Got Water Scale? The Fix Salt Free Water Conditioners

One of the most popular home water treatment system types are salt free water conditioners. Although sometimes incorrectly referred to as a “salt free water softener” the Watts ScaleNet and E-Treat systems help to reduce the effects of water hardness and help prevent scale buildup.

Where in the United States is Water Scale a Prominent Issue? Water scale really is a larger issue for people and companies that are in the South West and Central parts of the country. Mind you there are other small geographic locations where there are high levels of calcium carbonate such as sections along Florida’s coast line, upstate New York, and regions of the Mid west around Milwaukee, Chicago, and Indianapolis.

What is Water Scale and Why Is It A Problem? Scale is the result of water supplies that have high concentration of calcium ions (Ca2+), magnesium ions (Mg2+), and bicarbonate ions (HCO3-) that crystalize as off-white solids in pipes, appliances, and other plumbing surfaces. Not only is this an unpleasant sight to see around household areas such as faucets, it leads to higher heating and energy costs and expensive repairs to appliances, such as ice machines, coffee makers, dishwashers and cooling towers in commercial buildings.

How does a salt free water conditioner work? The Watts ScaleNet™ system uses a template assisted crystallization, or TAC process which transforms these dissolved ions into non-charged, neutral chemical bonds of calcium and magnesium crystals. These microscopic crystals of scale quickly form in treated water and cannot attach to pipes or any surface, and are rinsed away downstream in a colloidal suspension by the water flow.

1. The T.A.C Media releases a “template” into the water

2. The “template” attracts and captures the scale contaminants (Ca, Mg & MCO3) by turning them into crystals that stick to the TEMPLATE'S surface.

3. The TEMPLATE carries the scale harmlessly through the piping

A Salt Free Water Conditioner is not a water softener. It does not remove the hardness minerals from the water. As a result you may still see some white film build up on glasses, shower doors, etc, however this should wipe away easily. The ScaleNet media can also have a descaling effect on pipes and fixtures that already have existing scale buildup. Existing scale can be heavily reduced in as little as one or two months.

Do you need assistance to determine if a salt free water conditioner is right for your home or business? Need assistance in sizing the right salt-fee water conditioning system? FreshWaterSystems.com can help, simply send us an email or give one of our 8 Certified Water Quality Specialist a call and we can help you navigate your way to scale free water.

Will You Get 2800 Gallons of Water for Valentine’s Day?

Happy Valentine’s Day from FreshWaterSystems.com !

The holiday card, flower, and chocolate industries all have something else in common besides gifts given on Valentine’s Day: their manufacturing processes are all dependent on quality treated water. Suppose you were asked to rank these three gift ideas - a dozen roses, a 1-lb heart-shaped box of chocolates, or a Valentine’s Day card - according to the amount of water that was used during the production process. What would your answer be? How many gallons of water do you think it takes to make each gift?

To give you time to think about the answers, we'll briefly point out a few unique gift ideas that you might like to consider giving to your sweetie this Valentine’s Day. You can choose from 11 different colored insulated stainless steel water bottles. And doesn't everyone love a long, hot shower during cooler months? Enjoy it more by using a shower head filter or bath filter that reduces chlorine that causes dry skin and brittle hair. And our last gift ideas includes simple and economical ways you can enjoy your filtered water: either right from your tap, which includes faucet filters, or from filtered water pitchers. Ok, so was that enough time to come up with your answers to the above question? Let's see how well you did -

1. The typical Valentine’ Day card is made from various types of card stock, perhaps wood pulp or maybe even part "rag" (textile waste) for a more sturdy, and fairly expensive, paper. The manufacturing process for that piece of card stock paper would only require about 3 gallons of water, the smallest water footprint of the three.


2. A staple for Valentine’s Day is a dozen red roses - Not taking into account the water used to fill any vases, you might have thought that flowers would have the largest water foot print of the three, but this is not the case. One study found that it takes about 18 gallons of water to produce 12 red roses.


3. Next we'll look at chocolate, here is the whopper - a popular choice for many years, but to produce that 1-lb heart-shaped box of chocolates requires a staggering 2800 gallons of water !

If this post has inspired your curiosity a bit, then we would like to encourage you to follow us on Twitter @FWaterSys. As a special follow up to the topic of water consumption, for the next 10 days under the hashtag #waterfootprint , we will reveal the amount of water consumed in 10 other common items found in the manufacturing process. At Fresh Water Systems, we believe that by improving the quality of water, we are improving the quality of life.

