A home water softener unit will help you save money by protecting your appliances and plumbing from calcium scale buildup. Savings will be noticeable in the amounts of soap for clothes and bathing that is needed. Choosing the right kind and size can be daunting.
The purpose of a water softener unit is to counteract the negative effects of hard water. The calcium and magnesium in hard water is left as deposits (scaling) inside plumbing and appliances that expend water. It can eventually lead to costly repairs or replacement of dishwashers, water heaters, washing machines and other appliances. Those same deposits originate hair and skin feel dry and brittle. Millions of dollars a year are spent by consumers for products to reverse the effects.
There is a long list of factors to consider when choosing a water softener. Is it for commercial or domestic use? What size is needed and how high a softener rating? How does it need to be installed and how convenient is it to spend? How often will maintenance be necessary? What is the Hardness Grain level of your water? All of these are important questions to reply before making a choice.
Water softeners are cation exchange devices. They filter the calcium/magnesium molecules from hard water. Cations are the positively charged ions of calcium/magnesium that some processes replace. There are four available types of softener units.
The most well known and understood unit uses salt or potassium to affect a change in the water. These Salt Based units use dissolved sodium chloride (brine) that comes in the create of natural “zeolites” (microporous crystalline solids) or synthetic resin beads. It releases free sodium ions in exchange for the calcium/magnesium. Back flushing with brine through the system recharges the exchange medium. Frequency is dependent on how much water is primitive, the unit size, and how powerful exchange medium is available.
Water processed through these systems should not be used for drinking, houseplants or gardens due to the salinity. The sodium content can be a health risk for some. The back flush water can overload smaller septic systems.
The recharge medium (salt or potassium) must be refilled periodically. There is a salt free alternative available.
Catalytic Media, salt free units that use a nano-technology are gaining popularity with homeowners. The system bonds calcium carbonate to a minute crystal form that stays, unnoticeable in the scurry of water. They are said to not only keep modern scale (100% effective) from forming in plumbing and appliances, they will reduce previous buildup over time. They are recommended for residential or commercial use with grains of hardness level of 50 or less.
They are great for people concerned about sodium intake. No additional normal maintenance is necessary. The processed water still has all essential minerals intact and is completely environmentally friendly. No back flushing is needed so 100% of the water is available for utilize.
Catalytic water softeners cannot be faded where oil or hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is present in the water supply.
It was extremely difficult to score just reviews of Catalytic Media water softeners. There are reports that this relatively current technology is less than reliable. Mr. Stephen Lower (www.chem1.com), a retired faculty member of the Department of Chemistry at Simon Fraser University in Canada says, “There is simply no credible mechanism known to science that can explain the claimed results (re: Catalytic Media technology), none of which has been scientifically validated anyway.”
Reverse Osmosis water softeners spend ultra-fine filtration under pressure to filter out 98% of suspended particles. Water molecules pass through the semi-permanent membrane but salts, heavy metals and most solids are captured. The process strips all essential minerals from the water flow. A WHO (World Health Organization) report says that the water should not be traditional for plant, animal or human consumption.
The system is wasteful as the back flush leaves only 5- 15% of water available for employ. It requires a storage tank that must be disinfected regularly to combat the growth of bacteria. The osmosis membranes are expensive to replace.
Finally, Magnetic Softeners are supposed to precipitate out carbonate salt in the water. The process reduces the concentration of calcium/magnesium ions. They are the most inexpensive choice of water softener units.
The magnetic field is limited and only water that comes in contact with the field is processed. The efficiency fluctuates in relation to the field size. The change is temporary. Water reverts to its hard state in 48 hours. Any water still in the storage tank has to be reprocessed. Nearby high voltage emitters can cause interference to Magnetic Softener units.
A water softener unit will set aside you money and protect your plumbing and appliances in areas with hard ground water. Check with local dealers and ask around to find out what types of units are the most effective where you live. Take the time to make the right choice and enjoy the benefits of soft water for cleaning and bathing.
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Filed under Whole House Water Filter Cartridges by on Jan 27th, 2012. 
