Agua Luna Lunacy

One of our readers asked us about a suspicious site called "agua luna" and asked if we knew of any reviews. We didn't, but decided to take a look. It was astonishing madness to say the least. Are they nuts -- or just con artists? Perhaps some of you can answer this question.

Now let us take a close look at some of their insanity:

Under the link DIY guides, there is a large button for "Never pay for electricity again". Perhaps it is meant to be an advertisement, or perhaps it is related to agua luna. The site magniwork.com claims "Our easy-to-follow guide will show you how to construct the Magniwork free energy generator, which will run infinitely and create free electric energy. This method has been thoroughly researched, and is currently considered as a possible mean of completely solving the energy crisis. A Magnetic Perpetual Motion Device much like Magniwork refers to a device that works perpetually i.e. indefinitely, and produces more energy than it consumes, which ultimately results in a surplus of electrical energy which can be used to power your home."

Most of you know this from school -- but just in case you didn't take science, remember this: Perpetual Motion machines DO NOT EXIST because they are impossible. Even more outrageous are machines that claim not only run forever, but generate excess power as well. To their credit, they have a video that ends with a comment that "if it works, they will have to rewrite some of the laws of physics".

There is little point dissecting insanity, but it is interesting that the web site looks a lot like those earth4energy web sites and both seem to have originated from down under. Down under what, I am not sure :-) I did live in Melbourne and loved it, so Ausies please don't take offence.

Agua Luna is also selling a book "How to build a hydrogen generator and run your car on water". This too is total fraud. The book has detailed drawings of the hydrogen generator with lots of circuits and terminology to give it a "scientific flavor" but it just like the perpetual motion machine because:

Splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen requires energy. This is the same energy that is released when you burn the hydrogen later. Where did the energy come from? Good question -- and the crux of the problem. Are you going to burn gasoline to generate electricity to convert water into hydrogen so that you can burn it again and get energy so that you don't have to burn gasoline? Hopefully this sounds foolish to you. Remember, ever time you break water into hydrogen and oxygen, or burn the hydrogen to make water, or burn gasoline -- or any other transformation -- you lose some energy as heat and this further reduces your efficiency. Extra steps might look impressive but they are just there to make the process look important.

They state: "Water is pumped into a chamber where electrodes are vibrated using an electrical pulse, which breaks up H2O (regular tap water) into H2 (Hydrogen). Hydrogen is a very clean combustible, removing ozone-destroying exhaust from your vehicle. When the pressure builds reaching 30-60 psi, you turn the key and go. You step on the pedal, you send more energy to the electrodes, thus more vapor fuel (Hydrogen) to the cylinders, which in return creates more power. (The system also will create burnable even cleaner oxygen)". This is total foolishness. Vibrating electrodes does nothing to disassociate water. You cannot create more power than you start with.

So far we have two perpetual motion machines on Agua Luna. Now lets look at the e-book "How to build a wind turbine" by Dan Martin. Having read the excellent books, "Home Brew Wind Power" and the books by Paul Gipe, I can definitely state that the statement "build a wind turbine for less than $50" and "no more utility bills" do not go together. Phrases like "install on roof, side or back of any house" clinch it as there is very little wind in these locations.

There is much more on their web site, including workshops, a $199 certificate stating that your business exceeds "agua luna" standards, etc. that lead me to believe that the entire operation is a scam. I cannot imagine a legitimate organization which claims that impossible things have been "tested here on the ranch".

Fortunately, the FTC is starting to crack down on energy scams. See FTC Sues Promoters of Bogus Fuel Efficiency Device. This suit is definitely applicable as a legal precedence for this scam, especially the hydrogen generator and Fuel Catalyst scams.

Note from the Federal Trade Commission:

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. 

To report this scam, use the FTC consumer complaint assistant.

.. more later I'm sure.