Product Review: VESTA GL-988

Well, it has been a while since the last blog post, which was on a book review. Today, we will be doing another review – A product review on the newest product offering by our company, the Vesta GL-988. Enjoy some of these pictures as we bring you 1^st hand, the details of the newest and latest water ionizer to hit the market.

A little bit of background regarding the VESTA brand. VESTA was created to cater to customers who wanted the best quality systems with the newest technologies and excellent product design. So you can be sure of the best and most innovative design that is backed by the world’s best and most reliable parts for water ionizers!

The Vesta GL-988 specifications include:

Manufacturer	GL Group
Approval No	KFDA 3277
Weight	7.2kg
Dimensions (H x L x D)	38 x 30 x 15cm
Flow Rate	3 liters per min
Water Pressure	0.7-5 kgf/cm3
Power Supply	AC 220V, 60Hz
Electrolysis Process	Continuous flow

Some pictures of the Vesta GL-988 and its set up of it.

Well, the system that you have seen is the 9-plate version of the VESTA. Based on the tests that I conducted, based on Singapore’s water, it has no problems reaching levels of -800 for its ORP reading at the maximum and pH of over 12. Unlike other systems in the market, all these are achievable WITHOUT the use of adding in additional solutions!

Besides, the sheer water quality improvement, the magic of the system lies in the features that the makers managed to squeeze into this unit! If you don’t believe me, take a look at this list.

-        Advanced self-diagnostic MICOM circuitry system

-        Energy-saving advanced water flow sensor

-        Widest range of 274 pH and ORP selection available

-        Real-time ORP and pH display

-        Aesthetic touch screen sensors

-        Digital filter change indication

-        0.01M Ultra fine filter

-        6000L (1585 gallons) filtration capacity

-        13 stage ultra-fine filtration with micropore space fibre, Calcium enriched, silvered activated carbon

-        Dual filter capability

-        9 or 7 plates genuine platinum coated titanium electrodes

-        Power saving Switch Mode Power Supply (SMPS) systems with pulse width modulation (PWM) feature

-        Warning signal in case of low flux

-        Warning signal and automatic system shutdown during hot water inflow

-        Multi-cleaning methods

-        Automatic flow reversal cleaning mechanism

-        Multi-lingual voice prompts

-        Voice confirmation  prompts

-        Convenient volume control

-        Inbuilt water flux control dial making exterior valve unnecessary

-        Compact and sleek mirror faced elegant design

-        Stylish and elegant built in backlit screen display

-        Multi colored covers to suit your kitchen

With a wide range of options, it is able to cater to virtually any request that customers may have!

Need a different language prompt other than English for your elderly parents? There is such an option now! Need to adjust the level of ORP and pH selections to the very last detail? We have 274 different options! Need a dual filter system that is configurable for hard water? You can have that now! Or how about simply having different colored covers to suit your kitchen décor? You can have platinum, piano black or glossy white now!

With such a long list of features, excellent water quality, some people wonder if it’ll cost an arm and a leg. However, if there are people that are already prepared to splash out tons of cash on a MLM water ionizer system, this may surprise you but this unit will NOT be as expensive as those on the market.

Keep a look for this new machine! For those who would like to know more or see a demonstration of this unit. Feel free to contact us at 6272 5337 or 6223 2267! Til another time!

IK

Book Review: You and Your Health

The following is a book review that you might to pick up and read if you're keen on getting some basic knowledge on illnesses and sicknesses.

This book titled ‘YOU AND YOUR HEALTH[i]' is written by Dr Hu who is from Penang.

About the author, he came to Singapore in 1973 to pursue his medical degree under the Singapore Merit Scholarship scheme. He was also offered a Colombo Plan and a local scholarship to read medicine. After graduation in 1978, he was in government service for a number of years before going into private practice. His postgraduate experiences were in the fields of internal medicine, gastroenterology, paediatrics, orthopaedics, surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, dermatology and accident and emergency medicine.

This book discusses succinctly different types of illnesses such as fever, gastric pain, giddiness and many others. These are mostly the common illness that people usually suffer from. In his book, Dr Hu briefly explains what the illness is actually about, how we can prevent it, the possible effects and causes of the illness, point of interest as well as commonly asked questions.

Out of the whole book that I have read, I personally liked the topic on fever. Fever is something that everyone will get at least once in their entire life. Fever is actually the body’s response to an infection. This response is actually crucial as the increase in temperature is to help enhance the immune system to fight off any germs.  The main causes of having fever are infection as well as rare causes. The rare causes include hyperactive gland, rheumatic diseases as well as underlying cancer and infection includes flu, chest infection, and many more. Things that we should look out for in having a fever is like an increase in a frequency or pain in passing urine, having neck pain. What we ought to do during a fever is avoid covering with thick blanker or wearing thick clothes. This is because as we may feel more comfortable it does not help lower our temperature. Instead we ought to rest in a cool room which could be air condition. We can even take a cold shower which can help to bring down the fever and drink lots of water.

