Jun
25
Iron Bacteria
June 25, 2008 | Leave a Comment
We have a great deal of information on the web site pertaining to iron. The vast majority of private wells contain iron in one form or another. Our FAQ section deals with the different kinds and the various treatment methods, but here we will address bacterial iron.
Iron bacteria are living organisms which naturally occur in water and feed off of dissolved iron and oxygen. Symptoms of iron bacteria are slimy water, foul odor and discoloration of the water. It can be difficult to discern between hydrogen sulfide in iron water and this bacterial odor. Iron bacteria can form a film on the surface of standing water kept in toilet bowels and such.
Removal methods for iron bacteria include “shocking” the well with bleach or chlorine, removing the iron that the bacteria feeds off of or filtering it. We have dry pellet chlorinators for disinfecting the well which attach to the well head and release pellets automatically when the pump runs, which fall down into the well and quickly kill the bacteria. Another popular method is a Greensand filter which filters the iron and uses potassium permanganate to regenerate the filter media bed.
When using chlorine to treat iron or iron bacteria, it is strongly advisable to use an activated carbon filter system to remove the chlorine once it has done its job.
Jun
16
Water Softener Salt
June 16, 2008 | Leave a Comment
We are often asked which type of softener salt to use for our water softener systems. There are a few different types which we will address here. Also, people want to know how much salt to put into the tank and how long it will last.
For the type of salt to use, we generally refer to the manufacturer’s recommendation of “pellet-style salt”. This is what is printed in most of the service manuals for these softener systems. However, we have discovered that these pellets do not always perform properly in tropical climates. The pellets tend to melt and form a salt-bridge or dome at the bottom of the brine tank. Rock salt seems to be the answer to this problem. It would also be a good idea to consider block salt when the softener is located in one of these hot/humid locations.
The typical was softener media resin requires brine to exchange the hardness ions attached to the media beads. The hardness ions are released from the media beads when rinsed with brine. Both the brine and released calcium/lime are then rinsed down the drain by the softener’s control valve.
Brine is simply salt saturated water. Water will dissolve salt that it comes into contact with until it is saturated and becomes brine. This is why the salt level in your softener’s brine tank should always remain above the water line. Following this requirement ensures that the water in the bottom of the brine tank is always saturated with salt. If the level of the salt pellets or block sink below the level of the brine tank’s water line, the solution may be too weak to perform a proper and efficient regeneration of the softener’s resin media.
Which brings us to the next subject, how much salt do you use? As stated above, you should put into your softener’s brine tank enough salt to bring the salt level up above the top of the water. This is the minimum amount. Beyond that, you can fill, or even over fill the brine tank with salt. It does not matter, just so long as the minimum amount is in that tank. So for people that can spare the floor space and do not want to hassle with lugging around 40-pound bags of salt too often, a larger brine tank is the way to go. You can choose various brine tank sizes on the same page that you would order your softener from as an option. By default, some of our larger softener systems already come with a large brine tank.
For small to medium residential systems we select a 15×17x36 rectangular brine tank, but you can also select an 18×30 or 18×40 round brine tank. Some of the larger softeners also have a 24×41 round commercial brine tank available. Commercial brine tanks do not come with a brine grid as they are not necessary
In so far as how long a 40-pound bag of salt will last in your softener, there are several variables to consider which make it very difficult to predict. First is the amount of hardness or compensated hardness in your water. Generally speaking, 15 pounds of brine is required for every cubic foot of softener media to regenerate. This amount can vary a lot. For example, we currently have several softener systems that are serviced by us in our local area which are operating on 20 grains per gallon of hardness with no iron present. So it would seem that a 32,000 grain softener (1-cu/ft capacity) would require 15 pounds of brine solution for each regeneration. But this is not the case. Usually 8 to 12 pounds will do. The water pressure, temperature and flow rate also become factors. There are also a few of the newer control valves out there that are more “salt stingy” than some of the older mechanical ones.
Which softener salt do you use? Unless you are in the tropical climate mentioned above, use what the manufacturer recommends, which is softener salt pellets. Which brand? The least expensive brand in your area. We are fortunate here in Michigan. Softener salt is reasonably price, but I have heard of other locations in the US where the cost of a 40-pound bag of salt is as much at $4 higher than normal. We do not carry softener salt on our web site. It would not make much sense to distribute such a heavy item. Once the cost of shipping is added to a bag or more of salt, it would become more costly than even the higher priced locations.
