Faqs

TDS stands for Total Dissolved Solids, which refers to the total concentration of dissolved substances (minerals, salts, metals, cations, anions, etc.) present in water. These substances can come from natural sources, runoff from land, sewage, industrial wastewater, or the dissolution of substances like minerals and salts in the water.

What does TDS include?
TDS includes a variety of substances, such as:

• Salts (like sodium, calcium, magnesium)
• Minerals (like calcium, sulfate, bicarbonates)
• Metals (like iron, copper, lead, zinc)
• Other dissolved organic or inorganic materials

Whether you need to worry about the TDS level in your water depends on several factors, including the source of the water and its level of TDS:

• 1. Low TDS (0-300 mg/L): Generally considered good for drinking and health. Water in this range usually tastes fresh and is considered safe for consumption.
• 2. Moderate TDS (300-500 mg/L): This water is still usually safe to drink but may have a noticeable taste. It might come from areas with natural mineral content.
• High TDS (500-1000 mg/L): Water in this range may taste salty or bitter. It's not immediately harmful, but it could indicate a higher level of dissolved salts or contaminants, which may affect health over time, especially if consumed regularly.
• Very High TDS (above 1000 mg/L): This level could make the water undrinkable due to poor taste and potential health risks. High levels of TDS are often a sign of contamination, and the water may require filtration or treatment before it’s safe to drink.

• Health concerns: Generally, TDS levels in typical tap water are not harmful at moderate levels. However, extremely high levels of TDS could indicate the presence of harmful contaminants like heavy metals (lead, arsenic, etc.), or excess salts, which could be a concern for long-term health.
• Taste and quality: Water with high TDS might not taste great, and it could cause scaling in pipes and appliances (like kettles, dishwashers, etc.) over time.
• Filtration: If your water has high TDS and you are concerned about taste or contaminants, you might want to consider water purification systems (like reverse osmosis filters) that can reduce TDS levels.

To summarize: If your water has moderate to high TDS, it’s worth testing to determine whether any harmful substances are present. If the TDS is very high, consider taking action to filter your water for both health and taste reasons.

• Chlorine Chloramine
• Arsenic Lead
• Voc’s Chromium
• Trihalomethanes Heavy Metals
• Industrial Solvents Herbicides
• Haloacetic Acids Pesticides
• MTBE & TTHM Odors & Bad taste
And More!

Yes, our systems can be installed outdoors. However, some products have electronic controls and or electric heads. These products are considered water resistant, not waterproof. It is highly recommended to install a covering for extra protection when installed outdoors.

Occasionally you may see a leak at the head seal to the tank. This may happen for multiple reasons.

Example: Head may not have been sufficiently tightened at field installation.

Solution: Detached the tank from the bypass valve. Use a non metallic item that fits in either the inlet or outlet of the tank head. The handle of a screwdriver often will work. Grip the tank and snug the head tighter to the tank. This exercise will often solve the issue of the water leaking between the head and the tank. If this is not helpful, please call our tech support line.

**Important** Do not remove the head from the tank!

A salt-free water softener works by using a different technology than traditional salt-based water softeners. While salt-based softeners use ion exchange to remove hardness minerals like calcium and magnesium, salt-free systems usually rely on one of two main methods: template-assisted crystallization (TAC)

Here's a breakdown of how they work:

1. Template-Assisted Crystallization (TAC)

This is the most common technology in salt-free softeners. In this process:
• Water flows through a specialized media (often made of ceramic or polymer beads) that promotes the formation of microscopic crystals of calcium and magnesium.
• These crystals are stable and won't adhere to surfaces (like pipes or appliances), which means they don't form the typical hard mineral buildup (scale) that causes problems.
• The minerals stay in the water but are effectively 'prevented' from causing scaling or buildup. This is a key difference from traditional softeners, which completely remove the hardness minerals.

Key Benefits of Salt-Free Softeners:
No salt: Since there's no salt or brine used, there's no need for frequent salt refills, and there are no discharge of salty water into the environment.
• Lower maintenance: Salt-free systems generally require less maintenance than traditional Softeners.
• Eco-friendly: No salt waste, and often no backwashing, which uses large amounts of water.

Drawbacks:
• No removal of hardness: Salt-free systems do not remove calcium and magnesium from the water entirely, so they don’t lower the hardness level in the same way as traditional systems. They only prevent scaling. If you have very hard water, you might still experience some limescale buildup over time in appliances or fixtures.
• Not suitable for very hard water: For extremely hard water, a traditional salt-based system may still be necessary to achieve significant softening. So, while salt-free softeners are an effective way to prevent scale buildup without using salt, they don’t fully 'soften' the water the way traditional systems do. If you're looking to entirely remove hardness minerals from the water, a salt-based softener is usually the better choice.

Some systems, especially larger or older ones, may slightly reduce water pressure because the water has to pass through the filtration media. However, high-quality whole house filtration systems, like our Blue Essence system, is designed to minimize this effect. If you experience significant pressure drops, you may need to adjust the flow rate, or check if the system is clogged or undersized for your home. However, poorly maintained filters, undersized systems, or certain types of filters (like reverse osmosis) can lead to noticeable drops in pressure. Regular maintenance and selecting a system that meets your home’s water demands will help mitigate these issues.

