The Aqua Ionizer Deluxe 5.0 shows that ionized water can be affordable. The question is can it still perform an effective job despite lacking an extra digit in the price tag?
Air Water Life has built its reputation by creating a range of water ionizers that aren’t the reserve of the very rich. Each of these can both filter your water as well as ionize it. The latter process gives your water antioxidant properties, which some experts have linked to improving digestion and blood pressure. Antioxidants may also help you to enjoy better sleep and feel energized throughout the day.
Beyond that, water ionizers allows you to control the pH level of your water. Alkaline water (high pH) is said to benefit you greatly because it balances out the acids in your body and hydrates you better than regular water. Acidic water (low pH), on the other hand, has sterilizing properties that make it ideal for cleaning. You can avoid using any chemical products if your water has the right pH level.
Air Water Life’s water ionizer range has proven popular with thousands of consumers. Let’s examine the Aqua Ionizer Deluxe 5.0 to find out why.
Who are Air Life Water?
Established in 2005, Air Life Water has provided its services to thousands of customers since its establishment. The company specializes in building the most competitively priced water ionizers on the market.
This gels with the company’s goal of making ionization more accessible to the general public. For example, the Aqua Ionizer Deluxe 5.0 retails at just a fraction of the price of some models, making it one of the most cost-effective water ionizers available.
Aqua Ionizer Deluxe 5.0 Features
Weighing in at 8 lbs., and standing 13” tall, the Aqua Ionizer Deluxe 5.0 is a compact unit that fits easily on your kitchen counter. Size-wise it’s about average for an water ionizer of this type.
It uses 5 titanium coated plates that cover an 81.8” surface area. This ensures as much water as possible passing through the system when it undergoes electrolysis. The 5 plates give an antioxidant potential between the ranges of -600 and +600 ORP. The negative value is the one of most importance and represents the level of anti-oxidation that the water possesses. Anti-oxidizing water is thought to have many health benefits and the more negative this value is the better. To put that in perspective, the top bracket ionizers tend to achieve around about -1000 ORP. However, they cost at least 3 times as much as this model and in some cases more than 6 times as much.
These plates produce water that ranges in pH from 4.5 to 11. The water is available in 7 choices that are picked at the press of a button. There are 4 alkaline varieties, a neutral pH, and 2 acidic options. The acidic water is great for disinfecting and cleaning. The ORP value of the water can be chosen throughout the pH range.
The unit can operate at a maximum temperature of 140° Fahrenheit. This makes it ideal for making quick cups of coffee in the morning. It also generates up to 3 liters of water per minute, though you can adjust this amount, using the touch controls.
Beyond that, the ionizer has an auto-cleaning feature. It will reverse the polarity of its plates after 15 minutes of continuous use. This ensures the plates don’t succumb to calcium buildup which inhibits their efficiency. It also cleans itself automatically whenever you switch it on or off. However, the unit does require manual cleaning once every year. The ionizer comes with the cleaning agent needed for this, plus, you can purchase more from Air Life Water.
The ionizer also carries ETL certification. This means it has undergone extensive third-party testing that verifies the unit is electronically safe to use in North American households.
There’s also a built-in water filter. We’ll touch on this in a moment.
Product Design
The Aqua Ionizer Deluxe 5.0 features a clean design that makes it easy to use, even for people who have never used a water ionizer before. It’s also compact, so it will fit well in most kitchens.
The solid plastic shell protects the main unit from damage. But you may find the unit doesn’t fit in with modern kitchen designs. Being one of the cheaper models available, it doesn’t have the fancy aesthetics that the more expensive models have. That being said, it’s not exactly ugly.
Touch Controls
The unit’s touch controls ensure you don’t spend ages messing around with difficult dials. It has 7 touch buttons, each of which aligns to a different water setting. Each button has a picture next to the pH level it sets your water to. Just push the button you need, and the unit does the rest of the work for you.
The controls also have a startup setting that should prove useful to water ionizer newbies. You can use this feature for the first few weeks to help your body adjust to alkaline water.
Filtration
The Aqua Ionizer Deluxe 5.0 uses Air Life Water’s proprietary filter cartridges. These can process 1,585 gallons of water each before they need replacing. The company claims that each cartridge should last for about 1 year before you need to replace it, but this may vary depending on your water use.
That means the unit essentially comes with an annual cost as well as the initial investment. But it’s a small fee and one that is worth paying, considering the benefits the unit provides. The filter is easily replaced and this job doesn’t require any tools.
The filters use activated carbon media. This method of filtration is particularly effective at removing chlorine from water. This makes it best suited for city water supplies. The carbon media also treats the taste and odor of the water.
If you’re interested in dedicated water filters, you can find out more here.
Installation
Air Life Water offers a set of tools with the Aqua Ionizer Deluxe 5.0 to help you fit the device to your water supply, but you will need to have your own wrench and flat-head screwdriver to get the job done.
The installation kit includes all the hookups you need, as well as tubes to help you drain any excess water. In total, the process should take about 10 minutes and it’s very straight-forward.
Warranty
Air Life Water offer a limited lifetime warranty for the Aqua Ionizer Deluxe 5.0. This covers both parts and labor for the first 5 years of the system’s use.
After 5 years, you enter the limited warranty period. This covers any defective parts. But you will have to pay the cost of labor to replace parts.
The Bottom Line
With the Aqua Ionizer Deluxe 5.0, Air Life Water has created a water ionizer that offers high quality at a budget price. Though not as powerful as high-end ionizers, it can generate plenty of alkaline water your body can benefit from.
The in-built water filter prevent heavy metals and contaminants from entering your drinking supply. But be aware that the pH settings don’t go low enough to produce truly strong acidic water. This means you will need to invest in a more expensive unit if you want your ionizer to provide cleaning, as well as drinking water.
That aside, this is superb water ionizer thanks to its affordable price tag and compact design.
If you want to see how this model compares to other top devices then make sure you check out our ultimate guide to water ionizers.