So how much salt is there left in the water after the softener regenerates? How much sodium will you be consuming when using a water softener? The Mayo Clinic has the answer to that one. Basically, the answer is very little. 
But if you want to completely eliminate sodium produced by softened water completely, then potassium chloride is the choice for you. Potassium chloride costs about $1 more per 40-pound bag here in Michigan, but it is just as effective as salt (sodium chloride) at regenerating your water softener’s media bed. Keep in mind that often times untreated water may already have sodium in it and softening your water with potassium chloride will not reduce that pre-existing amount.
Jun
3
Logix Manuals on Backorder
June 3, 2008 | Leave a Comment
It appears that the service manuals for all of our Autotrol LOGIX controlled softeners/auto-filters were out of stock. We were not informed of this until now (2 weeks later). So to everyone that ordered a LOGIX controlled system; your service manuals are on the way.
These manuals are normally very well stocked, but even the manufacturer can run out from time to time. After all, I’m certain they do not print these publications themselves, rather they have a printing company do it. While it is rare that any of the water treatment systems listed on this web site ever run out of stock, it can happen. We are normally notified of the shortage and pass that information on to you via your email address. In this case, because the manufacturer also includes a quick reference sheet for setup, they correctly assumed that the customer would be able to get up and running without the entire 84 page manual. We have informed them that if there is an outage of service manuals in the future, they should let us know.
Even though there were no complaints or phone calls from customers informing us of the missing manuals, we sincerely hope there were no difficulties or delays caused by this temporary shortage.
Jun
2
Brine Tank Sizing
June 2, 2008 | Leave a Comment
The brine tank (or salt tank) size can be important when selecting the water softener for your needs. Some people prefer a smaller tank due to the fact that their softener has been over-sized to allow for higher flow rate requirements. Others prefer a larger brine tank because their water is high in hardness and a smaller tank would need to be filled too often. Others simply want to fill their tanks with salt only once per year.
For those reasons, Water Value provides brine tank size selection for most of our softener models on the same page that you purchase the system from. Smaller 24,000 grain capacity softeners will only have the standard 15×17x36 rectangular brine tank available, but the larger 48,000 grain and 64,000 grain can be upgraded to the 18×33, 18×40 tanks. The commercial size 24×41 brine tank should only be used on high volume applications. This brine tank does not have a salt grid available for it and the color is black (charcoal) only.
The standard 15×17x36 rectangular brine tank will hold up to 275 pounds of salt pellets or 6-40 pound bags. The 18×33 round brine tanks hold up to 375 pounds of salt or 9-40 pound bags. The 18×40 round brine tanks can hold up to 450 pounds of salt or 11-40 pound bags. Finally, the commercial 24×41 round brine tanks hold up to 700 pounds of salt pellets which equates to over 17-40 pounds bags of salt. These volumes do not take into account the 4-inches that the brine grid takes up on the bottom of the brine tank.
Due to the fact that there are so many different sizes of brine tanks, the manufacturer of the safety float assembly, which is included with all water softener systems we carry, require that the float rod be trimmed to size for your particular tank. Detailed instructions for trimming this float are written on a bright pink tag which is attached to the float assembly. We also have instructions for trimming this float rod on our Installation Example section.
Some brine tanks are also available in different colors. The common colors can include blue, almond or black. You can coordinate the color of your brine tank to compliment the color of your softener system’s media tank. For example, a blue tank jacket can look good with a blue brine tank, but an almond tank jacket looks great with a black brine tank.
The standard 15×17x36 brine tank cover comes with a molded handle for cover removal while the round brine tank covers do not have a handle. The round covers are quite easy to remove even without a molded handle. Most of the softeners we carry come default with blue media tanks, so customers tend to order blue brine tanks. If your brine tank is going to be located in a highly visible area (garage, carport or main floor utility), you will probably want to order a color combination which will look right for the location. But if your system is going to be located in a utility room in the basement, color combinations probably do not matter much to you in this case.
