Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How long has HiddenCures been in business?
A: HiddenCures has been manufacturing and selling
the G-2 ionizer since 2002.
Q: How do you get the water out of the two units when
A: Remove the electrodes, tighten the lid on the alkaline side, and pour
out the acid water. Then immediately tighten the lid on the acid side
and then remove the lid from the alkaline side, and pour out
the alkaline water into a container. Using this method will prevent much water from leaking to the other side.
Q: How long does alkaline and acid water last?
A: The pH remains pretty constant because it is determined by the
mineral content which doesn't change. The oxidation reduction
potential (ORP) of the alkaline water, a general measure of the water's anti-oxidant
properties, declines rather rapidly. The ORP of the acid water, a
general measure of its oxidant properties, also declines rather
rapidly; both tend to approach zero. I recommend keeping the water
in the dark. Colored glass is good. Keeping it refrigerated will
make it last longer. Heating the water will drive all the
anti-oxidant benefits out of the water, so only warm as necessary. Use the water within one or
you need to add minerals, and what kind?
A: Yes, minerals are required in order for the ionizer to work. I have found that the most effective mineral to add is salt.
Salt is needed to make the water conductive so that the ionizer will
work. 1/8 tsp per gallon each side is good. I recommend Himalayan sea salt
as the best; Celtic is also good. There are a lot of brands on the
market; see what your local health food store stocks. Get a fine
grain so that it dissolves quickly. Sun dried is better than kiln
dried, with no
additives. Regular supermarket salt is not recommended as it may be
toxic. Remember that doctors tell us to minimize our consumption of
salt for that reason. But we have been taught that salt is an
essential nutrient, people were once paid in salt, and animals are
given salt blocks to lick as desired. So it probably means that good
quality salt is good for you, while regular supermarket salt is
toxic. A good site on salt is
There are other salts you can use if you have a
problem with sodium. You can try potassium chloride. It is very
inexpensive, and available from NOW company. One supplier is
Q: What is the best water to use?
A: I recommend spring and well water of known good quality as a
first choice, but if it has too many minerals it will produce
sediment in the ionizer and encrust the electrodes. Next best is reverse osmosis. Distilled is not
recommended because, according to Dr. Mercola, it is too aggressive
in leaching minerals from the body; however, since we are adding
salt, this should not be a problem. While not so aggressive, if you
use reverse osmosis, be sure to take a mineral supplement; I
Min-Ra-Sol (801-466-0056) (not added to the ionizer, taken
Q: Can I re-use the acid water that has already been
A: No. The minerals have been transferred from it to the other side.
If more salt is added it might be possible, but you would have to
test this to see if it works; I haven't tested it.
What pH / ORP meter would you recommend?
A: To measure ORP, I recommend the Milwaukee MW-500, available from
eBay for under $100. I previously recommended the Hannah HI-98121
which measures pH, ORP, and temperature, but I have found big
differences in ORP measurements between the Milwaukee and the Hanna.
Measuring pH is much less of a problem; I recommend the Hanna
HI98103, $25 on eBay. I also recommend you buy calibration and
cleaning solutions; you can use tap water as a storage solution. And get 470mV test solution for ORP verification.
Get cleaning solution (see www.hannainst.com/usa/
HI7007, HI70300, HI7061, and HI7022).
If just pH measurement will get you by, the simplest approach is to
use a low-ion pH test kit, available from HiddenCures.com.
Q: Why can't I use regular pH test paper? Why do I need a low-ion
pH test kit?
A: The water produced by a water ionizer has a low amount of
ions. The amount of ions in regular test paper will swamp out the
number of ions in the water, causing erroneous readings. A low-ion
test kit is made just for low-ion solutions.
Would it be possible for you to build a water ionizer with square
glass jars instead of plastic?
A: The problem with glass is that it is difficult to cut 2" holes
into it, so no, it is not practical to do this. And it would be too
heavy for a lot of people.
long does it take to produce a gallon of either alkaline or acidic water
with your unit?
A: It takes from 1/2 to 3 hours to produce a gallon of acid and
alkaline water. It depends on the desired strength. For a chart of
time vs. strength, see
Q: Does it do any harm to run the unit for longer than 3 hours?
A: There is no harm, but you might find the the taste to be
disagreeable. Measurements show that there was a point of
diminishing returns after about 3 hours. I would suggest using a timer if you want to run the
Q: How can I test the power supply?
