Thursday, November 23, 2006
Lotus Sanitizing System
The lotus Sanitizing system infuses water with super-oxygen, in the all purpose sanitizing bowl included with the system, to reduce bacteria and pesticides on foods. You can also use lotus to infuse water in the included spray bottle attachment and sanitize surfaces with one of the lotus microfiber cleaning cloths also included with the system.
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«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 600 of 690 Newer› Newest»Steve, I am convinced the Lotus appliance is one of the best purchases we have ever made. We care for elderly parents and were continuously using chlorine based products to sanitize surfaces. Now we Lotus everything. I suspected the multi aperture spray bottle nozzle had something to do with streaming the water instead of using a fine mist/aerosol which causes the ozone to become air borne and ineffective at the surface level. We purchased our first Lotus three months ago and have added a second appliance so we can have one on both floors of our home. We use it to spray our shower daily; thus eliminating the need for commercial shower sprays. We use it to clean and sanitize our kitchen and bathroom floors using our "Hoover Floormate". We also have the Lotus floor mop and have purchased additional bottles for both units. The cleaning uses are endless. Thank you for developing such a fine safe product.
Steve,
Appreciate the response to my question about the different models. I used the bowl set to the spray bottle setting to fill my carpet cleaner (first emptying out the carpet cleaning fluid reservoir) and the carpets look great. WOW. That is quite a savings as I now don't need to buy expensive (and smelly) carpet cleaning solutions. Also -- no residue to attract dirt. My compliments on a great product, Steve!
What's the best way to clean the black gunk out of the bottom of the bowl? It collects in the little cracks and crevices, and I don't want to damage the unit with harsh chemicals or pointed objects.
You can always buy a new bowl??? Not sure otherwise, it kind of cleans itself while it is running as you always have charged water running through and around all those surfaces down there. Mine is quite old too and I don't have this, maybe be sure to rinse any dirt off your produce first in the future?
After a year of tremulous anticipation, I finally got one. . . and it works, it works, it works! It is a very geeky gift, yet amazing. This is an industry-launching product. . . more significant than even the microwave oven. Steve Hengsperger, you are my hero, man!
Hi Steve,
There seems to be something wrong with my family's Lotus unit - instead of cycling the water through the system, it just all spills out when we turn on the machine. We have had it for less than a year - so I'm not sure why it's not working.
Also, when we bought it at the Green Living Show, we were told cartridges would be available through major retailers - but I have not found any at stores in Toronto.
Cheers,
Chris
In the manual it states not to drink the water but you said yourself it can be used as a mouthwash.
How harmful is it to drink?
Christine, please call our customer care as it seems something has gone wrong inside the unit. They will also be able to direct you to who sells the cartridges.
On the drinking question, I don't beleive anybody has ever done a study on drinking water with ozone in it. That is why we say we don't condone drinking it, but if you drank it by accident, there are no emergency procedures to follow, except maybe drink more water. In a drinking water application, you would find some additional filters in the system as ozone only kills germs and breaks down some of the contaminants. Additional filtration is required to remove chlorine and other impurities.
What a coincidence that someone wrote in about drinking the Lotus water! Yesterday I was at our local bottled water store, and they were selling "ozone water" as some kind of super-healthy drink -- supposed to be good for your muscles and brain and everything, according to the kid working there. Are there different types of ozone water, some for drinking and some not? It just makes sense to me that anything I would put on my food must be safe to ingest...
Thanks,
~~Cheryl
Thanks for replying, Steve. I was reading something about ozonated water therapy and was curious.
We just bought your product, my wife is scared of it but she is starting to come around after I've shown her some its powers. We have a new baby so an alternative to using harsh chemicals is very intriging to her (and me!). Quite an amazing machine really. Take care.
Hello,
I am curious. Will pouring activated water down a sink hurt a septic system once the water makes its way to the septic tank? If I remember right there is some kind of bacteria or similar used in septic systems to break up waste and I wonder if the Lotus may eventually cause a septic system to fail.
Thanks.
I think you would have to pour quite a bit down the drain for it to have that effect. I would think, if anything, it will deodorize your drain and revert right back to water and oxygen before even making its way into your septic system....may even help reduce clogs as it oxidizes along the way....
I posted yesterday but don't see it so here goes again:
Is there a warranty on the spray bottle? I bought my outfit in Oct., dropped the bottle the other day and it shattered all over the place.
Other than that, we love it!
Thanks
I have read this blog from the first to the last and have only seen two questions that regard Mexico. The second question was answered about purchasing a model but the first wasn't answered and it is the same question I have, since I am moving there within the year.
Melissa said...
Can the Lotus kill amoebas? I ask because I would like to use the product in Mexico. The water carries amoebas, as well as some foods (fruits, veggies, etc). I know the Lotus kills bacteria, but what about amoebas?
Also, would I have to put bottled water into the machine? Any info would be great. Thanks for your help!
May 9, 2008 5:28:00 PM PDT
====-- Most Mexican tap water is untreated and people buy distilled water to drink. I would like to know if this system would make untreated water into potable water to drink and make coffee with. I seriously don't want to carry a 5 gallon bottle of water up a 4 storie walk-up. Thanks so much for your help. :)
Diana, it would be under warranty if it failed somehow but we can't cover accidents unfortunately. We are working on making the bottles more drop resistant and should have our new design ready in a few months.
Raul, I will have to do some research on the amoebas. I did google this quickly and found enough evidence on the net that ozone will kill an amoeba, just as it kills bacteria, viruses, fungus, mold, etc. If I find anything more specific I will post it.
You may have to use filtered water, not necessarily bottled water, but hard to say until you take the unit down there and try it out. I do know that the unit works as we are selling our commercial models there already and no filtration required but they are mainly being used in areas where there is some sort of water treatment in place already.
This Sanitizing System is not meant for purifying drinking water as there is no carbon filtration to remove impurities that the ozone doesn't take care of. The ozone will take care of germs and heavy metals but you need the carbon filtration to remove things like chlorine and particulates.
Steve, did you miss my question from Jan 6? Also, for the folks who want to remove particulate matter from non-potable water, I would imagine a Brita pitcher would suffice. They aren't that expensive, and I use one for all my own drinking water.
~~Cheryl
Cheryl,
I thought maybe someone else could answer that one as my knowledge is limited to just saying that ozone is ozone. For water purification they use it to kill the germs and remove heavy metals, but then remove it again before you drink the water. We don't want the ozone out in our sanitizing system as that is our oxidizer that lets you clean and sanitize your home chemical-free.
Our system stopped working after about 2 years. After 8-9 months from the purchase date, the first system was leaking from the bottom. So you were kind enough to replace it. The unit that came was not totally new, more like a reburbished unit. But we were so happy with your service, you sent the replacement unit and even pick the defective one. We learned to like the unit even that we do have to replace the cartridges quite often, as my wife keep using for it for everything, if for cleaning the house…
This time, it shows an F4, it does not want to prime at all. My wife called, and was told to try all kind of things, but nothing works. But the rep told her that you do not even want to repair it, and that she should go out and buy a new one !
I am not sure this is the proper answer. It seems to me that you must have a center which repairs these things. I am sad and shocked by the 180 degres turn in your level of service.
Steve,
I bought a Lotus and after about 3 weeks of use, a replace cartridge symbol showed up. I decided to try and shake up the existing cartridge and then put it back in and I've been using it for about a month since and I haven't gotten any replace cartridge symbol. Does this mean that my cartridge is still working or does the unit just show a replace cartridge symbol after a number of uses without actually reading the cartridge? And no, it doesn't take longer for the water to charge up with this old cartridge as I tested it with a new cartridge too and it was the same amount of time. Please let me know asap.
Has anyone ever had condensation behind the LCD screen? I have that problem right now. I woke this morning to find the LCD full of condensation and I can't read the display. The unit is working though.
The lens covering the LCD is simply a pressure sensitive decal. We had moisture in our display and discovered the lens was not longer making complete contact with the plastic housing. Presumably this permitted water to entire while placing or removal the bowl/plastic bottle. After drying the lens area I applied very light finger pressure to reseal the decal's adhesive. This solved our problem. However, a leak or water spill inside the appliance might create the same effect.
Aloha288,
F4 is a priming issue and it will prime, eventually. We definitely do not recommend emptying the water from the base as this is what causes this problem. Please keep trying...I think our lab guys here actually blow into the bottle...or maybe suck air out of the bottle....while it is trying to prime and this gets it going.
The cartridge symbol is merely a guide to remind you to change the cartridge. It shows up either after 90 or 100 uses, which is about how long the cartridges last. Not sure why it showed up after only a few weeks though....do you use it that much?
