You Need Good Water to Make Good Coffee

YOU CAN ONLY MAKE GOOD COFFEE WITH GOOD WATER

Mmmmmm!

Do you remember life before filtered water or bottled water? Those were the good old days when you turned on the kitchen tap for a glass of water - that probably didn't taste too good.

A little History

In many parts of the United States, water may have been potable, meaning it was disease-free and safe to drink, but that didn't mean it tasted good. That bad taste in a glass of water translated into an off taste in anything cooked, with water added, and beverages like coffee brewed with water. Water taste was, and is, determined by the raw material, the natural water, and by the disinfection process used by your local water authority. Though strides have been made to create better tasting water, not all water systems have succeeded in this effort.

The "recipe" for drinking water at most municipal water treatment facilities is still heavily influenced by the need to kill bacteria and other living organisms in order to make it safe for the population. That's why so many municipal water systems produce water that smells, and tastes, like the aqua blue stuff in a swimming pool. Chlorine is the chemical of choice to kill organisms in water.

Safe to drink? Yes. Good to drink? Not so much.

Bad Water = Bad Coffee

What's even worse than the chlorine are the other challenges facing water plants. Some areas of the country have to contend not only with heavy chlorination, but also with high mineral content. Iron and lime create what's known as hard water. But the worst minerals in natural water are sulfur and hydrocarbons. The area around Big Spring, Texas, was known for its high production of crude oil and for its terrible tasting and smelling water.

Some say the entire oil patch of Texas had the worst tasting water in the country. A salesman who covered that part of Texas as his territory amused his home office by relating how he brushed his teeth with Coca Cola each morning because the water was so bad. What came from the tap smelled like casing head gas, the vapor that accompanies crude oil as the oil is being pumped from the ground. You don't have to be a NASA scientist to realize that if your tap water smells and tastes bad, then your coffee will too.

Necessity Is The Mother Of Invention

With so many different water sanitation plants across the country, indeed across the world, and with many of them focused on producing a safe water supply, not necessarily a good drinking quality, it was no surprise that someone saw opportunity in the situation.

In 1966, Heinz Hankammer founded Brita, a name most Americans know because of the jug water filters or the tap-installed water filters now sold in thousands of stores across the country. Originally, Hankammer's invention was for desalination, but it didn't take him long to see the potential for household use to improve the taste of drinking water. So in 1970, the first jug filter we're all familiar with was introduced and marketed for home use.

The rest, as the cliché goes, was history. Thirty years later, filtered water is such a part of our world that many wouldn't think of drinking water straight from the tap. The water jugs are still used along with the filter you install on your kitchen faucet. Now you can also buy appliances with filters incorporated in their designs, from refrigerators to kettles to coffee makers. You can even dispense with all those smaller filters and have your home's entire water supply filtered with a whole-house system. Like so many other good ideas, other companies jumped on the filtered water band wagon, giving consumers many different choices of brands and types for water filtration.

Benefits For Consumers

The convenience and ease of obtaining good tasting water with a simple water filter is a boon to consumers. Though most who use water filters do so for the taste, there are many who do so for health reasons as well. They know the shocking fact that there can be as many as 2,100 known toxins present in drinking water.

Filtering your water removes:

• Limescale, creating a better taste
• Chlorine and other substances, i.e., chlorine compounds, that produce bad tastes and smells
• Parasites like giardia and cryptosporidium which cause gastrointestinal illnesses
• Bacteria and other contaminants, including pharmaceuticals and toxins
• Particles too fine to see
• lead and copper content is reduced

Doctors say to Drink Water

Doctors say drink water. Health-conscious, weight-conscious Americans know they should drink more water, but the bottom line is that no one is very likely to drink much of the stuff coming out of the tap unless it tastes good.

Filtered water makes it easy to follow this good advice and consume the volume generally recommended for good health or to fill that empty space in your stomach if you're dieting. What may surprise you is how much better other things made with filtered water taste. Take coffee for example. When brewed with tap water, coffee ends up being a beverage to which you must add flavorings - sugar, milk, cream, or flavored coffee syrups - in order to make it more palatable. You don't often see people drinking coffee black when it's made with bad tasting water.

