Whole House Water Softeners

Why Use Water Filtration Systems At Home?

Our water softeners are engineered for maximum filtration and maximum performance with minimum maintenance. They deliver trouble free operation for many years. It is the most advanced and effective water softeners in the market for the following reasons:
First, water travels through a 20" sediment cartridge that removes sediment, silt, sand and dirt. Also this extends the life of water softeners, water filters, and prevents damage to control valves or pumps.
Next, water travels through a 1.5 or 2.0 cubic foot media tank with an Automatic Microprocessor Control valve. (The longer the time that the water is in contact with the media, the more effective is the conditioning and filtering of the water.)
Finally, water travels through a 20" solid carbon cartridge for a final conditioning of the water and removing any remaining contaminates and VOC's which may be in the water.
Due to the nature of the water bed sub-soil structure, water hardness may vary from one source to another within general area. Water is hard when it contains minerals like magnesium and calcium. You may see staining on your sinks, tubs, showers, and clothing. You may also notice less lather from your shampoos and soaps and even a feeling of film on your skin. All these are symptoms of the need for softened water.
Also hard water causes a higher risk of lime scale deposits in household water systems. Due to this lime scale build-up, pipes are blocked and the efficiency of hot boilers and tanks is reduced. This increases the cost of domestic water heating by about fifteen to twenty percent.
Another negative effect of lime scale is that it has damaging effects on household machinery, such as laundry machines.
Water softening means expanding the life span of household machine, such as laundry machines, and the life span of pipelines. It also contributes to the improved working, and longer lifespan of solar heating systems, air conditioning units and many other water-based applications. Water is softened or conditioned by replacing hard ions like magnesium and calcium with softer sodium or potassium ions. Water softeners must be regenerated regularly, renewing their ability to remove hardness from water. Time-initiated or solid state softeners regenerate at a fixed time when their softening capacity is predicted to be low. Demand-initiated softeners regenerate automatically when they sense their capacity is low.

CRYSTAL QUEST® Water Softener is engineered for maximum performance with minimum maintenance.  All components are the highest quality in the industry and NSF approved.  Deliver trouble free operation for many years with reliable service. Keeps skin and hair healthy looking. Dishes are cleaner, with less soap and hard water spotting. Tubs, showers, and sinks are easier to clean, thanks to reduced hard water Clothes are softer, cleaner, brighter, and last longer. Keeps all fixtures from scaling and corrosion. Saves time, money and energy. Towels washed in water softened by Crystal Quest softeners need 1/3 less detergent and come out 45% whiter.

Softeners are made in several sizes, rated by the number of grains of hardness they can handle between regenerations. Units rated from about 12,000 to 16,000 grains are considered small; medium-size units run from 20,000 to 40,000 grains; and large-capacity models can handle 40,000 grains or more.

You can figure the size of softener your family needs by multiplying the number of people in your household--say five people--by 75, the average number of gallons used per person per day. In this case (5X75), your answer--375 gallons--is then multiplied by the number of grains per gallon of hardness minerals present--say 10. The answer (10X375), 3750 in this case, is the number of grains of hardness requiring removal each day. Compare this to the recharge cycle of the unit you're considering to see how frequently regeneration must occur. The idea is to get a unit that will go at least three days between recharges (3X3750=11,250 grains minium). Ideally, it can also handle times when you have guests or larger than normal water needs. For this case a 48,000 grain unit would recharge just over every 12 days.

Other water problems:

