Mar
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Salt-Free Softener vs. Conventional Softener
March 17, 2008 |
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.
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