We love a bargain as much as the next person. Buying something fabulous for a lower price during a sale is great! However, getting a sub-standard alternative just because it’s cheaper, isn’t so great.
In other words, cheap doesn’t always mean good value.
East Asia and Water Ionizers
Water ionizers aren’t cheap, nor should they be. Ionizers have been imported from East Asia for over half a century, but which country those machines hail from matters enormously.
If you’ve had your head turned by one of the cheap models available from Taiwan or China, then put your wallet back in your bag and read on.
The Dangers Slipping Past the FDA
There is a real problem with the ionizers coming out of China and Taiwan. The machines are slipping past the watchful eye of the seriously overstretched FDA, which exists as the vanguard between dubious goods being imported into the US, and their intended customer base. Since the advent of internet shopping, more and more suspect products manufactured overseas are finding their way here, with less than 1% of those products actually being inspected.
And it’s not about cosmetic problems such as loose connections, buttons that don’t work or a cracked plastic casing (it’s worth noting here that Tyent’s above counter units are the only ionizers that feature a genuine stainless steel front). Lead, one of the deadly contaminants turning up with alarming regularity in domestic sources water across America, is used frequently in manufacturing in China. Can you imagine the irony of buying a water ionizer to provide you with clean, health-giving water, only to find that the very product itself contains lead?
Fraudulent Assurance
We’ve mentioned China, but the very same issue affects products from Taiwan as well. Don’t be fooled by supposed “Lead Free” certifications either – there’s a whole separate trade in providing this bogus certification.
The Real Thing!
Japan and Korea, on the other hand, are a very different story. The birthplace of water ionizers in many respects, both countries export high quality, lead-free ionizers which demonstrate some of the finest design and engineering in the world. In fact, water ionizers were certified as medical devices by the Health and Rehabilitation Ministry of the Japanese Government over half a century ago.
Not all cheap is bad, but when it risks your family’s health, then avoid at all costs.
Want to know more? We have a brilliant Tyent Water Cheat Sheet that will bring you up to speed in double-quick time!
