General Information
What are some of the benefits of purified water? (RO or distilled)
Tea and coffee have more flavour. Coffee requires half as much granules. Ice cubes are crystal clear, foods digest much better and purified water enhances the flow of nutrients into the blood stream. A glass of cold water tastes "clean" and “refreshing”. Everything remains pure because there's nothing left in the water to interfere with or change those original, natural flavours. Appliances such as coffee makers, irons, humidifiers and refrigerators with ice and water dispensers will last much longer if pure water is used; there is no scale build-up as there are no solids to accumulate. Scale is caused by calcium and magnesium in the water and is better known as hard water. Softeners can rid homes of hard water for the entire home.
How much water should we be drinking?Nutritionists recommend that we drink six to eight glasses of water every day. Water is a vital nutrient for several of our body’s daily functions. Visit our Health Information (for more info)
What types of drinking water systems does Water Solutions provide? Water Solutions offers you a choice of Reverse Osmosis, Micro Filtration systems and Micro-filtrations with Ultra-Violet lights. Our trained representatives will help you choose which type of system best meets your needs and budget.
What is NSF?NSF International is a nationally accredited, independent, third party certifier that validates product performance claims, qualifies material safety, audits manufacturing procedures and reviews literature to assure accurate advertising, product consistency and integrity.
Visit the NSF on line.
How can I pay for my quarterly or monthly rental plan invoice from Water Solutions?
Water Solutions offers easy rental payment plan options which include:- Automatic withdrawals from bank account
- Accept major credit cards including Visa, Mastercard or American Express
- Company and personal cheques
What is needed to start the automatic bank withdrawal plan?
Blank cheque which includes transit number, bank institution number, and account number.
How do I shock chlorinate my well?
Shock chlorination can be done a number of ways, but we prescribe by the Alberta Water Well Drilling Association guidelines which can be seen at http://www.awwda.com/shock.html
Why are Alkaline filters becoming more popular? And what are they?
A rising number of people in the health and wellness community believe an alkaline body is a healthy body.
The alkaline water filter system first removes chlorine, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and industrial chemicals. Then the alkaline filter re-mineralizes the water with trace minerals from a mineral filter. This raises the PH, effectively producing alkaline mineral water.
Jug Free Water Systems
Why should we switch to Jug-Free® Water Coolers? Our Jug-Free® systems are more convenient and cost effective than bottled water. Like the name says, no more lifting heavy jugs. Why get water delivered when the purification can be done in your own home or office? We can all benefit from fewer trucks on the road. Go Jug-Free®!
How much money can we save by switching to the new system?Not only do you have an endless supply of fresh drinking water, but we can also save you as much as 50% of what you are spending on bottled water delivery now. (see our testimonials)
Your Jug-Free® cooler system can make all your water and you enjoy the savings and convenience of no more water bottles cluttering up your house. (check the cost comparison chart)
Do you service Jug-Free® cooler systems on a regular basis when we rent from you?All Jug-Free® rental systems are serviced on a regular basis. Most plans include 2 service calls per year, this service includes water testing, filter changes, cooler cleanings and sanitizations. Custom rental programs can be created to cater to customers’ needs.
Reverse Osmosis
How does a Reverse Osmosis filter system remove most impurities from water? Firstly water goes through a sediment filter, which reduces sediment, dirt, and rust. The next filter is a carbon filter, which reduces odour and taste, as well as chlorine, lead, and other metals. The third and most important filter in the process is the membrane. Reverse Osmosis forces water under pressure through a semi-permeable membrane, effectively reducing dissolved solids and contaminants, producing a clear, healthier drinking water. R.O uses no chemicals or electricity. It is considered to be the most effective technology known for the improvement of drinking water.
How often do I have to change my filters on my 4-Stage R.O 50gpd filter system? In general, for water in urban centers we change the Pre-filters twice per year. This would be a 5-micron sediment filter and a 5-micron carbon block. The inline post carbon filter needs to be changed once a year, to ensure no bacteria growth. Reverse Osmosis membranes last between 3 and 5 years in city applications.