Just because you are on a municipal system, doesn't mean that you don't need a drinking water filtration system in your home. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) helps but it does not regulate all possible contaminants. The is even truer if you are on a private well. There are many factors that impact the quality of water that comes out of your household tap. The water treatment plant adds chemicals to the water through the process of treating the water, which may become contaminants with potential health risks. Some of these water treatment chemicals may not be eliminated and can be transported in the water to your home. Municipal water treatment plants can not remove every possible contaminant in water. The (SDWA) sets legal limits for certain contaminants that consider human health and the ability of municipal water treatment systems to achieve these levels based on available technology. Considering the average person uses 100 gallons per day, there is a tremendous load on a municipal treatment system to meet the SDWA standards. 90% of people that get their water from a community source are serviced from a medium to very large system (serve 3,301 to 100,000 people). Your local water filtration systems may be responsible for delivering 330,100 to 10,000,000 gallons per day. With this kind of demand, it may not be economically feasible for a municipal treatment facility to remove certain contaminants to a level that will have no health risk to humans. If you are bottling your own water in jugs at a local supply, you may be putting yourself at risk. Storage requires specific guidelines to prevent bacteria growth during storage. Containers should be sterilized prior to filling and contamination is easy during the filling process. Direct light has an impact on storage as well as the room temperature.

Common Well Water Problems

AESTHETIC SUBSTANCES - Mostly harmless contaminants such as chlorine, sulphur, iron and manganese that cause taste, color, staining and odor problems.

SEDIMENT - Solid particles that settle out over a period of time.

HARDNESS - A common water quality problem caused by dissolved calcium and magnesium (limestone) in water. Hard water causes scaling of pipes and hot water heaters, plumbing fixtures, etc. It makes cleaning and laundering more difficult.

COLOR - Yellow or brown colors by the leaching of decaying vegetative matter found in soil.

TASTE AND ODORS - Musty, earthy or woody taste and odors found in groundwater.

SULPHUR - A naturally occurring objectionable substance which contributes a rotten egg like odor to drinking water and is also known to be very corrosive to plumbing products and materials.

ACIDITY AND ALKALINITY - Acidity and alkalinity is commonly measured as pH. Neutral pH is 7.0, while an acid pH is below 7.0 and an alkaline pH is above 7.0. Extreme ranges in pH may cause water to be corrosive, unpalatable and objectionable.

TURBIDITY - Turbidity is suspended matter (particles) found in water that gives a cloudy or opaque appearance. Sand, silt, clay, colloidal and related material contribute to turbidity. Heavy turbidity levels are also used as an indicator of possible sewage contamination.

TRIHALOMETHANES (THMs) - THMs are the first organic chemicals regulated by the SDWA. THMs are a byproduct of the chlorine disinfection process. THMs are formed when chlorine reacts with other organic compounds in water. THMs are known carcinogens and have been linked to bladder cancer.

MICROBIOLOGICAL PATHOGENS - Waterborne organisms that are known to cause disease in humans. Common waterborne pathogens include fecal coliform, dysentery, cholera, hepatitis and microbial cysts such as Crytosporidium and Giardia Lamblia.

RADIOLOGICAL SUBSTANCES - Radium and its related cousins may be found in groundwater supplies. They are known cancer causing substances in humans. Radium exposure is through drinking and cooking while radon exposure is normally through inhalation. They are both regulated by the SDWA.

CHLORIDES - Saltwater intrusion into wells can cause an increase in chlorides. The water will have a salty taste and is corrosive to pipes and plumbing fixtures. High levels can lead to hypertension. SDWA safe level is below 250 ppm.

NITRATES - Nitrates can get into ground water from the natural ecosystem, runoff from lawns and gardens, intensely-fertilized farm areas, livestock facilities, municipal and livestock waste treatment systems, septic systems, stored chicken litter systems, stored chicken litter and manure and lagoons. Infants under six months of age are most affected by excess nitrates in the water. They may develop a condition called "methemoglobinemia" (blue baby syndrome), which causes a bluish color around the lips, spreads to the fingers, toes and face, and eventually covers the entire body. If the problem is not dealt with immediately, the baby can die.

Common City Water Problems

AESTHETIC SUBSTANCES - Mostly harmless contaminants such as chlorine, sulphur, iron and manganese that cause taste, color, staining and odor problems.

SEDIMENT - Solid particles that settle out over a period of time.

HARDNESS - A common water quality problem caused by dissolved calcium and magnesium (limestone) in water. Hard water causes scaling of pipes and hot water heaters, plumbing fixtures, etc. It makes cleaning and laundering more difficult.