All of our residential brine tanks also have an overflow elbow fitting on the side of the brine tank. We are often asked what this fitting is for. This fitting is to be connected to a 1/2-inch drain line in the case of a power failure while the control valve is running through a regeneration process. While obviously rare, it could happen. Because all of our water softener brine tanks come with a safety overflow device, some local plumbing codes do not require that this overflow fitting be connected to a drain, but we recommend that you do so anyway.
May
15
Backwashing Filter Sizing
May 15, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Automatic backwashing filters use coarse media to treat water problems such as iron, taste & odor and even to balance pH. Because these filter media are so coarse, they do not allow for the easy passage of water, thus making the rated flow for filter media in general much less than water softener media which is spherical, smooth and slippery. Often times the flow rate for a given media is lower than the required backwash rate. For example, a 10-inch diameter filter media tank containing activated carbon will provide a flow rate of 3 to 4.5 gallons-per-minute (gpm) but has a backwashing flow requirement of 5gpm. So your water supply will need to have a maximum flow rate of 5gpm to backwash the carbon properly, but when the filter is in operation, your 5gpm flow rate will be restricted to 4gpm.
Yet another consideration is the amount of media to use which directly affects the size of the media tank. If you are removing 2 parts-per-million (ppm or mg/L) of chlorine with your carbon filter, then at least 1.0 cu/ft of granular activated carbon should be used. And if you are a heavy water user with several people in the household, then you may want to consider doubling that capacity. But you will first need to make sure that your water system’s flow rate is high enough to handle the 7gpm backwashing flow rate requirement. The more media you use, the larger the diameter of the media tank. The larger diameter of the media tank, the higher the service flow rate, but again, the higher the backwashing flow rate requirement.
There are some filter media that have as high of a service flow rate as the backwash flow rate, but for the most part, filter media needs a high backwash flow rate. The various filter media and their flow rates in different size media tanks can be found at our Filter Media Flow Rate page. Keep in mind that water pressure and temperature can also affect flow rates.
May
13
The main component of your water softener or auto-backwashing filter system is the control valve. It initiates and controls the regeneration and/or backwashing of the water treatment media. The media requires regeneration or backwashing to remove any contaminants it was designed to filter out of the water. In the case of softener resin media, the control valve regenerates it by exchanging the hardness ions trapped by the resin with sodium ions and rinses the hardness down the drain. For filter media, the controller backwashes it to remove any trapped particles and to refresh the media bed which prevents water channels from forming. Water channeling would drastically reduce the filter media’s effectiveness.
Over time, control valve components can wear out or break down. While the professional grade controllers we offer are less likely to malfunction, standard consumer style controllers often do fail. Replacing parts on these controllers is usually quite simple, but over time can become economically impractical. This would be a good time to consider replacement of the entire control valve. But before you do, there are some points to consider.
First of all, you should have some experience with water treatment equipment before you begin a project such as this. Either you installed your water softener/filter yourself, or you are an experienced “do-it-yourselfer”. The manufacturers of the Fleck, Autotrol and Clack control valves we carry and support recommend a professionally trained service person do the job. There are other considerations as well. The water’s flow direction on the old controller you are replacing might be opposite of the new controller you are considering. If that is the case, your water pipes will need to be re-plumbed.
Another consideration is the size of the riser tube or “distributor” that runs down the length of the media tank. The majority of the control valves we have available come default with a 1.05-inch diameter opening to accept a 1.05-inch diameter distributor tube, but some older models used to be set up with 13/16-inch distributors. The newer 1.05-inch control valves will not seal properly over those. And the newer Fleck 7000 accepts a 32mm distributor tube which will not work with a standard 1.05-inch distributor without and adapter.
If you purchase a new control valve from us, you will need to know the diameter of your media tank. This information allows the manufacturer to configure the control valve for your softener or filter. Also, control valves come in basically two configurations: softener or filter. Softener control valves can be metered or “on demand” while filter control valve should not. Filter control valves are designed to schedule backwashing over a user-defined period of days rather than the amount of water that flows through the tank like a softener does. There are a few good reasons for this, but the main one is that filter media is of a different consistency than softener media. It needs to be backwashed on a regular basis to avoid water channeling. Some filter control valves also use “brine” injectors while others do not. All softener control valves require a brine injector system.