Filtered water creates such a smooth coffee that you can drink it black if you so choose. Or add flavorings because they enhance the taste, not because the taste needs to be camouflaged. The reason for this difference is that the aromatics in coffee aren't fully released when the water is full of chlorine, limescale, and other trace minerals. Aromatics relate not only to smell but also to taste.

water is full of flavor-altering limescale? Look at the coffee in your cup. Do you see something floating like a film on the surface of the liquid? Or have you ever boiled water and noticed a white residue in the kettle? That's excess limescale. This substance in water eventually will ruin your water pipes. It clings to the interior of the pipes, narrowing the flow until very low water pressure dictates replacing some pipes. Similarly, it ruins water heaters and appliances that use water, like coffee makers unless the appliance is regularly de-limed by flushing white vinegar through it.

Filtered Water Also Provides a Longer Life for Your Appliances

Of course, another way to save your expensive coffee maker is to use filtered water which removes much of the limescale. Better coffee and longer life for the appliance. That's a win-win situation for sure.

The truth is that your municipal water supply probably won't kill you, but it won't win any taste awards either or brew you a cup of coffee that makes you smile when you walk to the kitchen in the morning. That intoxicating coffee smell results from full aromatic release. When you pour a cup of coffee brewed with quality water, the taste will be as superb as the smell.

A perfect cup of coffee. Now that's the way to start a day.

This article is reprinted from Dataman Group Direct.  providing direct mail & telemarketing lists to Water Quality Dealers since 1980 and is a member of WQA, the Water Quality Association.

Dataman Group Direct has been

What Do We Do?

A lot of people do not really know what we do - friends, customers, suppliers . . . A lot of people have heard of us, know our name and know some of what we do but I want to take this opportunity to answer the question.

45 years ago, Andy Holmes saw a need for water treatment and became a Culligan dealer. Through his and other's marketing efforts, "Hey Culligan Man!" became one of the best recognized corporate slogan - but it still doesn't say what he did. 

12 years ago, after searching for better equipment, we became an Ecowater dealer. We developed our slogan "At Holmes Ecowater, we make your home's water - better!"  It does a better job of telling what we  do, but many didn't know what it really meant.

Contact with us is the best way to find out what we really do.

• Rural homeowners that had untreated well water that caused staining or smelled bad found out that we fix well water
• Or if they had dugout water that was contaminated or dirty found out that we fix surface water
• Or if they had bad tasting water found out that we made their water taste better
• People in the city that got tired of bathtub ring, scummy showers, dingy clothes, dry itchy skin found out that we made their water feel better
• People that were spending too much on soaps and detergents, clothes and linens weren't lasting as long as they should, paying too much to heat their water found out that we made their water save money
• Those living in the city that didn't like the taste of chlorine found out that we made their water taste better 
• Families that became concerned about chemicals or other contaminants in their drinking water found out that we made their water safer
• And for many years, when people wanted to just get great water from a water cooler found out that we made great water for them to take home.
• When businesses saw spots on dishes, high cleaning expenses, scaling plumbing or production problems, they found out we make their water a valuable business partner.
• When people visited places like Vancouver and noticed how much better water could be, they found out that we can bring that vacation water to their homes
• When people worried about greenhouse gases, carbon footprint, and the environment, they found that Our products are Zero Footprint
  
  Certified, We recycle our cartridges and our systems reduce your impact on the environment.
• When concerns came up about chemicals in the plastics, energy consumption making and transporting bottled water, We discontinued bottled water and offer bottleless water coolers.

When you see all of this and consider that we work on commercial and industrial water as well as residential, you can see that our slogan doesn't tell you all that we do, but until we can find the perfect one - remember:

At Holmes Ecowater, We Make Your Home's Water - Better!

Can I use a Water Softener with a Septic System?

The need for water softeners on farm water can be similar to using one on municipal water, but many times private water supplies will be harder and make a water softener more needed.

Softeners have been installed on farm water systems for many years and have been working well. 

An issue that has been raised many times is whether or not the discharge poses a problem with septic systems.

The plumbing code in Alberta allows for discharge of a water softener into a septic system, but recommends using potassium chloride to recharge the softener.

Many studies have been done over the years.

The Water Quality Research Foundation recently announced the results of a major study. 

