like reverse osmosis.

Fluoride was believed to be good as far as dental health was concerned.  The doctor himself promoted fluoridation for over 25 years.  However, during the last 5 to 8 years some of the doctor’s patients encouraged him to take a closer look at fluoride.

Like most dentists, he has given out free toothpaste samples.  However, when he started looking at the labels, some inconsistencies troubled him.  One of the instructions commonly found on toothpaste tube labels show an age preference or limit for younger kids.  In addition, it says right on the label that a very small portion of toothpaste should be used.  A much smaller amount than you will ever see in television and marketing ads.  Those ads portray putting fluoridated toothpaste the entire length of the brush and back with a swirl.  According to the tube’s label, that is way too much.  In fact that amount could make up more than a month’s worth of fluoride laced toothpaste! The fluoride toothpaste manufacturer’s label recommends using about the size of a small pea.  Plus, on the same label it notes that if you ingest too much toothpaste you should contact the poison control people.  The FDA it seems allows some variable wording.  That seemed frightening to us considering that if you did not know already, fluoride is considered a poison.  That gets explained further later in the interview.

The doctor then holds up a glass of Chicago tap water, which is said to contain around a quarter milligram of fluoride in the water, which is about what you are told in toothpaste not to use.  Therefore, the perplexing thing is that we are being told to not swallow a quarter milligram of fluoride in our toothpaste but it is okay to drink a quarter milligram of fluoride in the water.  This does not make any sense to anyone.

Why is there so much controversy surrounding fluoride in the water?

The doctor felt like he should know this because he did not.  Dr. Osmunson than tells us about an experiment that was done where a drop of fluoride was put under the tongue of a mouse.  That drop was 10 parts per million less than is in the glass water which is about 100 times more.  The experiment was able to measure the attention deficit reduction of the mouse.  Although Dr. Osmunson does not come out directly and say it here, we believe he means to say the fluoride caused the mouse to be unable to concentrate well.

Therefore, we know we are getting some neurological damage from the fluoride.  The latest research is finding an eight-point IQ drop when the serum blood level goes from .04 to .08.  So when the fluoride level doubles in the blood serum is where the eight point IQ drop occurs.  Fluoride is very toxic in fact more toxic than lead.  Of course, we do not want lead in us either because that causes brain damage too.  Installing a water purifier is the only way presently to raise water quality and reduce the threat of these types of contaminants.

So one of the big concerns Dr. Osmunson has is about the brain.  He feels that for every IQ point that is dropped there is also a correlation between the amounts of money that a person could potentially make during a year.  He gives the example of $1000 less a year a person will earn per drop in IQ point.  This is fascinating and frightening to us!  First thing we thought of was the overall drop of quality education in this country.  Combine this with water fluoridation and we will have a serious lack of brainpower developing in the US.

The doctor makes a great point about dentists fix teeth but no one fixes IQ.  Irreparable damage is happening to our country.  If you compare states on which ones have the most fluoride in their water Utah, Idaho, Oregon, Hawaii and several other states have the lowest percentage of water with fluoride.  Then the graph goes up to a certain point where almost all states are fluoridated.  Findings show there is a tripling of mental retardation in the more fluoridated states.  Illinois is a prime example of this tripling effect.

The American Dental Association recommends that a woman have about 3 mg per kilogram of fluoride a day.  Men should have about 4 mg.  Our question is according to what reasoning are these seemingly arbitrary amounts suggested if fluoride is considered a poison?  Why would anyone want to take in a known poison?  That same suggested recommended amount causes a level of fluoride in the blood consistent with an eight-point IQ drop.  What is going on here with water and fluoride?  While not one for conspiracy theories, this seems to us like the kind of thing were someone is lining their pockets at the health expense of millions of Americans.  The perplexing nature of the fluoridation of water gets more crazy as the interview continues.

In the United States, we do not do many studies on the adverse effects of fluoride.  Fluoride is always being promoted so it has been deemed counterproductive to show it in a negative light we guess.  It seems like people do not want to find out that we are having problems with it.  However, a study was done by the Center of disease control in China.  China does not allow fluoride to be put in the water at all.  They know it is too toxic and it causes damage.  Therefore, what China does is they take their waste products of phosphate fertilizer, which is fluoride, and ship it to us here in America.  China is where most of the fluoride comes from.  We actually drink what the Chinese will not allow in their water.  Does that make any sense to you because it sure does not to us!

We use all the fluoride we make here in the United States but it has been viewed to not be enough.  Therefore, we actually have it imported from China.  To clarify, we import industrial waste from China so we can put in our water.  How do you feel now?  And of course the waste is contaminated with lead, arsenic, radium, aluminum and a host of other contaminants.  It is not a cleaned up pharmaceutical grade that is put in our water but rather a lesser grade.  Do you think the idea of water filters and a fluoride filter is starting to look a little more appealing?

The thought of brain damage from fluoride in the water is so staggering to the doctor that it is hard for him to grasp.

In other words, he is in shock over it.  We know the feeling.  In addition, the latest research has published by the National Institute of Health, which is about as prestigious as you can get in certifying authority and publishing research.  The doctor assures us that the research is very good quality.  US studies on fluoride, blood serum levels and how that relates to IQ loss have rarely been done here.  He is saying that in this particular area, China has done research that the US has failed to do for whatever reason.

If you really want fluoride, just swallow a pea-sized piece of toothpaste and you will have plenty, the doctor infers.  It is not as if you cannot get it somewhere else.  However, it does not need to be in the water.  Dr. Osmunson’s feeling is he is highly opposed to fluoridation of water and we at Pure Elements agree.  There are so many health inconsistencies that it can relate to it to do with bones, fractures, the pineal gland in the brain, and the health of teeth.

The risk to teeth health has not been looked at.  He agrees with almost everyone that he has spoken with knows that too much fluoride creates dental fluorosis.  No one he knows disputes this.  Moreover, skeletal fluorosis is a risk too.  White or brown spots formed on the teeth identify dental fluorosis.  If it is just on one tooth and not on the other teeth, it may not be the fluoride.  If several teeth show the spots, developing at the same time than that it is fluoride.  You only get this condition when you are younger and the teeth are still developing.  It happens when teeth are developing inside the bone.  The National Research Council states that fluoride does not show any beneficial effects after the age of eight.  This is because the teeth are finished forming after eight.

The only reason it seems fluoride is in the community water is the hope it will reach children between the ages of one and eight.  For the rest of us there is no benefit but rather detriment.  The National Research Council, which is the highest scientific body in the United States, says there is no benefit for anyone over the age of eight with fluoride.  Yet it is in two thirds of our water supply.  It is a markedly stupid situation.  Also, we only drink less than 1% of the water that is fluoridated.

It should be the patient or the parent’s choice as to whether they want a fluoride treatment or not.  It should not be forced on the entire community.  We should be allowed to choose.

The doctor goes on to talk about how little fluoride affects even preventing tooth decay.

Therefore, while fluoride is forced on us now in our tap water, filtering it and reducing its presence can be achieved.  It is the only solution available to us consumers right now since most municipalities will not be removing fluoride from the water anytime soon.  There are two ways of reducing fluoride in your home and Pure Elements can explain them both to you if you are interested.  Call or email us today to discuss your options  to get fluoride in the water reduced.

As Japan reels from a three-fold disaster with the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis, the effects of radiation are beginning to show up in the water supplies of five cities around the damaged plants. Rising levels of radioactive iodine 131 are now being detected in tap water in Tokyo; levels that are deemed unsafe for infants but still fall below amounts considered “safe” for adults.

Bottled water is selling quickly in convenience stores, and shortages are becoming apparent. Because this is a new situation for humans and the earth, it is hard to guesstimate what the end result will be for the region. As the power company Tepco struggles to get the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant under control, radiation continues to make its way into not only the water supplies, but also the vegetables and soil in the proximity of the plant.

In the United States, we have radioactivity challenges with our water supplies too, with one source specifically caused by a process known as “fracking” or “hydrofracking” that is being used to extract natural gas.
The Homeland Security Newswire (HSNW), in an article critical of the process, talks about our EPA’s knowledge of radioactive contamination, and its inability or unwillingness to take any action. Apparently the EPA did not anticipate the scope of toxic byproducts generated from the process, and after learning of the problem, they have looked the other way by are not testing for radioactive pollutants. In some cases it appears that contaminated water has been hauled away by the billions of gallons, and actually discharged into rivers that supply drinking water.

Locally in California, we have radioactive contaminants in some of our LA and Orange County water, including Costa Mesa and Newport Beach. In fact, some radioactive contaminants occur naturally according to our water districts Consumer Confidence Reports (Water Quality Reports).

So we need to come to grip, as the human race, with the effects of our methods for generating power and collecting fuel sources. Whole-house water filtration can be fabricated with special resins that will reduce radioactive contaminants in small levels; reverse osmosis technology has some effect on these contaminants, although limited, and distillation can also have a beneficial effect. The question of the day is: Once these contaminants are removed from the water, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO WITH THEM?

Source: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-japan-tokyo-water-20110324,0,7951826.story

Frequently we are hearing about the presence of Chromium 6 and other toxic chemicals in our tap water.  These chemicals are said to possibly cause cancer when ingested in water.  Articles are popping up in newspaper, magazines, TV and on the web about the dangers.  Pure Elements has been alarmed about the contaminants in our water for years and have been trying to educate the public a few clients at a time.  We are excited to have someone as prominent as Dr. Oz devote several shows to toxic chemicals such as Chromium 6 making their way more frequently into our water supplies.

In the video, Dr. Oz does an excellent job bringing this subject even more to the public view and you’ll see he stresses the need to take action yourself.  You need to protect your health by getting some extra water filtration system into your home.  Drinking and bathing in tap water on its own might be risky.

All over the US toxic chemicals are showing up in city water supplies at possibly dangerous levels.  Metals such are arsenic and lead can often be found in certain city water supplies at alarming levels.  Even more alarming are cancer-causing agents such as Chromium 6, which is finding its way into tap water more frequently.  The government has recently become so alarmed with the levels of perchlorate that it is setting limits on this contaminant.  Perchlorate is a known rocket fuel ingredient currently found in the water of 26 states.

The US government is now regulating 114 chemical substances but there are 84,000 other known chemicals in use, which might be found in our tap water.  We don’t know for sure if they are in the water because they are not being tested for.  This is quite frightening if you think about it.

In this video, Dr. Oz got together a team of people across the US in 19 cities.  He had these families take water samples so test labs could test for several worrying chemicals.  The results were enough to make your blood run a bit cold.

In the video, samples are shown to be gathered from such places as New York City, Houston, Salt lake City, Pensacola, Pittsburgh, Wichita Falls, Omaha and Riverside, California.  The samples were all shipped to the Suburban Water Testing Labs to be analyzed.

On the show, Dr. Oz has two water experts.  Patricia Meinhardt MD who studies water related pollution and disease.  She studies the environmental impact that water borne trouble causes in human health.  One of her biggest contributions is that she teaches doctors how to recognize water related disease.

The other drinking water expert is Thomas Burke PHD.  He studies the impact the industrial pollution on health.  He spearheaded the investigation in New Jersey on that city’s rise in cancer rates as it relates to drinking water contamination.  Dr. Burke is also an Associate Dean at the John Hopkins School of Public Health and a former New Jersey Deputy Health Commissioner.