If we purchase a system, how do we know when to change the filters? Does Water Solutions provide a reminder service?Water Solutions provides their customers with phone calls or emails to advise when filter are due for a change. This provides our customers with a “worry free” water program. Many office customers are set up for cooler cleaning and filter changes automatically and billed semi-annually. Only 2 bills a year from your water company. Think of the savings..
Can we hook up our Reverse Osmosis system to my fridge? Yes, you can hook up these purification units to fridges. We recommend you do not use copper lines. Always use plastic tubing. RO water is considered to be hungry water since it is so pure. The water may leach out minerals from the copper lines and cause foul tasting Water and ice cubes.
I do not have any room for a Reverse Osmosis System under my kitchen sink. Can it be installed anywhere else? RO systems can also be installed downstairs, in utility rooms, and garages. The main criteria are we must be able to run a water line from faucet or cooler to the water system. With RO systems, access to a drain must also be available. The line can run up to 50 ft away. For longer distances, Demand pumps can be added.
Will Iron damage my RO system? Yes, Iron will plug up an RO system. A water softener will remove small amounts of iron, no more than 2 ppm. And if iron level is higher than this, Water Solutions can supply a non-chemical Pyrollux Iron Filter.
Will My RO system work on hard water?YES, RO systems work on hard water, but hard water does shorten the life span of the membranes. Membranes typically last over 5 years, but on hard water life cycle may be decreased 2-3 years.
Does the temperature of incoming water effect the production of the RO membranes?Yes, the incoming water temperature has huge effects on RO production. The colder the incoming water, the worse the production. Click here to see a chart showing the effect of temperature on reverse osmosis systems.
Water Softeners
My skin has been very itchy and dry since moving to Alberta. Will a water softener help my troubled skin and hair?YES, our water softeners have helped skin and hair problems go away in a number of our customers. Not all customers experience the same skin care and treatment as others.
Why Water Softeners?Hard water is very prevalent in and around Alberta. Hardness is caused by calcium and magnesium present in the water supply. Hardness causes mineral deposits to be present in showers, bathtubs, coffee makers, hot water tanks and all other appliances and equipment that use water. By installing a water softener, scaling will disappear, and the life of your appliances and equipment will increase. You will also notice a decrease in the amount of detergents and soaps needed to wash clothes and dishes. A water softener is the only appliance in the entire house that will pay for itself. Hard water has also been attributed to cause many skin concerns, and when people switch to soft water these complaints have subsided. In Business, many industries have chosen to soften water to increase productivity, save labour costs, and increase lifespan of there equipment. The hospitality industry gets the added bonus of providing its patrons with linens and towels which are softer, and which will last longer.
How can I tell if my water is hard or soft?To distinguish this we do a water hardness test and we classify soft or hard water in the chart below:
| Classification | Water Hardness | | Soft | under 17 mg/litre* or ppm** (0 – 1 gpg***) | | Slightly Hard | 17.1 – 60 mg/litre or ppm (1.1 – 3.5 gpg) | | Moderately Hard | 60.1 – 120 mg/litre or ppm (3.6 – 7 gpg) | | Hard | 120.1 – 180 mg/litre or ppm (7.1 – 10.5 gpg) | | Very Hard | Above 180 mg/litre or ppm (over 10.5 gpg) | | Notes: * mg/liter is milligrams per litre **ppm is parts per million, ***gpg is grains per gallon |
We recommend homes with Hardness above 120.1 mg/litre or 7.1gpg to get a water softener. Generally all major centers in Alberta have hardness above 10 gpg or higher.
