FAQ - Mata Air Bali

FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions

Solar Water Purifier:

1) May I drink water directly from the Solar Water Purifier?
Yes. The water that exits the Purifier has been solar evaporated, and will be free of bacteria, virus, and virtually all chemical contaminants, provided the Purifier has been properly installed and filled with water to the proper level.

2) Does the Solar Water Purifier need maintenance?
Yes. Normal maintenance can be performed by one strong individual. The first and usual method is to open a drain valve and replace water and primary filters.

The second involves removing the screen and two filters, then tilting the unit upward to drain. Complete instructions with photos are included with purchase, or can be viewed here on this website.

3) Do the plastics in the Solar Water Purifier contain any so-called endocrine disruptors?
No. All Mata Air Bali products are certified free of BPA, and those phthalates that are known to cause problems.

4) How does the Solar Water Purifier work?
Evaporative Condensation. The process is similar to how clouds are formed and from which comes rain. Water evaporates from below, rises, and collects on the glass surface above. These droplets of condensate roll down the glass and then drain from the Purifier, directly into your water jar below.

Our process is considerably cleaner than with cloud and rain formation. Due to the fact the evaporation chamber is sealed fromthe environment, air-borne pollutants cannot enter the distillation chamber, unlike cloud/ rain formation.

Here in Indonesia, clouds are often formed on volcanic smoke, resulting in acidic and metallic rain. In and around urban areas, rain may contain byproducts of petroleum combustion, and smoke stack chemicals emitted during industrial applications.

5) How does the Solar Water Purifier eliminate chemical and heavy metal contaminants?
Water is sometimes called "The Universal Solvent." It breaks down mountains and can purify virtually everything over time. More specifically, when evaporating, water has the unique property of leaving contaminants behind. This is why drinking boiled water can actually increase chemical contamination, although it will sterilize bacteria and virus. Evaporated water will lose over 99% of contaminates, and be bacteria and virus free due solar heating.

6) What happens if the Solar Water Purifier runs dry?
Generally speaking, little actual harm will come to the unit, but we advise keeping he unit filled to the proper level at all times when exposed to sunshine and heat. Minerals and contaminants will bake onto the evaporation pan surface and become very hard to clean. Long-term direct solar exposure may result in warping of the inner surfaces of the Purifier.

7)Does the Purifier work at night?
Yes, although to a lesser extent. Because the Purifier is well-insulated, it will continue to produce water for several hours after dark. This is due to cooling air above causing warmer water below to continue condensing on the glass.

8) How does the Solar Water Purifier eliminate chemical and heavy metal contaminants?
There are two chambers in line before the water enters the main evaporation chamber. They both serve to eliminate heavy metals by allowing the fall to the bottom of the chambers (you will see evidence of this after a day or two of operation. Both chambers also allow the water heat and evaporate volitile chemicals and gases, before they enter the distallation chamber. In addition, there are two nylon filters, to prevent silt and soluble particles from entering as well.

9) What is the pH of the water?
Evaporated water tends to read a pH of about 6.7. This is due to atmospheric carbon recombination during the evaporation process. We add a process that raises the water back to the normal pH of 7.0, by dripping the purified water through marble chips (naturally-occuring calcite). Calcite marble naturally raises water to 7.0 and no further, simply by passing the water over the chips. With the addition of natural coral chips, more beneficial minerasl added, and the pH is again raised slightly to a more alkaline state.

10) How does the water taate?
Very pure, light, energzing. Because the water is so pure, one tends to taste what was last eaten or drank, thereby flavoring the water. We recommend chilling before drinking. Hot beverages will also taste more pure, cleaner.

11) Can the water be used for batteries and clothes ironing?
Yes, but we recommend you bypass the marbel (calcite) filter, so that no minerals will contaminate the battery or clothing.

Solar Water Heater:

12) Does the solar water heater use electricty, LPG or any form of energy other than sunshine?
No. Because the water heater is large capacity (210 liters), and works well even on cloudy days, no other source of energy is used. Designed to stand alone, it can provide very hot water afternoon and evenings, and warm water in the morning.

13) Can the solar water heater be used in cold climates?
Designed for use in tropical equitorial climates, the water heater can only withstand a very light frost. For effiency and economy, the water is directly heated. There is no chemical heat exchanger system and needs virutally no maintenance.

14) Why does the Water Heater only work with low pressure systems?
The Mata Air Bali Low Pressure Solar Water Heater is designed for peak efficiency for use in tropical climates. We use a thin-walled over-sized tank that heats quickly. This allows us to manufacture and sell the water heater at a much lower price than any other available on the market today.

15) Why does the water heater require no maintenance?
Because there is no heat exchanger, no pump, no chemicals, no moving parts. The unit is simple in design. If properly installed, it will provide hot water for years to come.

16) Will there be hot water on cloudy days?
Slightly-cloudy days are actually better for the water heater, because sun energy directly enters the collector, without bouncing off the dome. On full-sun days, some of the heat bounces off the dome, which acts to keep the heater from getting too hot. Full-cloud days will impact the unit, causing the water to be warm, but not hot.

Some people may want to add a small LPG heater, in-line after the solar heater for days such as these. And this addition is still a cheaper, more efficient solution than using more expensive hybrid solar/electric units.