For this show, Dr. Oz focuses on several toxic chemicals and Chromium 6 is a big one.

The EPA has just announced that it is taking action to help communities across the country test for Chromium 6 in their water supplies.

Dr. Meinhaunt makes it clear that Chromium 6 is in no way related to the micronutrient Chromium that people often take in supplements.  This is a needed nutrient.  Chromium 6 is familiar to people because it was featured in the Erin Brockovich film.  It is known to cause cancer when inhaled in the air.  In addition, according to new information, it likely causes cancer when swallowed in drinking water.

Chromium 6 is in slag leftover from steel mills, metalworks, pulp mills, and leather tanning production.  It is very difficult to remove from water and because it is difficult, it is expensive.

Chromium 6 causes some serious problems in the human body.

It will cause damage to the liver and kidneys as well as cause Leukemia, mouth tumors and intestinal cancer.

Most common water filters will not remove Chromium 6.  At Pure Elements, we do have a way to reduce its presence in your entire home water system using a special media.  Another method for reducing Chromium 6 significantly in drinking water is by using reverse osmosis.

Continue to the next Dr. Oz video in this series and more on Chromium 6.

Every water filter system that Pure Elements installs is a “custom” water filter system. That is because Pure Elements takes into account what the client wishes to accomplish with their water. In addition, we alert the client to anything else they might not be aware of such as elevated levels of other contaminants. Just some of the contaminants found in water can be: Chloramines, Chlorine, Fluoride, Arsenic, Copper, Iron, Lead, Mercury, Nickel, Zinc, Hydrogen Sulfide, Pesticides, Sediment/Dirt (Turbidity), Trihalomethanes (THMs), and Calcium Carbonate. Some of these must be removed with special components and media.

The particular water filter system that Pure Elements installed in Malibu was a larger system but not an out of the ordinary installation for the Pure Element’s crew. The home is a large mansion just north of Point Dume in Malibu, California. It is right on the cliff there over-looking the ocean. The home has quite a view from almost every room. The home was built on “spec” and is expected to fetch somewhere between 23 to 28 million dollars. The leading Malibu architect firm of Doug Burdge and Associates designed the home.

For this installation, the client requested the tank be mounted next to a cement wall on the side of the guesthouse. The water filter system will be outside, which is fine. The high flow value is designed for indoors or outdoors. Eventually landscaping will hide the tank from view.

The water main was looped near where the tank was to be installed and buried. It had to first be dug up. Then the 2-inch copper pipe intake valve system needed to be built. Working with 2-inch copper pipe takes some extra knowledge and skill to solder correctly. Our Pure Element’s crew is very experienced with it.

The tank of this water filter system is a high-grade fiberglass. It needed to be fitted with the water conditioner inside and then the best medias to deal with the particular contaminants known to be in this Malibu area.

A second water conditioner was also installed at the water pipe main in this complete water filter system.

Both the conditioners do a good job of reducing hard water issues and are eco-friendly in their design. This is becoming more important to Californians and especially in ecology-minded areas like Malibu. The use of water softeners is frowned upon in many areas because they pollute the environment with discharged salt.
There will probably come a time when softeners are outlawed altogether and need to be replaced by water conditioners such as the ones used here in this water filtering system.

Once the water filter system media has been loaded into the tank and the water conditioners are in place, the next step is hooking up the PVC main water lines to the actual water filter copper valves. Again, this takes some expert soldering and good experience with working with large PVC pipe. No leaks should be detected when an experienced installer does this correctly.

After all the water filter system valves and drain are in place, the tank is mounted and bracketed to the wall. In this instance, the tank was mounted on a cement stone so it was stable on the sand. The high flow valve is mounted on top and the water filter system gets turned on and tested. It doesn’t take long to make sure all the work was done correctly.

The client was very pleased with the final result. Another perfect Pure Elements water filter system installation!

This system requires two fully automatic tanks filled with a special mix of different media to filter out waterborne chemicals.  Our first filter tank contains a specialty activated alumina media that is focused on filtering out and removes fluoride.  This media also provides substantial reduction of arsenic.  We have added the automatic backwashing feature to reclassify the media bed, which continues to expose new surface area after every self-cleaning cycle.

The second filter tank contains five types of media which serve the purpose of 1)  Reduction of heavy metals and bacterial growth:  2)  Effective removal of chlorine, organics, pesticides, colors, tastes and odors; 3) Reduction of chloramines, sulfur and physical impurities;  4) Backup polish for any residual fluoride;  and  5) Protection of flow rates and volume for the filtered water to the house.

Our proprietary catalytic water conditioner is also housed, which offers a salt free alternative to outdated salt water softeners.  This technology insures an environmentally sound process, and eliminates the slimy feeling characteristics associated with traditional soft water.  Our saltless water conditioner protects the drinking water and the ecosystem.

The system in this picture was installed at an estate home in Orange Park Acres, California.  The system required two days of custom plumbing work to bury the tanks in a planter, as there was no other area to locate the components. Note the perfectly true full-size plumbing and camouflage paint used to make the whole house filter system blend into the planter.  After the photo was taken, two plants were placed in front of the water system to hide it.

Because of health issues affecting the owner, this specialty water system from Pure Elements, Inc. was researched, reviewed, and approved by one of the leading alternative Cancer treatment clinics south of the border.  This system removes fluoride, provides a high quality, clean filtered water to the house for bathing, drinking, ice and ingredient use and also makes good water available for horses to drink and bathe in.

We recently installed a Whole House Water Filtration System, the HealthyHome Solution system, in the exclusive gated community called Castaways in Newport Beach.  This is a neighborhood where my previous company, Water by Design, marketed and installed all of the original whole house water filtration systems in conjunction with the developer, Taylor Woodrow Homes (now Taylor Morrison Homes).  We are currently upgrading, rebuilding, and replacing many of these outdated systems.  Most are more than 10 years old and our new technologies bring these old water filters back to life.

This HealthyHome Solution system is fully automatic, includes media for effective chlorine, chloramines, and chemical removal, and reduces hard water issues without the use of salt.  We pay particular attention to always matching the pipe size to insure maximum flow and volume to the home.  In this home, we were able to tuck the whole house water filtration system in next to the garage cabinets, and easily run low voltage electricity to it.

After removing the protective plastic wrapping, we were able to make the connections and get the whole house water filtration system ready for operation.

Out at the street, we prepped the water main to accept our Total Property Exterior Salt Free Conditioner.  This environmentally sound component not only enhances the reduction of hard water problems in the home, but also benefits the landscaping and pool.  There is quite a bit of soldering and copper work involved in a perfect installation.  This is what the conditioner core looks like. Once we finished the connection, we installed a new vault in the parkway, and replaced the grass so you can hardly tell work has been done.

Back in the garage, the whole house water filtration system is ready to be programmed and run through its startup procedure.

After filling and several upflow and downflow backwash cycles, the system is ready to provide exceptional water for the family in the home.

We are installing more and more of these state of the art systems in the Castaways Community, and we are now converting older systems to the upgraded technology for a fraction of the cost of a new system.  If you are interested in achieving a healthier and more convenient home living environment, call us today for more information and special Castaways pricing.  We convert outdated softeners into salt free conditioners, and Water by Design (or other manufacturers’) systems into our HealthyHome Solution.  We can be reached at (949) 644-1800 or online.  Call us today to get an appointment for new whole house water filtration system or to have you old water filter system upgraded.

At Pure Elements, a large segment of our business is water filter conversions.

We convert outdated water filtration systems into our exclusive HealthyHome Solution Whole House Water Filter System.  This is allowing our clients to enjoy the finest water quality in their homes, without having to drain the checkbooks.

During water filter conversions, we disassemble the old system; remove all of the stagnant media and any other apparatus that may be inside.  We then clean the tank, and rebuild the system with the latest technology for effective removal of chemicals and reduction of hard water (using our salt free and eco-friendly, of course).

During re-assembly, it is critical to load the four types of media and our proprietary Catalytic Conditioner in the proper order to insure maximum performance from the whole house filter system.  Reusing the control valve, tank, and other hardware allows you to enjoy high-quality water and a virtually new system for a fraction of the cost of replacing the old unit.  We are highly experienced in this conversion process.

We are performing many water filter conversions throughout Southern California as more clients realize they are over paying for yearly maintenance fees when they don’t need to.

In addition, we are installing more and more of our state of the art systems in exclusive southern California areas including Los Angeles, San Diego, and Orange County.  The greatest demand is showing in Newport Beach, Newport Coast, Corona del Mar, Laguna Beach, San Juan Capistrano, and San Clemente.

We are currently completing a system for a $28m estate in Malibu, and have many clients in Beverly Hills.  If you are interested in achieving a healthier and more convenient home living environment, call us today for more information and special conversion pricing.  We convert outdated softeners into salt free conditioners, and other manufacturers’ systems into our HealthyHome Solution.  We can be reached at (949) 644-1800 or online.

We are experts in water filter conversions so call us today for an estimate.

Since the original water filter systems were installed in the Castaways, new superior technology has been developed.  Pure Elements, Inc. is the leader in eco-friendly whole house water filtration systems.  Our HealthyHome Solution provides filtered water at every faucet (including the bath and shower) while protecting fixtures and plumbing from costly hard water damage.  Our systems are salt free, and eliminate the need for costly annual maintenance.  And we currently have numerous new systems and satisfied neighbors in Castaways.

We can convert your Water by Design system to our newer technology, or simply provide quality service for your existing components. We can also upgrade outdated softeners to our salt free technology.  We intend to become the “Go To” people for addressing water quality issues in your neighborhood, with your help.

Please call or email us with questions about our HealthyHome Solution, upgrading or servicing an existing system, or to learn about our exclusive Total Property approach.

This water filter installation included the salt free conditioner.

The new vault was added to shelter the new water conditioner.

The whole house water filter nestled out of the way inside the garage.  The last step was to turn the water filter on and let it run.

Another easy and quick water filter installation in Newport Beach by Pure Elements.

We immediately noticed this green growth on the exterior of one of the components, which is directly in the water flow to the home.  We can’t explain the growth on the component, but it appears to be copper related and this is scary.

Oddly enough, the other component shows none of this growth.  We decided to open these components  to see what is inside – Some type of plug or small core inside a copper wire netting.  Very little surface are on the plug.

This what it looks like up close.  When we pulled the second plug from it’s netting, we noted substantial pitting.  These pits mean that the mystery plug is sacrificial and the missing material has been introduced directly into the household water.

Our own proprietary catalytic conditioner utilizes a core with fins and a very large surface area to effectively change the state of the hard water minerals and reduce the problems they create.  This produce is not sacrificial – this is the outside total property version – we also have the version that is built into our Healthy Home whole-house filter system which is without metal housings or components and provides a much higher flow rate when compared to our competitor’s small copper pipes.