For the original model G-2 rated at 24V (see the label on the
A: Do not do the following procedure in the presence of explosive
gas. Be sure the power supply alligator clips are not connected to
anything and not touching anything. Plug the module into the 120VAC wall
outlet for about a second (a tenth of a second is adequate). Be sure the
outlet is actually live. Then unplug the module from the wall.
Before going to the next step, be sure the module is unplugged from
the wall, or you will blow the power supply. Now, touch the two
alligator clips together; you should see a spark. If you don't see a
spark, repeat the above procedure. If you see a spark, the power
supply is good. If no spark ever occurs, the module is defective.
For the G-2A, G-2B, and G-2C models with higher voltage power supply (see the
A: Do not do the following procedure in the presence of explosive
gas. Be sure the outlet is actually live; your supply might have a
pilot lamp. Some supplies take up to five seconds before the pilot
light comes on; wait for it. Plug the module into the
wall outlet rated from 100 to 240VAC, and then short (i.e. touch)
the alligator clips together. Shorting the clips will not damage the
supply. You should see a spark sooner or later, and the clips will
tend to weld together causing them to stick when you pull them
Q: How long does the ball fiber membrane last?
For the G-2 and G-2A models:
A: I have used the same membrane for over a year. The main issue
with the membrane is that if you are not careful, mold might grow on
it. The solution to this is to store the membrane in acid water when
the machine is not in use. You can use a plastic container for this.
The membrane can be pushed out, and kind of screwed back in like a
light bulb. Or squeeze out the water and let it dry out if the
machine will not be used for a longer time.
Alternatively, the normal instruction for removing water from the
ionizer is to pour out the acid water, then the alkaline water. If
you pour out the alkaline water first, and do not pour out the acid
water, then the acid water will stay in contact with the membrane,
and slowly seep into the alkaline side. This will only work if you
fill both sides full with 1-gallon of water when starting out. This
will keep the membrane in acid and prevent mold from growing.
For the G-2B and G-2C models:
The main issue with the membrane is mold growth. This model
comes with a flat cloth membrane. It is
recommended that you remove the membrane from the
machine, squeeze out the water, and let it dry.
An alternate solution is to store the membrane in acid water when
not in use.
Q: How long do the electrodes last?
A: The electrodes are guaranteed for a year; no customer has
ever reported a failed electrode, so I really don't know how long
they will last. Theoretically, at 3 hours of use per day, the
electrodes should last 10 years. Replacement electrodes are $30 per
pair, and are available from the
page. For more information on electrodes, see this
Q: Does the ionizer remove harmful chemicals such as aluminum, chlorine and
A: The ionizer is not a purifier and does not eliminate any
minerals. For that reason,
you should start with water that you are happy with in terms of
purity. However, those ions with a negative charge (like fluorine
and chlorine) will be
attracted to the + electrode and migrate to the acid side, and those
with a positive charge (like potassium, calcium, and magnesium) will be attracted to the - electrode and
migrate to the alkaline side.
Q: I have heard that going above a pH of 9.5 can be harmful.
A: I have not heard an explanation why a pH above 9.5 would be
harmful. The pH is determined by the minerals in the water. We add
1/8tsp of sea salt per gallon to each side. This is a very small
quantity of minerals compared to the pound of minerals in your
stomach from food which totally swamps the minerals in the water. So, in my
opinion, the pH of the water is not dangerous.
Q: I am not getting the ORP I am expecting.
A: For the G-2 and G-2A models, try soaking the ball fiber membrane in salt water before
installing it; this seems to work well. For the G-2B model, the
cloth membrane produces twice the strength as the ball membrane and
doesn't require soaking in salt water. If you are chasing high ORP,
I recommend upgrading to the cloth membrane, but be sure you also
upgrade to the new power supply as the original one will be damaged
by the higher currents produced by the cloth membrane. The
older 24V power supply is not warranted if used with a cloth
Also, measurement of ORP is problematic. The ORP probe should be
stored in tap water or storage solution. Otherwise the measurement
can be in error. Check your ORP meter with an ORP calibration
solution. And, allow about 10 minutes to take a measurement to allow
the measurement to settle.
Q: I don't like the taste of the water.
A: The taste is determined by the minerals in the water. The ionizer
causes minerals to migrate from one side to the other which will
change the taste of the water. If you don't like the taste, try
using a different type of water or salt. Also, the longer you run
the unit, the more the migration of minerals and change of taste.