Steve,
My husband is concerned about the ozone odor that eminates from the bowl. He's read about the possible lung irritation. I see your product has an ozone concentration of 2-2.5ppm and the safe OSHA level is 0.1ppm. Am I reading or interpreting the numbers incorrectly? Please address the breathing of ozone from the sanitizer issue. Apologies if you've done so already, but 424 comments are getting hard to search through.
Thanks!
Hi,
The rubber stopper at the bottom of the processing carafe became badly damaged after about 6 months of use which resulted in producing less or no bubble. Is there any way to get a replacement for the "rubber stopper"?
Thanks
Diana, our units put about 2.5ppm of ozone into the water (where it is safe) and about 1ppb into the air, which is well below the allowable limits. We do say that if you see LARGE bubbles going into the bowl or spray bottle to shut the unit down and call our customer care. We have a lot of safety devices inside to make sure this doesn't happen, but you may need a replacement unit nonetheless.
Henry, just email wecare@tersano.com and they will put one in the mail for you.
Thanks Anonymous
Can the amount of ozone that is emitted into the air affect an infant who was born EXTREMELY premature (micro-preemie) who has extremely weak lungs? I bought this because I thought it'd be a safe way to sanitize the house without the use of chemicals which could affect my baby's lungs. I'm confused. I understand that it emits below the allowable limits but could it affect the lungs of a premature baby who is on oxygen support?
I would say not as we are working with prenatal wards and have two hospitals already cleaning with lotus in these departments for this very reason. When the lotus is functioning properly, 1ppb is so low...there is actually about 14ppb of ozone in the air at any time as mother nature creates it all the time. To me, raising this level should not be harmful at all.
We have had this device for over a year now. In our family we call it "cooking the water". Other than the obvious uses we spray the kids hockey equipment right after they get home. It removes the stink from the equipment that is the plaque of all hockey parents. We have told many on our teams of late. We should go into sales!
Great Product
PS: Just got contact lenses...Could I use this water to sterilize instead of the contact solutions I wonder?
Hi Steve,
My wife tried everything on the phone with Support. The system seems to be doing nothing. That thing in the bottom of the bottle is supposed to turn when it tries to prime, right ? Looks like it needs to repaired. But your rep told my wife to go to buy a new one ! Why can't we repair it ? I don't feel like throwing it out in the garbage, not very good for the environment ! What can we do ?
Not sure on the contact lens thing...I will do a little research though.
Aloha, that blue fan won't spin until the unit is primed. I apologize that we don't have a repair mechanism, but as I wrote in a personal email to you, we will take it back and repair it for you, just have to let me figure out how we can do this in the big picture. We are only a four person company and outsource a lot of our services. I will have to try to find someone who will do this task for us. Thanks for your continued support!
Hello,
I notice you no longer sell the toothbrush attachment. Was there a problem with it or why did you quit selling it?? Also wondering if extra bottles, bowls etc. can be purchased at any retail outlets. Thank you.
We are just waiting for stock on the toothbrush attachment. We don't always keep a lot of these, or our baby bottle attachment, in stock and accidentally ran out. We should have some in as of a week ago so I will check to see why it is not back up on the website. Most retailers don't carry extra bottles or bowls but you can definitely find those on the web.
Hi Steve,
Just saw the CBC Marketplace episode where they compared the Lotus Santizer to plane water and a water/baking soda/vinegar combo.
I just recieved my unit 3 days ago and am quite impressed so far, however, I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on the marketplace study.
Thanks in advance.
I posted a comment on their blog. I am not happy that they are trying to tell consumers that rinsing under the tap is good enough. I can definitely tell by the video that they didn't use the lotus properly so that is a concern, but I do have the test results from the University of Guelph (CBC sent them to me) and the summary from the lab technician is that we do work, equally if not better than bleach, and that was with both the spray bottle and the produce bowl. When I spoke with CBC they kept zeroing in on the fact that the system costs $150 and they wanted to know whether I thought that was worth it or not. I was persistent in telling the journalist that if we could sell it for $50 we would, but that there is a lot of technology inside that machine that unfortunately makes it a bit more expensive for now. I also pointed out that when you break it down, it doesn't cost any more than about ten cents per use.
I have a feeling I will be answering questions on this for a while!
The CBC story reminds me of the debate surrounding anti-bacterial soaps and plain soap. Also, the produce in the bowl did not appear to be submerged by the hold-down screen or it may have been missing entirely. Yes, Steve. I believe you'll be addressing this for awhile. This may actually turn into an opportunity.
Steve, I think that the lotus is a great product! It has eliminated my allergies that I used to have when using chemical cleaners. I would love to see if CBC Marketplace would have have the guts to do a comparison test using Big name Chemical Cleaners and see how effective those are in a home? better yet, how bad they are for a home environment. Ahh... that maybe too much too ask though, they would really have to do their homework than! This maybe a great opportunity for lotus!
Thanks for answering my comments about the CBC Marketplace episode. As I said, I've only had the Lotus for a few days but am also impressed thus far. On the CBC website last night, in an article regarding cleaning vegetables and fruits, it stated that scrubbing the surface with a hard brush vigorously under fresh running water will sufficiently clean the surface - that hardly compares with spraying using lotus water, but whatever works. Also, they said water is free...obviously they don't live where I live.
Thanks again for your very speedy response, and I will be keeping an eye out for the toothbrush unit and will you be selling the water purifier again? I didn't see it on the website.
Thanks again in advance.
Not only that, but I would like to see somebody scrub each raspberry or strawberry this spring with a brush...all around...and don't dare miss a spot!
We should have toothbrush attachments available now. If it isn't on the shopping cart yet, just email customercare@tersano.com and somebody will get back to you and get one shipped out to you.
On the water purifier, we are hoping the manufacturer may still change his mind and start building it again, until then, we just cross our fingers. We would design our own but we have been concentrating on the commercial side as of late, converting our first 4,000 room hotel to cleaning with the lotus and eliminating their 5 chemical system. We see great opportunities in spreading the lotus cleaning and sanitizing message on both the commercial and consumer side.
If I don't use all the water in my spray bottle, can I just leave it in there to use the next time, after refilling the bottle to the fill line with fresh water?
Also, since I am battling a nasty cold right now, I've started brushing and gargling with Lotus water. Is there any health risk to this? I'm experimenting to see if it will also whiten my teeth like hydrogen peroxide would do, except that the peroxide is too harsh for sensitive teeth.
Cheers,
~~Cheryl
Cheryl, no need to dump the water out, we recharge the same bottle all day long when we are doing demonstrations.
On the gargling side, I believe we had another customer doing this and they claimed it worked so I will be interested in hearing your feedback. No harm done from gargling with it, we don't condone drinking it, but if you did, there are no emergency procedures to follow...except maybe drink more water????
Thanks for the prompt reply, Steve! Speaking of demonstrations, can you recommend a home test to show the effectiveness of the Lotus in killing germs, aside from buying a microscope or something? Just wondering....
Cheers,
~~Cheryl
I wish! Do you have a black light?
I guess the true test of whether or not the CBC was right will be if you sue them for a false story because quite frankly, based on their strong comments about how ineffective it is, I wouldn't buy it now. At the very least get them to retract their comments.
Steve, no I don't have a blacklight, but could probably scarf one up somewhere (never know when you might need one!). How would one test with a blacklight?
And to the person who wrote in about the CBC broadcast, I just went up there myself to see what they aired. It does seem like their big beef is the price. Clearly, the effectiveness of the technology itself is undisputed -- here's one link from an independent source: http://www.unisci.com/stories/20022/0506025.htm
I suppose that for an independent test, one could get a couple petri dishes with agar and spit in both of them before one brushes one's teeth in the morning or something, then spray one dish with bleach and one with Lotus water and see what grows....
Just one idea from an inventive Virgo mind... LOL
~~Cheryl
Oh, and as far as suing the CBC, I don't think that's a fair challenge. A smallish, cutting-edge company just doesn't have the legal teams that a media giant enjoys, nor the time to devote to a lengthy court battle. Not everybody has the luxury of suing a television station for airing a story that, while it may appeal to people's sense of outrage ($150 to clean your food???) as well as assuage any fears they may have had lurking ("Are my veggies going to kill me?"), has not been produced using quite the journalistic diligence we'd like to expect from our media.
~~Cheryl
I've had my Lotus sanitizer for about three weeks and loving it so far. But I noticed today that the screen (I do have the older model)seems to have condensation in it. I haven't noticed this happening when using it in the past. Is this normal? A problem?
Thanks!
We have tested against Staph viruses in the past. MRSA is a staph virus so we haven't tested for it specifically but we are going in to do Noro virus testing sometime in the next few weeks. There is also plenty of information available on the web on what level of ozone is required to kill the staph virus, we are well above these required levels.