I found this topic really enriching as more often than not, when I have a fever I would have the tendency to cover myself and keep myself warm from the cold. I also would not want to be in an air conditioned room and take a cold shower due to me feeling cold. However after reading the book did I realize that I was doing all the wrong things. Hence the correct steps should be to drink more water as drinking water when having a fever helps to prevent damage to the brain.

DF

Should you have any queries, do feel free to contact us at 6272-5337 to find out more. Alternatively, you may contact Gluons Marketing at 6274-6585 to find out more about the book.

[i]  (Hu, ‘You and Your Health’, 2003)

Relooking Filters (Part 1) – The Myths and the Truths

Most of us would know what a filter is. Well, it has been covered in some parts of the school science syllabus. Filters are commonly found and used in numerous places. We know to some degree what it does. Yet, not many of us delve into the specifics of filters and what we may NOT know, may sometimes cost us dearly.

So firstly, we need to know what a filter is. To be grammatically correct, a filter is “A porous material through which a liquid or gas is passed in order to separate the fluid from suspended particulate matter.”[1] To be more scientifically precise, “Filtration is a physical process that removes these impurities from water by percolating it downward through a layer or bed of porous, granular material such as sand. Suspended particles become trapped within the pore spaces of the filter media, which also remove harmful protozoa and natural colour.”[2]

Additionally, filters these days have expanded in terms of functionality. On top of basic filtration which removes sediments from the water, advanced filtration systems also boast abilities to improve the water quality, increase mineral content in the water and even change the water’s pH.

Now that we know what a filter is supposed to do, we also have to understand what it is not expected to do. Here, I have collated 5 Myths that I have often encountered when speaking with different customers and here’s the Truth behind each statement.

1)      “Filters can kill bacteria”

Possible. It however depends largely on the material used in the filter and if it has anti bacterial capability. Most filters would typically use silver activated carbon for its anti-bacterial ability.[3] There is however a limit to the amount of bacteria that silver can kill. Hence, with the prolonged usage of a filter, it will result in a drop in its ability to kill bacteria. Thus, it is necessary to change the filter regularly, else it would not be able to effectively ‘kill bacteria’. Thus, one shortcoming of filters is the difficulty to identify when the anti-bacterial ability of filters wear out.

Another function of filters is to trap sediments and should the filter be fine enough, it would also trap bacteria. There is however a limit to the amount of bacteria and sediments that a filter can trap. Often, I have encountered filters that produce water that is worse than that of the local municipal water. This is largely due to an excessive overuse of filters that was used beyond the limit.

2)       “Filters can filter everything”

Not true. A statement that uses an absolute like ‘everything’ can hardly be true. Even with the hyperfiltration ability in membrane technology (0.5 nanometer)[4], water is still able to be removed, so filters do not filter out everything.

However, if we add the caveat of ‘everything’ referring to sediments and particulates, then it is possible for very specific types of filters to effectively remove most particulates, again not 100%. Such specific types of filters refer to reverse osmosis membranes and desalination membranes and are not referring to basic filtration.

3)      “More filters = better filtration”

Not true. Based on arguments above, it is clear that filters have a wide variance in terms of sizing to filter. Hence, it is not the number of filters but rather the porosity of filters that determine the quality of filtration.

Some filtration systems often have a number of components that could be reflected as separate ‘filters’ with each component serving a specific purpose in the overall scheme of filtration. This however should not be taken to mean that it would result in better filtration. It is ultimately the output of water that is determined by the porosity of filters that determines whether it is good filtration.

For a local Singapore context, having multiple filters pose a few issues. Firstly, the more filters the water has to pass through, the greater the drop in water pressure. This would result in a slow water flow as well. Another concern is that with more filters, a user would have higher replacement cost and this may not be worthwhile especially, if the replacement filter is not necessarily required. Also, another concern with multiple filters is the downward transference of bacteria and sediments from the 1^st filter on to subsequent filters that will affect the overall water output quality.

4)      “Filters don’t have to be changed.”

Not true. If filters do not have to be changed then, then it would be akin to batteries that could last forever and never need to be changed. Filters have a limit to which it can be used, after which it has to be changed for the quality of water to not be compromised.

Most home filters are usually primed for 6-8000 liters of water, even though some companies may claim to offer up to 10000 liters. However, beyond the optimal capacity of filtration, it may not function as well as it ought to.

5)      “Filters can ONLY remove, it does not add anything in”

Not true. Whilst the basic function of filters as described above is to remove the particulates and sediments in the water, it is also possible for other materials in the filter to serve other functions. An example would be the likes of our 0.01M filters. One of the components, the Tourmaline Bio Ceramic stones serve to provide FIR (far-infrared) energy that helps to energize and oxygenates the water. Another component within our filters would be the Coral Calcium. This segment primarily serves to neutralise the chemicals in the water, however, it also aids in providing additional Calcium in the water, which helps to improve ionization in soft water conditions.

And that brings to a close some of the more common myths that people harbour about filters. In the next post on filters, we would explore different filtering materials in detail.

Should you have any queries or need more clarification, do feel free to contact us at +65 6272-5337 / 6223-2267 or simply email us at sales@kemptrading.com

IK

More information can be found at our company’s site, www.kemptrading.com.