"The data indicate that the use of efficiently operated water softeners improves septic tank performance, while the use of very inefficient home
softeners may have a negative effect on solids discharge to the drain field and the level of impact will depend on the level of hardness in the water, whether the regeneration waste is discharged to the septic tank, and the amount of excess sodium present in regeneration wastes."


Here's a link to the study.

Comprehensive independent studies have also shown many other practical advantages: Saving energy and money, reducing the use of harmful detergents, and keeping our landfills a little less full. 

So if you have a farm water system, you can be confidant that you can install it now.

What is Water Hardness?

We hear a lot about water hardness, but what is it, where does it come from and what does it do?

Chemically, water hardness is made up mostly by Calcium and Magnesium. 

Water is called the universal solvent, dissolving some of almost anything it comes in contact with. And when it comes in contact with limestone or similar rock formations, it dissolves these hardness minerals. The more of these minerals it dissolves, the harder the water becomes. Hardness is most commonly measured in Grains per Gallon or Milligrams per Liter 

Water Hardness Scale
Grains Per Gallon	Milligrams Per Liter (mg/L)or Parts Per Million (ppm)	Classification
less than 1.0	less than 17.1	Soft
1.0 - 3.5	17.1 - 60	Slightly Hard
3.5 - 7.0	60 - 120	Moderately Hard
7.0 - 10.5	120 - 180	Hard
over 10.5	over 180	Very Hard

Most surface water supplies in Southern Alberta range from 9 - 15 grains per gallon hard. 

When water is just 7 grains hard, the amount of hardness in 1,000 gallons is 1 pound. That means a family of 4 in this area will bring the equivalent of a 150# boulder into their home each year.

When hard water is heated, it forms scale. This scale builds up in pipes, water heaters and appliances. You have probably noticed this scale formation in kettles. If you have every carried out your old water heater and carried in the new one, you will no just how much rock is in the old tank. Scale acts as an insulator in your water heater. You wouldn't want to put a brick between your stove and your pot! Just 1/8" of scale costs an extra 18% to heat.  Studies have shown that gas water heaters operating on hard water will cost an extra 29% over the life of the heater. 


Another problem of hard water is its reaction with soap. A soap curd forms. I'm sure we have all seen film on shower tiles and doors, and bathtub ring. This is soap curd. you will get this even if you don't step foot in the bath if you put soap in hard water. This soap curd gets on everything that is washed with soap and hard water - dishes, clothes, your skin - many people experience dry itchy skin after bathing in hard water.

Recently, the Water Quality Association completed a couple of studies showing The benefits of softened water - Energy Savings and Detergent Savings. Check it out here!

You owe it to yourself to try soft water. Contact us for more information on our FREE Trial!

Our Latest Newsletter

Our latest Newsletter is out. Check it our here.

It has interesting water stories, all of our contact information and some great savings.

Advantages for Drinking Water in the Morning

Water in Your Body

Water in our Body

How Much Does It Cost to Operate a Water Softener?

My favorite response to this question is "A water softener doesn't cost - it saves"

A typical family of 4 will save $40 to $70 per month just by installing a water softener. 

But I know that is never the answer that you are looking for. If you haven't had a water softener before, it is a natural question, and I'm going to try to give you a really good idea of what you can expect to spend to operate a water softener. As usual, I'm going to try to avoid as much technical detail as I can, so if you see any technical details that aren't quite right, you probably know how to adjust what I'm saying or already will know how to figure out the costs yourself.

There are 4 areas that could be considered operating costs - electricity, water, sewer and salt (or potassium for some users). Because of the nature of the costs, I will deal with electricity first, then water, sewer and salt together, then touch on potassium chloride.

Before I start, I need to let you know how I came up with the numbers. I used actual water softeners installed in my home. We had 4 - 5 people living in the home, water hardness averaged 13 grains per gallon. This is a pretty common number in our area, and if your hardness varies. you can make adjustment from there. Other factors I'm using are $0.20 per pound of salt, water at $1.12 per cubic meter, and sewer at $0.703 per cubic meter.

Electricity

While there is one brand that uses water flow past gears to operate instead of electricity, Almost all water softeners use electricity to run. Primarily to operate timers and drive motors. The amount used will be very small - not much more than a clock.