We also noted what appears to be iron or rust coming off of the brass fittings, as was evidenced by its presence on the fittings and inside the drain line.  This rust has been traveling into the household as well, which is not good for a system that is supposed to provide protection from contaminants and a cleaner water than is coming from the municipality.  We believe our proprietary conditioner is vastly superior because it is not sacrificial, has 100s of times the surface area of these plugs, has a non-metallic body when used inside our whole house filter, and provides dramatically higher flow rates with much less restriction. And it’s performance in reducing hard water issues has been well proven since we developed it and first made it available through all of the major local tract builders in 1982.

Have you heard of the Pacific Gyre?  (See video below.)  This patch of Pacific Ocean, roughly the size of Texas, is completely saturated with plastic.  Fish and wildlife including birds are suffering by ingesting the plastic bits – The chemicals are filtering right up the food chain to our dinner plates.  While this is not made up of entirely plastic water bottles, they do play a part.  And there is no known way to clean this up.

We have to look for sound and simple alternatives to plastic bottled water.

Installing a quality whole house water filter and salt free water conditioner provides water from every faucet that meets or exceeds plastic bottled water requirements in most cases.  It is so easy and convenient to just turn on the tap and know you have high quality filtered water.  This also removes carcinogenic chemicals like chlorine from the bath and shower water, which provides substantial health benefits.

Affluent areas like Orange County are known for their higher than average plastic bottled water consumption,

but recently demand for our HealthyHome Solution whole house water filter and salt free water conditioner has increased in Newport Beach, Newport Coast, Laguna Beach, San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente.  I wonder if these coastal communities are awakening to the concern for our ocean and environment, as well as recognizing the perfect in-home solution to the costly and confusing plastic bottled water dilemma.

Bottled water has many negative effects on environment, and potentially on our health. Check out this trailer – do you believe that bottled water is one of the biggest marketing “tricks” ever played on the people all over the world? Quality Whole-House Water Filtration is a far better choice for our pocketbooks, the planet, and us.

We have seen an awakening of health and environment conscious people in our southern California marketplace. This is occurring in Many of the affluent areas of Orange County, where one would expect to see large numbers of people toting bottled water everywhere.

That was the 90s and early 2000s, but not today! We have seen a dramatic uptick in Whole-House Water Filtration System installations in local cities including Corona del Mar, Newport Coast, San Clemente, Tustin and Ladera Ranch. People living in exclusive communities like Big Canyon, One Ford Road, Belcourt and Harbor View Homes used to consume bottled water by the pallet, but they are no longer held hostage to the situation. More importantly, they are no longer exposed to the potential health risks or contributing to the large glut of plastic in our landfills and oceans.

Everyone has plastic water bottles in their trash.   Installing a quality whole-house water filtration system could put an end to this waste.  Trying to recycle these plastic water bottles found in a San Juan Capistrano trash is not a solution that is working.  Contact us to learn more about the whole-house water filtration that is right for your home.

Today, Fiji Water has reconciled with the Fijian government and apparently agreed to the extreme tax on their bottled water.  What does that say about their profit margins?  Is the general public going to be expected to absorb some or all of the new tax hike in the cost of the bottles?  At what point will consumers switch, or recognize the concept that they can have filtered water throughout their entire home for a fraction of the cost and headache, not to mention the wear and tear on the global environment?  I’m just sayin’…

http://www.fijiwater.com/blog/2010/11/30/fiji-water-reopen-plant/

Bottled water creates too much plastic trash. It costs too money and hurts the environment.

The video below touches on the tactics regularly used by bottled water companies to sell the consumer over-priced water. In some cases, the product is filtered tap water that costs less than a penny per gallon, but instead we are asked to pay mega dollars for it.  In addition, the video shows what really happens during the production of the plastic bottles and the “attempt” to recycle them. It is unbelievable!

Watch this video and let us know what YOU think!

Bottled Water Controversy

We prefer the environmentally sound use of whole-house water filters and salt free water conditioning as an economical and on site methodology for enjoying healthy, safe water at home.

Can it be true that Fiji  Bottled Water will soon no longer come from Fiji?  Is the bottler’s future uncertain?  I wonder how this will play out – It seems the Fijian government has chosen to view Fiji Water as a cash cow with a radical new tax that essentially (and selectively) wipes out their business.  Fiji Water – Press Release Or maybe the Fijians becoming protective of one of their primary natural assets – good water.  This tax equates to $525,000 per month at 3.5m liters – wow!

On another note, can you really grasp the carbon footprint required to collect, treat and bottle water in Fiji, truck it and fly it 3,000 miles to the US for more ground transportation to your supermarket? If you think about it, there is a much better way to achieve quality water directly from your tap – properly designed whole-house filters can do this for you.

Fuji bottled water – Future in jeopardy?

Living in Orange County, California and the United States, we take for granted our fresh water pumped daily into our homes.  Water is vital to our lives.  It keeps us hydrated, healthy, clean, and is the major contributor to our food supply since nothing grows without it.  Without quality water, we will all perish (and quite quickly).

Even though our water can contain some contaminants and impurities, it is nothing like the water found in developing countries.  In places like Africa, clean water is very rare.  Their water is contaminated with disease-causing bacteria.  Ninety percent of daily deaths occurring in developing countries are caused by unsafe water and improper hygiene (such as no ability to wash hands).  This is according to a UN report issued in 2009.

In addition, even tainted water is hard to come by.  People in developing nations often must walk miles to collect water, regardless of quality.  This causes economic and societal woes.  Crooks set up businesses selling water and charge premium prices for it.  Moreover, this water is usually not clean either.  Women are forced to take long water gathering walks daily, where they are vulnerable to attack and harassment.

So what can be done to help?

Charity: Water is a non-profit organization formed to help people in developing countries build wells and train people in methods of proper sanitation.  They are working on the “teach a man to fish” principle, and over the last four years they have had a great success.

For a small donation, people can help developing countries help themselves.  Read more about the organization here at Charity: water.

Not all water filtering systems are equal.  Capacity, media quality, media order, water conditioning are all-important factors when it comes to filtering water for consumption.  We find it interesting that in so many water filter systems reviews these items are rarely elaborated on.  The water filter reviews do not talk much about the amount of filtering media used and its quality.  The reviews do not talk about how the water sees the media meaning the order it is in and how important this is.  Moreover, hardly any of the water systems reviewed mention water conditioning being included with the water filter.

Many water filtering systems do not have much in the way of media inside them.  The common Aquasana water filters for a countertop or under sink versions are light on media because they are so small.  None of the water filter pitcher type filters have much in the way of media in them either.  The problem with this is the water touches with limited media for such a short time. Therefore, the media’s ability to take out all the chemicals and contaminants is limited.  The surface area exposed is small like the filter.  Little filters clog faster and need replacements that are more frequent.  This is why the bigger the filter you can afford the better off you will be.  Whole house water filters are the best therefore.  Reputable companies make sure these filters need minimum maintenance.

The small water filters in the reviews also do not have backwashing systems to stir the carbon media up.  This is important to expose new sections of the media to the water and make it more effective at drawing out the water problems.  In addition, these filters suffer from low quality media.  Some water filter companies skimp on using high quality media because it costs more.  They use cheap grade carbon, which does not have the capacity to absorb contaminants like high quality media can.  The HealthyHome Solution water filter contains four types of the highest quality media available, which is why it is so much more effective.

Just to let you know, we use two types of coconut shell carbon as well as our other “secret” media.  (You have to call us to find out about the other media we use.  Some of it is proprietary so we do not name it directly here in case our competitors are watching.)  (949) 644-1800

Water filter systems should have several different types of media to be efficient.  And those different medias must be in the right order.  In water filter systems reviews they rarely if ever discuss this.  We find that when we take competitor’s water filters apart, they do not even do this.  If the water does not see the filtering carbon, KDF and other media correctly, it will stop to filter effectively.

Our media and the specific order in which it is placed within the water filter unit removes or reduces  chemicals, odors, bad tastes, chlorine, chloramines, organics, pesticides, and heavy metals.  We can reduce fluoride, arsenic and chromium 6 levels too but that takes special arrangements to work effectively.  Call us for the specifics on that.  (949) 644-1800.

Something else you do not see talked about with water filtering systems is water conditioning.  We feel this is getting more and more critical as people move away from environmentally unfriendly water softeners.  People still want hard water issues solved and water conditioning is a great way to do that.  However, some water conditioners make no sense and there is no way they work.  The science behind those is voodoo.  Our conditioner is the real deal.  It has more surface to act and does not restrict water flow.

Our proprietary catalytic converter is used to condition the water and is only available with our water filtration systems.  This unit will condition hard water differently than a traditional water softener does but it does not have the salt discharge that is getting water softeners banned across the country.  The HealthyHome Solution water filter is an alternative to standard water softeners that does not endanger the environment.  If you are interested in conditioning and filtering water plus you have environmental concerns, you should look into this green water filter system.

We install many water filter systems in Orange County, California.  Some of the cities we service are Newport Beach, Corona del Mar, Irvine, Tustin, Santa Ana, and Huntington Beach.  Call us for an estimate or more information on the best water filtering systems for your home.

Chlorine loses its strength to kill bacteria over time because it binds with organic material. It also creates harmful by-products called Trihalomethanes, which are considered carcinogenic and environmental pollutants.  When ammonia is added to minimize Trihalomethane production, this dilutes the chlorine’s capacity to kill off bacteria.

According to the California-based Citizens Concerned about Chloramines, chloramines damage pipes, create skin conditions, kill lab rodents, and expose people to increased risks for cancer and asthma.

In most situations, you will be drinking and bathing in one of these chemical disinfectants.  In addition, if you choose one of the most common water filters on the market, you may not effectively remove chloramines. Most water filters that use standard carbon provide only partial protection. Chloramines are a challenge for regular carbons to remove.

At Pure Elements, we conquer chlorine and chloramines issues by using the highest grade of a special catalytic carbon. Our whole house water filter is superior to under-the-counter water filters and other home water filters because this special carbon efficiently removes more chloramines. We spare no expense when it comes to your safety, while our competitors cut corners to increase profits. The majority of water filter systems available today do not perform up to Pure Elements’ standards.  This is just one of many reasons our water systems are recognized as the most effective.

Reference: Chlormines Concern

In order to help families that have been affected by autism, Pure Elements has joined forces with Autism Speaks Orange County to offer a special incentive program.  This offer is now extended through the end of June 2010…  If you mention “Autism Speaks Orange County”  to us when purchasing any water filter system from us, you will receive a 20% DISCOUNT and in addition Pure Elements will donate up to $750 to Autism Speaks Orange County to support the cause.

This is a wonderful way to achieve a healthy home environment and eliminate or reduce the heavy metals and other contaminants found in our tap water today.  And in the process you save some money and some money goes to a good cause.

Again, this offer is ONLY until the end of June 2010.  So call or email us today!

949-644-1800
pureelementsnow@gmail.com

A movement to ban water softeners continues to grow in certain cities in California.  Rancho Cucamonga, Montclair, Fontana, Upland, Ontario, Chino, and Chino Hills are all looking to ban the installation of new salt-based water softeners, and considering offering cash rebates for the removal of existing systems.