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[1] http://www.answers.com/topic/filter

[2] water supply system. (2011). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/637296/water-supply-system

[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver#Medical

[4] http://www.home-water-purifiers-and-filters.com/reverse-osmosis-filter.php

Getting a Water Ionizer? Which Unit??

It is a common business phenomenon that with growing demand, new companies enter the market to provide a greater supply to meet that demand. Not surprisingly, since 2008, there have been numerous companies offering water ionizers to customers here in Singapore, even established water system brands have started to offer water ionizers to complement their existing ranges of systems, which indicates that alkaline ionized water is something that people are finally sitting up and taking it seriously. However, with a myriad of different ionizers available, consumers are now spoilt for choice and often have to figure out which unit suits them.

Since the early days, when Kemp Trading started to offer water ionizers in 1988, water ionizers have been considered big ticket items to most households in the price range of thousands dollars. Additionally, since it is something that you will be ingesting, don’t you think it would be wise to do some research and checks first? Hence, as a consumer, it is essential to make an informed decision not just for cost reasons, but also for the health and well being of your family.

Interestingly, recently lots of customers have asked me, how our machine differs from others, I often reply that because of the listed reasons above, it is important to consider several factors including:

1)      Track Record

Why is track record important? Simply because water ionizers are big ticket items! Imagine buying a system for thousands of dollars and in a couple of years, the company that sold it to you closes or worst still, if the factory that produces it folds, your water ionizer may no longer have any access to filters and spare parts!

2)      After sales service support

With a changing landscape and consumer preferences, selling a product on its own is no longer sufficient, hence service has become an integral part of any product offering. Some examples for water ionizers, includes having someone who can change your filter regularly or for example someone whom you can ask anything about alkaline ionized water over the phone or in worst case scenarios to check on your water ionizers should there be a failure or problem.

3)      Quality of systems

Have you ever bought a product that constantly had you going back to the service center? Frustrating isn’t it? No matter how good an after sales service support, if the quality of the product constantly gives you issues, it’s only a matter of time before customers give up and leave with a bad impression. Hence the quality is very important. You could also translate quality to reliability of a product.

4)      Prices

The oft stated ‘pay peanuts and get monkeys’ is not something that really holds true with modern marketing ideas. Multi-level marketing, additional costs in terms of advertising costs and other overheads costs all contribute significantly to pricing, however they do not really reflect the true quality of a product. The consumer however still has to pay the marked up cost for the product.

5)      Experts’ Opinions

Whilst considered unimportant by some, it does help to have someone in authority (such as a researcher, doctor or famed personality) provide their valued opinion. Most experts would not want their reputation and credibility to be ruined by association with a bogus or inferior quality product.

6)      Recurring cost

Ever bought a cheap product that had a high recurring cost? Think printers with exorbitant cartridge replacements, or cars with high maintenance and fuel cost. Often a product that has a really low selling price catches the impulse buyers off guard and the reality doesn’t strike til it is time to top up. Many irate consumers remember the feeling of having to continually pay high maintenance fees for systems that often end up being more expensive than the product itself. Most end up cutting their losses and switching to something that has a significantly lower recurring cost.

7)      Product comparisons

With the advent of the Internet, there is plenty of information circulating the Internet, including ‘unbiased’ product comparisons. An interesting thing that I noted was that different brands of machines or systems came out top in different ‘unbiased’ product comparisons, which underlines the notion that ‘unbiased’ sometimes may not really be that unbiased after all. One way to be sure when we talk about impartiality in testing would be to refer to independent 3^rd party testing of products that have no vested interest and more importantly have a reputation for impartial testing.

With knowledge comes power, but without acting on that knowledge, then it really serves no purpose. Hence, it is important as a consumer to do your own due diligence and research. Some good ideas when it comes to doing research include:

a)      Checking the Internet and forums

A vast universe of information is publicly available on the Internet and at the touch of a button. Whilst information from the corporate websites would be highly informative, it is also considered biased and skewed. Hence, a good idea would be to go search the forums where people are more vocal and honest in their opinions. This helps to add a pinch of salt to the information that you can pull from the Internet.

b)      Talking to friends about the product, technology and even company

Another idea would be to talk to friends about the idea or even the product. Get a sense from them on their thoughts and opinions. On the account of your friendship, it should give you a more trusted and believable response.

c)       Call or visit at least 2 different companies and ask them about the product specifically

As a consumer, always check with the company salesperson since they would be the product experts. Feel free to ask them any question that you may have. Remember that no question is a silly question! However, to tamper a one-sided point of view, it is always good to check with another company. That way, you would be able to piece together a whole picture from different sources and finally make a decision.

Remember that purchasing a water ionizer is a long term investment for your family and your health. Be sure of what you are getting! The last thing that you would want, is to get a unit that fails to serve its purpose effectively or worst, harms your family’s health! You should NEVER be coerced into buying a set unless you’re absolutely sure of it.

Til another time!

Should you have any queries or need more clarification, do feel free to contact us at +65 6272-5337 / 6223-2267 or simply email us at sales@kemptrading.com

IK

More information can be found at our company’s site, www.kemptrading.com.