There are a few nation wide water treatment companies out there that produce tanks and control valves that do not conform to industry standards. For a standard residential water treatment application, the threads on the media tank are 2.5 inches in diameter by 8 threads per inch. All of the residential control valves we carry use these dimensions. Larger commercial controllers are designed for 4-inch tank openings. Some of the national companies will use a different style of thread to prevent industry standard control valves from being used on their equipment. For residential applications, make sure your media tank’s threads are 2.5 by 8.
Removing The Old Control Valve
Hopefully, your water treatment system will have some sort of water bypass system in place, either a bypass valve or a 3-valve shutoff. If not, you will need to shut the water off for the entire house in order to disconnect the control valve from the pipes. Pressure inside the control valve and media tank can be released after the water is shut off or bypassed by manually initiating a regeneration or backwash. See your water treatment systems instruction manual for the proper method. Once water pressure is released from the system, you can disconnect the water pipes and unscrew the control valve from the media tank. Be careful when removing the control valve that you are replacing. The distributor tube that runs up the center of the media tank is held in place with at least one o-ring inside the control valve and there is nothing holding it down inside the media tank except for the media. If this distributor tube is pulled out from the bottom of the media tank, it can prove very difficult to get it back down in there. When lifting the control valve from the top of the media tank, rock it back and forth to help the internal o-ring release the riser tube.
Attaching The New Control Valve
Check the top of the riser tube to ensure there are no cracks or damage which could lead to leaks, then make sure the top of the tank itself is clear of media debris. Even a small particle can prevent the control valve o-ring from sealing properly, resulting in a leak. Place the new control valve over the media tank with the distributor tube centered into the receptacle in the bottom of the valve. It should slide right in. Then screw the control valve down tight but do not use a wrench or other tool. The control valve’s o-ring will seal very well when it is hand-tightened.
If you purchased the exact same controller you are replacing, then chances are the pipes and drain line will already be set to connect. Otherwise, you may need to use a different drain line fitting and possibly redo your water pipes.
Your control valve will now need setup. If it is an electronic control valve such as the Fleck 7000 or Fleck SE, Autotrol LOGIX or Clack WS-1, you will need to program it for your particular water situation. Softener control valves will need to know how much compensated hardness is in the water for example. You can migrate the settings from your old controller as well. In either case, you will need to refer to the service manual for your control valve for programming or setup instructions.
Because tanks have such a long lifespan, you basically now have a new water treatment system with warranty. Often times this can be achieved at nearly half the cost of a whole new softener and up to 30% less than a whole new backwashing filter system.
May
1
A study by The Associated Press has made quite an impact with the general public lately. The report lists prescription drugs and hormones in our water supplies. This comes as no surprise when you consider what is probably flushed down toilets all over the country. A small amount of drugs will not make much of a difference. But in this country, prescription drugs are used by nearly everyone. Just watch the network news for 30 minutes and count how many of the numerous commercials there are for medications. You will be surprised. The human body cannot absorb all of these hormones and drugs completely, so they are passed out through urine and feces. That is how they make it into our water supply.
Water treatment plants are not currently required to test for nor remove these chemicals. Even if they were, the molecular size of some of these drugs and hormones (probably from oral contraceptives) are too small for conventional filtration. Bottled water comes to mind as a temporary solution, but the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) does not require water bottlers to test for these types of pharmaceuticals (Source). Boiling your water will not help any. As a matter of fact, boiling water will concentrate the levels of contaminates in the water. Boiling water is used to kill bacteria, it will not treat these chemicals (Source).
These chemicals are also getting into our food supply because this tainted water is being used for crop irrigation. So even though the amounts of these chemicals are measured in parts-per-billion or even parts-per-trillion, they are not going away. And very minute amounts of hormones can drastically affect your body.
There are efforts underway to create methods for removing these pharmaceuticals from the water (Source). They are similar to desalination, which happens to rely heavily on reverse osmosis (RO). Desalination can be thought of basically as reverse osmosis with much pre-treatment and some post-treatment.
