How do I know which type of water treatment system I need for my home?

First, a free water analysis can be performed by All Safewater Technologies. A water treatment system should always be built specifically for you based on your water analysis and a careful calculation of your water consumption, which includes factors such as family size, pets, irrigation, filling or opening your pool, and so many other variables, in order to confidently ensure the optimal water being supplied to you and your family.

Once my Water conditioning equipment is installed, how much salt do I add to the system and which type of salt should I use?

The homeowner should always keep salt in the brine tank; ideally always keep salt above brine-water level. There are several types of salt on the market; crystal salt, pellet salt, and potassium chloride salt (for people on salt-free diets). Pellet salt is a cleaner grade of salt, however, it does tend to bind together in the brine tank and form a salt bridge. Pellet and crystal salts shouldn’t be mixed together, so whichever salt you decide to use for your softening system is the salt you should stick with. Here at All Safewater we recommend solar salt crystals (blue bag only) as it is not as processed and contributes to less issues between annual services for the vast majority of our clients.

How often should I have my system serviced?

Most manufactures recommend servicing water treatment systems yearly. Our database alerts us when our customers are due for their annual service and our office staff will contact you to schedule your appointment. It’s just that simple.

I have a single tank water softener in my home. I am thinking about getting a sprinkler system but don’t want the orange stains outside. Will my current water softener be able remove iron for both my household and sprinklers?

A single tank water conditioner cannot handle the gallons per day water demand of both the household and the sprinkler system. Eventually the system will fail causing iron to pass through and foul all water after the water treatment system. A simple variety of questions answered will allow us to correctly size your unit. We recommend treating your home and sprinkler system with a Metered Alternating Twin Water Conditioner. This system has a meter set to a certain gallon usage. Once the gallons have been satisfied, the system automatically switches to the second tank while the first tank goes into its regeneration mode. The water usage is never interrupted for regeneration purposes.

My plumber told me I need a water treatment device that will prevent pin hole leaks in my copper plumbing. Which water treatment unit is right for me?

First, have your water treatment professional perform a water analysis. Your pH (potential for hydrogen) is likely to be low. Anything under 6.5 will cause corrosion in copper plumbing, which in turn causes green/blue stains in sinks and tubs. An Acid Neutralizer is a unit using calcite based n/s mix as its media, which dissolves in water to regulate your water’s pH. Annually this dissolved n/s mix will need to be replenished in order for pH to be properly regulated.

What is ion exchange?

Ion exchange is an exchange of ions between two electrolytes or between an electrolyte solution and a complex. In regards to water treatment, we typically see this as an exchange of Iron ions on the resin beads with sodium ions from the brine water when the unit regenerates its resin bed. This also addresses lime stone, manganese, calcium, gross alpha (radiation) and other minerals that are commonly found in our well water and prevents these minerals from decreasing the efficiency of household appliances.

I have white stains on my pots and pans, my dishwasher, glassware and in my shower. What causes this?

The white scale build up is the water hardness (dissolved minerals) that precipitates out of the water once water is heated. Water hardness also causes dry skin, brittle hair, dingy clothes after laundering, decreased life of any water using appliance and makes heating costs increase as the heating element has to now heat through this hardness scale. Water hardness can be removed from the incoming water by installing a water softener.

What is hard water?

Hard water is water that has high mineral content (in contrast with soft water). Hard water has high concentrations of Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions. Hard water is generally not harmful to one’s health but can pose serious problems in homes and businesses. Hard water is quite easily noticeable through personal hygiene routines, such as hair washing, or through the appearance of fixtures and appliances or changes in heating costs. For example the calcium and magnesium in hard water can inhibit many soaps and detergents by reducing their suds and cleaning capabilities. The soapy residue they form can be abrasive and reduce the life of clothing and linens.

I have city water. What should I be concerned about removing?

Anyone using municipal water should be concerned about chlorine and chloramines levels and disinfection by-products like trihalomethanes. The best practice for removing these contaminates is using a whole house carbon unit.

There are many things in your water supply that could cause water stains. A lot of it depends on your water source (Well or Utility supplied). Most residential wells can have hard water and some other contaminants that can leave stains or spot your appliances, glasses, silverware and shower doors. Some utilities can have well water and surface water as a supply source having the same issues as private wells. The good news is that improving your water can be easily remediated by a water conditioning system that can target specific contaminants to help reduce those unwanted deposits. The first step is to have a basic water analysis to determine which ones you have and how much of it there is. The next step would be sizing the equipment to match your family needs and considering how much you want to budget for clean healthy water.

What are the Benefits of Softened/Conditioned Water?

The life of the plumbing system will increase because clogging from scale within pipes will be reduced. Water heating efficiencies on systems using soft water may be decrease fuel costs 15-25% if heating with gas and up to 22% with electricity. Many appliances will last longer and perform better. Soapy residue on clothes is reduced so they are going to look and wear better. Skin and hair can be rinsed more completely making hair look shinier and skin cleaner. Film on tubs and shower tiles will be reduced, as will scratching to bathroom fixture finishes and sinks.