Water in Southern California has been challenging for many people.  The tap water tends to be hard (high in calcium) and causes scale damage and buildup, and does not taste good.  Residential water softeners help reduce the calcium, but create a need to remove the salt with a secondary point of use purified drinking water system.  Water softeners help reduce the use of detergent in the laundry and water heaters can use up to 25% less energy when connected to these systems, which can provide a notable savings.  (However, those benefits are now available using salt-free, environmentally sound technology in whole-house water systems like the HealthyHome Solution by Pure Elements.)

There appears to be a significant cost to the environment using the old-fashioned salt-based water softeners.  All the salt that you pour into a softener is discharged into the sewer system and environment.  In this particular instance, the salt discharges into the Chino groundwater basin.  The basin runs underneath the ground and therefore it cannot be seen.  However, the Inland Empire Utilities Agency says the salt is polluting the groundwater, which is the main source of water for this area.  They are now offering up to $2,000 in cash to residents to stop using salt-based water softeners.

This issue is not just affecting California – It is a domestic and worldwide problem.  Europe and Australia are dealing with this as well, and their solution has been to embrace salt-free technology.  Water conditioning, rather than salt softening, is proving to be the best choice.

Culligan does not believe that the education of the public and the bans will significantly hurt their business.  They believe the benefits of the salt-based softeners will outweigh the environmental concerns, and people will continue to use salt-based water softeners at the expense of the environment.  Are they kidding?  It sounds like the same attitude BP Oil seems to have..?

What would you do?  Would you keep the old water softener and continued to pump salt into the environment?  Why not take the $2,000 and invest in a new salt free water conditioning filter that addressed the same issues as the water softener, with other added benefits such as great tasting drinking water and chemical free bathing?

Read the article here and form your own opinion. http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_15239507

Outdated wrong choice for home water treatment.                                                        The Right choice – Pure Elements filter.

This is the Healthy Home Solution home water purification system by Pure Elements, Inc. A whole house water filtration solution like this one is much easier to maintain because it is nearly maintenance-free. The filter media high quality filter media inside the purifier only needs replacing once every 8 to 10 years. This makes it an “out of sight and out of mind” option. Therefore, we believe it to be much easier than the point of use and under the sink, water filters. Those filters need to be changed out for a new filter once every 3 months or so because they are so small. Moreover, they do not clean their own media like the Pure Elements home water filter does. This is a key feature that very few water filters have.

This home water purifier efficiently removes or reduces chemicals, odors and bad tastes from your home drinking and shower water. The usual cast of bad characters found in most of today’s municipal water supplies such as chloramines, chlorine, organics, pesticides, and heavy metals are removed or significantly reduced.

In addition, what is also special about this home water treatment unit is it reduces hard water issues without the use of a 30-pound bag of salt each month. The Healthy Home Solution does not use any salt but instead conditions the water using other means rather than chemical. (See our video about our proprietary catalytic converter.) It is an entirely green and environmentally sound approach to water purification. No salt is dumped into the sewer system endangering the environment and water recycling facilities.

This whole house water purification unit is beneficial because it takes care of all your needs for the entire home. You do not have to put a water filter under every sink and a shower filter on every shower. It is all taken care of from one source right where the water comes in to your home.

HealthyHome Solutions’ whole house water filtration system is unique.  Not only does it remove all the chemicals, odors, tastes, chloramines, pesticides, and organics but it also uses a proprietary version of a salt free water-conditioning product.  Nobody else on the market has this conditioning product.  Moreover, we have had this water-conditioning converter for about 30 years now.  It has proven to be an exceptional alternative to traditional water softeners.  It is completely environmentally green.  No salts are deposited in sewer drains and then into the ocean, landscapes or anywhere else from this water filter.  There is no salt!  You can use the back washed water and safely irrigate your landscape if you would like.  Plus, you do not get the slimy or slippery feeling that you get from water that is using a traditional water softener.  This whole house water filter is very effective at protecting your fixtures, plumbing, and appliances too.  It just helps reduce hard water issues in general.

This is a fully automatic water filter system.  One of our most important features to this filter is that it back washes itself, which keeps the tank clean.  There is never a problem with stagnant water with this tank or what is known as media channeling.  These are not issues because the media is back washed. This eliminates channeling and exposes more surface area of the media because it is moved around.

In addition, because of this automatic back washing, you will not have to service the filter for at least 7 to 10 years.  There are no under counter filters to change.  There are no point of use problems to solve like leaky or clogged hoses. You get the benefits and solutions on a total property or whole house basis.

Another key point is the unique media, which is inside this water filtration system.  Some of the media is more proprietary and other media used is common.  However, the big secret is the method in which the media layers within the tank.  It is the order of how the water “sees” the media.  It is critical for proper removal of contaminants the water sees the media in the right order.  This order makes a huge difference and yet our competitors do not know about it or do not use it.   It makes all the difference in how effective the water filter works.

This media order is another of Pure Elements’ secrets and another reason why we have a superior product.  We have taken the time from an engineering standpoint to make sure that our whole house water filtration system functions at the very highest standards.

Water conditioning systems are different then salt-based water softeners.  They use a different technology which in involves the use of a catalytic converter.  They do not use salt as traditional softeners do.  This is why water conditioners are better for you and the environment.

Pure Elements, Inc.  uses a proprietary catalytic converter that no one else has.  This unit deals with hard water issues very effectively without the use of salt.

The video above shows the whole home water filter version of the catalytic converter.

The key to the product is the proprietary core.  The core has fins which increase the surface area so the state of calcium carbonate can be changed more readily.  This core permanently changes the state of the hard water.  It reduces the scaling properties and reduces the hard water issues in the home.  It also helps with issues concerning landscaping, water features, spas, and swimming pools.

If you would like to know more details about this proprietary hard water conditioning system, please call us.  Again, no one else on the market has this proprietary converter.  Some competitors will claim they have something but it is not like all our’s at all.  In fact, in a future video we will dissect one of our competitors so called converters so you can judge for yourself whether you think it is a viable technology merely advertising hype.  We stand firmly by our technology and have for 30 years.

Contact us today.

Here is one of our HealthyHome Solutions, which we feel is the best whole house water filter available. This particular filter was installed in a large Shady Canyon home in Irvine, California.  We filmed this short video as the whole house water purification unit was being prepared to be installed in this home in the heart of Orange County, California.

The HealthyHome Solution water filter provides exceptional drinking water filtration.  This filter will remove chemicals and odors throughout the whole house.  It will improve the water taste by removing organics, pesticides, and many heavy metals.  It means you can have great tasting water from every faucet in the house and not just one specific faucet.  And of course, it covers the water going to your bath and showers which is where much of the damage to your skin and soft tissues from chlorine can be done.

Home water filter systems offered by our competitors do not have secret component this particular product contains.  This popular filter contains a catalytic water conditioner that is our proprietary unit that is an alternative to salt-based water softeners.  This water conditioner will reduce the hard water issues throughout the house without the use of salt, potassium or any chemicals.  It reduces hard water more naturally and therefore does not cause any problem to the environment.   This whole house water filter is considered environmentally friendly because of that fact.

http://water.org/2010/03/celebrating-worldwaterday

The HealthyHome Solution water filter system in this home has an estimated filter capacity to remove chlorine and contaminants from 2.25 million gallons of water.  The owners of this water filter will not need to replace the filter media for a very very long time.  With this home water filter system, a typical media replacement takes place every 10 years.

This is one of pure Elements’ HealthyHome Total Property Solution systems.  One more special feature of this water filter system, not found in any other systems, is a proprietary catalytic conditioner on the main water line.  This water conditioner is located directly behind the meter and provides benefits to the landscaping, water features, and the salt pool in the backyard.  This salt-free conditioner helps the water percolate better to plant roots.   Staining on spillways and fountains will be reduced.  In addition, the heating unit, pumps and plumbing of the salt pool will be protected from hard water buildup and costly maintenance.

After a taste test with the owner, we confirmed the filtered water straight out of the kitchen sink tasted better than their Sparkletts bottled water!  Now they get healthier, high quality water directly from every faucet in the home, without the extreme cost and environmental problems associated with bottled waters.

Contact us for more information regarding the many ways the HealthyHome Solution can help you solve your water quality issues.

Innovation is driving the water treatment field – Whole house water filters now utilize numerous different technologies to achieve a quality result of healthier, chemical and salt-free water for use throughout the home.  Dray states:  “…focus on businesses that address high end of water technology—things like desalination, filtration, ultra-filtration, water test, and then focus on which companies are best in breed.”  Stay tuned… soon the companies that manufacture salt-free alternatives to water softeners will be making a showing in the financial markets.

Why are we allowing ourselves to be exposed to a potentially toxic chemical, not to mention being forced to consume it in our drinking water supplied by municipalities?  Fluoride has many ramifications – and a long history of being use to alter the state of beings…  Did you know that fluoride is used to keep bulls docile? And that this chemical was used in concentration camps to keep the prisoners in a less rebellious state?   Having studied the many issues surrounding the fluoride controversy, I have come to have the realization that this is something we should not be exposed to except on our own terms, at our own discretion.  Fluoride is big industry and government’s way of disposing of fluorine gas.

Some critical questions exist:  How can we be sure the municipalities are adding the proper amount of fluoride, never too much or too little?  And how does this fluoride contribute to our daily intake, when combined with dietary sources and toothpastes?  I want to control my family’s exposure to this chemical, and the water never has a constant amount I can expect to be present.

What if I want to remove the fluoride from my water?  The only water filtration systems that remove the chemical now are reverse osmosis water systems and alumina filters.  Reverse osmosis systems waste water, strip all the healthy minerals, and create a dead taste.  Alumina filter media traps the fluoride, but I had heard that our government wants to charge to have the spent media hauled away as toxic waste!  So I see red flags and hypocrisy – Our government is forcing fluoride on us in our drinking water, and the telling us it is too toxic to throw away in the trash?

Here are a couple of videos about fluoride.  Take some time to educate yourself about it.  There is something going on here…

Doesn’t it seem interesting that an island, surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, can’t use technologies from today’s water filtering systems to desalinate and supply potable, filtered water for domestic use?  Catalina is a perfect example of the successful use of an industrial reverse osmosis water system (RO) to provide water for its inhabitants and visitors.  Santa Barbara is using reverse osmosis technology, as is Tijuana, Mexico.  Ocean-going vessels have used the technology for years, including our Navy.  It looks like Hawaii may want to start planning for an alternative water treatment source, as their precipitation (like everywhere else in the world) is somewhat unpredictable, and certainly uncontrollable.   Should we chalk this year’s reduced rainfall on Hawaii up to Global Warming?

Source:  Drought costing Hawaii Big Island residents

Read more about Pacific Gyre clean-up here.

At least we do not have to worry about particles this big in our drinking water.  But what about all the things you cannot see?  Those contaminants are what can cause trouble.  A good whole house water filter like stated above can remove those tiny invisible heavy metals, pesticides, as well as chlorine and other chemicals.

Whole house water purification is becoming more and more essential to our daily lives.  What else explains the gigantic sales of all the exotic bottled waters?  People are afraid of their tap water and they should not be if the water is properly filtered.  There is no need to buy expensive bottled water when you can drink and shower in tap water safely.  You just need the best whole house water filter on the market to feel confident.

Call us today and ask us some questions about the HealthyHome Solution water filter and how it can benefit your life.