Love the product! Ive had for over 2 years and have had no problems, other then my sprayer leaks because I had stored the unit on the base and the spring is not so springy now. I see you have some new products Mop and a vege thing to hold down the vegies(much needed). I looked at some reviews on the mop and seems like there are some issues with the battery compartment. Is this something you have already addressed?
And I see you have 3 different sprayers, but only sell one individually, whats the differences and would I be able to get one of my choice.
Someone asked how to show off the lotus system to friends. What I do is wash their fruits and vegies once, they instantly can tell they smell fresher, and when they take em home they allways last longer, and taste better.
But I would like to know the black light trick too.
Thanks
Thanks for the feedback. The battery compartment has given us issues. To get around this, we are actually working on a non-electric version as it seems no matter what we do to try to resolve the problem, it still persists.
Spray bottles are all the same, just different shapes and sizes. I'm sure our customer care can get you the one of your choice?
I am going to try to source the black light, so that individuals can purchase for themselves...may be scary though?!?!?
Oh! I didn't know we weren't supposed to leave the unit on the base when not in use. Since I've been using mine like twice daily now, I've been leaving mine there -- not a good idea?
And as far as the black light, it's pretty easy to find them. I just ran across a cool, über-geeky site called the DNA Store, http://www.thednastore.com/dnastuff/blacklight2.html or you can do a search on Amazon to find some cheap bulbs. But how would you use it? Maybe get a bunch of grapes, view them all under the black light, then wash a third of them in plain water and Lotus the rest, then check them again?
Cheers,
~~Cheryl
I did get mine when they came out at sharper immage, and its been 2+ years and it just kinda dripps out the bottom. Now I just set it on the base, and not press it down like I was doing.
I do have several black lights.. But what am I looking for when they are on?
is there stuff glowing on my fruits n vegies?
I am thinking of purchasing the lotus system but have some questions about what it can be used for. I saw on the blog that some one is using this system to clean the shower. This is a primary interest I would have in using it besides cleaning food.
1) Is it safe to use on aluminum? Our shower frame is aluminum and very few cleaners are safe to use on it.
2) Is is safe to use on sealed (the breathable kind) grout?
3) Is is safe to use on other porous material like tile and concrete?
4) What about hard wood floors?
Thanks
Ok I read all the 457 comments, I Believe gadgetking had a good idea for the 360deg squirter from spray-right.com
But I think you missed his post, you did not comment. You can buy the sprayer from them and would prolly fit on your bottle. or charge your bottle and pour it into their bottle.
Anonymous shower cleaner, it is safe on all of the materials you mention. Of course, wipe the excess lotus water off for a nice, streak-free finish.
Izedaman, you can definitely use another spray bottle. What I do sometimes is use a different spray head only with our bottle as they all seem interchangeable. If you wanted to use a different bottle, you would have to use our spray bottle to charge and then transfer over.
On the black light, I find in cleaning applications that it will show where any germs, or urine, has built up. We have other, more expensive devices, to test for actual cleanliness but to do true bacteria count reductions requires lab testing. Sorry, but I haven't done any fruits or vegetables...but I will now.
I am on my 3rd Lotus LB100 sanatizer.. each of them have developed leaks that occur from the underside while cycling. Each of these leaks have occured in less than one year of usage.
Now, I am the only one using them, so I can attest that none have been harshly handled, dropped, etc.
Other than none of my units lasting a full year, I love what it does for me in the kitchen, and throughout the house. I would not want to live without it.
MY question to you is,what causes this leakage, and have you solved the problem?
Barb
Barb, I would have to pull your returned units and see what the problem is. We did find that some consumers were pushing harder than we had planned on when putting the attachments onto the unit. In time, this caused a leak between the blue center area and the cover of the unit. We incorporated a fix for this about a year ago but I'm not sure if your last unit would have had that yet or not.
Steve is the charged water ok for using on hair and scalp as a hair rinse? Would it cause it to get lighter or more fragile?
I've been using Lotus water on my hair before I apply conditioner, and it certainly doesn't hurt! Makes it feel that much cleaner. I have to warm the water a bit in the microwave before applying, though, and I don't know if that would affect its quality.
~~Cheryl
I just received the sanitizing system as a gift and have a few questions. I apologize if these were already covered, I did skim through the blog, but did not read every post:
1. Does the item being sanitized have to be completely submerged in order for it to work?
2. If I'm doing a few batches of fruit, do I have to use new, fresh water each time or can I reuse the water?
3. I haven't gotten my system to work properly yet with the bowl and produce (F3 error) but am wondering if I can sanitize the produce using the meat method?
4. Finally, I'm curious if anyone has used the ozonated water to clean their face with... just wondering if the bacteria-killing power would work to clean problem acne... or is that silly?
Thanks for any help,
Stacey
I've had my Lotus appliance for just over a month. I keep getting the F7 error code all of a sudden. It worked fine yesterday, but not today. I've tried changing outlets and let it sit the 5 min. as it says to in the manual, but it's not working. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
F7 is an error that requires you to call our customer care and have a replacement model sent.
Stacey, here are the quick answers:
Yes, fully submerge...there should be a retainer with the system to hold everything down?
I would definitely use new water each time when doing produce as debris also falls off during processing, and rinsing. With the spray bottle, you can recharge.
F3 is a pump error...are you sure that is the code? Please call the 1-800 number on the unit and they can help you troubleshoot what is going wrong.
Steve,
Regarding the 3 units that I have had that have leaked within year... I'm happy to send you the unit that I now have. I can assure you however that I'm not 'pushing'. Not happy however about doing w/o a unit.
Barb
Steve,
In the above comment, I meant to say 3 different units that have leaked within a year of usage.. I don't want to imply that I have had 3 units within the last year with a leaking problem.
Barb
No worries Barb, understood what you meant. I really do apologize that you have had so many problem units...trust me, I see $$$ signs when I read your message. Let's hope we have the problem fixed and that you don't have to worry about going without your lotus again.
How soon will you have your changes made for the wet mop? It sounds like you are making a model without batteries. I would like to get the mop, but do not want to buy one with known issues.
I know that you can't pour the ozonated water to just any plastic containers.
Can you give us some guidelines as to what kind of plastic is ozone resistant?
Thanks
Steve, I just have to express my disappointment in getting my unit replaced. The unit was leaking water all over the counter, and it was also leaking ozone. The ozone smell was very strong. I contacted customer care the first week of December 2008, and received a shipping label to send the unit back. I was told I would receive a replacement unit, and I STILL have not received it. Every time I call customer care, they keep telling me the "back order" has been delayed again and again. It has been over 2 and a half months. I've seen in the blogs that people are receiving their "new" units, but why hasn't a relacement been shipped to me? I think 2 1/2 to 3 months to wait for a replacement is unacceptable. I really like the product, but there seems to be a lot of problems with "leaking".
We are always working on new product, and a manual version of our wetmop is on the drawing boards but no specific launch date is attached to it yet.
For the amount of times you would transfer ozonated water to a plastic container I would not worry about whether it is ozone resistant or not. That is more for commercial applications, say an olympic sized pool, where there is ozonated water in contact with the materials on a 24/7 basis...even then it takes years to see deterioration, in most cases.
C. Kane....sounds like your problems are with the processing carafe on our Water Treatment System....I checked out your profile with our customer service. That is definitely one of the reasons we don't carry that product anymore.
Steve, yes, the problem is the processing caraffe. So what does it mean for me if you no longer carry the product? Will I get a replacement, if so, will it be the same defective item? Is there an upgraded model that doesnt leak? If there is a newer model that is improved and doesnt leak, I am willing to pay to upgrade. I certainly would not want to get a a unit that will continuously have problems leaking water and ozone. I still have not been given any answers by customer care regarding when a replacement will be delivered.
I've been seeing UV sanitzers on the market that are wands you pass over all sorts of items to kill germs, bacteria and viruses. Do these do the same thing that the lotus system does? How do they compare?
I don't really think you can compare those UV bulbs to our system. I'm sure they work but how long do you hold it over a surface? How do you get the entire surface? What do the replacement bulbs cost? And that is just a few of the questions I would have. Our system is starting to be used by some of the leading hotels in the world, totally replacing all chemicals in their cleaning and sanitizing regimen. On the produce side, I just couldn't think of a better way to do it...totally submerging the produce, waiting for the LCD/LED to hit 100%, instead of holding an apple in my hand and rotating it hoping I get all surfaces?? Seems to be the same issues as when you try to scrub all sides of produce under the tap, just much easier and more reassuring to lotus.
I think UV is a totally different animal than ozone sterilization. I have an air purifier that uses UV light -- the air is circulated past the UV bulb and blown back out into the room.