Now more than ever, we need to take better account of the things we are ingesting. Nobody gives a second thought to a restaurant or workplace banning second hand smoke, so why would second hand pharmaceuticals be any less serious? How do we fix this problem? I really do not know. Convincing people to stop taking pharmaceuticals will probably never happen. If I did know of a solution, I would not be sitting here at this small desk. I’d be out somewhere making it happen. Undoubtedly, the solution to the problem will not be easy to implement. But for now, there is reverse osmosis available to anyone with very little investment. I have found RO systems for as little at $149 at the local home improvement stores. We have a 4-stage system for $168 shipped free along with some more high performance models to choose from.
The main point is, it doesn’t matter where you get an RO system, it’s just best to get one. It certainly does not hurt to make your cooking, coffee, tea or soft drink taste better which is what reverse osmosis does. My favorite uses for RO water are my morning coffee and a glass of water flavored with Propel for the rest of the day. Propel does not have the artificial sweeteners in it, but there are plenty of those brands out there. They make the water taste great without the syrupy texture of sodas or “sports drinks”. And there’s nothing wrong with a plain glass of water when it’s been through the RO treatment. Even your freezer’s ice maker can be connected to it.
Apr
18
When To Change Your Softener or Filter Media
April 18, 2008 | Leave a Comment
How long does softener media last? When should the auto-backwashing filter media be changed? Not even the manufacturer of the media knows for sure and with very good reason. First, do you know how much water has passed through your 2001 softener? Any idea how much chlorine it has been exposed to? How about your iron filter media? Has your greensand filter been regenerating often enough or not? The fine coating on manganese greensand media can wear off, but after how long? How many regenerations will occur before it needs replacing?
Softener Media: Let’s start with softener media. Specifically, cation softener media used for exchanging chloride ions with calcium ions. While cation softener resin media can also remove iron to an extent, we’ll focus on hardness removal only. How long before this media needs replacing? Softener resin media is basically very small plastic beads which is described as “polystyrene 8% cross linked with Divinylbenzene”. In other words, small plastic beads. As most of us know, plastic does not deteriorate very much over hundreds of years. Plastic is one of the largest problems we have with landfills at this time. It does not go away. The same thing occurs with water softener resin media; it lasts a very long time. But there are other factors involved with the performance of this media. First and foremost is friction. During the regeneration process that every ion exchange softener goes through, friction is created. If your softener’s media bed is set to regenerate every other day, that’s a great deal of backwashing friction created over the years. There is also the possibility of the presence of chlorine. Chlorine can eat away at the smooth surface of these resin beads. And finally, there is the possibility of the presence of iron. Iron will adhere to these spherical beads and often times cannot be removed as efficiently as calcium is. Once your resin beads are coated with fine iron, they are nearly useless. If you are using your softener to remove iron, you can expect to replace your resin bed much more frequently than water without iron.
So when do you replace your softener’s media? When a simple hardness test strip consistently shows the presence of hardness downstream of the softener. Unless your softener is exposed to very high iron or chlorine, periodic testing for the presence of hardness should not start for 5-years after installation date. I have personally found softeners over 20 years old that were still removing hardness. If you are removing iron with your softener or exposing it to chlorine, I would start testing 1 to 2 years after installation, just to be sure.
Automatic Backwashing Filter Media: Depending on the media, this can be even more difficult to predict when to replace than softener media. Activated carbon media is porous and can not only trap contaminants in the water, it can also alter the chemical makeup of chlorine and organic chemical contaminants. As mentioned above, manganese greensand filter media has a fine coating on the media’s granules which trap iron particles. Sediment removal media such as Filter Ag can trap and hold fine silt or sand until backwashing occurs. Calcite is a type of water treatment media which slowly dissolves when low pH water passes through it.
Activated Carbon: There are literally dozens of different activated carbon filter systems out there. Some carbon media is designed to remove tannins (rotted, dissolved vegetation) from water. Other carbons are more suited to rendering chlorine inert, while others are designed to remove hydrogen sulfide. It is the manufacturing method and source material (coconut shell, wood, coal) that make up each carbon’s unique characteristics. Often called the “Taste & Odor Removal Media”, activated carbon in all its forms, makes your water taste much better than without. So how often should it be replaced? When the chlorine, VOCs or hydrogen sulfide you are removing with it starts bleeding through even after a recent backwash cycle has occurred. Test for chlorine or VOCs with a water test strip and check for the hydrogen sulfide with smell or taste.