Our federal government has been overlooking at least 271 million pounds of pharmaceuticals currently dumped into our waterways by U.S. drug companies and other manufacturers.  These dumped drugs while legally disposed of are still finding their way into our drinking water.

Manufacturing uses pharmaceuticals in making many household items.   Therefore, it is not only pharmaceutical companies dumping these drugs.  Copper is common to contraceptives and pipe making.  Explosives contain nitroglycerin and so do heart medications.  One can find lithium in ceramics as well as drugs to treat bipolar disorder.

There is no record keeping by the Federal government or industrial companies to discover the true extent of the number of pharmaceuticals expelled into our waterways.  In fact only by accident can investigators estimate the amount.  It turns out the government has unwittingly been keeping data on a few of the drugs factories discard.

Read this article for the whole story Drugs Taint Drinking Water

According to an article written in February of 2010, tests have been run confirming the presence of the insecticides such as pyrethroids in California water.  The study, which was conducted by UC Berkley and Southern Illinois University researchers found the commonly used ant pesticide in some Sacramento streams and rivers.  It is possibly endangering the survival of freshwater fish.  It is a definite sign the river eco-system could face some trouble.  The adult fish are not so much directly endanger but because the sensitive prey items of the infant fish are susceptible to the pyrethroids, the young fish might not be able to find food.

Water samples were taken from the San Joaquin River and the American River up near Sacramento.  The section where the researchers worked through is considered some of the cleanest of the area.  Some hypersensitive shrimp were used to point out how toxic the water was with pesticides.  It was enough to kill the shrimp, which meant probably enough to kill the larvae of several species of flies the young fish eat.  This is not good and obviously shows a bigger problem looming in the future.

The result of the research suggested the pesticide contaminants would continue to rise in the water unless alternatives were discovered.  We found the article concerning.  Read the article for more details.  Pesticides.

So what does this mean to us water consumers?  Well, it means that to be safe, a water purification system of some sort might be a wise investment for homeowners and renters.

In most water purification systems reviews you will see all sorts of filtration systems that go under the sink or on the counter top.  You will also see whole house water purification systems.  Under the sink water filters and counter-top filters are good for renters or people who do not expect to be living in a place for that long.  Or they are good for drinking water applications only.  They cannot stop toxins from entering your body when your pores open in a hot shower.  This is the problem with those types of purification systems.

In those water system reviews you will often see whole house water systems but the problem in our eyes with these types of generic systems is they do not address YOUR specific water needs.  Water filters should address the specific problems of a given city or municipal water supply.  A common non-specific water filter you buy off Amazon may not do that.  While it might be better than nothing, it may not be worth the money you spend on it and could be made ineffective in a short period of time if the system does not back flush itself.  A water filtering system that does not back flush must be replaced often depending on the size of the home in relation to the filter size.

Obviously, at Pure Elements we favor whole house water purification systems because we feel they do a better job of removing the chemicals, pesticides, chlorine, and other contaminants.  However, in our view it must be a CUSTOM water purification method.  That is why we feel we offer a better water filtration set up than our competitors.  They do not take the time to do what we do in making sure we properly address a clients concern.  They say they do but they do not.  How do we know?  We know because we are always converting their systems over to ours or fixing their mistakes.  Ask us about it.

Pure Elements installs whole house water filter systems in Irvine, Newport Beach, Corona del Mar, Costa Mesa, San Clemente, Tustin, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano, Laguna Beach, Coto de Caza, El Toro, Foothill Ranch, Orange, Mission Viejo, Lake Forest, Laguna Nigel, Shady Canyon, Santa Ana, and Aliso Viejo as well as many Orange County, California cities.

Systems are also available for installation anywhere the USA.

All Pure Elements whole house water filter purification systems are customized according to the needs of our customers.  We have found that no one generic water filtering system can properly eliminate all the water problems occurring across the USA.  Custom whole house water filter purification systems are best because they are tailored to the specific water problems.

Recently we chatted with a person online who could concerned about chlorine byproducts.   He could not justify purchasing a water filtration system from us because he did not own the apartment he lived in.  However, he wanted to know about shower water filters.  For people in this predicament, this is what we advise.

“We would advise you that some type of  safeguard is more preferable than doing nothing, so a screw on shower water filter is definitely an option for your apartment.

Shower water filters like this one are better than using nothing.

Perform some comprehensive exploration online; locate a shower filter which includes together activated carbon along with KDF media; check out web sites regarding comparisons (Be aware – various water filter companies and dealers essentially sponsor and publish biased comparisons); and make a decision as to the best shower water filter for your situation.

Be certain to replace the filter media or get a new filter at a minimum of every six months.   If you possibly could manage it every three months, would be even better.  At the very least you will experience some protection from the frightening second-hand chlorine byproducts!”

If you don’t know already, it is time to learn about the risks associated with chlorine in your bath and shower.  Even the best screw on shower water filters, while providing some protection, are not nearly as effective as our eco-friendly home water filtration system.

Healthy Water  Article #1 for our Healthy Water fans – This supports the need for whole house water purification and environmentally sound, green water conditioning. Watch the video – Don’t you need to take control of your home water quality now?  The government is not able to do it for you.  It takes them too long to react and upgrade old laws.  In the mean time, you risk getting sick or even seriously ill from tainted tap water.  Again, please watch this video because this is scary.

Want a whole house water filter but think you cannot afford it?  Call us because we work out deals for people.  We feel we have the best whole house water filter available on the market and we want to get them into people’s homes.  This is not just about sales.  It is about helping people.  Home water filter systems will become more prevalent as time goes on because our water supplies are not staying clean.

I sometimes lay awake at night knowing that Pure Elements’ water systems have helped provide higher water quality for people in their homes, but how can we remove all of the plastic bottles, toys and other items from the Pacific ocean and save our sea life (and ultimately ourselves)?

It may seem crazy – but what if we took our old tankers that can no longer transport oil or cargo and converted them, using our best water filtration system, into big “sweepers” the traveled back and forth across the Gyre picking up debris and contaminants? I was just wondering…

It is important to undertake a home water filter comparison.  If you install an undersized toy for a home water filtration system , expect to feel results similar to putting a tourniquet on you water supply.  Always match any water system exactly to your incoming pipe diameter – rely on a trusted expert to help you.

The best shower water filter is installed by us in many Orange County cites including:  Newport Beach, Corona del Mar, Irvine, Tustin, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana and many more California cities!  Call us today for an estimate or for more information.  (949) 644-1800

Dr. Oz goes off on our drinking water quality here in the United States. It isn’t good and appears to be getting worse. He states that we need to take responsibility for our own health. The answer again is water filter purification systems. Only way to do it now is by using water filtration at the point of use or for the whole house. We of course are in the business of whole house filters. They end up costing less and stay more efficient longer because they don’t need media changing very often.

One thing Dr. Oz didn’t talk about was that a key feature your whole home water filter should have to prolong its effectiveness is a back flushing mode. The model he shows at the end of the video above doesn’t have this feature. This means you will have to change it sooner. Our Healthy Home Solution water filter has a back flushing feature and that’s one of the reasons it is such a high quality filter.

Reference:  Is Your Water Safe?

We were doing this water softener system conversion the other day and talking about how bad it is to use salt in these water softeners.  The salt damages our environment which is why slowly but surely, communities are banning them.

So we are talking about this and then RD Allen tells me he was in shock after hearing that Home Depot continuing to recommend water softeners and sells roughly ten to twenty a month locally.  I couldn’t believe that because I thought it was such a bad public relations move on Home Depot’s part.  The fact that California has legislation in motion this year to ban and remove water softeners would support this.   If it doesn’t happen soon, it is just a question of time because softeners are harsh.  Check out all the pertaining articles here at the Water Quality Association.

Home Depot should seriously think about this because selling water softener systems for several grand a piece, that they know are going to be outlawed at soon to arrive future date, seems a little shady at best.  I mean, doesn’t it?  Unless of course they warn potential buyers that the systems might be illegal soon.  Just my opinion but I know I wouldn’t be happy if I unwittingly bought one and then Home Depot wouldn’t take it back.

Author Jim Rubel

Water Softeners typically have three sections. The white tank on the right is the one we can convert into a whole house water filter.

The water softener salt tank on the left needs 50 lb bags of salt to operate. The floor drain is typical of Midwest well water systems. We usually run attractive PVC out to landscape drains so there aren't any unsightly floor drains.

Why would anyone want a messy three tank set up that demands maintenance all the time when they could have a nice clean single tank whole house water filter system. It is a system that conditions the water rather than softens it but it does change the hard water. And it doesn't hurt the environment. Perfectly safe and green in design.

It turned out that the previous install was so improperly done that the system wasn’t even working right.  Part of the problem was the outtake tube was broken at the top.  The previous company hadn’t bothered to fit the tube correctly.   It was a quarter inch too high.  Guess they didn’t care enough to do it right.  Plus the water filter was also back flushing once every 30 days which is not efficient or effective.

Author Jim Rubel

La Verne water softener conversion to whole house water filter

Get one of the best shower water filters to protect you and your family from chlorine in your home.

There are major health concerns relating to chlorine in your bath and shower water. When you take a bath or shower, the heated temperature of the water leaves the pores in your skin wide open. Your body literally absorbs chlorine like a giant sponge.

Chlorine in your shower water is absorbed into your skin and lungs.

In addition, the chlorine is released into the air through steam, forcing it into your body through respiration and your lungs. Both of these pathways are direct entrances to the blood, without the additional filtration provided through your esophagus and digestive system. The chlorine is driven directly into the body at much higher levels than if you were to consume water with the same chlorine level. It is extremely important and greatly beneficial to you and your family’s wellness to remove the chlorine before you even enter your bath or shower. Shower head filters only provide limited protection – The rapid flow rates of the shower and the limited amount of media result in partial chemical removal and a very short life (this means you spend lots of money to maintain a moderate result).

Typical shower head filter must be replaced often or it becomes ineffective.

A whole home water filter and conditioning system is the most maintenance free and environmentally responsible solution to chlorine removal from your living environment. The Healthy home Solution from Pure Elements is the best shower water filter and water filtration system available today for the consumer.

Information on Chlorine:
Chlorine Poisoning
What are the Symptoms of Chlorine Poisoning?
The Facts About Chlorine

The whole house water filter and conditioning system is the best answer to removing chlorine from your shower water.

What is the maintenance required on a home water filter system like the Healthy Home Solution?

As long as you have a high quality water filtration and conditioning system like the Healthy Home Solution
by Pure Elements, Inc., which does not use any salt or chemicals in its water conditioning process, your
maintenance interval is between five and ten years under normal conditions.

By contrast, a basic cartridge water filter or something more complicated like a reverse osmosis drinking
water system under each counter requires maintenance at least every year, if not every six months. These home
water filter systems require regular filter changes or they can be rendered ineffective (or even worse – they
can actually contaminate the drinking water if not properly maintained). And every time you open a filter
cartridge, you risk bacterial contamination. The Healthy Home Solution eliminates the need for frequent maintenance,
and the ongoing costs resulting from it.

Water Filters like these need constant replacing because they are so small.