We have all received those advertisements in the mail for air conditioning check-ups. Preventive maintenance is a pleasant thing. It can increase the efficiency and life of your HVAC system. What these fliers do not tell you is that these companies are just looking for a intention to get through your door. The tech will be there looking for a way to hurry up the bill. Basic maintenance of your air conditioning system can be done by the homeowner. This guide will show you how.
Filter
The filter is the first thing that should be looked at. Dirty filters create an air perambulate restriction. This makes the fan work harder and in extreme cases can cause the evaporator coil to freeze up. Filters that are missing, not the wonderful size, damaged or of poor quality allow dust to accumulate on the coil. This will fabricate the same situation as a dirty filter.
Disposable filters will usually be found either at the air handler or in a return grill. Measure the filter area to verify that the proper one has been installed. Write this measurement on the front of the air handler for future reference. When it comes to air conditioning filters you truly get what you pay for. The cheep filters that you can explore through allow massive amounts of dust to pass through. These need to be replaced often. The white filters with W shaped material are best and last longer.
Electronic air conditioning filters require the cartridges to be removed. Follow the manufacturers instructions. A basic overview is as follows. 1) Disconnect the power supply 2) Remove the cover. Hold note of the top and bottom for reinstallation. 3) Remove the pre-filter and the cleaning cartridges. Assume note of the position of everything that you assume. For the filter to work the pins will need to line up and air flow will need to be correct. 4) Use a hose to wash the filters and cartridges. The water should flow from the unit side back to the dirty side. Do not push the dirt into the filter. 5) Allow everything to dry. 6) Reinstall in the opposite order as removal.
Air Handler
This unit is sometimes called the furnace. The air handler will be found in the garage, in a closet, in the basement or in the attic. It is the unit that all of the duct goes to. Inside the air handler you will find a fan, a heating source and some electrical parts. Most models also have the evaporator coil in the same compartment, the exception would be gas heating systems which exhaust a plenum on top of the furnace.
Super the drain line first. A helper will make this easier. Find the plastic drain line that leaves the coil area. Access this line from either a T fitting or from inside the coil area. Have your helper stand outside where the drain line exits the house. His job is to stand there and watch the water. As you pour water into the drain sludge will come out of the drain outside. Continue to flush the drain until the water exiting the drain runs clear. A common place for a back-up is the elbow outside where the drain line ends. Often all that is needed to fix a clogged drain is removing this fitting. For stubborn blockages hook a wet/dry vac to the drain line. After the line has been sucked clean pour water into the drain to check for sludge. Some drains are equipped with an emergency float switch. This is designed to turn off the unit if the drain is clogged. If after working on a drain the air conditioner will not turn on check this. It will be near the unit and have wires coming out of the top. The cap will pull straight out.
Inspect the evaporator coil. To do this you will need to remove the access panels. Plot the screws aside in a safe place so they will not be lost. See at the side of the coil that the air comes across first. This is where the dust will gather. Extremely dirty coils will need a professional AC tech to “pull and clean” them. Homeowners can perform maintenance cleaning. This can be done with an aerosol coil cleaner. Simply spray the cleaner on and then rinse it off. The more advanced “in status coil clean” is done with liquid coil cleaner and either a coil rake or a stiff bristle brush. I recommend the brush as the rakes come in different sizes and if you use the wrong one the coil will be damaged. To clean the coils 1) Mix the liquid coil cleaner in a spray bottle with water. 2) Spray the coil. The solution will start to foam. 3) Carefully consume the brush to clean the fins. To do this start at the top and slowly slide the brush with the fins down to the bottom. 4) Rinse with well-kept water. When doing this withhold plenty of rags handy to clean up any mess immediately.
Visibly witness the wires and electrical parts for harm or signs of overheating. Burnt or brittle wires and components need to be replaced and the cause will need to be solved. Depending on your ability and the availability of the parts an air conditioning tech might need to be called. Often the cause can be found by using an amp probe as described below.
Check the fan for oil ports. These have little rubber stoppers on the fan casing. When servicing pull the plug and use a light oil. A little will go a long way.