I know there was a big public outcry some time ago about irradiated produce. But if you think it's safe, and if you think a wand would be able to reach all the areas of your produce effectively, I don't see why you couldn't use a UV system.
~~Cheryl
Hello: I purchased the lotus appliance on Feb 8th. I couldn't get it to go to 100% either with the bowl or the water bottle. I called on Monday, Feb 9th to Terasan & have been playing telephone tag. I went to the address listed in the manual but they are no longer there. I keep getting F3. I'm hoping that I can get this thing working. The concept is great and I can't wait to use it. I want to tell everyone about it but how can I if I can't get it working?????
Thanks
I also purchased the Lotus in early February. I had difficulty getting the water to register 100% when I suddenly realized our water has lots of minerals in it. When I switched to filtered water, the problem disappeared. It registers 100% every time now.
I use only filtered water.
If you call the 1-800 number on the center reservoir and leave a message, someone will get back to you right away. The other option is to write us at wecare@tersano.com
I am not sure what the problem is...does it get to 100% with the spray bottle at least?
Hi again Steve, I wrote to you last year about whether you had plans to market the Lotus in the UK and I'm sure you said it was planned for summer 08? I'm still using a very cheap copy product which gives me no confidence that I'm getting rid of all the nasties on my produce. Any update on when I might be able to get a Lotus which works here in the UK?
Also, similar to the recent question about amoebas, I was wondering if ozone will kill the type of intestinal parasites which are harboured on veggies.
Hi: I have called & left messages & I do get call backs a few days later when I'm not here. I'm not any further ahead from Feb 9th of the first call. It would be nice to at least be able to talk to a "live" person instead of having to leave a message. I'm not sure how anyone would get a call right back.
I did get 100% on the spray bottle a couple of times but now I don't.
Another issue is the toggle does not work. It stays on the bowl setting. I don't get 100% here as well. Get a F3 message with both the bowl & spray bottle.
Hello again Verena. Unfortunately we never did work out a deal with that distributor but we are talking to various parties....hopefully soon!!
Unfortunately, we only kill up to the size of about a dust mite. Parasites tend to be larger and are usually internal as well, I'm not sure what the best way to eliminate them would be?
This is a new feature we are trying with our call center. We were afraid some consumers would get annoyed with having to leave a message...sorry about that. Maybe you should let them know a good time to call back so they can schedule around you? Also, if you wrote to wecare@tersano.com we could call right away. F3 is an error you get when the pump fails so you definitely require a replacement machine. Mind you, it is unusual that you are getting this error and that the unit is still running and trying to get to 100% still....are you sure it is F3 and not another code?
Yes I'm sure the code is F3. The machine runs for a bit and then you can see a red flashing light & then green & then it eventually fails.
I have also sent an email through the web.
Thanks for your reply Steve. I would think the parasites on veg would most likely be in the form of eggs which you couldn't see therefore pretty small so perhaps there's a possibility the Lotus water may work on them. As to UK supply, is there any way at all for me to get a unit to work over here?? Would be more than happy to pay extra to get such a great piece of kit. Otherwise I guess I will have to patient a while longer. Or emmigrate!
Recently, our unit has started to emit an ozone smell in the room while it is processing the bottle. I don't know if it means anything, but the little blue wheel had a large bubble stuck in it and did not turn evenly. I'm not sure if this is related. I have noticed this smell in the air the past couple days, but did not smell it in the past. Is this a problem?
You definitely shouldn't smell ozone when the unit is running. The blue wheel doesn't always turn, it is more of an indicator, but it may be that you don't have the bottle pushed down all the way? When the bottle is running, if there are large bubbles coming out of the center area, shut it down and call our customer care immediately. Otherwise, if there are only the small microbubbles, then everything is working fine.
Verena, if you write to wecare@tersano.com, they can quote you what it would cost to send in a 220V unit.
Thanks!!
Hi Steve, it's been a while since I wrote in; I've been very happy and busy with my Lotus! But I went a little while where I wasn't in a position of using it (and boy did I miss it!) and when I started back, the pellets were green. I couldn't get the unit to get to 100% so I replace it, and the new one, as well as the last one I have in a drawer are all green. Did they expire before I got to use them? I can't get my unit back up and running to 100%.
If the cartridges stayed in the vacuum sealed packages then they shouldn't have turned green? Are you using the spray bottle? That is the best way to check because with nice cold tap water, even with an old cartridge, the lotus should still get to 100% most of the time. If not, defintely call our customer care and see what options they have for you.
Instructions say to not drink the water. Would the water work as a mouthwash?
When I came down with that nasty cold that was going around a while ago, I started brushing and gargling with Lotus water. My mouth does seem to feel cleaner, and there are no undesirable side effects that I can tell.
Are chlorine and fluorides removed from the water?
JB, chlorine is not removed from the water and most of the flouride is also left in the water. We don't recommend drinking the water, however, no emergency procedures to follow if you do....and definitely fine to gargle with the charged lotus water.
I have the water treatment machine. From reading the blog, are you still trying to find someone to produce this product again? I have some friends that have seen (and drank) water from my machine and were wishing to purchase.
I am seriously considering purchasing the Sanitizing system. There recently have been articles about high end hotels going to your type of system for the cleaning of hotel rooms etc. (The staff was pouring the bathroom shampoo into the bottles at first to get a 'foaming' effect because the did not believe it was really cleaning.) Over time they finally observed that cleaning was actually occurring without the addition of shampoo.
Which model has incorporated all your latest changes?
Thanks for considering the Sanitizing System! All our models have the latest changes as we are continually improving and updating all models. The only real difference between all models is the size and whether it has an LCD or LED display.
Steve,
Thanks for your answers!
I'm a chile-head. A life-long gardener and am already using the Lotus water to combat seed starting problems by treating seeds in the water before sowing and spraying the seed starting medium to prevent "damp off" and other fungal problems. There are a lot of gardeners like me that refuse to spray pesticides and fungicides on what we eat.
Anyways, with a seed related experiment in mind I want to know if I fill a mason jar to the brim and tightly cap it will the water stay useable for a longer time?
JB, unfortunately that still won't help. Those extra oxygen atoms we add will still find each other, even in a sealed environment, and revert back to regular oxygen molecules. How long are you looking to extend? There is a way to triple the time, basically extend from 45 minutes for cleaning to almost 3 hours and to 45 minutes for sanitizing from 15 minutes. It is simple to do, add 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar either before processing, or even after, and that's all! This will actually make the lotus charged water that much more powerful as well!! Basically, what happens is the acetic acid in vinegar acts to stabilize the break down of ozone. It still breaks down, but not as rapidly, hence why we get even more of it in the water in the first place, and then it takes that much longer for it to revert to oxygen again.
Steve,
I love my lotus and use it multiple times a day. My cartridge "ran out" really early but I have kept on using it. It still gets to 100 almost every time. Except with non-organic apples which I think are heavily sprayed with pesticides.
My question is...Do I actually need a new cartridge or will the lotus continue to work without a new one? Would it be faster if I had a new cartridge?
Also....is the time the water stays charged for cleaning 15 min or 45 min?
Thanks
A
The lotus will just work faster and get to a higher level of charge with a new cartridge.
On the time limit side, you are good for 45 minutes for cleaning, only the first 15 minutes will get you to a sanitizing level....it just slowly reduces after this. It actually takes about 3 hours for all the ozone to convert back to oxygen but there isn't quite enough left after 45 minutes to help with oxidizing stains.
I find that bit about extending the cleaning/sanitizing times by using vinegar (a non-chemical which can be eaten) real interesting.
For those of us who want to use/make quantities larger than the spray bottle (not sure how much it holds), what are the proportions - how much vinegar to how much water?
And the vinegar is the normal (at least to me) distilled white 5% acidity vinear?
When I was using the sanitizing system to clean fruits/vegetables yesterday, my lotus shut off (no error code, just stopped) three times. I let it rest for a couple of hours, and then it charged plain water. What happened?
Yes, it is just your regular 5% white vinegar in a bottle that does this. I will have to get you that ratio, but if you do some quick math, just see how many spray bottles worth of water fit in the bowl and then put that many times 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar in. If you put too much, it will just froth up...that's how you know you have too much...and remember, you can add before, or after, processing.
Not sure on the 'unit shutting off' question. Can you please write that to wecare@tersano.com and see what our customer care staff have to say?
Has anyone ever tested this product on tomato plant blight and fungus? Thought some poeple had tried but never heard their report. We have serios blight in western Missouri. Someone please comment. Thanks!
That vinegar stabilizes ozone thus extending the useful life of charged water is very interesting/useful; as Ellen from Queens pointed out. This is almost an "Eureka moment". We have already implemented this new novel charging method. It may also improve the charged water's descaling ability and may even serve as a better glass cleaner. Steve, I would recommend this option being added to any reprint of the user's manual. Now you need to design/develop a simple vinegar dispenser. Yes, I am just trying to keep you solvent and make you money.