World Initiative for Clean Water and Toilets for All by 2015

There are a few natural resources that are obviously vital to our survival. These vital resources at the most basic level include food, water, and air. Air is the direst being that humans can only approximately 3-6 minutes. The longest thing we can go without is food and it is estimated that we can survive without eating something for 3 weeks. Water is in the middle and it is estimated we can survive 3 days without it.

As we all know we are far from “clean drinking water equality” and there are many regions of our planet. World leaders, a few years back signed a pledge of clean water and toilets for all by 2015. Here are a few facts about the current state of clean water access for people.

- In Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, nearly 1 billion people in rural areas have no access to improved water supplies.
- Polluted water is estimated to affect the health of more than 1.2 billion people, and to contribute to the death of an average 15 million children every year.
- In 1994, WHO estimated the number of people without access to clean drinking water at 1.3 billion. By 2000, nearly 1.2 billion people lacked access to clean water, while 2.4 billion lacked access to adequate sanitation services.
- To achieve 2015 sanitation targets in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, an additional 2.2 billion people will have to be provided with sanitation facilities.

Below is a video from wateraid.org using a cleave method to make others think about this global issue and get involved.


There are small steps that are being made with the use of charitable donations and a emerging water filter technology. Ceramic water filters have proven equally effective, and the choice must be made on other factors which include, for example, effectiveness, availability of materials, costs, ease of transportation, longevity, and preferences of the beneficiaries.

If interested in helping in this global initiative, below are a few organizations that are dedicated to helping solve this possible looming world crisis.
http://watercharity.org
http://www.wateraid.org

Valentine’s Day Cards, Roses and Chocolates: What Are Their Water Footprints?

February 14th is Valentine’s Day, and here is a quick history lesson about the origins of the holiday. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 500 AD. Valentine of Rome was a Roman priest who was martyred around AD 269. He was buried on the Via Flaminia, an ancient Roman road leading from Rome over the Apennine Mountains. His relics were later moved and now rest at the Church of Saint Praxed in Rome.

In more modern times, Valentine’s Day is celebrated with the exchange of cards and gifts. Paper Valentines became popular in England in the early 19th century. Companies in the UK began to notice that about half of the population was spending money on Valentines, and thus business started to cater to this new demand. Increasing in popularity by the mid-19th century, companies started producing fancier Valentine cards, and many were hand made with real lace and ribbons. In the second half of the 20th century, the practice of exchanging cards was extended to all manner of gifts in the United States. Such gifts typically include roses and chocolates.

The holiday card, flower, and chocolate industries all have something else in common besides gifts given on Valentine’s Day: their manufacturing processes are all dependent on quality treated water. Suppose you were asked to rank these three gift ideas - a dozen roses, a 1-lb heart-shaped box of chocolates, or a Valentine’s Day card - according to the amount of water that was used during the production process. What would your answer be? How many gallons of water do you think it takes to make each gift?

To give you time to think about the answers, we'll briefly point out a few unique gift ideas that you might like to consider giving to your sweetie this Valentine’s Day. You can choose from 11 different colored insulated stainless steel water bottles. And doesn't everyone love a long, hot shower? Enjoy it more by using a shower head filter or bath filter that helps to reduce chlorine that causes dry skin and brittle hair. And our last gift ideas includes simple and economical ways you can enjoy your filtered water: either right from your tap, which includes faucet filters, or from filtered water pitchers. Ok, so was that enough time to come up with your answers to the above question? Let's see how well you did -

1. The typical Valentine’ Day card is made from various types of card stock, perhaps wood pulp or maybe even part "rag" (textile waste) for a more sturdy, and fairly expensive, paper. The manufacturing process for that piece of card stock paper would only require about 3 gallons of water, the smallest water footprint of the three.


2. A staple for Valentine’s Day is a dozen red roses - Not taking into account the water used to fill any vases, you might have thought that flowers would have the largest water foot print of the three, but this is not the case. One study found that it takes about 18 gallons of water to produce 12 red roses.


3. Next we'll look at chocolate - a popular choice for many years, but to produce that 1-lb heart-shaped box of chocolates requires a staggering 2800 gallons of water !

Happy Valentine’s Day from FreshWaterSystems.com !