Normal operation of an electronic water softener will have the clock running continuously and the power draw is so small I consider it negligible. When the motor is moving the valve during recharge, it is still a small demand and at electrical rates of 8.9 cents per kwh a typical annual electrical cost will be under $1.00.

Salt, Water and Sewer
The cost of these items will vary depending on water hardness, how much water you use and the water softener control.

The first control factor is if the unit is demand or timeclock driven. A timeclock softener will recharge on a fixed schedule. This is the most wasteful way for a softener to work. Our softener had to recharge every 3 days, using 60 pounds of salt per month. These softeners are usually not very water efficient either - using over 50 gallons per recharge. So that means a total monthly operating cost of under $15.

Then we tried a demand softener. These softeners track the water that you use and recharge once a preset volume of water has been treated.They are advertised to use about 1/2 of the salt and water. Our experience was an actual savings of 20%. So this unit cost under $12 per month to run.

Then we used a Culligan Aqua-Sensor. These units rely on electronics to measure the condition of the unit to determine when they need to recharge. It makes a lot of sense since the water hardness varies throughout the year to measure the bed, and as long as the unit functions properly, it will save salt and water. Unfortunately, we had to set the softener for a higher salt dosage for it to work, but we did see a 40% savings. This unit cost us less than $9 per month.

Finally we tried and Ecowater Refiner. This is a demand water softener that tracks water use int he home but includes other factors to reduce costs:

• Upflow regeneration is far more efficient in salt and water use and makes softer water
• Proportional brining recharges only the portion of the capacity used
• A sophisticated algorithm better predicts when recharge is needed
• Average water usage per recharge is only 32 gallons 

Added all up, we saw a salt savings of 66% and a water/sewer savings of 80%. Total operating cost - less than $5 

Potassium Chloride
This can be used as a salt replacement for recharging your water softener. If you are drinking soft water it is a good choice, and the plumbing code recommends it for softeners draining into septic systems.

It is over 3 times the price of salt and your conditioner will use more than salt.

So as i said at the start, a water softener doesn't cost - it saves! 

Call us to see how:

At Holmes Ecowater, we make your home's water - Better! 

What is Reverse Osmosis?

How can you turn Sea Water into Drinking Water?

What is the most practical way to demineralize water?

What is one of the best Multi-Barrier water treatment systems for your home drinking water?

How can you turn tap water into bottled water quality?

Reverse Osmosis

So - What is Reverse Osmosis?
 
If you have come across one of the various technical explanations available (Here's a pretty good one) , most people find the explanations too scientific and frankly don't read them.

I'd like to simplify what a reverse osmosis system (I'm going to shorten it to  RO for the rest of this article) does, and while it may not be 100% technically accurate, I'm hoping it will give you a clearer idea. 

When it comes to home systems, the RO unit will be part of a complete water treatment system.

The first stage is prefiltration that will remove dirt, particles, sediment etc. that is 15 times finer than a human hair. Prefiltration also removes chlorine and some organic substances. As well as improving your water, this helps to protect the RO membrane.

The next step is the RO membrane. It separates the water into 2 streams - good high quality drinking water in 1 stream and everything else in the other. This waste water is directed down the drain (or back into your plumbing system if you have a zero waste option). The good water is stored in a holding tank.

Before the water reaches the tap, it passes through a polishing filter. Then to your glass - great tasting, high quality drinking water.


Check out how 
"At Holmes Ecowater, We Make Your Home's Water - Better!"
 

Our Latest Newsletter

Check out our latest Newsletter.

It's full of interesting links, all of our contact information and a savings coupon.

Is Hard Water Making You Ill?

We've always considered hard water to be an aesthetic concern. You know: hard to clean bathtub ring and film on shower tiles, dry itchy skin after bathing, dramatically higher cleaning costs, increased heating and maintenance costs due to scale build up.

But now, evidence is making us reconsider what that scale can actually do. 

Legionnaires Disease is far more common that we think.

The CDC estimates that between 8,000 and 18,000 cases are hospitalized with many cases going unreported. CDC Fact Sheet.

Any place moisture can build up may cause bacteria, such as legionella, to grow. The bacteria can grow in hot tubs, air conditioning systems (especially large commercial units), hot water tanks, plumbing systems and cooling towers. Limescale deposits in the water system allow water to pool when the fixtures aren’t in use. This pooling allows bacteria to grow and potentially infect those using or exposed to the system.

