I have met some amazing people and made some great friends over the past 7 years while blogging about water. In my early years of blogging about water, I was attracted to the alkaline story and as a consequence, the people in it. In the last two to three years, as I leaned more and more about how molecular hydrogen “H2” is responsible for all of the health benefits claimed by the alkaline marketing people, I have be drawn to the people in the H2 industry.

It is interesting how the H2 and the alkaline people are similar in some ways (they both want to save the world) and how they are different in other ways (the H2 people have a strong thirst for scientific proof while the alkaline people are more willing to accept anecdotal evidence). I have a background in science so I ended up on the H2 “team” over time but I’m not judging the people on either side of the story as most of the participants are people that you would want as neighbors.

I know, get to the deal!

The owner of one of the companies that sold alkaline products for years has moved over to the H2 story and has decided to blow out the last of his inventory of Hybrid alkaline water ionizers for $269. That represent 75% off the retail price of $895. I have been complaining about the high profit margins of alkaline water ionizers for years but I never thought I would see them selling for $269.

Being a cynic, my first inclination when reading this would be to say: “So why are you pumping an alkaline water ionizer when you say you are a H2 guy now?” In fact, that is the first thing I asked myself as I was about to write this article.

I like lists as they are easier for me to read and understand, so here goes:

* Alkaline water ionizers can and do make molecular hydrogen at the cathode during electrolysis
* The problem is that the cathode gets scaled up from calcium buildup within a week or two because calcium precipitates out of solution when the pH level rises. When the cathode scales up, it stops producing H2
* That means the ionizing chamber (where the cathode is located) should be cleaned every week (if your water is hard) or 2 weeks (if your water is soft)
* IMO, the best alkaline water ionizer (which are all pretty much the same otherwise) is the unit that is the easiest to clean, or the unit which allows you to introduce citric acid or vinegar into the chamber

Now to the punchline!

The Hybrid allows you to pour water into a container at the top of the unit (like a batch ionizer) or hook it up to the tap. In my experience (including the one I use at my cottage in the summer and the two that my sons used during their university days) nobody ever hooks it up to the tap. The same easy access allows you to pour a vinegar or citric acid solution into the container which makes the Hybrid the easiest alkaline water ionizer to clean on the market.

For my money, the Hybrid at $895 has been my alkaline water ionizer of choice for years (hence the fact that my family owns three of them). At $269, it’s a “no-brainer”. If you are trying to wade through the abyss of conflicting information about alkaline water ionizers, check out the Hybrid at www.scottfilters.ca before spending thousands of dollars. Based upon my experience, I bet you never buy an expensive alkaline water ionizer because you will be happy with the $269 unit.