Water Freezing in Air: When -30 Degrees Meets Boiling Water

Most of us need no reminding that winter time is here. This year’s winter has been one for the record books with cold temperatures and huge snowfall totals. We should have know we were in for a wild winter when parts of the deep south got snow on Christmas, and the northeast part of the united states was buried under 2 feet of snow. Since this time there has been one snow storm and arctic cold blast after another, leading to the past weekends frigid temperatures from the Midwest to northeast.

This last arctic blast was not your stereotypical winter cold air, but presented people with temperatures that are normally reserved for locations close to the Arctic Circle. Most of us stayed inside, trying to keep warm, who could blame these people who live in these areas, and experts said if you had exposed skin outside more than 10 minutes you would have gotten frost bite. Thankfully because of the human need to explore and experiment a few brave people ventured outside to conduct a little science experiment.

Something science teachers, kids, and adults see as a fun thing to when we have this extreme arctic air is to throw a cup of hot water into the air. The key to getting the water to vaporize is to use boiling water and the outside air temperature has to be at least -15 degrees below zero. Believe it or not hot water would freeze faster than cold water thanks a scientific phenomenon called the Mpemba Effect. In essence the “Mpemba effect” is the observation that, in certain specific circumstances, warmer water freezes faster than colder water. To see this actually working take a jar or cup, and fill it with boiling water. Then take the cup or jar of boiling water outside, and throw it all up into the air. As the boiling water meets the sub zero cold (at least case -15°F) air, the water will instantly vaporizes. Most of the water is turned into a cloud of steam that drifts away and some of the droplets that stay together are instantly turned into small pieces of snow/ice that can be falling to the ground.



There are numerous other ways to use the current cold arctic air for some further experimentation. To help school kids understand volume you can take various container sizes of water (1/2 cup, full cup, ½ gallon, ect), let it sit outside. Ask each kid to predict how long it will take each on to freeze, and time how long it takes each one to freeze, and see who gets closest. Another neat experiment that kids like is to see how long it takes different fluids to freeze. Put various liquids outside and see which ones freeze and which don't. You can use try different liquids like alcohols, which have lower freezing points, and oils like mineral oil and olive oil for different results.

Fluoride in Tap Water, new health concerns

Fluoride is a mineral that exists naturally in water and soil. About 70 years ago, scientists discovered that people who lived where water supplies naturally had more fluoride also had fewer cavities. Some locales have naturally occurring fluoridation levels above 1.2 mg/L. Today, most public drinking water supplies are fluoridated, especially in larger cities. Counting everyone, including those who live in rural areas, about 64% of Americans drink fluoridated water.

There has been a long going debate about fluoride in tap water, and in several recent studies and reports, fluoride has been linked to many health concerns. The Associated Press notes, “A scientific report five years ago said that people who consume a lifetime of too much fluoride — an amount over EPA's limit of 4 milligrams — can lead to crippling bone abnormalities and brittleness.” Other research and reports focus on the adverse effects that fluoride has on intelligence. In 2006, the National Academy of Science released a report that reviewed scientific studies which found that fluoride actually has negative effects on a child’s intelligence (NAP Study, EHP Study, Artigo Article). Even skeptical experts have said that the results of the studies done by the National Academy of Science are plausible, since it is known that fluoride affects the thyroid hormone which in turn affects intelligence, not to mention that fluoride is also a known neurotoxicant. Revisiting these studies, along with the new research issued Friday by the EPA about the negative health effects of fluoride, are sure to re-energize groups that continue to oppose adding it to our nations water supplies.

We can venture a guess and say that most of us still believe that fluoride should be added to tap water because it helps prevent tooth decay, and helps to protect our teeth from cavities. But in the newest report - issued Friday January 7th, 2011 - scientific evidence is now supporting a different conclusion: that too much fluoride can actually cause more harm than good to our teeth. In this new report, health officials have reported that nearly 2 out of every 5 teenagers has tooth streaking or spottiness as a result of too much fluoride. In extreme cases where very high levels of fluoride are found, a person’s teeth can even be pitted by the mineral - something dentists have started to notice. According to data collected by the CDC, about 23% of children ages 12-15 had fluorosis in a study conducted in 1986 and 1987. That percentage rose to 41% in the more recent study, which covered the years 1999 through 2004.