• Improved Water Quality: Better tasting, cleaner water throughout your home.
• Protection for Appliances: Reduces scale buildup in dishwashers, water heaters, and pipes.
• Health Benefits: Removes harmful contaminants (like chlorine, lead, or bacteria), depending on the filtration type.
• Convenience: Clean water from every faucet, shower, and appliance.

The cost varies depending on the type of system and the size of your home:
• Basic systems: These typically start around $500 to $1,500.
• Advanced systems (e.g., reverse osmosis or multi-stage filtration): These can range from $1,500 to $5,000 or more, including installation. The installation cost can vary depending on your location and plumbing setup.

Filtersorb SP3 is a revolutionary anti-scale media that prevents scale formation without using salt or chemicals. It transforms dissolved calcium and magnesium into aragonite stable non-soluble CaCO3 crystals, which remain suspended in water and do not attach to surfaces. These crystals are formed through the decomposition and crystallization process, forming very stable harmless crystals.
The following equation describes the reaction that occurs inside the pressure vessel when flowing over grains of nucleation (Filtersorb-SP3)
Ca(HCO3)2 → CaCO3+ CO2 + H2O
The name “SP3 (Scale Prevention)” is to indicate this unique transformation of water hardness Ca(HCO3)2 into 3 components. For instance,
1. CaCO3 (micro-crystals)
2. CO2 (colloid)
3. H2O (pure)

The media uses a physical transformation process called Nucleation Assisted Crystallization (NAC). It converts hardness minerals into microscopic crystals that are stable and do not form scale on surfaces like pipes or appliances. This prevents limescale buildup without removing the minerals from the water.

No, it is not a traditional water softener. Unlike softeners that remove calcium and magnesium ions through ion exchange and replace them with sodium, Filtersorb SP3 retains these beneficial minerals in the water but prevents them from forming scale.
• Nucleation Assisted Crystallization (NAC): No Salt, no regeneration, no wastewater, retains beneficial minerals and prevent scale
• Softeners: Use salt, require backwashing and regeneration, remove calcium/magnesium from the water. NAC is a low- maintenance, eco-friendly alternative that is ideal for scale prevention, not softening.

KDF filter media, short for Kinetic Degradation Fluxion, is a type of granular filtration medium made from a high-purity alloy of copper and zinc. It works by using redox (reduction-oxidation) reactions to remove or reduce chlorine, heavy metals, and microorganisms from water.
Here′s a more detailed explanation:
• Redox Reactions: KDF media relies on redox reactions to remove contaminants. In these reactions, electrons are transferred between molecules, effectively neutralizing or transforming harmful substances into harmless ones.
• Contaminant Removal: KDF 55, a common type, is particularly effective at removing chlorine and heavy metals like lead, mercury, and copper. It also inhibits the growth of bacteria, algae, and fungi. KDF 85 is often used for removing iron and hydrogen sulfide.
• Applications: KDF media is used in various water filtration systems, including shower filters, under-sink filters, and whole-house systems. It′s often paired with activated carbon to enhance filtration.
• Benefits: KDF media is known for its durability, long lifespan, and ability to extend the life of other filter media like activated carbon. It′s also environmentally friendly as it doesn′t require chemical additives.

NAC – NUCLEATION ASSISTED CRYSTALLIZATION
Once formed and detached from the surface of FILTERSORB® SP3 media beads, the crystals will not adhere to any other surfaces, even in the case of hot water applications. The crystals cannot form scale because of its stable molecular structure and neutral surface electro potentiality.
Nucleation Assisted Crystallization (NAC). is the basis of reliable Scale Prevention capability of FILTERSORB® SP3.
The transformation of water hardness takes place in the following steps:
1. The continuous transformation of water hardness makes the immediate crystal growth possible with unidirectional chemical equilibrium viz. Ca(HCO3)2 → CaCO3 + CO2 + H2O
As CO2 leaves fast the right hand direction of the equation is preserved.
2. The crystals developing on the surface of the FILTERSORB® SP3 bead, grow rapidly and nucleates
3. After a certain period of time the micro-emulsion of CO2 and CaCO3 forms colloid particle and leaves the media bead surface in neutral form. The average dimension of CaCO3 crystal coated globules ranges in sub micro-meter scale. The noted reaction time is normally around 5 seconds.
Micro Crystals and Colloid CO2 : The story behind amazing pH stabilization of FILTERSORB® SP3 treated water
Influence of formed CaCO3 as pH balancing factor:
The reaction: Ca(HCO3)2 → CaCO3 + CO2 + H2O is unidirectional while SP3 is transforming the hardness into water insoluble crystals.
• In nucleation assisted crystallization process formed CO2 leaves as colloid gas and is used as the template by the rapidly growing crystals in the nucleation site.
• Formed CO2 micro-bubbles exists in colloid form and thus does not form carbonic acid to dissolve back the calcium/magnesium crystals
• Hence, the reverse reaction of CO2 with water forming Carbonic Acid is not possible and the pH stability is maintained. In fact, every excess CaCO3 crystals are buffering any carbonic acid leftover.