Water electrolysis: a hydrogen generator: how it works

In 1800, Anthony Carlisle, a surgeon in London, discovered water electrolysis because he wanted to make a hydrogen generator. Dr. Carlisle wanted a way to produce hydrogen gas easily because he learned in 1798 that hydrogen had antioxidant properties. Traditional electrolysis devises convert water (H20) to hydrogen gas (H2) and hydroxide ions (oH) at the negative side (cathode), and oxygen gas (O2) and hydrogen ions (H+) at the positive side (anode). Traditional water electrolysis machines have standard membranes that separates the alkaline OH- ions from the acidic H+ ions if you are separating the water streams. A new method of electrolysis was designed to only produce H2 without changing the pH of the source water. In this method, the water is not separated into alkaline and acid streams. Proton Exchange Membranes (PEM) are used instead of standard membranes. The advantage of the PEM is that it creates its own conductivity in water and can produce H2 gas even in pure water with no minerals as in reverse osmosis or distilled water. the benefits do not come from the pH of the water. The pH change comes if you separate the water streams. It is the H2 gas that can be dissolved in the water that provides the therapeutic benefits. 

Typically, electrolysis systems that separate the water streams into alkaline and acid water are not able to dissolve H2 gas in the water longer than a few weeks. This is because the positively charged minerals naturally want to bond to the negatively charged cathode (see graphic above). If minerals build up on the cathode, H2 gas will not be dissolved in the water because the hydrogen bubbles will be too large to be dissolved. The H2 gas will go into the atmosphere and the benefits with it. In the Echo 9 Ultra H2 system, the patented technology changes the polarity of the electrodes to further confuse the issues but they don't do it every time the machine is used. This makes it impossible for minerals to build up. This is the only system that guarantees H2 gas will always be dissolved in the water. 

With other electrolysis systems, minerals will build up within 2-3 weeks of use and the benefits will be gone. Other companies tell customers that they have automatic reverse cleaning systems in their machines to be confusing. They say that their systems change the polarity of the electrodes to further confuse the issue but they don't do it every time the machine is used. They only change the polarity every 10L or 20L of water and by then the minerals are already bonded and the damage is done. With these inferior systems, the only way to keep the minerals off the cathode is to clean the system every 2 weeks with citric acid or commercial vinegar. Of course, you don't have to worry about this with any of the Echo branded systems because it is impossible for the minerals to bond to the cathode in the first place.