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The ions exchanger, also called water softener, is frequently used to remove calcium, iron and manganese in the conditions where those metals are dissolved(therefore a clear water).

Its operating method is simple: the ion exchange resin is saturated of sodium(by the salt); this one exchanges a sodium ion against a iron ion, of manganese or of calcium(limestone). In other words, the undesirable minerals will stay attached to the resin until its next backwash.

Be Careful! Many water softeners are improperly installed or ajusted, either by lack of experience from the installers or simply by a change in the ways of consuming without adjustment changes. Enormous quantities of salt are wasted every day, that is why we recommend the use of an intelligently controlled head equipped with a water meter. To give you an idea, a canadian family of 4, having 10 grains of hardness, should use between 6 to 10 bags of salt(20kg bags) per year. 

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School in St-Camille

Advantages of the water softener:

• Easy to use
• Easy to get
• The only system able to get rid of limestone
• Can be combined to others systems to increase its efficiency
• Can improve taste and odour
• Versatile: it can treat a lot of parameters at the same time

Disadvantages:

• Uses salt, thus adds sodium in the water (can easily be removed see reverse osmosis)
• Improperly treats iron and manganese in its oxidized state or with a water pH level too high.

Knowing more on water softeners: 

  The operation is done in four steps:

• To carry out the ions exchange, we have water from the house going through a bed of resin made of synthetic marbles. The marbles are covered with sodium and potassium ions. When the water goes through those ion charged marbles, those marbles change place with the calcium and the manganese ions. The procedure of softening stops when the marbles only carry calcium or manganese. The marbles or the zeolite than have to be regenerated.
• To regenerate, the marbles have to recuperate lost sodium or potassium ions by being immerged in a rich sodium or potassium saline solution(the brine).
• And then, the calcium, manganese, the grime and the sediments are removed by a process called "countercurrent wash (backwash)".
• The final phase consists of rincing the mineral tank with fresh water and to fill it up with brine in order to be ready for the next cycle.

 

 

Does a water softener release a lot of sodium in my drinking water?

  

Everything is relative: For people having no health problem, it is not a problem. For instance, if your water contains 10 grains of hardness, the water softener releases 470mg of sodium per 6 liters of water, which is about 20% of the daily sodium recommended by Health Canada. On the other end, for those who have to limit their consuming to a maximum, it is preferable to use a reverse osmosis to reduce the sodium to a very low level. 

  

 

Is softened water corrosive?

  

We have determined that softening by ions exchange had no effect on the corrosivity of the water. The corrosion is caused mainly by the water pH, the level of dissolved oxygen, the presence of ammonia or chloride and the flow rate. And yet, the softening process does not influence those factors.

 

 

Can a water softener cause damage to a septic installation?

 

Some concerns have been raised on this subject - such as the destruction by the salt of the bacteria present in the septic tanks, the flooding of the tanks by the backwash procedure and the reducing capacity of the sewage field to absorb water, but the most recent scientific studies are hardly conclusive.

 

 

It has therefore never been established that salt has harmful effects on bacteria and the soil in the sewage field. It is to say, the volume of water resulting from a water softener backwash can be of about 500 liters a week, which compares to about 3 baths filled with water. The fact of not recharging the softener more than once a week might permit the reduction of backwashs going into the septic installation. But for more security we strongly encourage the use of a leaching field.

 

 

Carbon is a substance, generally granular, produced by vacuumed carbonization of cellulose base substances, like wood or coconut. Its structure is very porous and it is used for water conditioning as an adsorbant for organic matters and some dissolved gazes.  

Carbon is a fantastic adsorbant; it can capture a large variety of chemical products, the quantity of products able to be adsorbed is as amazing, it can also be used as a sediment filter. It is used with all domestic reverse osmosis to improve the taste and protect the appliances from chlorine or chemical products that can be found in the water. 

A typical activated carbon system consists of carbon particules inserted in a conventional filter which will have to wash regularly to assure its efficiency. Of course, there is a wide range of qualities and prices for activated carbon as well as for any other medias incidentally. Therefore we have to choose, depending of the situations, which one is the most suitable.