How is the smell with vinegar? I would love to do all my floors with out having to 'recharge' every 10-15 min
Should have that on your 'new' mop design option hehe
There is a slight vinegar odor that quickly dissipates. If I recall, Windex used to sell a spray window cleaner product that had vinegar added for the purpose of removing window spots.
Hello--just wanted to update everyone on my results regarding my purchase on Feb 8th.
I have received a new system and have used both the bowl & bottle a couple of times and it works great.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Hi Steve,
Just wanted to thank you for a wonderful product. I am an infectious disease investigator for a public health department; trained in microbiology and epidemiology. I also have a strong laboratory and research background. I spend much of my time at work investigating illnesses caused by Salmonella, norovirus, Giardia, E. coli O157, etc.
This product sounded too good to be true, but the science behind it is sound, so I bought a LBU100 in December. I have used the LBU100 primarily as a surface cleaner, and occasionally as a sanitizer of ready to eat produce that can be contaminated with bacteria like spinach, lettuce, and herbs, and have been very impressed.
I have told coworkers, friends, and family members about your great product and as of now, sharing my experiences has helped sell three LBU100's (people ask me about germs and disease all the time, so it is easy to seg to the Lotus).
As a cleaner, seeing is certainly believing. The ozonated water cleans as well if not better than chemical-based cleaning agents w/o any chemical odors or residue. Proving that the Lotus is an effective sanitizer will take more effort, and I think that more effective marketing of its sanitizing ability will help your sales significantly. One little tidbit for those who insist on using chlorine bleach: bleach loses its sanitizing power in a few days. If you don't use a fresh bottle of bleach to clean, you aren't really sanitizing, even though you'll get the chlorine odor. People who shoot IV drugs are given small bottles of bleach every week because old bleach doesn't work to clean used needles of HIV, hepatitis B, and hep C virus.
Our public health lab is interested in trying to replicate your efficacy results from U of Florida. One thing I noticed in the study was that there was no negative control (i.e., a baseline bacterial reduction amount from just the mechanical action of spraying plain water and wiping with a pad). If the results can be replicated, the lab may purchase LBU100s for cleaning their lab benches.
As a new parent, I am planning on telling all of our parent friends about the benefits of a Lotus for their home (can you think of a better baby shower gift?).
As of now, I have no hesitation to state that the Lotus is wonderful cleaning product. As soon as the lab results for sanitizing are replicated, I will strongly recommend, without hesitation, that every household should have a Lotus. Instead of "A chicken in every pot (Salmonella and Campylobacter risk)," it should be "A Lotus in every home."
Paul
Steve,
I am planning on purchasing a Lotus unit in the near future. Can't wait to start using one. Any idea of when the new LSR125 unit will be available? What will the new features be?
Hello Paul,
We did numerous negative controls with all of the experiments. Negative controls were spraying water that was not ozonated and the surface was then wiped and then tested. The levels were reduced with and without ozone spray because of the spray, however much more killing was demonstrated with ozone. There was a lot of live bacterial on the non-ozonated wipes. Some of this was not in the report, since we didn’t have the statistics finished. It would be interesting to have another lab repeat some of our work. It takes a lot of time and effort but would be great if you wanted to repeat it and see how well the Lotus works.
The LSR125 is the same machine as the LSR100, except for the LED screen vs. the LCD screen. We initally designed this to be used by the commercial industry but that industry quickly gravitated to our wall mount design.
I don't want chlorine in the water. Is it ok to treat the water with this http://www.aquariumpharm.com/Products/Product.aspx?ProductID=46 before using it in the Lotus System?
I don't see why not. The lotus works fine with bottled water or tap water...just want to add....the colder the better!
Good to know about adding vinegar to extend the time we have to sanitize or clean.
I measured the volume of the spray bottle up to the top wavy line and it is approximately 500ml or 1/2 liter. The volume of the large bowl up the second wavy line is approximately 3.75 liters, so you will need to add 3 3/4 teaspoons of white vinegar (or 1 tablespoon plus 3/4 teaspoon). I think if the quantity needs to be more precise, I can weigh the water with my digital scale, but with no other lines to use as reference on the bowl or bottle, I think most people's volume each time will vary slightly.
I'm seeing mostly negative posts on a specialty forum I belong to re the Lotus system. (no, I won't name) The thought of putting chicken or any meat in the Lotus bowl to sanitize just isn't anything I would ever do. I see no problems with pouring the water over meat in a separate container even though might not be as effective.
Another negative has to do with veggies and fruit that are coated in wax to prolong shelf life. One reviewer reported a spotty, flaky residue on her apples after running through the system. I don't know what is used for the wax coating now, but it used to be carnauba wax. I myself make a paste of paraffin melted in olive oil to rub on my cukes and large peppers to prolong storage. These waxes are not going to be simply rinsed off and are covering any pesticides etc that might have been on the produce before coating. For several years I've used a commercial product to remove the wax and to clean store-bought produce.
Any comments?
I have had my Lotus for a little under a year (I think). It has stopped making bubbles. Does that mean there is something wrong with it? Also, it keeps giving me errors while it is on the "cleaning" setting, but it works fine on the "veggie" setting. What's going on?
Thanks for your time.
JBT, we definitely only remove up to the wax and expose it so that it is easier to know that you are removing the wax properly. Once you rub off the wax, you could always run again in the lotus. Most people get disgusted by the white wax we reveal after running through the lotus, I just usually say that it is nice to know it is there and that you can now remove it, not the case if you were to just rinse under the tap.
Melissa, there shouldn't be any bubbles, except for tiny micro bubbles. I would call the 1-800 number on the unit for service, mind you, it is unusual that it works in veggie and not in spray bottle mode, it is usually the opposite....
Steve, am I correct with the following observation. Adding vinegar to lotus water not only stabilizes the O3 making it last longer, but if added before processing charges the water with even more O3.
That is correct as well. I don't have the link to the study handy right now but that is exactly what we observe as well, both an increase in O3 saturated into the water, and stabilization of the process of O3 reverting back to plain oxygen.
What other experimenting have you done? We find that we are able to break down really heavy stains that much quicker with this increased oxidizing power....no lab testing done yet to prove we kill even quicker but it is a safe assumption.
My question is about the Lotus Water Treatment system. I don't see the troubleshooting guide for it. I haven't used mine in a while and when I put the carafe on the system and turned it on it made a noise but there were no bubbles. I repeated the process and still no bubbles. Can you tell me what is going on or how to get it to work again? Thank you.
I posted the question about the Lotus Water Treatment system which had stopped bubbling. I got it to work again. I just kept at it and it finally started bubbling. Thank goodness. I just love it. You cannot believe what a difference it makes in the taste of our well water. FYI, I also have the Lotus Sanitizing system and I love it too. Thank you for your great products.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Lotus, and just bought the WetMop. So far I really like it too. I was wondering if anyone knows of plans for a Lotus laundry system? I have heard of other companies using ozone technology among other things to clean laundry without detergents or chemicals. I was hoping that Tersano might be working on developing something like this for release in the near future. If not, they should!
I was wondering if Lotus water can kill dust mites? It seems likely, but I don't want to take that for granted. Thanks!
Susan, our experts say we can kill dust mites with our charged water. We have never tested for this ourselves, but I guess there are studies out there on ozonated water and it's effectiveness on these little criters.
Hi I have been trying to find out if the sanitizer water is safe to use on skin. I want to use it as a replacement for hydrogen peroxide.
I actually use hydrogen peroxide to sanitize my ears to combat viruses (heard this on mercola.com, and it works pretty well!), but the hydrogen peroxide leaves my ears itchy and hurt. So I want to use the Lotus sanitizer water instead. Is this safe? Does it damage skin at all?
My next question is, does the sanitizer kill norovirus and other intestinal viruses that cause diarrhea?
Also, I want to say that this product has changed my life. I am kind OCD about contaminants on salads since the spinach e. coli disaster, and couldn't eat salads for a year or more until I bought this product. So I am very grateful for the product and happy to serve my family clean healthy salads again!
Motherfish, definitely safe on skin. Our technology is the same technology that most Olympic swimming venues use on their pool water, so if Michael Phelps can swim in it for 8 hours a day, how ever many days a year, then it's got to be safe for your own skin as well.
We have found studies online that show that ozonated water kills Norovirus in the matter of 8 seconds. The concentrations required to do this were in line with what the lotus charges the water to.
I'm glad we were able to put salad on your diner table again!! Have you replaced all your cleaning products yet and switch to the lotus for that application?