When you simplify water filtration and conditioning using a whole house approach, you dramatically reduce your
maintenance costs and eliminate the headaches associated with point of use drinking water systems at each sink or faucet.
If you do the math, a quality whole house water filter will provide you with exceptional water quality for less than a
penny per gallon from every faucet and fixture, which is much less expensive when compared to the point of use systems or buying bottled water.

Clean filtered water from every faucet with a whole home water filter.

As a strong proponent and developer of environmentally sound salt-free technologies for addressing hard water, we see this as a major sign of the times. Whole-house water filter and conditioning systems provide a superior alternative that meets the needs for a Green product.

So why do the big water softener manufacturers like Culligan call this “a Big Government grab at private property.”? Do they think that the government wants to own a bunch of used water softening systems? I believe they are in denial regarding the serious issues chlorides create at municipalities and treatment plants.

Aside from making it difficult to meeting federal water quality standards, these chlorides dramatically increase the cost of treatment (including fines for non-compliance). These costs are passed on to us, the individual homeowner. As stated by the home water softener industry, removing residential softeners would leave 25% of homeowners with hard water. If ¼ of homeowners are dumping chlorides into the sewer systems, this has to be a substantial source and volume of chlorides delivered directly to the water treatment plants.

We have the answers in proven alternatives that eliminate the extreme costs for the removal of chlorides, and benefit the environment. Hey, Culligan Man, when are you going to wake up and stop trying to save the dinosaur salt-based softeners?

References: Watertechonline 9/10/09 – Softener bill passes
LA Times 9/10/09 – Water Softener bill
LA Times 6/26/09 – Culligan lobbies for its life

One of the questions we get quite often is, “What is the expected life of a high-quality whole house water filtration and conditioning system?”

The hardware on a quality products like whole house water treatment systems should last up to about 25 years. The water filter media and other things on the inside, if they are state-of-the-art, should only need attention every 5 to 10 years.

This is a water filtration system that you purchase once, and in essence you service it approximately once per decade to bring it back to an as-new operating condition.

If you have been following the news in California, you have probably seen the recent move by cities and municipalities to ban old-fashioned salt-based water softeners.

This is not a new controversy – softener bans were in place in California over 30 years ago in some areas.  However, there is definitely a new awareness of the environmental issues caused directly by the chlorides introduced into the ecosystem from water softeners.  These products operate by removing calcium from incoming water and replacing it with sodium or potassium.  In the regeneration or self-cleaning process, salt brine goes down the drain as calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, and excess sodium or potassium chloride.  Wastewater treatment facilities remove very little of these mineral concentrations, and therefore they are passed along to the environment.  

Chlorides and increased salinity negatively affect recycled water and wastewater quality.  The ability for municipalities to meet federal guidelines becomes dramatically impaired as salinity increases, sometimes resulting in federal fines.   In addition to increasing the costs for wastewater treatment (seen directly in your water bill), the salts wreak havoc on landscape and farming irrigation, reducing crop quality and yields.  Chlorides can also harm aquatic life. Laundry detergents work less efficiently, plumbing fixtures and home appliances wear out faster, and costs increase for maintaining boilers, cooling towers and manufacturing processes.  Everyone bears these increased costs and the environment is adversely affected.

Why are companies like Culligan fighting so hard to avoid bans on these old-fashioned machines, rather than putting their efforts into finding alternative technologies that benefit the environment?  If you have been following the news, Culligan (the largest player in California) has been making every effort to diffuse the issue by pointing to other sources of salts and chlorides, rather than offering a real solution.  It is profit motivation, pure and simple.  The water softening business is a $500 million annual cash cow for these companies.  And the water softener salt and potassium business is also a multimillion dollar industry driving big profits for companies like Morton.

Major water softener companies also stand to make millions of dollars by providing a portable exchange tank service (where the regeneration takes place en mass at a plant instead of in the individual home, and the salts are routed to another area where a ban is not yet in place).  Rental services like this require access to the customer’s home once every three weeks, offer only unpredictable efficiency, and continually tap into checkbooks with no opportunity for ownership.

So what can the manufacturers of old-fashioned water softeners do, if they are really concerned about the environment?  The answer lies in alternative technologies, some old and some new, that do not rely on salt, potassium or chlorides to reduce hard water problems for consumers.  I have personally worked with several companies for nearly three decades that use specific catalysts and/or media to reduce hard water issues in the home, without any foreign substances required to perform well.  These technologies have stood the test of time, making permanent changes in the hard water minerals (unlike inconsistent magnetic or sonic devices).  When combined with whole house water filtration, these systems can produce exceptional water quality for consumption, cooking, ice and other household needs.

The time has come for the manufacturers of traditional salt-based water softeners to think outside the box, rather than spending their time, advertising and public relations dollars to scratch for share in shrinking market.  New technologies exist for those with open minds – everyone and our environment will be better off when these companies decide to become innovative once again.

Reference: LA Times Link…  LA Times article, June 26, 2009 — Culligan lobbies…

What are the reasons to buy a new type of whole house water conditioner and not a traditional salt-based water softener?  Why is there a substantial movement to get away from old-fashioned ion exchange water softening systems?

The answers are quite simple:

1) Old-fashioned water softeners use salt and add chlorides to the environment, adversely affecting us all and increasing treatment costs.

2)  New technologies exist that address the same issues as the old-fashioned water softeners, but without the use of salt or other chemicals.  These new technologies do not put salt and chlorides into the eco-system, helping to protect our environment.

New technology in water filtration systems keeps salt out of the environment.

3)  Many consumers do not like the “slimy feeling” that traditional softeners create when they soften the water.  These old systems make it feel like you can’t rinse shampoo out of your hair or wash the soap
off your body.  Terrycloth towels end up feeling too soft and unnatural.  Many people find these slippery and slimy characteristics extremely annoying.

4)  With a traditional home water softener system you are required to monitor, purchase and dump heavy bags of salt into the system as needed.

50 lbs bags of salt for water softening systems.

There doesn’t seem to be much point in buying an antiquated and problem-causing water softener when you can own an environmentally friendly (Green) water filtration and conditioning system utilizing new technology to addresses the same issues and do even more.  And the state of the art systems require no regular maintenance or adding of cumbersome, costly salt pellets.

Will I get slippery-slimy feeling water from using Whole  House Water Filtration Filters and a Conditioning System as I do now with my water softener?

A lot people wonder if they use today’s new salt-free technologies to address hard water issues, will the water still have that slippery-slimy feel that is common with salt-based water softening systems.  And the answer to that question is “NO.”

We have technologies today that reduce the hard water issues in your home without introducing sodium or other salts.   Therefore we do not suffer from what RD Allen calls, “A set of man-made characteristics” that come from the old-fashioned traditional water softeners.

No slippery, slimy or oily feeling.  The soap and shampoo rinses completely off, and you feel fresh and clean when you get out of the shower.  That is what you get with a high-quality water filter and conditioning system like the Healthy Home Solution.

What are the features of the Healthy Home Solution whole house water filter and conditioning system?

The features included in our water filter are many but there are six primary features to this product.

1)  Health – We want to remove all the chemicals, odors, and physical things from your entire living environment.  And thereby provide home wellness for you and your family.

2) Taste and Quality – We want Great quality water coming from every faucet for drinking, cooking, coffee making.  We want it to be in every case possible to be as good as or better than the bottled waters out there.

3) Environmental Aspects – This product has been designed to be completely “GREEN.”  We do not add any chemicals to the eco-system.  The product is energy efficient with regards to both electricity and water usage.  It is a very efficient product.

4) Hard Water Issues – We can toss out the old traditional water softeners that add the sodium and chlorine to our environment and are being banned all over many communities across the United States.  Use technologies that will reduce the hard water in your house without the slippery or slimy feel and the addition of salt or chemicals.  Our catalytic water conditioner change the state of the calcium and reduce the hard water issues so your pipes and appliances will not get clogged with deposits.  This is also beneficial to water features such as koi ponds, swimming pools and fountains if you get a total property HealthyHome Solutions system.

5) Economics – This system will save you money in the long term because not only will it protect the assets of the appliances and plumbing in your house but it will greatly reduce if not eliminate your reliance on bottled water.  And cost just pennies per gallon for the water that you would use in an unlimited manner in your home.

6) Convenience – This is a set it and forget it system.  There are no under counter filters to change.  No ongoing maintenance costs on a regular basis.  No cartridges going into the eco-system or landfills.  It is a product you install and you address and give it attention somewhere in the 5 to 10 year range.

Those are the features and benefits that make the Healthy Home Solution water filtration system far superior to anything else we see on the market today.

Why is whole house water filtration better than a cartridge water filter system?  Why does the media last much longer than the average water filter?  And why does any high-quality whole house water filtration system require a drain?

All of these questions can be addressed in one answer.

Specifically, we want our product to clean and refresh itself on a regular basis.  Usually every seven days is best.  We expose more surface area and therefore dramatically increase the life of the media.

This filter system is much better than standard whole house water filter cartridge systems because of the regular cleaning and restructuring of the media.  And in our product, the Healthy Home Solution, this is all done with an automatic back-washing feature which requires a connection to a drain. The water that drains out is clean water.  There are no chemicals added, nor does it introduce any sodium or chloride as is done by traditional water softeners.  This water can be directed to either the sewer, a landscape drain, or to reuse for irrigation and landscape watering.

How does the Healthy Home Solution water conditioner compare to magnet water treatment?

This is an important question. While we don’t want to knock the
magnets, there are some serious differences in the technology.

Magnet water treatment makes a temporary change in the polarity of the water. The key
word there is temporary. When the change is taking place, a magnet
will definitely reduce hard water issues. But if you don’t use the
water in the specific time allotted, it will actually revert back to
its original state and you will lose all the benefits. That puts a
lot of pressure on the home owner to use the water immediately after
it’s been through the magnet.

And anyone who does magnets properly in a home these days will not
just put one in but they will put one on the water main and one on the
inlet and one on the outlet of the water heater. Sometimes a magnet
will need to be put on dishwasher, on the shower head of each bath and
everywhere else the home owner wants to improve his water. The costs
become astronomical and the reason is they are trying to keep the
polarity consistent. You need a lot of magnets to keep that polarity in place so the
consumer can benefit from the magnets at all outlets.

On the other hand, our technology makes a permanent change in the
calcium carbonate. Once the water has been through our unit the
calcium carbonate has lost the majority of its attraction for itself
and metal and other types of surfaces. So it loses its ability to
bond and it is a permanent state and there are no worries in regards
to time frame in which the water must be used.

We think it is obvious this is a much easier and cheaper way to
eliminate the hard water issues in your home.

Can anyone install water filtration purification systems?

Can anyone install a whole house water filtration system?  The answer is a qualified, “yes.”  Anybody who has experience with plumbing can install it.  Any licensed plumber should be qualified to install these systems.  If you haven’t worked with soldering copper using torches and those different things, you are probably better off leaving it to a professional.  Use a plumber, a professional water treatment specialist or installation technician to make sure you get the install right.

What are the advantages of using a salt free softening water system (actually a conditioner) such as the Healthy Home Solution system?

