Provides basic information and common sense questions, which should all be answered in the affirmative before considering a purchase from any manufacturer or distributor.
In order to provide the broadest possible range of quality options, Reliable Remedies is a distributor for the two leading detox footbath lines, Renovati Cleanse, by Body Balance Systems, and ionSpa, by Bella Spa products. A review of the guidelines below, in combination with a review of the features provided by the Comparison Chart, (click here), will quickly confirm that a model chosen from either the Renovati cleanse, or IonSpa lines will meet all of the recommended criteria.
Ionic Footbath buyer's guide
The successful ionic footbath purchase results in a combination of a quality system and reliable live support for the life of the product. A savvy consumer makes a purchase after fully researching their options. A poor choice can result in a machine that is either difficult to operate or worse ineffective. The 10 critical points to consider in making your choice are listed below:
- Where is the unit made? It should be made in the USA. US customer support is vital for fielding questions, servicing warranty, unit replacement or repair. Foreign units often come with owner's manuals in broken English! Some companies may claim the product is made in the US when it is just resold in the US from parts imported from Asia. Generally no local product support is provided.
- Does the manufacturer have a listed phone number? If they do not, how will you get service when you need it? Make sure there is a manufacturer listing, not just a distributor, who may have limited capability to resolve issues after the sale.
- Does the manufacturer answer the phone? If they do not, they probably will not answer when you have a warranty issue or an important support question. It is always best to choose a product from a manufacturer where you speak to a live person.
- Does the unit have a warranty? At least 3 years are recommended. Most quality units carry a 5 year warranty. Equally importantly make sure the warranty is not supported from overseas. If so, you will have to ship it there for service. Avoid purchasing units that require additional payment for extended warranties.
- Is there a return policy available? The return policy should be posted or available before you buy. Do not accept final sales, or imported units you must return overseas.
- How long does the array/water module last? It should last at least a minimum of 40 sessions. This is a cost of ownership issue. Avoid arrays made of coiled wire. The wire arrays wear out quickly. Make sure you choose an array setup that makes it easy to replace the components. The block and sphere looking arrays are extremely frustrating to re-assemble.
- Are different array designs more effective? Cost and ease of use are the major concerns. The systems work on a defined electro-chemical process, an array that is operating effectively produces the same ionization result overall. You should focus on cost effective arrays that are easy to replace, and easy to sanitize.
- How is the array sanitized between uses? If the ionizing components are hidden in a plastic enclosure, they cannot be sanitized easily. If you cannot remove the debris from the array between uses, you risk transmitting biological material from one person to another. Avoid complicated plate designs and “block” and “ball” enclosures.
- Is safety really a major concern in purchasing? The basic component certifications should be demanded. A GFCI, UL listed power supply, FCC compliance (when applicable), and RoHS certifications are mandatory. These are all met or exceeded by legitimate US manufacturers. There have been no reported injuries from any ionic footbath since they came to market in the 1990's! Many foreign units have lower production quality; stick with American made units until the lead issues have been addressed.
- What does the color in water mean? The early practitioners noticed the material and color in the water, noted it often differed with each person, they developed a system of interpretation. The facts are that ionic foot baths do not extract all the debris left in the bath water, solely through your feet as suggested. Most of the color producing elements come from impurities in the water, salt and the breakdown of the array itself.
The feet are used because of a good pore count, and comfort level. It is preferable to immersing your face, hands, or entire body in the water for an extended time. The uptake of negative (alkaline) ions is the real key to the process, not the color of what’s left behind.
Keep these 10 questions in mind when you make your ionic footbath purchase. Always remember the best price does not always make for the best buy. There are quality machines out there that perform effectively.
Types of ionic footbaths
There are many different types of ionic footbaths available. They are all trying to demonstrate why their unit is better or why it is worth the extra money over a competitor. They can be broken down into three main groups:
- DC adapter units:
These are generally poor quality units; however their price may not be correspondingly low. Some have no session intensity reporting display, such as a meter or LED readout. These units should be avoided; you have no way of knowing the power intensity of your session and cannot adjust accordingly. Some of these systems are no more than electrical bench power supplies married with simple arrays. These workbench power supplies vary greatly in quality
and performance.
despite questionable quality, many units falling in this category are disguised in very attractive cases, and console enclosures.
- Units with controls:
These are mostly the foreign units with basic controls added. Some include multiple features, like an MP3 player, and are attractively styled, but unfortunately are still a poor purchase. They often do not output enough power to ionize the water itself. (a minimum of 13.6 Volts is necessary to initiate ionization. A 24 volt unit is required to assure an uninterrupted session) Although some have displays or meters they generally do not address both voltage and amperage.
Most of the units in this category cannot maintain the proper voltage and current to maintain ionization throughout an entire session, resulting in limited or no benefits.
- Full Featured Solid State Units:
The computerized interfaces in this category are user friendly. They prompt you regarding proper salt levels and issue error codes in the event of a problem. Some can perform automatically, completing a session themselves. Desirable, since it can be difficult to maintain proper levels throughout an entire session. Most are well made with major US companies behind them. Footbaths in this category are solid state; this means they use no moving parts internally. They employ a full 24 volt capability out to the array, and can maintain ionization throughout the session.
The cost disparities in this category are surprisingly wide, from about $1,250 up to over $3,000! The higher priced units may not justify the outdated high pricing. The feature packed lower price units in this category are normally your best investment.
Questions:
Call us at 866-453-9519
We believe that and informed customer, is the best customer. Toward that end we will provide as much unbiased and scientifically based information as possible to help you arrive at an intelligent decision.
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