“By far the greatest risk lies within the humble hot and cold water systems, which deliver the disease through taps and shower heads. Legionella bacteria thrive in temperatures between 20-45 degrees Celsius; and if water is allowed to sit at these temperatures the bacterium can multiply into large numbers which can cause Legionnaires’ disease,” according to Simon French, a legionella expert and HVCA Service and Facilities Group member.

In another study, scientists tested shower heads. Tests revealed nearly a third of devices harbour significant levels of a bug that causes lung disease.

Levels of Mycobacterium avium were 100 times higher than those found in typical household water supplies. 

M. avium forms a biofilm that clings to the inside of the shower head, reports the National Academy of Science.

Lead researcher Professor Norman Pace, said: "If you are getting a face full of water when you first turn your shower on, that means you are probably getting a particularly high load of Mycobacterium avium, which may not be too healthy."  BBC Article

If you want a scientific article, here it is.

Gives you something to think about and another reason to appreciate your water softener.

If you don't have one yet - give us a call.

Clean your water cooler!

If you have a water cooler, it is important to clean it regularly. How often it should be done varies with recommendations from yearly, to every 6 months to Health Canada' recommendation of every time you change the bottle. Health Canada Bottled Water Page. 

How do you clean your cooler? These are the steps that we use:

1)     Unplug cord and allow the unit to come to room temperature. For Hot and Cold coolers, run some water out of the hot tap after unplugging to cool the water.

2)   Remove the bottle.  Empty the reservoir through the faucets. For Hot and Cold coolers, also remove the drain plug at the back of the cooler.  Replace after the hot tank is empty.

3)      Remove the lid of your dispenser.  No-Spill tops require a little extra effort to pull off and push on. Some have a locking pin. Some require a partial counter-clockwise turn before removing.

4)      Mix a cleaning solution by adding 1 tablespoon of household bleach to 1 gallon of fresh water. Thoroughly wipe inside of reservoir with cleaning solution and a clean cloth or paper towel.

5)      Fill reservoir with cleaning solution. For Hot and Cold coolers, open the hot faucet until water comes out and top up the reservoir with solution.

6)      Spray a diluted solution of bleach and water inside the faucet spouts.  Let stand for 5 minutes, and then drain through the faucets. For Hot and Cold coolers, also remove the drain plug at the back of the cooler.  Replace after the hot tank is empty.

7)      Fill the reservoir with fresh water. For Hot and Cold coolers, open the hot faucet until water comes out and top up the reservoir with fresh water.

8)      Drain through the faucets. For Hot and Cold coolers, also remove the drain plug at the back of the cooler.  Replace after the hot tank is empty.

9)      Repeat steps 7 & 8 once more.

10)  Remove the air filter from the top.

11)  Clean the top in a clean sink filled with fresh water and a mild bleach solution.

12)  Rinse the top with fresh water, and dry with clean paper towel.

13)  Replace air filter

14)  Replace cooler top.

15)  Replace bottle.

16)  Open faucets one at a time until water runs from each.

17)  Plug unit back in.

18) Water should be chilled and hot, if so equipped in about 1/2 hour.

Just look at the top benefits of drinking water!

Drinking plenty of water each day prevents dehydration, cleans out the body and promotes healing processes.
A steady diet of 8 glasses of water a day (ideally, half your body weight in ounces of water), when it’s pure and free of contaminants, will:

• Improve your energy
• Remove toxins and waste products from your body
• Allow for proper digestion
• Increase your mental and physical performance
• Help you lose weight
• Reduce headaches and dizziness
• Keep skin healthy and glowing

There is a difference between drinking pure water and beverages that contain water. Coffee, soft drinks, tea and fruit beverages may contain substances that are not only harmful, but actually contradict some of the positive effects of the added water.

For each cup of coffee you consume, your body needs 3 cups of water to compensate for the water loss that occurs due to coffee’s diuretic effect.
Other caffeinated beverages, such as soft drinks and tea, also stimulate the adrenal glands and act as diuretics, robbing your body of necessary water. Soft drinks contain phosphorus, which can lead to depletion of bone calcium, and various acids, which can cause erosion of the enamel on your teeth. A 12-ounce can of regular soda contains the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of white sugar and loads of empty calories.