Manganese Greensand Iron Treatment Media: Manganese greensand media removes iron and typically uses potassium permanganate as a regenerating oxidizer. As mentioned above, it has a thin coating of material on the granules which iron adheres to and hydrogen sulfide is oxidized. This media wears out when the thin coating wears off. The manufacturer does not suggest when this might happen. Simply test for the presence of iron in your water with a simple test strip shortly after and just before a scheduled regeneration takes place. You can try increasing the potassium permanganate dose per regeneration (see your owner’s manual for instruction) to get more performance out of the media, but this also increases operating costs. When iron begins bleeding through the filter media, it’s time to consider changing the bed.
Calcite: Calcite filter media is used to neutralize acidic water. Water with low pH (6.8 down to 5.5) can be passed through Calcite filter media to increase the pH level to a more neutral state of 7.0 - 7.4. As acidic water passes through the filter’s tank, the Calcite media dissolves. If left unchecked, the media will eventually dissolve away to nothing. Calcite media usually does not need replacement, rather it needs to be replenished every so often. That is why Calcite filters sold by us have a “dome-hole” at the top of the tank so that the control valve does not need to be removed just to add media. Calcite filters regenerate on a schedule to keep the media bed from becoming “caked-up” or channeled by water flow, but some Calcite filters may use a simple in-and-out head on them for the water to flow through. When using this type of filter configuration, it is possible for the media to “cake-up” and need replacing. This is a good reason for using a filter with an auto-backwashing control valve.
There are several other media types available for treating water problems, but the ones listed here are the most popular. Basically, once your softener/filter stops removing the contaminant in your water that it is designed to treat, that is a good indication it’s time to replace the media.
Apr
7
Your Secure Online Purchase
April 7, 2008 | Leave a Comment
The subject of online payment does not pertain to water treatment, but it does have much to do with this web site and our business. There have been numerous comments about our current credit card processing service, Paypal. If we assume that no comment at all indicates satisfaction, then the vast majority of customers are happy with this service, but there are a few that run into problems. These are not security problems at all. We have found that Paypal provides the most secure online purchasing system available, which is why Water Value Company has been using them since early 2003. But there are a couple of common issues that a few customers run into and we can address that here to help prevent frustration or mistakes.
The first and most common issue people have with Paypal is their annoying insistence that you create an account with them. If you do not have an account with Paypal, you can still purchase online without setting one up. When you select “Checkout” on our site, your browser is directed to the secure Paypal server. This secure page prompts the user to sign in to their Paypal account or set an account up. If you already have a Paypal account, your browser might fill in the Username (which is your email address) automatically on the form. Important: If you do not want to use your Paypal account to make an online purchase, you must manually remove your email address from this form, or Paypal’s server will continue to try and get you to sign in. This annoying little problem has caused many people to give up. Remember, if you simply remove your email address from that form and click on “Continue”, you’ll be able to make your purchase without having to use your Paypal account.
If you do not have a Paypal account, this form will not contain your email address and you can proceed without any trouble by clicking on the “Continue” link on the left side of the form.
Another problem that people with Paypal accounts run into while making a purchase without signing in is their registered credit card. If you have a Paypal account and you have registered a credit card with them, you will be unable to use that card unless you sign into your Paypal account. This can be very frustrating indeed and we really wish they would not have this requirement, but they do. In that case, you can either sign into your account or give up and call our special phone order line at 616-897-0352. Please avoid using a cell phone when calling this secure line. Cell phones are not secure and they are prone to cutting out at the worst times during a transaction conversation.
If you do find that you need to phone in your order, please note that we will require the following information. The product(s) and quantity you are ordering along with part number and description. The part number and description will be on the same page you would use to order online. We will also need to know where to send your order. We will need your shipping address which can be different from your billing address. Your billing address is where your credit card statement is sent to. It can be a post office box or alternate location. Your shipping address cannot be a post office box number. UPS Ground will not deliver to a post office box number without considerable delay. We will also need your credit card information which includes your name - as it appears on the card - and address, credit card brand (VISA, MasterCard, Discover or American Express), expiration date of the card and the security code. The security code is a 3-digit number on the back of the card next to where your signature goes. If it is an American Express, it will be a 4-digit number on the front of the card. We will also need your phone number for shipping purposes. Your phone number is given to UPS Ground in case they run into delivery difficulties or delay.