Currently, the standard since 1962 for fluoride in drinking water has been set at a range of 0.7 to 1.2 milligrams per liter of water. Armed with the new research, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is announcing a proposal to change the recommended fluoride level to 0.7 milligrams per liter of water. After the recommendation is made, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will then review whether the current maximum cutoff of 4 milligrams per liter is too high. What areas of the country have the highest levels of fluoride in their water? Reports have shown that Maryland is the most fluoridated state, with nearly every resident on a fluoridated water system. On the other end of the spectrum, only about 11% of Hawaii residents are on fluoridated water, according to government statistics.

So why not just use bottled water? Well, the first thing that most of us fail to realize is the cost of bottled water compared to water from the tap. Did you know that bottled water cost hundreds of times more than filtered water from your tap? Secondly, bottled water and tap water are regulated by different federal agencies. Recently some manufacturers have started adding fluoride to their bottled water products. The FDA does not require bottled water manufacturers to list the fluoride content on the label, but it does require that fluoride additives be listed. In 2006, the FDA approved labeling with the statement, “Drinking fluoridated water may reduce the risk of tooth decay,” for bottled water that contained from 0.6 mg/L to 1.0 mg/L. If the manufacturer does not list the fluoride contents, the only thing you can do is contact the bottled water’s manufacturer to ask about the fluoride content of a particular brand. Obviously, in light of the most recent report and study, fluoride being added to bottled water is bound to change.

So what types of water filter systems help reduce the amounts of fluoride in household tap water? How do you take you water on the go with you? There are two primary types of systems that help effectively filter fluoride from water, a reverse osmosis system and a water distillation system. Then to keep the same conveniences of bottled water try using an eco-friendly reusable steel water bottle.
 

Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Systems: A reverse osmosis water filtration system is one of the most common treatment methods for household drinking water because of its ability to remove fluoride and a variety of other water contaminants. Easy to install, low maintenance, and great cost per gallon of water compared to bottled water and drinking water systems.

Water Distillers: Countertop water distillation systems offer 99.9% pure water by removing unwanted and harmful water contaminants more effectively than other water purification systems that are currently on the market. Operation is simple, and has a low cost because there are no filters or other components that require frequent changes.

Water Action Month, What We Can Do About Fresh Water Conservation

On occasion we stop being wrapped up in our individual daily issues and problems and take a larger look at life. When we do stop and do this we often become aware of much large world issues and things that we often take for granted but when is the last time you thought about water?

Mankind has spent millions of hours and billions of dollars for space exploration, often with one goal in mind, trying to find water. We all know the important of water for our existence but fail to realize it is a limited resource. As our population expands, the demands on clean drinking water are being stretched, and in some parts of our planet it is already a human tragedy playing out. Could you imagine countries going to war are no longer over land or oil, but fighting a war over water? Some scientist and experts believe that is exactly where we are headed if some things are not corrected and people start taking steps to conserve water.

Although our planet is about 70% water only 3% of it is fresh water suited for human consumption, here are a few other eye opening fact about water that illustrates its scarcity in nature…

1. The earth has 1.39 billion cubic kilometers of water on its surface 97% in oceans and 3% fresh water
2. Of the 3% of fresh water, 69% is trapped in ice caps and glaciers, 30% is ground water, and less than 1% about .3% is surface water.
3. Of the .3% of surface water 2% is in rivers, 11% in swamps, and 87% in lakes.

There are a few simple things that can be done, and if we all do just these little things it has the potential to make a huge impact. Here ARE A FEW EXAMPLES for different places in your home.

Kitchen Water Conservation

1. Thaw foods in the refrigerator or in a bowl of hot water instead of using running water.
2. Let your pots and pans soak instead of letting the water run while you clean them.
3. Water your houseplants with water saved from washing your fruits and vegetables, waiting for the water to warm up, or even when you clean your fish tank!

Water Conservation for Bathrooms
1. Switch to an ultra low-flow showerhead. This could save you as much as 2.5 gallons every minute you shower.
2. When taking a bath, start filling the tub with the drain already plugged instead of waiting first for the water to get warm. Adjust the temperature as the tubs begins to fill.
3. Turn the faucet off while you shave, brush your teeth and lather up your hands.

Out Door Water Conservation
1. Check outdoor faucets, pipes, hoses and pools for leaks.
2. Avoid bursting or freezing pipes by winterizing your outdoor spigots
3. Change your lawn mower to a 3-inch clipping height and try not to cut off more than one-third of the grass height when you mow.
4. Water your lawn only when it needs it. If you leave footprints on the grass, it is usually time to water.
5. Water your lawn only when it needs it. If you leave footprints on the grass, it is usually time to water.