I use my Lotus almost every day (the bowl, spray bottle, and toothbrush attachment). However, water is starting to leak from the bottom of my attachments. I have "jiggled" the white ring around, but it has not stopped the flow of water. What can I do? This is the second time this has happened - the first time I had to buy all new attachments.
They should reset when you wiggle them. Just have to watch how you remove from the base unit. I do the same and tend to lift off at an angle which misaligns all the springs on the bottom. We do have a new design out that eliminates this problem but the attachments with this feature won't be available for a few months yet....sorry!!
Suddenly can not get any bubbles. No error codes. Changed booster cartridge & didn't help. Says water is 100% ready to use, but I don't see how anything could have been done to the water. Worked fine two days ago.
Shouldn't see any bubbles unless you look really close. If you read in the manual, when you see large bubbles, there is a problem. I can only assume that the problem corrected itself and now everything is working fine. As long as it gets to 100%, you always know it is charging the water and creating liquefied ozone.
Anyone has any comment on Lotus Sanitizer on the H1N1 Virus? Or should I stay with 10% bleach to clean public area?
H1N1, or swine flu, is a form of influenza. Liquefied ozone kills influenza, that we know, but we have not tested directly for H1N1 as of yet.
I don't see the baby bottle attachment listed on the website for sale. Is this still available? I love mine, but the bottom springs became misaligned and no amount of wiggling (as suggested) stops the water from flowing out of the bottom.
We are currently sold out on the baby bottle attachment, but I believe we had some arrive just last week. Please email us at wecare@tersano.com and we take care of this problem for you right away.
Thx Steve! One of the things I really like about you guys are active customer follow-ups either here and Amazon. Keep up the good work!
I called today to get the free part you blogged about a few months ago that holds the small berries and fruit down and the person has NO idea what I was talking about and transfered me to Black and Decker who then told me "no idea why you were transfered to us" and hung up on me so I guess I didn't have the excellent customer service the rest of you did unfortunately.
Can you please advise how we go about getting this part and please inform those who answer calls so they know what we mean?
Other than that I love the product.
Cheers,
Kristyn
Krystin, to make it easy, call wecare@tersano.com, sounds like our phone calls got messed up somehow, don't know how you would have spoken to someone about Black and Decker products?? I will definitely look into that and make sure that doesn't happen again.
We did go to a different type of call center as the Linens N Things bankruptcy filing cost us dearly. I would definitely appreciate feedback as I know it isn't the ideal setup right now. On a positive note, we have been cleaning Excalibur hotel without chemicals (yes, nothing, nada) only the lotus for all 4,000 rooms and we are in talks to get our products into even more hotels, schools, hospitals and restaurants around the country so you can definitely all rest assured that the product works as claimed and that we are here to stay. If anybody ever says it is easy to develop a new product and try to change the way people think about cleaning...tell them to guess again...lol.
Do you ship to FPO addresses?
I've been spraying my tomato seedlings to prevent and kill fungal diseases. Will it kill bacterial infections such as these?
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/3120.htmlOne other question. The Lotus spray bottle delivers more a stream than a spray. If I were to use another sprayer that delivers more of a mist would the water still sterilize?
If all this works as I think it will then you should have a great future with organic gardeners!
JohnT
Thank you so much Steve,
I emailed customer service about the part and they couldn't have been more helpful. I spoke with them at 5pm and LITERALLY had the part in-hand 1pm the next day!!
I tell everyone I can about the Lotus system and I love it. MANY people will be a lot healthier because of your invention and your customer service really does go above-and-beyond :)
Kristyn
HI. I just got the Lotus today for Mother's Day. It worked great for the first two cycles and now we have gotten the F1 message 5 times in a row. I am so disappointed. WHat should we do?
Abby, it all depends on what you are processing. If you are using the spray bottle and getting F1 then there is a problem with the unit. If you are using the bowl with produce and getting F1 then there is, more than likely, too many contaminants on your produce. You have to change the water (as per instructions) and run again. If still unsure, just write us at wecare@tersano.com or call our toll free number listed right on the unit.
Good luck!
Hi. Apparently I wasn't pushing it on quite securely enough. I now reach 100% almost every time. The nozzle for my spray bottle stopped pumping completely. I attached another nozzle from a different but it wasn't quite secure enough so the bottle dropped out and broke. AHHH! Can I process water in the bowl and transfer into a plastic spray bottle?
Abby, yes you can definitely do that. You can also order just a spray bottle if you wish.
Hi Steve,
I'm contemplating the Water treatment unit for use in our mountain house. We have a spring-fed water system up there that has traditionally been tested as very clean (no bacteria, viruses, etc.). However, I'm always worried something will seep into the system and am intrigued by the Lotus to kill of microorganisms in the water.
My question is (I haven't seen it addressed on here) - if we have a significant amount of minerals/sediment in the water, will that harm the unit or not completely "clean" the water? Is the filter on the unit enough to remove some of the sediment? If nothing else, i guess I could use a first pitcher of water and let it sit until the sediment sinks to the bottom and then try pouring the container into the Lotus. Any thoughts or people with experience with this (well water people)? I'd love some feedback since I'm already hooked on the original Lotus and the process. Many thanks!
The filter on the Water Treatment System will definitely handle sediment, and a lot of it at that. The only issue you run into here is that the life of the filter will be shorter. The microprocessor inside the unit will be able to tell that the filter is getting loaded with sediment and will make you change it more often.
As an example of testing we've done with the system, the State of California put (what I call) mud through the system to test not only for microbial reduction but to see how well we reduce sediment. The gunk in the water was so thick it clogged the filter in just 3 cycles...and then our system shuts down...which is a great thing and why they passed us as a purifier!
Enjoy your lotus!
Thanks so much for the info., Steve! The sediment we have is only bad at the beginning of the season (during spring run off), so I'll just order a few extra filters to have on hand.
The only problem I'm having now is that I get an error message on the lotus Web site when I try to "buy it now." Gotta love web sites sometimes ;-)
I have had my Lotus system for 3 weeks. It is everything as advertised and I love it. Just a couple of questions: I live in Tucson and already our summer is heating up the water pipes so that my tap water is warm I have been adding ice cubes to chill the water. Is cold water that important?
2nd question: I have been purchasing organic fruits and veggies -- and hoping to cut my food budget now. But, doesn't pesticides get absorbed into the fruit and veggies - and doesn't the Lotus only rid the surface of the pesticides?
Heykron, the system definitely works best with cold water but you shouldn't have to go to the extreme of adding ice cubes. I just wouldn't use water from your warm water side of the tap.
When it comes to pesticides, yes, some of them do get internalized and we would only remove the ones on the surface....one day we will figure out how to get inside too...maybe?!
I've been spraying my tomato seedlings to prevent and kill fungal diseases. Will it kill bacterial infections such as these?
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/3120.html
One other question. The Lotus spray bottle delivers more a stream than a spray. If I were to use another sprayer that delivers more of a mist would the water still sterilize?
If all this works as I think it will then you should have a great future with organic gardeners!
JohnT
Sorry to repeat, but I would at least like to know about using a mist sprayer instead of your Lotus sprayer.
I have not yet noticed a recurrence of bacterial speck on infected tomato seedlings that I tested the system on.
It is unclear how the percent completion display works. It is certainly not just a timer since the time intervals vary. If there is some sort of ozone sensor it must be below the water container and I am doubtful that the ozone concentration there represents the average ozone concentration in the main container. Comments please.
John, you can definitely use any spray nozzle out there that delivers a mist. We do find that some of the ozone atomizes out of the water when delivered in mist mode. All this means is that the liquefied ozone isn't as strong as it is when delivered using a stream mode...or just pouring right out of the bottle.
Your findings on fungus are the same as others, it definitely helps to elimnate this problem when growing from seedlings.
Since all of our containers (along with our in/out feauture) are designed to optimize cirulation, we find having the sensors directly on the input line in our system gives us an accurate enough reading to feel confident that we have charged the water with the appropriate amount of ozone. If it is with the spray bottle, there is also the assumption that while you are walking with the bottle, additional mixing continues to occur. With the bowl, our algorithm works a little differently than with the spray bottle, so that we can feel comfortable that there are no more contaminants on your produce. In this mode, we definitely do not recommend overloading the bowl as that will effect how well the liquefied ozone is able to circulate.
I am still curious as to how the ozone is monitored and exactly what the percent completion represents on the LCD readout. If the ozone is to be monitored in the veggie container is there some sort of recirculation system? What do you think of the idea of diverting the water line in the water sterilizer (via a valve) from the graphite filter to the veggie container? Would the desired ozone levels be comparable?