Fruit beverages or drinks such as PowerAde, Gatorade, lemonade, etc. may be fortified with vitamins or calcium, but usually has 10% or less real fruit juice. Sugar is the added sweetener. If you are drinking too much of these beverages daily, you may be unknowingly adding extra unwanted pounds to your waistline.

Reservoir Tips

Reservoirs must be properly maintained to ensure the best possible water quality. Treatment of reservoirs may harm fish, and care should be taken. 

Poorly maintained reservoir

These procedures are based on our experience with reservoirs since 1968 and are our recommendations. They should be used as a guide only. Please remember to take all necessary precautions when using chemicals.

Aeration
Dugout aeration will tend to inhibit algae growth, and will lessen the odour problems associated with anaerobic decomposition.

Taste, Odor, Color
The foul taste, odour and colour in reservoir water usually results from algae or water plants. Decomposing algae and plants on the bottom of the water produce hydrogen sulfide gas, which gives the water a "rotten-egg" taste and odour. By the end of winter, water may become black. Control of algae and plants during the spring and summer will reduce these problems.

Controlling Aquatic Vegetation
All preventative and mechanical methods should be considered prior to chemical treatment.

Preventative Methods 
Deeper dugouts with steeper slopes reduce the shallow areas where plants grow rapidly. Limit nutrients:  

• Flood diversion dikes with gated culvert inlet.
• Grass the water course and the area around the dugout.
• KEEP LIVESTOCK OUT!

Mechanical Methods

• Hand pull plants
• drag a heavy chain or harrows across the bottom to cut plants

Polydex

Polydex is a mineral based bacteriostatic algaecide liquid concentrate that can:

• Reduce algae, bacteria and associated toxins
• Improve colour, taste and smell in the water
• Reduce suspended solids
• Reduce organic film build up in lines

It is easy to apply and quickly disperses. Initial treatment is 1:60,000 followed by periodic testing with maintenance dosages at 1:500,000

Copper Sulphate (Bluestone)
Copper sulphate can be an effective treatment for algae. It is more effective if used before the algae population becomes heavy. To apply, it may be placed in a burlap sack and dragged around the reservoir, or the water filling the
reservoir may run over the sack. The dosage is 1 to 2 pounds per 100,000
gallons.

If heavy blooms of blue-green algae develop, use caution. Another source of
water should be used for 2 weeks after treatment. Copper sulphate is toxic to fish. If you must treat a dugout containing fish, treat 1/3 at a time and space the treatments 24 hours apart. Water usage should be avoided for 24 hours.

Turbidity
Reservoirs that become turbid (muddy) will usually clear by themselves. Be
careful not to confuse colour caused by decaying algae or organic matter with
turbidity, as treatment is different. If turbidity persists, Alum may be used. The alum should be dissolved in water 1/2 pound per gallon) and spread evenly over the surface. The dosage is 10 to 20 pound per 100,000 gallons.

Reglone A (Diquat)
This chemical is used to control aquatic plants. Treated water should not be used by humans or animals for 2 weeks. Contact your supplier for correct dosage.

Granular Chlorine
More effective than Copper Sulphate for organic matter and algae is granular
chlorine. It may be simply broadcast over the surface. The dosage is 4# per 100,000 gallons. In severe cases, it may be necessary to repeat treatment in a week.

Copper sulphate treatment may be
applied at the same time for enhanced
results.

Gravel Filters 
Gravel filters installed in or beside the
dugout are not recommended. 

Floating Intakes
During the summer, 80% of the impurities are close to the bottom. A floating intake, 3 feet from the surface willcollect the best water. During winter, lower the float to below the expected ice level.

Floats may be constructed by 16' of 1 1/2" pipe coupled in a ring, or 3' of 3" PVC or ABS pipe capped at each end.

Blue Green Algae
Blue—Green Algae can be toxic. Please follow this link to Alberta Environment
information:

http://www.environment.alberta.ca/documents/Blue-green_algal_FS.pdf

Should you drink soft water?

One of the most common questions that we hear about water softeners is whether we should drink the water. It's a great question and one of the first things that I wanted to know when we started.