One drop at a time, we can all make a difference to help avoid a possible human Catastrophe.

 

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Rain Fall One Drop at a Time

Most summers there comes a time where many parts of the country are in desperate need of rain fall. About this time we generally get a report showing areas of the United States that experiencing drought conditions. Although rain fills our lakes, river and streams, and gives plants much needed water we fail to notice the beauty of falling rain. Let do a bit of an educational review of what exactly is rain.

Rain is defined as liquid precipitation, as opposed to non-liquid kinds of precipitation. From the Earths atmosphere, it is the condensation water vapor into drops of water heavy enough to fall, often making it to the surface. There are two natural processes, that acting together, can lead to air becoming saturated leading to rain to fall: The first is the cooling the air or adding water vapor to the air allowing to become saturated with water. The other process called Virga is precipitation that begins falling to the earth but evaporates before reaching the surface. We often can see Virga from weather Doppler radars when it looks like it is rain in a area but it is not reaching the surface because atmospheric conditions are not saturated enough. Precipitation forms via collision with other rain drops or ice crystals within a cloud. Rain drops range in size from oblate, pancake-like shapes for larger drops, to small spheres for smaller drops.

Ever wonder what water looks like when it hits the surface, or another body of water? Below is a video of just what happens.

Rainwater Catchment for Drinking Water:
A proposed law would require new homes, larger developments and some redevelopments in Los Angeles to capture and reuse runoff generated in rainstorms. An ordinance approved in January 2010 by the Department of Public Works would require such projects to capture reuse or infiltrate 100 percent of runoff generated by anything greater than .75 inches of rain. The new requirement would prevent 104 million gallons of polluted runoff from ending up in the ocean. The ordinance moves to the Energy and Environment and Planning and Land Use management committees of city council before going to the mayor’s office. This is not only a solution that would be good for local governments that are rain deprived areas of the country but also could offer home owners a way of providing water for their household. Home owners are starting to see the benefits of such a solution of a rain water catchment system. Rainwater catchment system works by collecting rain water into an atmospheric hold tank, then water is pumped out, then leading to carbon and sediment pre-filters and then passed through a UV water purification system. UV water purification systems then kill all major bacteria and viruses.

Bad smells from front loading washing machine

There is a wide selection of different household appliances that use water to operate. Often these appliances work more efficiently and to their maximum potential if they are using pure treated water. For example, if you own a refrigerator with indoor water dispensation capabilities, it is recommended that you change your refrigerator water filter every six months to ensure both the water flow and that it is removing contaminants and bacteria. 

With the advent of new EnergyStar ^TM guidelines, manufacturers of these appliances are making more energy efficient systems that also use less water. One very popular new appliance is the front loading washing machine. Not only do these new washing machines use less energy, but they use considerably less water than a top loading washing machine. Many people now own these front loading washing machines not only for the ease of use, but also for the environmental benefits. The only widespread complaint from owners is a 'musty, smelly odor'.

On occasion, if the smell begins to resemble that of rotten eggs, you might need to consider installing a water filtration system in your home. Generally, the cause of the smell is from the front loading washing machine itself. These smells are caused by mold building up in several places inn the washing machine that drain, hold, or filter the water.  Below are some corrective steps that others have taken in order to prevent the buildup of mold and the bad smell associated with front loading washing machines.

 

1. People have switched from liquid high-efficiency detergent to POWDERED detergent, and has reported the smell has drastically improved.
2. Some front loading washing machines have a trap and filters which prevent particles from going down your drain. Many people reported that cleaning these out regularly helped to reduce the smell.
3. Pull back and/or remove the front rubber gasket just inside the front door, and wipe down this area with a solution of bleach and water.

Clean Water Celebration in Illinois

It seems that with all the challenges we face in providing the world with clean water, it is sometimes easy to overlook the fact that here in America we are largely fortunate in that we enjoy a steady supply of clean water.

In Peoria, Illinois, the Clean Water Celebration takes a moment to reflect and give thanks.

From an article in the PJStar.com

The Clean Water Celebration is a joint effort between the Sun Foundation, an arts and science education group in the Tri-County Area, and the Rivers Project, a high school program coordinated by Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. Its goal is to educate the community and students about the importance of water conservation and preservation both locally and globally.