All of the water is continously recirculated through our base unit. The oxiditive properties of the water can be measured with our sensors through a mV reading. The percentage readout lets you know that the water has converted to liquefied ozone. If the water is not accepting ozone, then our sensors can tell this. We run longer than the 2 min cycle (4 minutes in bowl mode) to see if we just need more time, but if after a certain period there is no change to the water then we let the user know to change the water and start again. If this happens with the spray bottle, you can assume there is something wrong with the unit. If it happens with the bowl, then you can assume your produce has a lot of contaminants on them.
Our water treatment system does not put nearly the amount of ozone into the water as our sanitizing system. Not only that, but we like to have the produce submerged in the water when the unit is running so we can continuously take readings from our sensors to monitor what is happening in the bowl. Otherwise, you could simply just pour water from the spray bottle on your produce, but how do you know it has stayed in contact with any contaminant long enough for the liquefied ozone to do its job?
No worries, we get this asked all the time....maybe one day we will come up with a way to do (2) in one.
Hi, I'm having major problems trying to sterilize strawberries. I have found that I can only put five strawberries in the bowl at once to have the machine go through one time to get to 100%. It is very frustrating. A whole bowl seems like it will never work. Please tell me if there are any tips with working with these hard to sterilize kinds of fruits.goo
Do you think it would be safe to use the treated water on a skin rash? Thank you for your answer.
motherfish: I've had the same issue with strawberries. Sometimes they do allright, but sometimes they take forever. I read somewhere (the manual? this forum?) that there's something about the seeds that tricks the sensor into thinking they're still dirty. But since I buy mostly frozen strawberries anyhow (they don't keep long enough fresh, and plus you always get those few gross mushy ones at the bottom...) or grow my own (no need to sanitize there, just rinse!) I hardly ever use my Lotus for them anymore.
Anonymous: I'm no expert on skin rashes, but I wouldn't hesitate to use Lotus water on it if I had one. I've brushed my teeth with it, last time I had a cold. Don't know if it helped (I was trying lots of home remedies), but I'm certain it didn't hurt. Why don't you try it on like half the rash area for a few days, and then tell us which area seems to be doing better? :-)
FYI - You can also find the exclusive smaller model at Sur La Table, either online or at one of their retail stores. Among the improvements are that this model is smaller and quieter.
Recent posts to this forum keep disappearing. I'd hope it's a computer malfunction and not Tersano trying to squelch a dialogue about their products online. Even though some of the posts have been about problems with the machines, all of the posters have raved about how much they love their Lotus. So why are the posts disappearing?
Once in a while, I do clean the blog up. I guess I felt we had enough entries on here where I tell customers to either write us at wecare@tersano.com or call the 1-800 number on the machine to help with their machine problems. I feel this forum should be more for questions and answers about how the system works and why it works and that if there are too many entries, most will just skim through it and miss out on some very important points.
As a point in case, there is a recent post on Amazon saying the machine doesn't work. They claim it only gets to 100% every other time they process produce. Well, that just means the produce is BAD, not the machine, and I guess I get a little frustrated wondering why everybody doesn't understand this? Same goes for using chemicals. I'm sure 95% of the people that own our machine still have chemical cleaners in their home, or do some other 'home recipe' type mixture for their cleaning. I would rather use this avenue to help educate everybody on how to use their product and where to use it. I feel our customer care setup is more than effective at handling what it was set up for, actual product issues.
The only other option I can think of is to split this blog into several different posts so that it is easier to find the relevant information that everybody would be looking for. Would that make more sense, or is it better for me to continue on the same way I always have?
Personally I like reading all of the posts on this board--I learn a lot from how people use the Lotus and the tips/tricks from Steve and others. For instance, the tip about adding vinegar is one of the best tips from here.
Since it was my posts that were deleted and I had asked other readers for their thoughts (not asking Steve in particular), I'll turn elsewhere. I have not had good luck with Tersano customer service and have consistently been told to return the machines to the store. End of story. I was questioning whether there was a problem with the particular model I was buying and if there was, to see if I could upgrade (at cost) to the more expensive model. I sincerely LOVE my Lotus machine but if I can't get anywhere with customer service and my posts on this blog will be deleted, I'll give up on the machine and the company.
You have been told to return to store? Well that is feedback that we can take back and find out why our staff on the phones would be saying that? We would ALWAYS prefer to make the exchange ourselves. I will talk to our customer care manager to see why we have been having so many complaints lately and see if we need to change our system. We used to get praised for our customer service and I want to make sure we get back to that same level of service as we do continue to grow, even moreso now that we have hotels, schools, hospitals and other establishments using and loving our commercial systems.
This is a great way to let us know how you would like to see our customer care system changed as I don't regularly call around to see what everybody else is doing. We have set up our system in a way for everybody to get information right away, rather than wait on hold for a rep to free up. If these quick tips don't work then we ask that you leave a message and we call back within 24 hours....maybe it is this part that we need to change so that anybody can reach an operator at any time?
Always open to ideas...thank you!
There are 571 comments on this blog, so yes -- that would be rather daunting to tackle just to find ideas for using the Lotus. Perhaps one way to let everybody's voice be heard without having it become a free-for-all would be a forum, like this very busy virtual meeting-place centered around a different cutting-edge technology: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/
See how it's broken up into different topic areas. It's also got a very functional search feature that helps you find exactly what you're looking for, quickly. You can keep certain posts at the top by making them "sticky." And much more. It's a lot easier to have multiple "conversations" going on without it getting too confusing.
~~Cheryl
Oh, I forgot to mention -- just Google "free forums" (without the quotes) to pull up dozens of possible forum hosters.
~~Cheryl
I'm hoping these comments aren't coming across as an angry "loon" that you will occasionally see on these message boards. As I said, I am extremely happy with the system, but have had a few units malfunction (different things going on) and want to see that those issues are identified and corrected so that the Lotus system can continue to grow and do well. I have actively and enthusiastically recommended the machine to friends who I believe would be interested in it.
Yes, customer service has asked me to return the last two units directly to the store for replacement and the store (Bed Bath & Beyond) no longer has new units in stock. I was surprised by the customer service agents specifically since there have been so many positive comments about them on here. I was also surprised when I mentioned that I knew that some of the older units had known problems (because it was posted by Steve on this forum), to which customer service told me that was never the case and I must have seen inaccurate information (I told them where I read it and they weren't aware of the company blog).
Anyway, long rants over. I enjoy this product, use it every day and just want to make sure I can continue to use a working machine in the future. It's amazing how quickly you become to rely on the Lotus for day-to-day living!
One thing you can count on, this product will always continue to get better and better. We have been on the market for over 3 years now and have made many improvements along the way. Unfortunately, we have had many customers endure this painful process along with us and I truly appreciate, and always welcome, feedback and ideas on what else we need to still improve on with the system. I am an engineer by background, and hence, always second guessing myself and wondering if there is another improvement we can make. Not that there is anything wrong with the current model, or past models, but this is definitely a machine that is trying to change behaviors, and any improvements we can make to ease this process will just help us with this daunting task. In the very near future, we will have a program in place that will reward users of our system when they sell product to family or friends. Word of mouth, and letting someone use our system head-to-head against their current cleaning products are what gets people past the skepticism and on to becoming true believers. Of course, being able to say that we have many hotels, schools, hospitals, restaurants and other commercial establishments converted to using lotus from chemicals goes a long way too. I never signed up for this task back in 2001 assuming it would be a way to make a quick buck. I am in this for the long haul and owe all of our success to date to our team here at Tersano and our satisfied customers that aren't afraid to tell their friends about the lotus.
Steve - do you have a mechanism in place for us to send you leads for organizations that might be interested in using the Lotus professional system? Could we e-mail them to you?
Email would be the best way. Feel free to send that on directly to me, or through our customer care email:
wecare@tersano.com
Thanks!!
Steve,
I love your products, I rely on them. However, when something goes wrong, your new service policy makes for very unhappy customers.
My 800 call to you (your directions for my error code) informed me by recording that service would get back to me within 72 hours. Now I remember when we actualy got service when we called. 72 hours?! unreasonable.
I called in the AM of 6/12 leaving my message and number. It is now 6/17 at 9:00 PM P.T. Still no response. So we can't even rely on the 72 hours turn around!
Please, imporve your service policy, and also please help with my error code: "Process light is flashing green, quickly, and dispense light is red"
Barb
Hi Barb, I had the exact problem you are having. My water sanitizing system did the same thing: flashing green light and red light (or was it green light and flashing red light?) My call with a message stating the problem went unanswered. It's been a month at least since I called. Finally out of frustration and desperation ( I rely on the clean water the system provides for all my drinking and coocking)I kept pushing all the buttons. I think what I did was I held down the power button (on the left) then push the middle button (the one that was red). Held them down for about 5 seconds then retry processing a carafe of water. For some reason this reset the machine and my machine has been working fine ever since. Hope this helps you :-)It was the only time I had trouble with the machine. I have had it now for almost 2 years and wish I could buy another one.