On the front panel of the furnace will be sticker that gives the electrical data. It will show voltage and amp draws of the fan (FLA) and heating elements. When checking the system all voltage and amp draws should be less than the stated maximum. If a component is above the stated maximum then a service tech should be called for replacement. Check the voltage at the terminal block. Turn the fan on at the thermostat. Check the amp draw at the fan. Check the amp way at the terminal block. It should be the same as at the fan. Turn the AC on at the thermostat. The amp draw should remain the same as when the thermostat is set to the fan only. If there is a large increase usually the heat relay is stuck on. Turn the electric heat on. The amp draw at the terminal block should equal the fan plus the heat strip rating.
Check the deference in the temperature across the coil to determine if the air conditioner is working properly. Place a thermometer at the return. Record the temperature. Check the temperature as close to the coil as possible. The difference should be about 20*F.
Frozen coils are a common problem in older models. This is usually caused by a leak. Other causes could be dirty coils and filters, fan not working properly or an air restriction. If the filter and coil are elegant then the homeowner should check the duct work. If the duct is not crushed and everything is clean then a service tech will need to be called for a leak check. The tech will hook gauges up outside to check the freon level. If it is low then they will spend a hand held devise to check for freon leaks. Most often the leak will be found at the evaporator coil. Older units might not have replacement coils and a new air handler will need to be bought. Heat pumps should have both inside and outside units replaced at the same time if the SEER rating does not match.
Servicing a gas furnace should be left to qualified technicians. The regulator and igniter’s are easy to miss diagnose and potentially risky.
Condensing Units
The condensing unit will be found outside. This is the heart of an air conditioning system. It pushes liquid freon to the inside unit and sucks vapor freon abet to the compressor. From the compressor the liquid freon is cooled in the condenser coil before starting over. Freon can not be purchased by a homeowner so if a system needs a boost a tech will need to be called. Checking freon levels require a status of gauges and the moral pressures will depend on the ambient air.
Homeowner maintenance is limited on the outside unit. Remove any grass or debris that is around the coil. Clean the condensing coil with an aerosol coil cleaner. Checking fan and compressor amp draws can be done following the same directions as the air handler. The fan should have an oil port near the top. Access to the motor depends on the brand. Check the low voltage wires for cracked or missing insulation. A cheap fix here would be wrapping them with electrical tape.
Capacitors, contactors and fans are the most favorite replacement items. Often the capacitor will swell on top or leak oil. Many times I have been called to a house for a second opinion only to find a capacitor that has swollen. Dishonest ( or incompetent ) service techs try to sell units when all that is needed is a capacitor.
Package Units
These are the systems where the air handler and condenser are both in one unit. These are common on Mobile homes and commercial buildings. Another type would be window size air conditioners. These are easy to work on because everything is in one spot. It is not cost effective to service the window size units. The only thing that should be done with these is a simple coil clean. The larger units are maintained the same as split systems except everything is in one place.
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Filed under Whole House Water Filter Cartridges by on Jan 24th, 2012.
- Don’t start with fish that are too advanced for you.
- Make sure you have the time and effort to care for your fish tank.
- Have fun and be creative!
If you are modern at tropical fish there’s no need to worry; all you simply have to do is follow these few steps:
Step 1
Pick the type of fish tank you would like. Do you want a single species tank? Maybe you would like a community tank. Read on to see the differences between these types of tanks.
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Single species tank: Single specie aquariums, as you may have guessed, are aquariums that house only one specie of fish. Single specie tanks are usually made up of fish that are not compatible with other types of fish. You can make a single species tank out of any fish specie you would like.
Community tanks: Community tanks are the most common tropical tanks. With a mixture of fish that are compatible with each other, a community tank would make the perfect touch for any home. Community tanks are not only neat to look at but are also easiest to care for out of the group of freshwater tanks.
Step 2
Now it’s time to pick your aquarium. The type of aquarium you find mainly depends on the fish you’ll be purchasing. The general rule for determining tank size is “one gallon of water per one inch of fish.” Say you get a fish that’s five inches in length; you would need to house it in a minimum of a 5-gallon tank.
Step 3
This is the fun part! It’s time to choose your décor. All you need to know while picking out your décor is:
1- Give the fish plants to hide in.
2- Construct determined the fish have a plot in the tank to call their own.
3- Don’t fill the tank too full of décor and plants or your fish won’t have enough room to swim, leading to stress and illness.
4- Have fun and be creative.