Water Value Company does not keep your credit card information as a rule. Please do not ask us to. We will also discard your phone number. What we do keep is your name and delivery address along with your email address and what you purchased. We do not share or sell your email address. We use your email address to send shipment tracking numbers to you.
Finally, Paypal unintentionally makes it difficult to change your delivery address. If you want your purchase shipped to a location other than your billing address, you will need to click on a small “radio button” on the left side of the checkout form. It will then open up a second form for your delivery address on the same page. While this requires some fancy programming on Paypal’s part and it looks “cool” and all that, it confuses some straightforward people who are simply trying to make an online purchase.
Again, the vast majority of our customers do not run into any problems with Paypal, but if you do encounter problems like the ones listed here, it can become very frustrating and we here at Water Value understand that. But the experiences we’ve had with other credit card online payment providers, along with Paypal’s second-to-none security, keeps us coming back to them.
Mar
17
Salt-Free Softener vs. Conventional Softener
March 17, 2008 | Leave a Comment
The Sirus salt-free water conditioners have been very successful for us and CWG-USA, the manufacturers of Filtersorb SP. These systems have been especially popular with homeowners who desire a simple, maintenance free solution to removing hardness buildup in their water pipes and on their plumbing fixtures. There have also been several successful commercial applications for these conditioners. But with new technology comes new questions. While the documentation we have posted online is extensive and covers every aspect of theory and application, we’re going to attempt to answer the most popular questions concerning the Sirus systems here in plain English.
One of the main concerns we hear from customers after these Sirus systems are installed is that their hardness test strips still show high or higher levels of hardness than before installation. The reasons for this are simple; the Filtersorb SP media does not remove hardness. It alters it’s physical structure so that hardness (calcium) will not adhere to surfaces. It also alters the physical molecular structure of existing hardness buildup inside the plumbing system so that it too is released from the water pipes and flows out of the faucet, toilet, shower head, etc. So when a hardness test strip is used, it will often show elevated levels of hardness for months after installation of the conditioner.
Most of the benefits that come with using a standard water softener are also realized with the Sirus systems, but we often hear comments concerning the lack of slippery feel with the water that the Filtersorb SP media produces. The Filtersorb SP media will not produce a slippery feel like the salt-based water softeners do. On the other hand, it will allow for the reduction of soaps and detergents by up to 50% just like a conventional softener does. Because the properties of the hardness molecules are altered, there is little to no interference with soap lathering.
Another popular misconception is the belief that our Sirus systems will reduce or remove iron just like a conventional softener. Iron is removed from water with a conventional softener via ion exchange. The Filtersorb SP media does not exchange anything, which is why it does not require backwashing. Iron molecules will pass right through the Sirus conditioner. It does not share the iron removing characteristic that conventional softener media does.
We also get a lot of comments concerning our choice of pre-filtration cartridges. The Filtersorb SP systems that we design are different than others. Some come without any pre-filtration devices and others come with either an activated carbon filter or a sediment filter. We include both. You will not use one of the filter cartridges. The default Filtersorb SP water conditioner comes with a sediment filter cartridge. This cartridge is used for private well water supplies to prevent silt and sediment from clogging the Filtersorb SP media, but the activated carbon cartridge should be used if copper is present in your water supply. Copper reduces the life expectancy of the Filtersorb SP media and the activated carbon cartridge will help protect the media from this copper. You should perform a simple water test to determine if your water supply contains copper.
Water Value Company has also been approached by other media manufacturers who claim to be able to not only compete with the Filtersorb SP media, but outperform it by several orders of magnitude. While these claims are exciting, we will maintain that the manufacturer of Filtersorb SP has been successfully producing and marketing this media for the past 8 years. None of the other manufacturers can come close to that track record. Until another scale removing media manufacturer can demonstrate the consistency and reliability that CWG has, we will continue to carry and support the Filtersorb SP media.