|
|
|
Fisher's
Supply specializes
in water softeners, iron removal
systems, carbon media filters, sediment
filters, sand separators, ozone filters,
UV Lights, PH Filters, injection pumps,
ice filters, and complete water quality
systems with full installation services.
For iron, hardness, PH, or TDS testing
please bring in a plastic bottle of your
water for us to test here at the store.
To insure you get your results please
write in permanent marker your name,
address, phone number, and what we are
testing for on your container.
For potability and nitrate testing
please come in or call for instructions
on how to take the test and the schedule
of pickup days as these tests must go to
the lab. You will also need to pick up a
sterile lab test bottle from us.
Instructions for the lab test procedure
can also be downloaded from our
resources page
here.
As of October 2012 lab testing prices
are as follows.
Potability = $50.00
Nitrates = $40.00
Arsenic = $50.00
Beginning
January 1st, 2010, property sellers will
be also required to test their well
water for arsenic (in addition to
nitrate and total coliform bacteria).
This pricing does not include sample
collection if needed and can change so
please call to verify current pricing.
For any other water testing concerns or
questions please come in or call us. |
For water
treatment questions or scheduling please email
Travis at:
travis@fisherssupply.com
|
|
We call water
"hard" if it contains a lot of calcium or
magnesium dissolved in it. Hard water causes two
problems:
-
It can cause
"scale" to form on the inside of pipes, water
heaters, tea kettles and so on. The calcium
and magnesium precipitate out of the water and
stick to things. The scale doesn't conduct
heat well and it also reduces the flow through
pipes. Eventually, pipes can become completely
clogged.
-
It reacts with
soap to form a sticky scum, and also reduces
the soap's ability to lather. Since most of us
like to wash with soap, hard water makes a
bath or shower less productive.
Conditioning And
Softening Water Is A 4 Step Process.
-
The body of a
water conditioner is a tank filled with resin
beads. These beads are covered with sodium
ions. As hard water passes through, the resin
beads act like a magnet, attracting the
calcium ions (hardness) in exchange for the
sodium ions.
-
Eventually the
resin beads become saturated with mineral ions
and have to be "re-charged". This process is
called regeneration, and is conducted by the
control valve on the top of the tank. The
control valve is the brain of the system.
-
During
regeneration, a strong brine (salt) solution
is flushed through the resin tank, bathing the
beads in a stream of sodium ions which replace
the accumulated calcium and magnesium ions
(hardness).
-
The brine (salt)
solution, carrying the displaced calcium and
magnesium ions, is then flushed down the drain
by fresh water. The regenerated (re-charged)
resin beads can be used again and again.
Common Water
Softener Questions.
How much salt
does a softener put into water? - A softener
only uses salt for the brine solution used to
clean the media inside the tank. Once backwashed
the salt solution is flushed out the drain line
and this typically takes place in the middle of
the night when water usage is at a minimum. It
generally does not enter your household water
supply unless something is not functioning
correctly. On average, a softer will add about
35 milligrams of sodium per 8 ounce glass of
water, a tablespoon of catsup has 204 milligrams
of sodium. If you are able to taste salt in your
tap water something is not correct and should be
fixed to eliminate the problem.
Will a softener
remove iron from water? - A softener can
remove some iron if levels are low enough but
are generally not used for iron removal. To
properly remove iron a iron filter, which is
similar to a softener, should be used. High
levels of iron can clog up a standard softener
and greatly shorten the lifespan of the media.
How can I make
sure my softener is working properly? - To
test the effectiveness of a softener it is best
to test the water prior to the softener and
after the softener and compare the hardness
levels. This is a simple test we can do for you
in the store if you bring us a sample from
before and after the softener. The simplest test
to insure proper function is to gauge salt
usage. If your softener is not using salt on a
regular basis something is not functioning
properly and needs to be inspected.
Why is my
softener regenerating during the day? - More
than likely the time is not set correctly on the
softener. The control valve is basically a clock
that controls when it regenerates. If there has
been any form of power outage the clock may not
be correct and needs to be adjusted.
|
2510 Mechanical |
2510 Mechanical |
2510 SXT
|
5600 Mechanical |
5600SXT |
|
|
Iron is a natural
occurring substance in the earth. When your well
water comes into contact with iron deposits,
they dissolve and are carried along with the
water into your home. Iron stains many things
that it comes into contact with in and around
your home. This includes all appliances (washing
machines, dishwashers, ice makers, coffee
makers, etc.) as well as plumbing fixtures,
clothes and fabrics. The amount of iron in your
water is measured in parts per million (ppm).
Levels of 0.3 ppm and greater will cause
staining.
An iron filter is
very similar to a water softener in appearance
and how it operates. The most obvious difference
is the lack of a brine tank as iron filters do
not use salt. Internally a iron filter contains
different media than a softener.
|
|
UV lights are used
to kill bacteria and other micro-organisms found
in water. UV sterilization kills 99.99% of
harmful microorganisms, including E. coli,
Cryptosporidium and Giardia. UV lights have a
lifespan of one year and should be replaced
every year. Even if the light appears to still
be working, the bulb and quartz sleeve needs to
be replaced as the spectrum of light and
intensity of UV rays is depleted in a year.
|
|
Reverse osmosis is
a valuable water purification process when
mineral-free water is the desired end product.
Most mineral constituents of water are
physically larger than water molecules. Thus,
they are trapped by the semi-permeable membrane
and removed from drinking water when filtered
through a reverse osmosis system. Such minerals
include salt, lead, manganese, iron, and
calcium. Reverse osmosis will also remove some
chemical components of drinking water, including
the dangerous municipal additive fluoride.
Although reverse osmosis does extract several
contaminants from drinking water, its removal
capabilities are not ideally suited to the
challenges of the municipally treated water that
the overwhelming majority of people receive.
Municipal water contains such contaminants as
chlorine and volatile organic chemicals (VOCs).
Because these contaminants are physically
smaller in size than water, the semi-permeable
membrane cannot prohibit them from passing
through with the water. Thus, they remain in
drinking water.
Reverse osmosis, also, by removing alkaline
mineral constituents of water, produces acidic
water. Acidic water can be dangerous to the body
system, causing calcium and other essential
minerals to be stripped from bones and teeth in
order to neutralize its acidity. Trace elements
of minerals were intended to be in water; their
removal leaves tasteless, unhealthy drinking
water.
Reverse osmosis, although it is less wasteful
than distillation, is still an incredibly
inefficient process. On average, the reverse
osmosis process wastes three gallons of water
for every one gallon of purified water it
produces. |
|