Step 4
Determine where to place your tank. You can keep it virtually anywhere in your house so long as it’s not directly in front of a window, which will lead to algae growth in your tank.
Step 5
You need to choose the kind of plants that would be best for you. Plants reach in both plastic (made for fish safety) and real aquatic plants. If you are fixated on your plants looking proper then you could tranquil go with fake plants, there’s a wide variety of plastic plants out now.
Real plants can be hard to take care of (depending on the type that you get.) Some aquatic plants take special medication and fertilizers to keep them alive. There are ups and downs to keeping real plants.
Ups: Real plants are beautiful and provided plenty of oxygen in the water for your fish.
Downs: Real plants take special nutrients to keep them alive, thus costing more money and more time.
Plastic plants require nothing in terms of care, and they smooth give your tank that perfect touch. Plastics, as do the accurate, require some sort of gravel to anchor them down. Do not fuss over what type of gravel you would need for a real or plastic plant to believe them down, it doesn’t matter.
Step 6
You need a execute of filtration. There are a couple different filtration systems to choose from, the waterfall filter and the underground filter.
Waterfall filtration: waterfall filters are electronic filtration systems that hook onto the back of the tank. It purifies the water in your tank by sucking the water into a tube, running it through a specially made filter, and then pushing it back out through a sponge, thus creating a cramped waterfall that leads back to the tank. It requires that you change the main filter once every 2 months. You do not need any air pumps if you have this filtration system.
Underground filtration: Underground filters are a little less time consuming. Undergrounds are a fragment of wavy plastic that you position at the base of your tank before adding gravel. It has a couple small pipes (depending on the size of your aquarium) that stick about 1” above the gravel. You must have an air pump and install it along with the filter. Underground filtration sucks all the waste into the pipes at the bottom of the tank and traps it underneath the gravel. This is not an electronic intention.
Step 7
Now it’s time to set up your tank:
1: Place the tank in its designated area. Remember to withhold it out of inform sunlight.
2: Make sure you tank is placed securely on its stand.
3: Add your heater, filtration systems, and air pump(s).
4: Dump your gravel into the tanks bottom.
5: Start anchoring your plants in position. Make sure you have them where you want the layout to be.
6: Start placing other décor in place: driftwood, rocks, etc.
7: If you have any above-ground air pumps such as: bubble rocks, bubble wands, or any other décor used for air supply, now is the time to add it.
8: Place a bowl, face up, in the bottom of your tank, before adding water. Use a water pitcher or water hose to add the water to your tank. Pore the water into the bowl and allow it to flow over into the tank, doing this will prevent your gravel, plants, and/or décor from dispersing and spreading from its designated area.
9: Remove the bowl from the tank after the tank is about ¾ of the way full. You can continue filling the tank after the bowl has been removed.
10: Your tank should be ready for all electronic devices to be plugged in.
11: If you’re using a hood for you tank hold off on putting it on until your fish are applied.
12: Leave your fish in their pet store bags, do NOT begin the bags! With the fish still in their bags place them into the tank and allow them to float for about 15 minutes. This changes the water in the bag to be the same temp. as in the tank.
13: You can release the fish after the 15 minutes are over. Don’t be alarmed if they sink to the bottom at first (they’re only getting conventional to their new surroundings) they will return back to normal in a few minutes.
14: You shouldn’t feed your new fish for 24 hours after you bring them home.
Good luck with your new freshwater aquarium!
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Filed under Whole House Water Filter Cartridges by on Nov 30th, 2011.
RO water basically means water produced by the process of Reverse Osmosis. Osmosis in science basically is the process where 2 types of liquid being separated by a membrane, the specific molecule from four solvent will move from a higher saturation to a lower four until 2 sides reach the same saturation level, by the law of nature. So, the key term here is membrane (or filter) and the direction of the flow. By allowing only certain type of molecule (mainly water or H2O are of smaller size) to pass through in term of size and reverse the osmosis traipse direction.
So this can only be done by forcing the water to flow through a filter (trapping all contaminant including minerals), thus achieve the purpose of tidy and pure water.