Can you service other manufacturer’s equipment?

Yes, maintaining and repairing customers existing treatment systems is how many people discover All Safewater Technologies. We service the majority of brands and models regardless if we installed or designed the system.

My water is dirty, it has a color to it. Why is it dirty and how can I make it clean?

If your water is coming from a well and the water is rust colored, then the problem is probably iron. If the water color is black it could be either sulfur, which has a smell like rotten eggs or manganese. All of these can be treated with an ion exchange water treatment system.

My water taste bad? What may be the cause and can it be corrected?

If you want to just treat the drinking and cooking water at your sink POU (point of use), you have several good options. A reverse osmosis system can greatly improve the taste and the quality of your water. If the offensive taste is clearly chlorine then a good carbon filtration unit can be used. Please utilize our Free Water Analysis to verify the proper unit will be installed.

My well water tested positive for coliform bacteria. What does this mean and what can I do about it?

Coliform bacteria can be an indicator that the well may be susceptible to bacteria contamination. There are several option that you have. One is to disinfect the well and retest for coliform. If this second test also shows positive for coliform, then a hole house water treatment system should be considered. The most commonly used treatment methods are ultraviolet (UV), ozonation and chemical feed pump.

How do contaminants (micro-organism and chemicals) get into my well water?

A private well uses ground water as its water source. There are many sources of contamination of ground water. Here is a list of the most common sources of contaminants:

Naturally occurring chemicals and minerals (for example, arsenic, radon, uranium) Local land use practices (fertilizers, pesticides, livestock, animal feeding operations) Manufacturing processes Sewer overflows Malfunctioning wastewater treatment systems (for example, nearby septic systems)

As a private well owner, should I have my well tested?

Yes, as a private well owner, you are responsible for testing your well to ensure that your well water is safe to drink. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for making sure that the public water supply within the United States is safe. However, the EPA does not monitor or treat private well drinking water.

Does it matter which type of salt is used? Pellets or solar salt crystals? Is one better than the other?

Either will work. We recommend the solar salt crystals as they dissolve 100%, as opposed to the pellets that leave an un-dissolved residue in the bottom of the brine tank. This residue builds up until it clogs the flow of the brine water in and especially out of the salt tank, requiring that the tank be dumped, emptied and re-filled with new salt.

How often do I need to add salt to the Brine Tank?

It depends on how often your system needs to regenerate. The more your softener regenerates the more salt you will consume. As for the salt level in the brine tank, you can let the salt get down to the point inside the tank where you can see the water just above the salt. When you see water above the salt, it is time to add more! Generally, you will add salt to your brine tank about every 4-8 weeks depending on household water consumption and unit model and size.

How do I know which type of water treatment system I need for my home?

First, a free water test can be performed by All Safewater Technologies. A water treatment system should be built specifically for you, based on your water test and calculation of water consumption.

Once my Water conditioning equipment is installed, how much salt do I add to the system and which type of salt should I use?

The homeowner should always keep salt in the brine tank. There are several types of salt on the market; crystal salt, pellet salt, and potassium chloride salt (for people on salt-free diets). Pellet salt is a cleaner grade of salt, however, it does tend to bind together in the brine tank and form a salt bridge. Pellet and crystal salts shouldn’t be mixed together, so whichever salt you decide to use for your softening system is the salt you should stick with. Here at All Safewater we recommend solar salt crystals (blue bag only).

How often should I have my system serviced?

Most manufactures recommend servicing water treatment systems yearly. Our database alerts us when our customers are due for their annual service and our office staff will contact you to schedule your appointment.

What are pH levels in water?

The term pH stands for “potential of hydrogen.” When it comes to your home’s water, pH levels refer to the amount of dissolved hydrogen ions the water contains. The pH of water is measured in a range between 0-14, where a measurement of 7 is perfectly neutral water. If your water’s pH levels are below 7, it would be considered acidic. If your water’s pH levels are above 7, it would be considered alkaline. The EPA does not regulate pH levels in water, but it does recommend that pH levels remain somewhere between 6.5 and 8.5. Even so, the water in many homes (especially homes with well water) have pH levels that fall outside of that range.

What problems do low or high pH levels pose to my home’s water?

According to the World Health Organization, exposure to pH levels above 11 results in irritation of the eyes, skin and mucous membranes, as well as worsening symptoms of skin disorders. Exposure to low pH levels can result in some even bigger problems. That’s because acidic water allows the metals in your pipes to leach into your water supply. When these metals get into your water, they can wreak havoc on your plumbing system and lead to potential health problems. When it comes to your plumbing system, acidic water can prematurely corrode your pipes and stain your sinks and drains. It can also stain your clothes and result in water that smells bad and tastes metallic. When it comes to your health, consuming the metals we mentioned above has been linked to a number of neurological and reproductive problems.