Newer technologies have been discovered that replace the technologies used in traditional water softeners.  These newer technologies take care of all the same problems the older softeners took care of but without the need for salt or potassium chloride.  {Note: Many communities across the country are making traditional water softeners illegal because of the dangers they pose to the environment.  It is probably not wise at this point to invest in such a system since they may soon be outlawed everywhere.  See this recent article from the LA Times.} LA Times – Culligan Lobbies And check out this article on the damaging affects of old fashioned water softeners.

All water filtration systems Pure Elements offers are salt and chemical free.  They are better for the environment and better for you.  There is almost no maintenance required.  There is no slippery or slimy feeling to the water as you get with traditional water softeners.  And you don’t have to go out and buy bags of salt and then go to the garage and lift 50 pound bags into the filter.  All this hassle has been eliminated with the use of our system.

Note:  Our systems are technically water conditioners and not water softeners.  However, most people don’t know about water conditioning so they don’t think to look it up for information.

In water conditioning the hard water is treated and calcium left in the water.  Better for you and no slippery feel.  This is good.  In traditional water softening the calcium is removed and the water gets salt and chemicals added to it in order to “soften” and remove the hard water.  The salt and chemicals stay in the water you consume.  The water has a slippery feel.  This is bad.

One of the first questions often asked by potential customers is, “How do residential water purification systems address hard water without removing the calcium?” For many people removing calcium is undesirable for health reasons.   Old fashioned water softeners remove the calcium as well as cause problems with the environment.

The answer is by using new technologies that permanently change the state of calcium in the water its abilities to bond are dramatically reduced.   Thereby calcium is kept suspended or dissolved in the water so you can benefit from that and yet hard water issues are greatly reduced.

Now you can retain the benefits of the calcium in the water but still reduce the hard water issues which affect your plumbing, appliances, water heaters and fixtures throughout your home.

If you’d like to learn more about the exact technologies that Pure Elements, Inc. uses in their Healthy Home Solution water filtration system, call RD Allen today and ask him directly.  (949) 644-1800

Help reduce your carbon footprint with home water filter systems.

How do home water filter systems or whole house water filter conditioning system reduce carbon footprints?

Carbon footprints – What kind of carbon footprint do you think is created or generated by the bottled water industry? Let’s take for example what it takes to bottle water in Fuji, fly it 2000 miles so you can buy it off a shelf in the United States. That’s energy to make the plastic bottles, fill them and package them. There’s a lot of fuel being burnt there too whether they are shipped by boat or air.

Now think about what it takes to drive a diesel truck around delivering bottles. More spent fuel. Not to mention the waste that is created by the actual bottles themselves. Four out of every five plastic bottles is not recycled. They end up in our landfills or out in the ocean in places like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. That’s 38 billion bottles going into the earth or oceans each year.

So the carbon footprint of bottled water is quite dramatic. You can greatly reduce that by installing a quality whole house filtration system and having water that in many cases is the same or better quality coming right out of every fixture in your home.

Why do whole house water filtration systems need a drain?

People often ask when we are talking about installing a whole house water filtration system why the unit needs a drain.  The reason is our water filter systems are designed to automatically clean themselves on weekly basis.  This is an exceptional feature and it is critical that any whole house water filter system you are considering contains this feature.  This cleaning process moves the media around and exposes more surface area to help remove more chloride and other foreign items.  It also extends the media life by 15 to 25 times.  In the process while it cleans itself, it does expel water.  This is a safe water with nothing foreign added to it like chemicals or chlorides like a traditional water softener might contain. Those are the reasons we have these water filtration systems that backwash and require a drain.  And the drained off water can be routed to a landscape drain, sewer or even used to irrigate your landscape which we recommend.

What makes your water filter environmentally sound and green in design?

Our Healthy Home Solution water filter system whole house is environmentally sound and
green in design. Our purpose is to not add anything foreign to
environment. No sodium. No potassium. No chlorides. And it
operates on an effective energy conservation approach. Our water
filter uses very little electricity.

What are the features of the Healthy Home Solution whole house water filter and conditioning system?

The features included in the best water filter system are many but there are six primary features to this product.

1)       Health – We want to remove all the chemicals, odors, and physical things from your entire living environment.  And thereby provide home wellness for you and your family.

2)      Taste and Quality – We want Great quality water coming from every faucet for drinking, cooking, coffee making.  We want it to be in every case possible to be as good as or better than the bottled waters out there.

3)      Environmental Aspects – This product has been designed to be completely “GREEN.”  We do not add any chemicals to the eco-system.  The product is energy efficient with regards to both electricity and water usage.  It is a very efficient product.

4)      Hard Water Issues – We can toss out the old traditional water softeners that add the sodium and chlorine to our environment and are being banned all over many communities across the United States.  Use technologies that will reduce the hard water in your house without the slippery or slimy feel and the addition of salt or chemicals.

5)      Economics – This system will save you money in the long term because not only will it protect the assets of the appliances and plumbing in your house but it will greatly reduce if not eliminate your reliance on bottled water.  And cost just pennies per gallon for the water that you would use in an unlimited manner in your home.

6)      Convenience – This is a set it and forget it system.  There are no under counter filters to change.  No ongoing maintenance costs on a regular basis.  No cartridges going into the eco-system or landfills.  It is a product you install and you address and give it attention somewhere in the 5 to 10 year range.

Those are the features and benefits that make the Healthy Home Solution water filtration system far superior to anything else we see on the market today.

Do Ionizers work with most water softeners, home water filtration systems, and whole house water filters?

So what about the latest trend in ionized water and ionized drinking water systems? If you choose to do that with your drinking water for health purposes, it is very important that your home water filtration system is 100% compatible. Traditional technologies like ion-exchange salt-based water softeners and in some cases reverse osmosis render ionizers useless. You need to make sure you have a compatible whole house filtration system. Everything that we manufacture at Pure Elements, Inc., is 100% compatible with the ionizers. And in fact will provide exceptional pre- treatment which enhances the quality of water that comes out of those ionizer systems.

RD Allen: A big question today is how does an environmentally sound salt-free water conditioning and filtration system benefit the environment?

The first answer is simple – a whole house water treatment system will reduce the reliance on plastics and plastic bottles. The second answer is to eliminate the need for traditional and old fashioned residential water softeners that introduce sodium chloride into the eco-system. Traditional water softeners are being banned in many communities in California and across the United States because of the dramatic negative effect they are having on the environment.

What is inside the whole house water purifier filter that takes out the chemicals, odors, tastes and other contaminants?

Top quality whole home filters have 3 to 4 different types of media. Redox media is used to reduce heavy metals. Coconut shell activated carbon is used to remove chlorine, pesticides and other chemicals. A garnet media is used to maintain a high flow rate through the water filter. Make sure any water filter system you are looking contains these media because without them you won’t achieve high quality water filtering.

The Healthy Home Solution home water system is five feet high and only 12 inches in diameter so they don’t take up much room. However, larger homes may require a slightly larger filter. The water conditioner is installed at the water main usually in the garage.

These are two distinct different water issues that you need to be aware of.

Filtering addresses the health and physical side of water quality. Water filters take out the chemicals, pesticides, organics and odors. Bad tastes are taken out with water filtering. Basically the unhealthy elements found in tap water are removed through filtering and the water becomes save drinking water.?

Water softeners address hard water issues. Hard water, specifically the calcium in hard water, is what destroys your plumbing, fixtures, water heaters, and appliances. Hard water can cost you a lot of money if it is not taken care of.

At Pure Elements, Inc. these problems are both dealt with using the environmentally sound and salt-free HealthyHome Solution whole house water filter system.

It takes very little energy to run the Pure Elements’  HealthyHome Solution water filter. This drinking water filtration system has been designed with energy conservation in mine.  The control valve uses less than one amp or roughly around 12 watts. That is little over a quarter of the energy it takes to run a 40 watt light bulb.

Home water filters can contribute to home wellness in a number of ways. There are a variety of chemicals in our cities’ water that have been added to keep us safe from bacteria and other bugs. Chlorine is the most prevalent chemical used. This is good for sterilizing the water and keeping bacteria and other organisms from contaminating the water supply. Those organisms could make you sick. However, the downside to this is the chemicals can make you sick too. These chemicals need to be removed from your home water before you use it. Once the water is sterilized, there is no more need for the chemicals in it. You should not be drinking or bathing in chlorine, ammonia, or any of the other chemicals used. These and other chemicals can cause serious issues when absorbed into our skin and bodies.

The methods used to filter the water can vary quite a bit in method and design. Some people install home water filters on the countertop or under the sink. Other people prefer stripping the water clean by using reverse osmosis systems. These types of water filters are only used for filtering your drinking water. However, it is in the shower where the most damage could be caused. During a hot shower, our pores open up and our skin acts like a giant sponge. It literally soaks up all the chlorine and other contaminants, which can later do damage to our internal organs. This is why we believe the proper method on how to filter water is by using a whole house water filtration system. This solves all your water filtering issues for the whole house at once.

The HealthyHome Solution whole home water filters create a barrier at your front door to keep these chemicals from harming your family. Harmful chemicals and contaminants are removed or reduced to insignificant levels. Right now, the levels of many contaminants are consistently higher than recommended by even the government. The levels vary from city to city across the United States. Dr. Oz recently did a television about it. Therefore, the need to get some whole home water filter is more important than ever.

Now something to be aware of is the fact that because water chemical levels are different across the country, a water filter system set up for Irvine, California may not work for a Boson, Massachusetts residence. A generic water filter will not effectively cover both cities. That is why we at Pure Elements individually customize our system to your water’s distinct problems. This is something you will not see talked about in whole house water filtration reviews. The media used in the filters must be able to filter the exact chemicals and contaminants found in the client’s water or they are not being effective enough to give the proper protection.

Call us or contact us immediately to get more information on a custom whole home water filter or to have a whole house water filter installation completed for you as soon as possible.

It is easy for a home  water filtering system to address the problem of heavy metals in your water but only if done properly. Pure Elements focuses on this very problem with each of their HealthyHome Solution water filters. Iron, lead, mercury, arsenic, zinc and silver are greatly reduced due to the design of this water filter and conditioner. Many of our competitors DO NOT have this component in their filters. Their systems lack the ability to pull out heavy metals.  While doing research on whole home water filters, be sure to make sure that the filter you purchase has the capability of reducing heavy metals.

When considering a whole house water filter system, what is the difference between new green technologies of drinking water filter systems  and old-fashioned water softeners? This is one of the most common questions we hear from people considering a home water filter system.  The big difference is that the old fashioned water softeners dump a lot of salt and chemicals into the ecosystem and into your house.  They end up causing more trouble on top of the hard water problems they are set up to fix.  The combination of hard water issues in the home and the use of these old fashioned water softeners causes a list of serious problems:

• Irreputable damage is caused to the plants, animals and all living organisms we share the ecosystem with and thereby in the end we damage ourselves
• Scale build-up on your fixtures wears them out and clogs them up
• Plumbing rots out with scale build-up and especially older galvanized pipe must be replaced sooner
• Scale builds up in tankless and traditional water heaters causing earlier replacement
• Appliances need to be replaced more often due again to scale build-up

The solution to all these problems is to use a whole house water filter based on new going green technology.  These new water filters eliminate the hard water scale build-up that a traditional water softener was used for.  However, once you stop using a traditional water softener, no salt or chemicals will be dumped into the environment or into your home.