RO purified and cleaned the water, which is lovely and the purpose of the RO process, however it has also cleaned away actual water benefits to the users. Though the reverse osmosis filter potentially clears minerals, it also removes minerals that are essential for our bodies. Besides that, the filtering also leaves chlorine behind. Although the water supposed to be purified and cleaned, you can still get the distinct chlorine smell occasionally which could be hazardous to our body if they kept on consuming plenty of this. Sometimes, bacteria and viruses are also not removed from the water content by the that will cause various illnesses to us.
Another disadvantages that RO water filter uses a huge amount of water throughout the technique. Large quantity of water being used and wasted through the RO filtration system. The process want plenty of water as massive water pressure is required to push through the membrane. Studies showed that only up to a maximum of 20 percent of the water effectively going into the technique. It has been proven to be an costly and wasteful water purification technique. In order to provide your relatives with estimable and tidy water, you basically do not wanna waste currency on costly reverse-osmosis water filters where there’s more affordable and better water filter technique available?
A multi-stage water purification system that do not waste water, remove all unwanted contaminants but retain the shapely trace of minerals which is significant to our body will be recommended. A water filtration technique that offers a more advanced, complete and also more affordable water filtration and purification technique to reverse osmosis filters is always worth considering. Don’t unprejudiced be fooled by the term of “Pure Water” or “Clean Water”, do your research before seriously placing your currency in purchasing one, which actually benefit your family and your financial as well.
Beside wasting huge volume of water, reverse osmosis filter also consume plenty of electricity. Additional electricity is being required to work the pumps which pressurize the water to enter the technique. This means that both your electricity bill and water bill will go up higher! Besides that, the RO water filter will wanna be cleaned or replaced frequently because of unnecessary gigantic amount of water being pressurized to pass through. It is therefore more costly to maintain than other normal water filter technique.
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Filed under Whole House Water Filter Cartridges by on Sep 10th, 2011.
RO water basically means water produced by the process of Reverse Osmosis. Osmosis in science basically is the process where 2 types of liquid being separated by a membrane, the specific molecule from four solvent will move from a higher saturation to a lower four until 2 sides reach the same saturation level, by the law of nature. So, the key term here is membrane (or filter) and the direction of the flow. By allowing only certain type of molecule (mainly water or H2O are of smaller size) to pass through in term of size and reverse the osmosis flow direction.
So this can only be done by forcing the water to flow through a filter (trapping all contaminant including minerals), thus achieve the purpose of natty and pure water.
RO purified and cleaned the water, which is lovely and the purpose of the RO process, however it has also cleaned away actual water benefits to the users. Though the reverse osmosis filter potentially clears minerals, it also removes minerals that are essential for our bodies. Besides that, the filtering also leaves chlorine behind. Although the water supposed to be purified and cleaned, you can composed get the clear chlorine smell occasionally which could be hazardous to our body if they kept on consuming plenty of this. Sometimes, bacteria and viruses are also not removed from the water swear by the that will cause various illnesses to us.
Another disadvantages that RO water filter uses a stout amount of water throughout the technique. Sizable quantity of water being used and wasted through the RO filtration system. The process want plenty of water as massive water pressure is required to push through the membrane. Studies showed that only up to a maximum of 20 percent of the water effectively going into the technique. It has been proven to be an costly and wasteful water purification technique. In order to provide your relatives with safe and tidy water, you basically do not wanna slay currency on costly reverse-osmosis water filters where there’s more affordable and better water filter technique available?
A multi-stage water purification system that do not slay water, remove all unwanted contaminants but retain the lovely trace of minerals which is essential to our body will be recommended. A water filtration technique that offers a more advanced, complete and also more affordable water filtration and purification technique to reverse osmosis filters is always worth considering. Don’t just be fooled by the term of “Pure Water” or “Clean Water”, do your research before seriously placing your currency in purchasing one, which actually benefit your family and your financial as well.
Beside wasting huge volume of water, reverse osmosis filter also consume plenty of electricity. Additional electricity is being required to work the pumps which pressurize the water to enter the technique. This means that both your electricity bill and water bill will go up higher! Besides that, the RO water filter will wanna be cleaned or replaced frequently because of unnecessary large amount of water being pressurized to pass through. It is therefore more costly to maintain than other normal water filter technique.
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Filed under Whole House Water Filter Cartridges by on Aug 12th, 2011.