A water softeners purpose is to remove the hardness minerals from water. Hardness minerals cause:

• Bathtub ring and film on shower tiles
• Excess soap usage in bathing, laundry, dishes
• Laundry to wear out faster
• Scaling in your water appliances, reducing life
• And a lot of other problems that we have covered in an earlier post  

But really, if you think about it - this is really the "Working" water in your home. A Water Softener is designed to improve the working water in you home.


So now I better get to the question.


The way that a water softener works is called "ion exchange" but really that just means that it trades the hardness minerals for the sodium in your water. The amount of sodium that a water softener will add to your water depends on the hardness, but normally here it works out to about 80 milligrams of sodium in a liter of water. A single slice of bread is 125 - 150 milligrams. 

So really, if you are not on a sodium restricted diet, the answer is normally yes. Here's some information from the Mayo Clinic.


What can you do if you have a water softener and don't want to dringk the water?

1. If the plumbing lines are accessible, you can bypass a tap for your drinking water
2. You can use potassium chloride to recharge your water softener. A couple of brands are Nature's Own or Softtouch. This product is about 5 times the price of salt, but then you will be getting potassium instead of sodium.
3. You can drink bottled water.
4. Many people are deciding that they want better drinking water. Reverse osmosis systems can provide the best drinking water and remove the sodium.

The Hard Cost of Hard Water

Do you realize how much hard water costs you?

We've been installing water softeners for 44 years, but today many people consider them a luxury. So we've put together some facts for you.

A recent article by Money Talks News lists these effects of Hard Water:

1. Calcium rings or deposits in tubs, sinks, or dishwashers
2. Spots on dishes or shower doors
3. Reduced foaming and cleaning abilities of soaps and detergents
4. Reduced hot water supply
5. Dingy and yellowed clothes with soapy residues
6. Clogged pipes, shower heads, or faucets
7. Leaky pipes

 Over 85% of homes in Canada have hard water, but you should get yours tested. Most water treatment companies offer water tests (ours is free), or you can contact a lab. If you have municipal water you can contact your water authority. Private water supply owners can contact their public health unit.


So what do the numbers mean?

Surface water in Southern Alberta runs from 7 - 18 grains per gallon hardness - pretty hard. 


If You Have Hard Water What Do You Do About It?
You are guessing I'm going to say get a water softener aren't you? Good guess. You can rent or own water softeners. The choice is yours. We generally feel that if you are going to have the softener for more than 4 years, it is probably cheaper to own it. However, many home owners choose to rent simply so they never have to worry about service or replacement. 

The Water Quality Association commissioned a study that found that water softeners are one of the best ways to save energy. They keep water heaters and appliances running efficiently, and they keep shower heads and faucets flowing freely.

This past year, another study funded by the WQA – and conducted by a different company – found that water softeners also allow you to wash your clothes in cooler temperatures and to use less laundry and dish detergent. In other words, they’re saying that if you have a water softener installed, your clothes will come out just as clean even though you reduced the temperature and detergent by 50 percent.

Newsletter

Look at this - Our June Newsletter is out a couple of days early!

Check it out!

A GREEN Switch

There is a switch going on. A GREEN switch. The switch from bottled water to reusable water containers has been seen across the country, in businesses, homes, waiting rooms, people are seeing the value in drinking from the tap of a filtered water system.

Even Nestlé, the world’s biggest food company, is seeing shrinking water sales as more people are switching to the tap, as reported in Bloomberg News reports. Nestle owns more than 60 water brands including Perrier, Vittel and Pure Life, the world’s best-selling label, and relies heavily on western Europe and North America. 

The world’s biggest food company has been losing ground since 2006 as consumers switch to tap and filtered water and as concerns over the environmental impact of plastic packaging and energy used in transportation deter some shoppers, said Hope Lee, an analyst at Euromonitor International in London.

Consumers are driven by certain social trends, and recently many have found the regular manufacturing and delivery of plastic water bottles and jugs to be costly and damaging to the planet. Purchasing reusable water bottles and bottleless water coolers are affordable options for almost anyone. Filtered water dispensers can be installed in public and private spaces to give people the option to fill their reusable containers.

We can make the switch from bottled to bottleless quick and easy. Our certified water specialists will help you choose from a variety of purification systems and install it so you can enjoy great water on tap.