Are there any toxic or harmful materials used in the Water Heater? No. The plumbing is either brass, stainless steel, galvinzied steel, or PE pipe (made specfically for hot water, does not contain BPa or other harmful plastics). The tank is a new steel 210 liter drum, coated with nuetral enamel, similar and better than coatings used in food canning, to prevent corrosion. It does not add pollution or chenicals to the water. When is the best time to use hot water? The heater is generally half-charged by 13:00, fully charged by 15:30. Here in Bali, people traditionally bathe at 16:00. We suggest bathing any time between 14:00 and 21:00. If water is used conservatively, water will be warm enough in the morning to bathe children. What kinds of fittings do I need for the bathroom? We recommend using a standard hot/cold water mixer of you choice. It will be necessary to mix the water to get the optimal tempurature for bathing.

Why is the Mata Air Bali Solar Water Heater the least expensive on the market today?

1) Low overhead. Our products are hand-made (not using expensive moulding machines) in Bali, not imported. We support our community.

2) All the materials used in construction are made in Indonesia - lower transportation costs, no import fees.

3) Our water heating system is passive, there are no moving parts, no secondary holding tanks, no chemical transfer systems, no pumps. no on-going service calls.

4) The inner steel drum collector/ holding tank is thin-walled, rapidly collects heat and keeps manufacturing costs low. We use only new high-quality drums, coated with black enamel to prevent corrosion.

5) The durable outer shell is made from arcylic and polyester resins and fiberglass, longer-lasting and less expensive than sheet metal used on other systems.

6) Our factory is designed for energy efficiency - we only have and need 6 amps of public power to run our equipment. We wash the products with collected rain water. Waste materials are recycled.

7) We wash moulds and products using simple baking soda and vinegar, or laundry soap. Less expensive, works better than volitile solvents, and is friendly to the environment. All waste water is filtered and remainss on site, good for the community.

8) We don't engage in expensive advertising or promotions, which can add considerable costs to the products.

Appropriate technology
for changing times

Why Use Solar Power?
by eHow.com

With the rising cost of energy and the prospect of shortages in the future, the idea of harnessing the power of the sun as a renewable energy source is gaining in popularity around the world. According to Solar Direct, there are more than 300,000 solar water heating units installed in the U.S., and the number is growing as people realize the many advantages of solar heating.

Systems

There are two types of solar water heating systems--passive and active. Passive, as the name implies, involves no moving parts. The simplest passive system consists of a dark-colored water tank exposed to sunlight. Passive heaters work on the principle of convection, in which hot water rises and cold water sinks within the tank in a continual process as long as there is sunlight available. Active systems employ pumps to move water from the collector to the water tank.

Available Energy

One of the biggest advantages of solar energy is that it is readily available to everyone, cutting out the necessity of the public energy provider. According to one Arizona utility company, just a portion of the roof of a typical house receives more energy than is needed to heat water for its occupants for more than a year. There are systems designed to work in any climate.

Other Advantages

Using solar energy has a positive impact on the environment by reducing the use of nonrenewable energy sources to heat water, such as gas, coal, oil or nuclear power. Solar energy is safe, efficient, reliable and non-polluting. The consumer has direct control over the system, and unlike conventional water heaters, hot water is available even during a power outage.

Appropriate technology
for changing times

Nuclear and Fossil Fuels

The purchase and use of any appliance that needs electricity, LPG, etc. is an endorsement of nuclear power and fossil fuels, and the wars their shortages cause.

Increasing demand for these conventional power systems speaks much more loudly than any vote or opinion. Even if a nation does not presently use nuclear power, any increase in demand makes for energy shortfalls that desperate governments need to fulfill. Their easiest solution is to secumb to richer nations that will gladly supply these profitable systems, often in exchange for the strip-mining of minerals and forests, financial enslavement of whole nations through debt.

Appropriate technology
for changing times

Why Purify Water with Sunshine?

1) Evaporation is a better process for eliminating heavy metals, flouride, petrolium distallates, etc. The Mata Air Bali Solar Water Purifier settles heavy metals and evaporates volitile liquids before evaporation.

2) Designed specifcally for outer islands and places where fresh water and power systems are often unreliable.

3) Helps reduce the volume of heavy truck traffic on over-crowded roads.

4) No expensive filters or maintenance. Drain the water when needed, replace the two kitchen-scrubber filters when needed.

5) Requires only free sunshine, no expensive LPG, electricity, etc. to operate.

6) No on-going expense. When there's sunshine, there's water.

7) You know exactly where the water comes from, no doubts about additives, pollutants, toxins.

Appropriate technology
for changing times

Links to Indonesian Sites

Contained Energy of Bali
Alternative systems engineering and installation.
containedenergy.com

Green Pages Indonesia
A listing of alternative energy
and engineering firms.
eco-web.com

Solar Energy Systems
Solar water heaters
and lighting systems
medelma.com

Solar Power Indonesia
Powered water purifiers
and solar hot water.
Engineering and installation.
solarpowerindonesia.com

Black Salve Indonesia
Natural anti-cancer medicine and information.
Black Salve Indonesia.Org

Melileagfo.com
Indonesian Organic Food Producer.

Jari Menari.com
The best quality massage and massage training in Bali.

Links to International Sites

American Water Distillers
Lists a variety of electricity-powered devices.
waterdistiller.com

Aqua Sun International
Portable and stationary
water purifiers.
solarwatertreatment.com

Wikipedia
reference on water sources and problems in Indonesia.
wikipedia.org

List of Companies,
A Business Directory

Energy Source Guides.com
Listing 16,000 renewable energy businesses world wide.

Asia Water Wire.net
News and information about water issues in Asia.

eHow.com