LEAD - Commonly used in plumbing installation material until the late 1980's. U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) standards have since set limits on the amount of lead that may be used in solder materials. Lead has been found to occur in drinking water primarily due to leaching. Lead exposure has been linked to learning deficiencies in children and, at higher levels, has been associated with hypertension in adults.

ORGANIC CHEMICALS - A group of chemicals commonly referred to as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). There are over 80 VOCs regulated by the SDWA. Typical VOCs include benzene, trichloethylene, and chlordane. High levels of exposure to VOCs have been linked to a variety of cancers and organ damage.

TRIHALOMETHANES (THMs) - THMs are the first organic chemicals regulated by the SDWA. THMs are a byproduct of the chlorine disinfection process. THMs are formed when chlorine reacts with other organic compounds in water. THMs are known carcinogens and have been linked to bladder cancer.

MICROBIOLOGICAL PATHOGENS - Waterborne organisms that are known to cause disease in humans. Common waterborne pathogens include fecal coliform, dysentery, cholera, hepatitis and microbial cysts such as Crytosporidium and Giardia Lamblia.

CHLORINE TASTES AND ODORS - To ensure micro-biological safety, Municipal Water Utilities employ chlorine and/or chlorine plus ammonia. These substances can leave a chlorine "pool like" taste and odor to drinking water.

RADIOLOGICAL SUBSTANCES - Radium and its related cousins may be found in groundwater supplies. They are known cancer causing substances in humans. Radium exposure is through drinking and cooking while radon exposure is normally through inhalation. They are both regulated by the SDWA.

ASBESTOS - A construction material commonly used in insulation, building materials, or certain types of water piping. Asbestos is regulated by the SDWA. However, it has been linked to lung and bladder cancer in humans.

Worried about what might be lurking in your home's water?

Water softeners are engineered for maximum filtration and maximum performance with minimum maintenance.They deliver trouble free operation for many years. It is the most advanced and effective water softeners in the market for the following reasons: First, water travels through a 20" sediment cartridge that removes sediment, silt, sand and dirt. Also this extends the life of water softeners, water filters, and prevents damage to control valves or pumps. Next, water travels through a 1.5 or 2.0 cubic foot media tank with an Automatic Microprocessor Control valve. The longer the time that the water is in contact with the media, the more effective is the conditioning and filteringof the water. Finally, water travels through a 20" solid carbon cartridge for a final conditioning of the water and removing any remaining contaminates and VOC's which may be in the water. For more information on KDF, GAC AND KDF/GAC click here.

For more information about water softener needs click here.  Water is hard when it contains minerals like magnesium and calcium. You may see staining on your sinks, tubs, showers, and clothing. You may also notice less lather from your shampoos and soaps and even a feeling of film on your skin. All these are symptoms of the need for softened water. Hard water causes a higher risk of lime scale deposits in household water systems. Due to this lime scale build-up, pipes are blocked and the efficiency of hot boilers and tanks is reduced. This increases the cost of domestic water heating by about fifteen to twenty percent. Another negative effect of lime scale is that it has damaging effects on household machinery, such as laundry machines. Water softening means expanding the life span of household machine, such as laundry machines, and the life span of pipelines. It also contributes to the improved working, and longer lifespan of solar heating systems, air conditioning units and many other water-based applications Water is softened or conditioned by replacing hard ions like magnesium and calcium with softer sodium or potassium ions. Water softeners must be regenerated regularly, renewing their ability to remove hardness from water. Time-initiated or solid state softeners regenerate at a fixed time when their softening capacity is predicted to be low. Demand-initiated softeners regenerate automatically when they sense their capacity is low. Water Softener is engineered for maximum performance with minimum maintenance. All components are the highest quality in the industry and NSF approved. Deliver trouble free operation for many years with reliable service. Tubs, showers, and sinks are easier to clean, thanks to reduced hard water build-up. Clothes are softer, cleaner, brighter, and last longer Keeps all fixtures from scaling and corrosion Towels washed in water softened by Crystal Quest softeners need 1/3 less detergent and come out 45% softer.

Easy to replace resin media Click here for Guide to replacing media