When the server came to my table with chilled water in a stylish, open-neck glass bottle, I did what any water quality expert would do – I asked to see the bottle so I could peruse the contents and learn what types of treatment were used in processing the water.

To my amazement, the server informed me (quite proudly) that the resort bottles its own water and maintains a bottling “plant” on site.  A series of commercial drinking water filtration systems were in place.

This seems to be the latest in the trend to take control over costs, reduce reliance on plastic (PET) bottles that clog our landfills, and add a touch of self-sufficiency to a high-end dining facility.  Everyone at our table was quite impressed with the concept; however, the water was highly purified and lacked in pleasing taste.  My guess is that reverse osmosis and filtration technologies were part of the bottling plant, and that we were being treated to water that had been stripped of the majority of its natural mineral content.

Although the water tasted flat, it was definitely clean and highly purified.  As a proponent of treating water at the largest possible point of entry that makes sense (whole-house filtration versus under sink filtration, as an example), I was quite impressed with the concept and the forward thinking of resort management.   One has to wonder if the resort charges people for the water (I was a grateful guest, so I did not see the bill), and whether they could further please guests by adding back a small amount of minerals to flavor the water like Coca-Cola does in their Dasani brand .

Just as this high-end destination resort took control of their water issues, we must do so in our own homes.  So next time you come to my house and I pour you chilled, bottled-quality water from a pretty open-neck glass bottle, be sure to ask me how you can achieve the same results in your house.  It is easy to do at a relatively low cost, and you will help to reduce the endless number of plastic bottles we plant in our earth.

The environmental and health issues associated with the production and use of plastic water bottles deserve our attention.  Sales of bottled water, driven by intensive marketing campaigns from big players like Coca-Cola (Dasani), Pepsi (Aquafina) and Nestle, increased at a rate of 8.9 percent last year.  This year Americans will spend a staggering 16 billon dollars on bottled water. We should also note that tap water can have off tastes and odors while still being healthy, so taste is another reason for the success of bottled water in the US.

The numbers are unbelievable – each year we put 38 billion plastic water bottles into landfills, and the number is growing.   That is 38 billion with a “B”!  And with a half-life (half the time it takes a plastic bottle to decompose completely) of up to 1,000 years, these bottles aren’t going to just go away in our lifetimes, or those of our kids, or even those of our grandchildren.

Let’s look at these key questions:

1)    Do we really need to buy bottled water?  Well, only if we believe what we are told in the marketing campaigns.  The US is the largest bottled water market in the world, but are we getting what we are paying for?  Numerous studies over the past decade have compared tap water to bottled and found no difference, or in the case of this recent study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) the findings suggest that tap water can actually be better in quality! [http://www.ewg.org/reports/bottledwater].  So the level of necessity depends on your tolerance for the alternatives – Drink tap water; get your water from flavored beverages; or filter your water at home with a quality whole house water filter system or use under counter water filters.

2)    Do plastic water bottles pose a health concern?  This is a controversial topic.  However, it is a fact that bisphenol A (BPA), a common plastic binder found in many polycarbonate bottles, is making its way into our bodies.  In 2003 and 2004, studies by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found BPA in the urine of 93% of children and adults tested.  BPA mimics estrogens in the human bloodstream and studies on animals have demonstrated developmental toxicity, carcinogenic effects, and possible neurotoxicity at low doses. The amounts found recently in humans are higher than those in the animals tested by the CDC.  This is enough to convince me that plastic water bottles are something we should try to avoid in our search for longevity.

We’ll save the discussions of the energy required to make water bottles in the US for another time.  The bottling industry uses the equivalent of nearly 100 million barrels of oil each year, excluding transportation, in bottle production.  And it should be disconcerting that manufacturing plastic bottles causes greenhouse emissions and wastes about three liters of water to produce one liter of bottled water.

The bottom line:  How can we stem the tide of plastic?

We can choose to take simple steps to reduce the problems plastic bottles create for our planet and the Human Race.

Step One:  Reduce your use of bottles by purchasing the best drinking water filter system you can get which will give you water quality as good as bottled water and then use reusable stainless or non-leaching plastic bottles.  (You can drink out of the tap without a filter but you’ll learn from other articles here, you may not want to do that anymore.  It isn’t very safe.)

Step Two:  When you do use a plastic bottle, RECYCLE IT.

A bit of perspective:   If we can affect the outcome of American Idol or Dancing with the Stars by simply texting a few numbers, can’t we make a difference by choosing to reduce our reliance on plastic bottles and recycling them when we do use them?

See you at the recycling center – our planet and health for generations to come depend on it.

This may seem like a strange question, but how much do we really know about the effects of bathing in water with chlorine added by our municipalities?

Everyone is aware that without some form of bacteriological kill, we would suffer disease and waterborne bacteria could threaten our health.  We can credit chorine disinfection in our water, introduced in 1908, for dramatically reducing our potential for acquiring serious diseases like typhoid fever, dysentery, cholera and Legionnaires’ disease.  And we appreciate the fact that chlorine is a very inexpensive chemical, even though it is classified as a pesticide that is effective in killing living organisms.

However, it is not uncommon today to find levels of chlorine in our tap water that exceed those recommended as safe for most swimming pools.

Chlorine is most effectively used when it maintains a residual until the time the treated water is ready for use.  So this means we need it delivered to our front door, but should we let it into our home?

I believe the answer is a resounding “NO”.  Chlorine and the altered version chloramines (chlorine and ammonia intentionally mixed together) can have an adverse effect on us when we consume it.  Thinking logically:   If chlorine kills organisms by destroying the cell wall, what is it doing inside our bodies?  Some have suggested that, if we monitor and keep the levels low enough, our bodies will simply neutralize the chlorine we ingest.  But scientists agree that higher levels of chlorine introduced into our bodies have a detrimental effect on our cells, and therefore negatively affect our heath and well-being.  And the jury is still out about prolonged exposure through consumption.

This article, however, is not about ingesting chlorine and chloramines from our drinking water.  A much greater danger lurks in our bath and shower water.  There is an increased risk of cancer and other ailments caused by bathing in water treated with these chemicals.  Because chlorine is a poison that kills waterborne pathogens, it has a detrimental effect on humans by attacking delicate tissues when absorbed into our skin or through respiration into our lungs.

Inhaled air containing chloroform and other chlorine byproducts (such as organochlorines) can contain up to 100 times the chemical levels of the incoming water, because chemicals readily vaporize into the steam in the bath or shower. This chemical-laden steam causes harmful chemicals to enter directly into our bloodstream, rather than being processed by kidneys and the digestive system.  Exposure to these chemicals increases production of free radicals, causes damage to cells, and provides prolonged exposure to carcinogens.

Numerous studies over the past 50 years have shown a correlation between chlorine and serious disease, including breast, rectal and bladder cancers.   Chlorine has been proven to be a contributory factor in damage to the heart, lungs, kidney, liver and central nervous system, as well as to the stomach. Other diseases connected to chlorine include atherosclerosis and respiratory problems, and some research has shown that chlorine destroys body protein.

One of the newest (and most disconcerting) findings relates chlorine directly to breast cancer, which kills many women each year.  One out of eight women in the United States is diagnosed with breast cancer, and recent studies conducted in Hartford, Connecticut have linked the accumulation in breast tissue of chlorine byproducts (called organochlorines) directly to breast cancer.  Breast cancer patients were shown to have organochlorines levels of 50% to 60% higher than women without the disease.

Chlorine and chloramines in the bath and shower also cause dry, flaky skin and increase skin-related irritations.  Hair becomes dry and brittle, with increased dandruff and dryness of the scalp.   Skin, the largest organ of our body, soaks up chemicals like a large sponge in an environment with warm water and steam.  This phenomenon occurs because the warm temperature of the water causes our pores to become enlarged, creating sites eager to instantly absorb gaseous chemicals.  Eyes, sinuses and throat tissues become unnecessarily irritated with this exposure.  Chlorine and its byproducts can also be extremely dangerous to the delicate tissues in our lungs.  Researchers have shown that after 10 minutes in the shower, people show measurable increases in chloroform concentrations in their lungs (averaging 2.7 parts per billion).

Our children suffer the consequences of chloroform in the bath and shower, too.  Chemical exposure while bathing is considered to be directly related to the 300% increase in asthma and bronchitis in children in the last twenty years.  According to Dr. Lance Wallace of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Showering is suspected as the primary cause of elevated levels of chloroform in nearly every home because of chlorine in the water.”

So what should we do?

I believe that knowledge is power, and we have taken a brief look at the threats posed to our bodies by unnecessary exposure to chlorine, chloramines and their byproducts.  Armed with this knowledge, it is time to seek out a solution by taking control of the levels of exposure to these chemicals in our homes.  The most effective answer is to install a fully automatic, multimedia whole-house chlorine water filter at the point where the water enters your home.  This allows you to maintain the disinfecting benefits of chlorine to the front door, while completely removing it from your household living environment.  This further contributes to home wellness by eliminating the resultant airborne chemicals, and provides great tasting water from every faucet and to ice makers.

Choose the whole-house water system not only based on performance, but also on its Green characteristics.  Stay away from old-fashioned water softeners that add sodium or potassium chloride to the environment (and your drinking water).  Stick with technologies that have no adverse affects on the environment, and that use no salts or chemicals in their operation.

Be wary of smaller shower head and faucet mounted filters, as they will provide some benefit but act more like a band-aid.  These products are flow rate sensitive, meaning they may be totally ineffective if you run your shower or faucet at wide-open levels.  Moreover, the size limitation means the amount of effective filtering material is small, so regular replacement is necessary to maintain any type of consistency.  These products may look slightly better than they actually work.

Effective, environmentally sound whole-house technology is here, and reasonably affordable, to provide a chemical free home as it relates to water and resultant air contamination.   So take control – Protect yourself and your family from the cancer risk posed by chlorine and its byproducts in your water, bath and shower.

So, now you know.

So we need to take personal charge of ourselves and our children’s health because no one else is capable.  And one of the most important things we can do for ourselves is take into our bodies the best cleanest water we can get by using a home water purifier.  After all our bodies are made up of 80-85% water so why wouldn’t we want that water to be the best quality?  If you had a Ferrari, would you fill it with cheap oil and fluids?  If you did that, how long do you think it would last?  Why would you do anything less for the body that keeps you alive on this planet than put the best safest water into it?

Water isn’t just water.  There is good and bad and that is what this blog is going to inform you about and discuss.  There are solutions to getting the best quality water and many are cheaper than you think.  And some of the water solutions you think are cheap are actually the most expensive out there.

Upcoming posts and articles will be touching on:

How better health through good water can provide a healthier living environment inside and outside the home.

Using a home water purifier, filter, treatment system is becoming critical and there are many reasons why this is so.

Why we must minimize reliance on plastic bottles and how to achieve quality water that meets or exceeds the standards for bottled waters, without the toxic bottles.

We’ll tell you how to achieve a water cost savings which will provide an economic benefit.

Plus we’ll discuss how to be Green conscious and help protect our environment through the use of leading edge technologies that benefit our environment and landfills.

We’ll also be exploring the many different aspects of quality water control through water softeners, water filters, reverse osmosis, and whole house water filtration systems.