Water Conditioners & Drinking Water Systems

Water Softeners

If you are a homeowner with hard water or related aesthetic problems, you may want to purchase a water softener. It is estimated that 85% of our groundwater has some degree of hardness, as do many lakes and rivers. Water drawn from a municipal is not necessarily soft enough. Many cities reduce hardness to a level that conforms to government standards (under 7 grains hard), which can still cause problems for users.

Basic hardness is produced by the presence of calcium and magnesium dissolved in water. These minerals interact with other substances as positively charged ions. They tie up soap and produce the curd that we see as bathtub ring or sudsless laundry water or dishwater. They build up as scale on pipes and porcelain or metal fixtures. They coat water-heater elements so that we pay up to a third more to heat that water. Only parts of New England, the lower Eastern Seaboard, most of Alabama and Mississippi, Oregon and Washington have naturally soft water. In many places, iron, naturally occurring radium and lead are present and can be reduced by action (positive-ion) exchangers.

Ion exchanging is the process of softening. Rather than attaching to your soap, "hard" minerals are attracted instead to a man-made resin in a water-softening unit. As the ions form new bonds, some sodium remains attached to the resin and some is displaced into the now "softened" water. The harder the water, the more salt is required, and the more sodium is transferred to the water.

Hardness is measured as grains per gallon; it is also expressed in milligrams per liter or parts per million (ppm). A grain equals 17.1 mg/l or 17.1 ppm. Technically soft water has less that one grain of hardness; slightly hard is 1 to 3.5 grains; moderately hard is 3.5 to 7; hard is 7 to 10.5; and very hard is over 10.5 grains.

Softener Varieties
Although all softeners operate on the same basic principles, they are classified into four different types based upon the method of control: manual, automatic, fully automatic, and demand-initiated regeneration (DIR).

Manuals require all or most regeneration steps to be performed manually, including adding dry salt to the ion-exchange tank and deciding when to actually do the recharging on your own. Few manuals are sold today and some are more expensive than automatics.
Automatics are manually initiated, usually by setting a clock timer to initiate regeneration at set intervals, based on family needs. Salt or brine can be stored in these systems, and it is recommended that they go at least three days between recharging cycles.
Fully Automatic systems perform all functions automatically. Salt storage is sufficient for multiple regeneration, and they can recharge as often as once daily.
Demand-Initiated Regeneration (DIR) systems actually meter water usage, so that the system triggers regeneration at x gallons used, instead of x days. If the homeowner uses less water, the system may go five or six days without regeneration; or under heavy use it might regenerate every day.

Twin-resin-tank DIR units are now available to insure that the system never runs out of capacity, because it automatically switches from tank to tank as they exhaust. Some DIRs with twin-tank systems also use soft water to regenerate themselves. This greatly reduces the amount of water needed. Hard water, when used in the brine tank, can sometimes clog nozzles with iron and iron bacteria, reducing performance.

	Kinetico Model 50 Water Conditioner Non-Electric Metered, Demand Operated Twin Tank System Efficient Hardness Removal Packed Resin Bed High Efficiency Resin Extremely efficient use of water and salt Corrosion-resistant valve and tanks Soft Water, Countercurrent Regeneration Compact Design NSF International tested and certified to ANSI/NSF Standard 44 WQA Validation, S100, 101 Automatic Operation Outstanding Warranty
	Kinetico Model 60 Water Conditioner Non-Electric Metered, Demand Operated Twin Tank System Efficient Hardness Removal Fresh Water Zone High Quality Resin Extremely efficient use of water and salt Corrosion-resistant valve and tanks Soft Water, Countercurrent Regeneration Automatic Operation Outstanding Warranty NSF International tested and certified to ANSI/NSF Standard 44 WQA Validation, S100, 101
	Kinetico Quad Series Water Conditioner Automatic, non-electric operation Metered, demand control Efficient filtration and hardness removal Efficient use of salt and water Corrosion-resistant valve and tanks Compact design
	Iron Curtain Filtration System Chemical Free: No Potassium Permanganate No Salt No Chlorine Guards Against: Iron Stains Iron Tasting Water Rotten Egg Odor

Drinking Water Systems

People from other countries must think it strange that we Americans question the quality - and sometimes the safety - of our drinking water. The Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 directed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish drinking water standards to protect our supply of potable water. Amendments to the bill added in 1986 broadened the EPA's regulatory powers. That means that 90 percent of us get our water from a regulated utility that must disinfect its supplies as well as keep contaminants below mandated levels.

Just the same, there is cause for concern. At any one time, about 10 percent of the 57,000 community water systems have contaminant levels above EPA standards. The periods of noncompliance with the federal standards usually aren't life-threatening, but they do occur..

Testing the Waters

You can get a general idea of the quality of your water from your local utility. By law, water companies must conduct periodic tests, and you can request the results of these tests. To obtain a copy of the current EPA regulations, call the agency's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791.

The local utility tests the water at the treatment facility, except in the case of lead, but the water you drink could pick up contaminants on the way to your home. The only way to be absolutely sure about the water you and your family drink is to have it tested as it comes from the tap.

These tests should be conducted by a company or laboratory that performs state-certified drinking water testing. Local entities will be familiar with the general water conditions in your area and can recommend the appropriate tests. Mort's Water Company performs these state certified tests. Knowledge of local water quality is important because labs usually charge by the test and costs can range from $25 for one test to over $100 for several tests. Water equipment dealers can conduct some tests, such as those to determine hard water, but any testing for contaminants that can affect your health should be handled by a qualified laboratory.

What's in the Water?

The EPA divides contaminants into two broad categories. Those that fall under the Primary Drinking Water Standards are known to cause harm or, as is the case with certain bacteria, signal the presence of microscopic organism that can make you sick. The standards include such things as microbiological contaminants; inorganic chemicals like arsenic and lead; organic chemicals such as benzene; and radionuclides, which are radioactive atoms.

Water Treatment Equipment

If you decide to treat your drinking water, you can either install a device that will purify or filter all of the water in your home or concentrate on the water used for cooking and drinking. The first method is called point of entry; the second is point of use. The average American uses about 50 to 80 gallons of water per day, but only about 0.5 percent is employed for drinking and cooking. So it may make economic sense to treat drinking water only.

Follow these steps to get the right treatment system: Have your water tested to identify any contaminants, and seek out products that are designed to remove them. Once you've narrowed the field, begin comparing other features, such as the amount of clean water the unit produces in an hour or day, how long filters and other components will last before they need to be replaced, and maintenance costs.

Kinetico Residential Drinking Water System

Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water System

Patented, Tamper-proof MACguard Filter®
Automatic System Shutdown
Non-Electric, Totally Automatic
Stainless Steel Faucet
Nonmetallic, Space-Saving Storage Tank
Storage Tank Water Turnover
Efficient Operation
High Flow TF Membrane
Outstanding Warranty
NSF International tested and certified to ANSI/NSF Standard 58

Kinetico Commercial Drinking Water System

Kinetico's TS Series Reverse Osmosis system supplies high quality water for commercial and light industrial applications. The patented EverClean Rinse™, available with all Kinetico commercial reverse osmosis systems, automatically cleans the systems' membranes with high quality water to prevent membrane fouling and ensure optimum water quality.

Improved water quality
Extended membrane life
Low maintenance operation
Simple monitoring
Space-saving design
Low cost operation