When people are doing their homework on water ionizers they often call us and ask us what the difference is between our different models. Specifically, they want to know the pros and cons of a countertop water ionizer versus an undersink water ionizer. So what’s the difference?
First off, you don’t lose any power or performance between a countertop or undersink water ionizer. They both have similar filtration, flow rates, and strength of ionization.
The undersink water ionizer models will have a little bit less flow rate because the water has to go from the cabinet area up to the faucet. But this reduction in the flow rate will only be about .3 L per minute.
Both the IonPlus Undersink Water Ionizer and Rio Undersink Water Ionizers have all of the controls for your water ionizer built into the faucet. That means that you can control the alkaline levels, the acidic levels and even create purified only water just by touching the buttons built into the faucet. You can also adjust any of the alkaline and acidic settings using the faucet controls. Finally, you can reset the filter life just by holding down the purified button on the faucet. The bottom line is you don’t lose any functionality by getting an undersink model instead of a countertop.
Both our countertop and undersink models also have similar levels of ionization. The IonPlus and Rio Undersink Water Ionizer both have six preset levels of ionization. Those levels are four alkaline settings and two acidic settings. You use the number four alkaline water for cooking. The number three alkaline water is for drinking. Levels two and one alkaline water are for children and people with sensitive stomachs. The two acidic settings are strong acidic water and a weaker acidic water. You use the weaker acid water for your plants. You use strong acidic water as a disinfectant or astringent for your skin.
Our Genesis Steel Water Ionizer and Genesis Platinum Water Ionizer both have eight preset levels. You get the four alkaline settings and you also get four acidic settings. The extra two acidic settings do not make much difference in the functionality of the water ionizer.
As far as the size of the base, the Rio Undersink Water Ionizer and the Genesis Steel both have the same size base. The Rio’s base goes underneath your sink whereas the Genesis Steel’s base sits on your counter. The base houses two filters plus the electronics that are needed to run your water ionizer. For the exact specifications of the base, please visit our product pages.
The ion plus under sink water ionizer has a slightly smaller base. It uses a single filter that is double-wide so the width of the base is about 3 inches narrower than the Rio’s base. So if the size is a major consideration for you when considering between the Rio and the IonPlus, the IonPlus is narrower.
The faucet size on the Rio and the ion plus are also very similar. The acidic and alkaline arms are much longer than in previous models. This allows you to swivel the faucet the full width of your sink so it’s easy to fill up a pot.
When deciding between a countertop and undersink water ionizer, it all comes down to personal preference. The under sink water ionizers are $100 to $200 more expensive than the countertop water ionizers. They don’t add any extra performance but the design is more convenient for many households. However, if you have a lot of counter space then getting a countertop water ionizer is the better choice. You should spend some time reviewing all of the different product images and videos for each model so that you can get a good sense of how it will look in your kitchen.