(including Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Airdrie)
How do I maintain a water softener?Most softeners need little care and will last between 15-25 years. There are however a few things that may happen. To ensure smooth operation, we recommend you regenerate your water softener at least once per week to maximize its life. If your water softener is not working properly, look out for the following issues:
- Check for salt build-up in the brine tank. This is the by far the most common problem we encounter with water softeners service calls. It usually happens when too much salt is put into the brine tank and a “salt bridge” occurs when the salt forms a crust right at the water level in the brine tank. The brine tank will look like you have lots of salt, but there is actually a pocket of air underneath. To fix break up salt with large broom handle, and dispose of all salt, and sediment with a shop vac or small shovel. Thoroughly clean the brine tank, and brine well, and rinse it out. Put 3 gallons of water back in brine tank, and only fill tank half way with new water salt.
- Another common problem may be the resin tank injector. It may be plugged with dirty salt. To fix put softener in by-pass and do a manual regeneration. Then clean injector and injector screen. Replace injector and injector screen.
- Occasionally the connection between brine tank and resin tank may become loose and needs to be re-tightened. Just ensure fittings are tight so proper transfer of brine solution and water takes place during regeneration process.
- Usually on well water your water may contain some iron, this iron may cause iron deposits in the resin bed. If present use an iron-removing product to clean the softener resin bed. We recommend and stock a product from Pro Products™ called Rust Out™ and/or Rescare™ to help solve this problem.
How much salt should we put into our brine tank?We recommend having the brine tank about half full of salt, for most homes. During operation let the salt level fall to below water level before adding another bag. If you overfill brine tank with salt, a salt bridge may occur.
How much will it cost to operate my water softener?Our water softeners use very little electricity during operation, It is equivalent to operating a clock, it will be under $2.00 per year of electricity. One other cost is water consumption during regeneration process. Our systems use about 40 gallons per regeneration cycle, and costs under 15 cents. (Major centers like Calgary or Edmonton).
The only other cost is water conditioning salt and prices vary from $5.00-$7.00 per 40 kg bags and can be picked up at our water store, or any major grocery or hardware store. Consumption of salt varies on number of people in household, but generally a family of 4 will use 1-40kg bag once every 4-6 weeks, on a automatic 32000 grain softener. Most common brands in Alberta are Windsor™ or Sifto™, and both seem to do the equal jobs, based on our experiences.
What are the two most common types of softeners available on the market today?The most popular softener is the automatic model with water meter; these softeners perform all operations automatically and only regenerate, when the controller indicates that regeneration is needed to provide the household with soft water. This model is by far the most efficient, saving consumer money on salt and water use.
The next most common softener on the market today is the time clock model. Regeneration is set to go off on a specific day; these days are pre-set in advance. Disadvantage is softener will regenerate even if it is not needed, and this will waste salt and water. As well if water usage is extremely high, you may run out of softened water.
See our Water Softeners page for more information.
Do your water softeners really work on the hard water in Calgary and Edmonton?Our water softeners work great in Calgary and Edmonton city municipal water supplies. As well, our units work very well on rural applications where hardness is sometimes harder than city water.
Service Work
Does Water Solutions do work on other companies Reverse Osmosis drinking water systems?
Water Solutions can service most drinking water filtration and purification systems for city applications and/or well water, including Reverse Osmosis systems. We stock over 50 different kinds of filters and if we do not have the exact filter in-stock we have the resources to source the correct filter.
Chlorine Removal
What's Wrong With Chlorine?Chlorine is an inorganic substance that chemically bonds to the protein in our hair and skin, destroying its natural ecological balance. Chlorine is fine for use in the laundry but not for drinking or bathing. Chlorine can leave your hair dry and brittle and make your skin flaky and itchy. It can also trigger negative reactions in children, the elderly, and people with chlorine-sensitivity. Studies have shown that for health reasons it is best to remove chlorine from drinking water. Why not do the same with our shower and bath water?
What chlorine removal options to you have?You can view information on our whole-home chlorine removal system by clicking here, or information on our chlorine removing shower heads by clicking here.
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