We have used in many occasions activated carbons to eliminate fuel like unleaded gaz and heating oil.  It is very obvious that we have to be assured by regular analysis of the good efficiency of the system and that the system be in double security 24 hours a day.

Advantages of the activated carbon:

• Easy to use
• Easy to get
• System combines easily with others to increase its efficiency
• Can improve taste and odour
• It can treat the problem of sediments coming off occasionally from city plumbing and also eliminate chlorine and its by-products.

Disadvantages:

• Replacement of the carbon every year except in cases of contrary recommendations.
• Won't treat iron or manganese in its dissolved state.
• Can supply shelter or home to bacteria when used without the presence of chlorine.

The chloration

Chlorine is used for the disinfection and the oxidization of certain metals or gazes found in the water. We also use chlorine for the discoloration of the water and the improvement of certain taste and odour. Water containing tannins will generally cause a yellowish tea coloration and sometimes odours; they can be removed with an appropriate chlorine dosage. In most cases, we will remove the remaining chlorine with a carbon filter to eliminate the taste and its by-products built up by the chlorine. The chlorine injection in the water in done by a controlled dosage pump with a water meter to assure a regular chlorine rate, a retention adapted to the needs is also required. The chlorine currently used in the residential water treatment is liquid and is called sodium hypochlorite at 12% NSF approved.    

Advantages of the chloration with activated carbon:

• Easy to install
• Easy to get
• Adjustable dosing and can be modified(by the customer)
• Excellent oxidant
• System easily combines with others to improve its efficiency
• Secures water
• Improves taste and odour
• Versatile: it can treat a multitude of parameters

Disadvantages:

• Carbon to be replaced regularly (follow the recommendations)
• Requires a certain space for installation

Note: The by-products generated by the chlorine are easily absorbed by the carbon. In order to prevent inconveniences, a regular maintenance is required

It is a system used to neutralize water(in order words, to have water reach a pH level of 7); it can be used either in a liquid or solid state.

The solid product is made out of cristals and will be inserted in a conventional filter which will have to wash regularly to assure its efficiency. Those natural cristals will dissolve in water, raising the pH level naturally, by adding a bit of calcium. 

The liquid product injected with the help of a dosing pump and a water meter is either a base, either an acid that will neutralize the pH according to our adjustments.

Advantages of the pH Corrector with a solid product: 

• Simple, maintenance free except for a pH check-up and adding cristals.
• Adjusts automatically, the more the agressive, the more the cristals will dissolve. 
• Can increase the performance of some filters if they are installed afterwards.   

Disadvantages:

• An extremely aggressive water can dissolve too many cristals thus raising the calcium level above the aesthetic standard. The solution by injection.
• Cannot lower the pH.
• Can cause a loss of pressure when too much iron accumulates on the cristals inside the filter.   

 Advantages of the pH Corrector with liquid product:

• By liquid product, adds no calcium and can acidify of basify water as needed.
• Can treat water rapidly and with a wide margin of pH. 

Disadvantages:

• More expensive at purchase, a bit complicated to measure out and maintenance. 
• Won't adjust automatically to water quality changes that could occur(especially in the change of season)

System combining chloration, carbon acid injection and water softener(Bonsecours,Eastern Townships)  

The ion exchanger conceived for specific removal is very similar to the water softener except that it will not soften water. All of its resins recharge with salt, but each resin has its preference for certain substances such as: the nitrates, the arsenic or the tannins.  

Its way of operating is quite simple. The ion exchanger resin is saturated by chloride( by the salt), this one exchanges an ion of nitrates, arsenic or tannins, in other words, the undesirable contaminants stay glued to the resin until its next backwash.   

On the other end, these resins are very fragile; they need special care by doing frequent backwashs with an appropriate level of salt(High).

Advantages of the ion exchanger by specific removal: 

• Easy to use

• Easy to get

• Allows the rapid elimination of a great quantity of contaminants.

• Can be combined to other treatments to eliminate many contaminants with only one machine. 

Disadvantages:

• Uses a large quantity of salt and by its frequent backwashs uses a lot of water.

• High maintenance cost.