Thank you for that June 17 post about you solving the same error code. It worked. Do appreciate you taking the time to tell me.
I still haven't heard a word from Tersano... now a full week. It's sad that there's better "customer service" from the blog sit than from the company.
Barb
Brand new water unit but cannot put the top back on the housing into which the carbon filter sits. The top of the carbon filter holder is too large. What to do?
Reb2, it is a tight fit there so just work it until it fits. If all else fails, email us at wecare@tersano.com and we will send out a new one.
As for the posts saying we haven't gotten back in over 72 hours, I am on it. My blood is boiling as that should never happen. If anything, we try to get back the same day always, at least that is what I am told. I made the request last week to add features into our phone system that allows everybody to go straight to an operator more often. I will follow up next week to see how those changes are coming.
Please recall my comment as we simply forgot to remove the red cap on the carbon filter
Thanks for the remarkably fast response.
Hi Barb,
Adriana from Customer Service here..can you please send me a quick email with your contact information.
adrianas@tersano.com
I've never been able to get straight to an operator...it's always "leave a message and we'll get back with you." The problem with that is if they (customer service) want you to try something, you have to wait for them to call back and with the time changes across the country, you might not even be at home (at work, away from the machine, etc.). So then you have to try the suggestion later in the day and if it's not working, wait another day before you can get through again. Frustrating.
We recently made changes so that you can get straight to an operator in more places again. I hope it's implemented already, if not, it should be any day now.
Thanks for your patience...we tried!!
Steve,
Have you ever called your own company? I had called and left a message with customer service last week (and still no response). I called this morning again - left another message. Then, after reading this blog and seeing the "changes" you talk about with the telephone system, I went home at lunch and called again.
1. There is no direct way to get through to customer service (a live operator) IF you follow the prompts on the system. It asks if you'd like technical/troubleshooting answers. If you do, it gives you a list of things to try for each error code then asks if you're done (which tells you that you will be disconnected) but does not allow you to go BACKWARD through the system. So, hang up and try again.
2. If you try pressing a button for one of the other technical areas, or one that's not covered under the original menu, it sends you directly (and it tells you it will do it) right into the CUSTOMER SERVICE VOICE MAIL. There is no way to press a button a be connected to customer service.
3. So, I tried pressing one for sales, and guess what? The call goes right through. So apparently you don't want to miss out on a sales opportunity but it's not a priority to take care of your existing customers in the same way.
4. As has happened in the past, the sales representative listened to my problem and recommended the same thing that has happened before: take the unit back to the store where I purchased it. You've said on this blog several times that they are trained not to do that, but to get the unit back to Tersano. They aren't telling customers that.
I am no on my third machine from the store and I give up. The store is out of units (I wonder why) and I wasn't given the option to send the machine back to Tersano.
I don't feel like I'm being overly sensitive to this. If we were talking about a $50 gadget, I'd take my lumps. But for $150 machine, I expect more out of the machine itself and the company that should stand behind it. There may be others out there that are having similar problems and have given up on Tersano as well.
I'm not hard on these machines. I take care of my things. All of the units have operated great until they "give out" about 2 weeks into use. I've followed all of the guidelines in the manual and tips from other posters on the blog. I REALLY LOVE THE CONCEPT but after several weeks of having problems with these, I can no longer recommend the Lotus to anyone. If you've ever taken a marketing class, you'll know that people are more likely to share negative experiences with friends and associates than they are with positive experiences. That's sad, but after raving about the machine to my friends, family, co-workers and other blogs I belong to, I'm afraid I'll have to share my experiences.
I was looking forward to purchasing the Water Treatment System as well, but am afraid to do so given all of the difficulties with the Sanitizer system. Again, the concept sounds great, but I don't want to take a chance with a $200 system that may or may not work.
Again, the Lotus is great concept and has truly become a valuable daily product for me. I'm disappointed. Hopefully others are having better luck with the Lotus.
Chris
Denver, CO
Chris, as you can imagine, it takes time to redo all the scripting on our phone system. We have an approval process to go through and I am pushing my staff to just make the changes without me going over every detail but it still takes time. We took a hard hit when Linens N Things went down and had to cut back a bit on our customer service. These changes did save us a lot of money over the past 12 months but we are back on our feet again and ready to offer the same great service we always have..in the past.
With your machine, what would go wrong after 2 weeks? You should post your problem to us here at the blog, or just write us directly at wecare@tersano.com.
Let's see....
Machine 1:
Worked great for a week, then started getting an F3 error repeatedly and the machine wouldn't do anything. Sales/Customer Service told me to take it back to BB&B.
Machine 2:
Worked great for a week or so then I started getting a very strong smell of ozone in the room, but not in the bowl or the spray bottle. Although it would reach 100%, you couldn't smell the characteristic "fresh" water smell in the water itself. CS told me to take the machine back to BB&B.
Machine 3:
Worked fine for 6 days. Then, I started getting an F1 error. I tried all of the suggestions on the phone system:
-Run bottled water through it: wouldn't reach 100%
-Take the bottle and bowl, wash them in soapy water, rinse and try again, using distilled water: wouldn't reach 100%
-Unplug the unit and reprime and try again: nothing
-I let the machine sit for a day while I was waiting for CS to call back (which they still haven't). I thought I'd give it one more try...got to about 50% using regular cold water and then I started getting an F7 error.
-I unplugged, let it sit for a few minutes, tried putting it in another outlet, reset and same thing: F7 error.
-I have tried different outlets and even took it to work to see if another building would help. Nope, it hits about 20% and goes straight to F7 or does it right from the start.
-This last unit also always had a lot of water around the plug whenever it would run (which the others didn't do). Not trace amounts of water, but a good 2-4 tablespoons full. The LCD display was also hazy like there was water under the reader.
I don't process veggies in the lotus -- just water. That's it. They work great and then stop working. If I felt like I was doing something wrong, I'd own up to it but I feel like I've been very gentle with these machines and have followed the recommendations.
Please contact me Adriana at adrianas@tersano.com and I will make sure to follow up with further instruction.
On 6/11 I ordered your sanitizing system from JC penny. I have been using it and thru use have some questions. (1) - Many items FLOAT in the water and therefore don't get totally clean. I see that you posted that there should be a retainer with the system to hold everything down. I didn't get this with my unit. Where can I get it?? (2) - Also, water collects in the connector (where bowl attaches to base) Is this normal or do I have a problem? FYI: I cleaned 2 dirty sponges today and now they smell great! Hoping to hear from u soon
Please contact me with your mailing information and I will send a retainer to you. adrianas@tersano.com
Also, the water that is in the center reservoir is perfectly safe since it is the first to get sanitized with the next cycle.
Thank you for your comment! It is definitley worth trying in order to believe all the benefits the lotus has to offer!
I have a question about combining the ozonated water with other cleaning compounds. I know the 03 water works great as a cleaner, but there are a few applications that it hasn't touched in my home. I'm wondering if combining the 03 water with a little bit of a plant based cleaner in another spray bottle (not the processing unit) would work? Would the 03 water "eat" the cleaning compounds or make them work better? Would it inactivate the cleaning solution's ability to work?
Has anyone tried doing this? or is it safe to do? I've tried adding the 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar which seems to help some but there are some greasy areas that the 03 water just doesn't work well with.
Many thanks!
Mark G.
what has happened to the water treatment system, and no store selling replacement filters anywhere? is our machine - barely older than a year - already obsolete?
very concerned
We still sell the Water Treatment System ourselves and you can order a filter through us. Never obsolute, just switching our retail strategy around a little. Email us at wecare@tersano.com and we will get you the information on that filter.
Hello,
Our sanitizing system worked well for some time. We recently replaced the filter as it was time to do so. We are now experiencing water coming out from underneath the unit.
We recently ran a sanitization cycle through the pump sprayer. We filled the bottle to the maximum fill line and it recorded a 100% reading. However the water inside of the bottle was only about half full when the cycle was completed. Once again there was more water underneath the unit.
The unit is in good physical shape and was not damaged in anyway. Is there something we can do?
Please contact me at adrianas@tersano.com
I am not sure why my name does not grt posted on the blog identity. My name is Adriana and I am part of the Tersano Customer Care. Please send me any questions/concerns about your lotus Sanitizing System. I will do my best to respond to you as quickly as possible.
Adriana, make sure you're replying from the website and not via a straight email reply. Underneath the box where you type your reply text, you have the option to "Choose an identity." Select your Google or other online identity before publishing your comment, and you won't appear as "Anonymous."
~~Cheryl
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