• Uses a lot of salt, therefore when the salt container is empty, the treatment is rapidly inefficient. 

• Sensible to salt shortages, backwash shortages and will clean itself only with specially designed products. 

• Sensible to the presence of iron, manganese of sulphur(not recommended)

• Very expensive resin replacement.       

The sediment filters have a very simple function, and that is the filtration of particules. There are three main types, with disposable cartridge, with washable cartridge and self-cleaning. 

The mostly used are the ones with disposable cartridges; their sizes and filtration capacities will vary depending on the types and quantity of particules to treat. We most replace them regularly or when the pressure goes down gradually.  

 The washable rigid cartridges are currently used to remove coarse particules like sand and small gravel. We must clean them frequently or when the pressure goes down gradually.     

  The self-cleaning filters are the ones people prefer because they require little maintenance, as they do their own cycle automatically, but the filtration is limited to about 10 microns.    

Advantages of the self-cleaning sediment filter:

• Simple and easy to use
• Easy to get
• Can be combined to other systems to increase its efficiency
• It can treat sediment problems in large quantity
• Very good lifetime durability

Disadvantages:

• Being a filter, it requires a minimum flow of water to be able to wash itself
• Must be very well adjusted upon installation(professionally recommended)
• Requires frequent backwashs and uses a lot of water 
• More expensive than a washable filter but requires less maintenance
• More expensive than a disposable filter but no regular change of cartridges  

The catalyst filters without regenerative agents operate similar to the oxyfilter, either by oxidation followed by a filtration of the components that can be found in the water, the only difference being that the media creates its own reaction.

The way it works: a filtering media with the capacity to create a reaction that oxidizes iron, manganese and, depending of the media used, sulphur. Thus, the oxidized particules(therefore in a solid state)are afterwords filtered by going through the media. When the system is filled with particules, it most clean itself, than it does a backwash that gets rid of the particules through the water treatment discharge. These types of media are really heavy(especially those being able to eliminate sulphur)and therefore, hard to clean. In consequences, they use a large quantity of water and the pumping systems are not often designed for such a high flow demand period.  

Advantages of the catalyst filter:

• Easy to get
• Easy to use
• Can be combined to other systems to increase its efficiency
• Can improve taste and odour
• It can treat sediment problems
• Can treat many parameters simultaneously

Disadvantages:

• Being a filter, it requires a minimum water flow to wash itself really clean
• Must be very well adjusted upon installation(professionally recommended)
• Requires frequent backwashs and uses a lot of water. Its lifetime and treatment quality are often ephemeral(frequent media change)

The air injection is mostly used to create a degassing of the H2S(sulphur odour)and can also be used as an oxidizing agent for iron and manganese. To inject air into the water, we use a venturi and always have to get the air out using an eliminator before it reaches the plumbing faucets to avoid breakage.   

Advantages of the air injection:

• Low maintenance cost
• Really efficient for degassing H2S(sulphur odour)
• Increases the efficiency of certain treatments
• The tank with the air eliminator replaces the standard hydropneumatic expansion tanks, therefore no more hydropneumatic tank replacement necessary.   

Disadvantages:

• Not recommended when used in a water that has too much iron and manganese
• We use ambient air; therefore we have to be sure that the air injected comes from a healthy environment   

The reserve osmosis is a system used to purify water containing substances in solution by a very fine filtration system that will let through practically only the water molecules. For residential use, it is generally combined with other filters such as the sediment filter and the carbon filter, which will enhance its lifetime durability. This system is actually the most performing and the most economical for eliminating contaminants especially compared to distillers.     

Why the reverse osmosis? Water contains inorganic minerals that the human organism hardly assimilates. The main function of the water is to hydrate and not supply us with minerals. In fact, our cells cannot hydrate other than with pure water molecules because the water must go through the cell membrane and thus cannot carry minerals. The body has in fact a need of minerals to survive, but they will come from food like fruits and vegetables. A fruit can hold as much as 100 times the minerals contained in a glass of water. Therefore, the reverse osmosis will eliminate the majority of the inorganic minerals thus helping the water to fulfil its essential role, and that is to hydrate us.   

The reverse osmosis represents an appropriate solution to reduce the quantity of inorganic minerals. It can also eliminate an impressive quantity of chemicals or sub-products and heavy metals like THM(Trihalomethanes)??, chlorine sub-products, tannin, iron, manganese, arsenic, etc.., that we can find in some areas of the Eastern Townships. 

Its maintenance is easy and at a low cost : replacement of the filters every year, membrane when needed (between 3 and 5 years). You will get a water of similar, if not higher quality than bottled water, at a fraction of the price. Even more, this method is very ecological compared to water bottles.    

Here is an available reversis osmosis compact model.(Picture)

We strongly believe in the future of reverse osmosis. We invest in the creation of protocols implicating the osmosis and that can treat an impressive quantity of contaminants. We actually have pilot-projects that seem to be very promising as to the efficiency, durability and simplicity. Even more, another very interesting strong point, is the fact that it is a system that is relatively ecological by the non usage of salt, chlorine or any other product. 

Picture of a reverse osmosis system installed on lake water, we can see the treated water on the left(filtrat) and the rejected concentrated water on the right.(Picture)

The reverse osmosis is nothing new, it is used in many manufacturing sectors such as, printing shops, fabrication of beverages, and milk transformation, etc... 

Picture of a commercial reverse osmosis for a printing shop. (Picture)  

How it works.

Water that we use contains solutes.(i.e. dissolved solids in the water). If two solutions of different concentrations of solutes are placed on each side of a filter membrane, water will pass through until the concentrations get balanced : it is the osmosis phenomenon. (See the first two diagrams)  

By applying an hydrostatic pressure  on the side where the water is the most concentrated, and by exceeding the osmotic pressure, we are are forcing the water to pass through the membrane in the opposite way, which allows to get a water with more diluted solutes(thus a cleaner water)and, on the other side, a more concentrated water volume which will be flushed in the drain : it is the definition of the reverse osmosis ( See the last two diagrams)  

(Diagrams)

Note: To get informations concerning the harmful effects of bottled water click here.        

The oxyfilter is a catalyst filter with a regenerant. The media, that has an oxidizing capacity, is oftently used for the oxidizing and precipitation of the iron, manganese, hydrogen sulphur and to eliminate arsenic. This method of treatment is oftently used by the municipalities.  

How does it work? A filtering media impregnated of an agent that has the ability to activate a reaction that oxidizes certain metals and sulphur. The particules thereby oxidized(therefore in a solid state) are then filtered by going through the media. When the system is charged with oxidized particules, it must clean itself; it then goes into a backwash which eliminates the particules by sending them to the drain and then recharges itself in oxidants and rinses again. 

Advantages of the oxyfilter:

• Easy to use
• Easy to get
• System can be combined to other systems to improve its efficiency
• Can improve taste and odour
• It can treat sediment problems
• Very low maintenance cost
• Does not take a lot of space
• Can treat many parameters simultaneously 
• Excellent durability
• Does not require as much backwashs nor as much water as a catalyst filter without regenerant would    

Disadvantages:

• Being a filter, it requires a minimum water flow to wash itself really clean 
• Must be very well adjusted upon installation(professionally recommended) 

Sterilization, by ultra violet, eliminates problems related to micro-organisms like bacteria, by UV radiation which disactivates organisms and harms the functioning of their cells, which causes important damages or destruction of the cell exposed to the rays.

This type of system must be preceeded by a 5 micron filter to be sure that there won't be any sediment holding micro-organisms to be found on the other side of the UV.

Advantages of the Ultraviolet:

• Simplicity of operation.
• No need of chemical modifications of the water.
• Does not consume water.
• Does not require a lot of space.

Disadvantages:

• Fragile to water turbidity(not perfectly clear).
• Fragile to spots on the quartz sleeve: no trace of substances must be found in the water,like for example iron, manganese, sulphur, limestone, tannin, etc...
• Won't treat any other water problem besides micro-organisms.
• When an extended power failure occurs, the UV stops working. We must then shut the water off so that the plumbing won't be contaminated or use the electric valve option.