Category: Commerical Water Filters

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What is Chloramine?

How to Remove it from your Water

For decades, chlorine has been the chemical disinfectant additive of choice for municipal water utilities throughout the United States. Recent changes in the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Act, however, are likely to adversely affect that traditional choice. The Act now includes the Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule, which mandates stricter controls of byproducts like trihalomethanes (THM). THM results from the reaction of chlorine with naturally-occurring organics found in pipelines and delivery systems. The EPA now requires that municipalities measure THM and maintain minimum ppm within the water system. The chemical disinfectant additive of the future is likely to be chloramine (NH2Cl), an inorganic compound created when a small amount of ammonia is added to chlorine. Like chlorine, the new compound is effective as a primary disinfectant, or as a “shock” treatment. Since it doesn’t dissipate as readily as chlorine gas, the compound is able to disinfect even to the far ends of the municipal pipelines. This helps make NH2Cl a cost-effective alternative to chlorine. The downside, however, is that chloramines are believed to be carcinogenic. The possible carcinogenic effects, as well as the direct affects chloramines have on some food service delivery system parts and taste quality of beverages make chloramine removal an important consideration for food service companies. Standard carbon filters already in place are not effective because chloramines require substantially more of the highest-quality carbon for effective filtration. Additionally, chloramines need more contact time with carbon because the chloramines-carbon reaction is weak. chloramine reductionEverpure has a solution in its new chloramine filter products. The quick-change system offers a balanced particulate/chloramines reduction capacity that will prove cost-effective for food service companies. The CLM Chloramine Cartridge systems fit all existing QC heads, which allows an easy transition from current chlorine filtration to chloramine filter system. The highest-quality carbon is used as part of the chloramine removal cartridge system, with ratings balanced between particulate and chloramines removal. This allows food service groups to select the appropriate cartridge for their specific needs. The Everpure CLM products are designed to accommodate fountain beverage and combination systems.

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Pentair Reports Exceptional Growth

Pentair Incorporated, one of FilterPure Systems leading brands has shown record growth over the last 52 weeks and during the first financial quarter 2011. Driven by sales growth in emerging markets as well as across Europe and the United States, Pentair reported $790 million in first quarter sales, improving company financials and prospects for future growth. “The first quarter was a great start to the year, with 12 percent organic revenue growth, meaningful margin expansion and excellent earnings growth. Our investments are yielding positive results, particularly evident in our geographic expansion, strong innovation and productivity gains,” said Randall J. Hogan, Pentair chairman and chief executive officer. Hogan added “Strong demand in the industrial end markets continued, along with rapid growth in fast growth markets, led by China where sales were up 26 percent. While the U.S. residential end market continues its modest recovery, demand for our energy-efficient and sustainable product offerings remains solid.” Pentair and investors alike are taking these improvements to be a positive signal for the future. While the company is banking on its hefty Q1 sales figures and growth in working capital to push free cash flow north of $240 million for the whole of 2011, investors are fixated on the firm’s 18.3 P/E ratio, a healthy margin below the industry average of 19.9, making Pentair the obvious immediate choice when considering the addition of water or technical products to the portfolio. Additionally, Pentair offered a 2.1% dividend yield, adding further allure to their present stock. The future looks bright as well. According to Hogan, Pentair’s plans for the remainder of the fiscal year include margin expansion, as well as “pricing and productivity [that] more than offset inflation.” Further bolstering Pentair’s outlook is the recently announced acquisition by the firm of Norit’s Clean Process Technologies, the 2011 winner of the Global Water Summit’s “Water Technology Company of the Year” award.

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Water Filter Terminology: 3 Examples that Provide Clean and Safe Water

We come into contact with terms and analogies everyday – that doesn’t mean we understand what they mean. Would you know what QCP filtration is or reverse osmosis? Not many do. For those who understand this type of water filter terminology, they understand what happens to get a clean and safe drink of water. Now, what about the rest of us? To give you a better understanding of these terms, let’s take a look at a few examples of water filter terminology and give you a better understand of what it takes to have clean drinking water:

Examples of Water Filter Terminology

  • Reverse Osmosis – Ok, we have all heard of the process, but what does it actually mean? As a long standard in water purification, reverse osmosis purifies water by pressurizing unfiltered water, and forcing its molecules what’s called a semi-permeable membrane. This membrane traps things like metals particles and lets only the water molecules to pass. That way, you only receive great tasting, smelling and safe drinking water.
  • Inline Filtration – Here’s another one to add to your water filtration terminology. Yes, some understand filtration and how it helps our water, but what’s inline filtration? Basically, a water filter is put “in” the water line, and it filtrates out any dirt or particles out of water that flows through. This filtration method also filters out any smells or tastes caused by contaminants.
  • Ice Filtration – For those areas that bring in water through colder terrain, ice filtration is something used to preserve optimal drinking water conditions. Ice gets cloudy due to water impurities, which also impact the flavor of the ice. When it melts, those impurities impact the taste of beverages, but ice filtration eliminates those for pristine flavor and appearance.

Although many people have heard different terms about water filtration, most don’t understand the majority of what water filtration terminology means. Hopefully, these few terms gives you a better understanding into what happens when you turn on your faucet to get that drink of water.

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Alaska Residents Get Creative with Water Filtration

As the direct result of petroleum contamination, “North Pole,” Alaska residents have been forced to “think outside the box” when it comes to their water supply. Thanks to a combination of readily available commercial water filtration technologies, these citizens have successfully lowered the level toxic contaminants to non-detectable levels. It seems that over the past decade, sulfolane, a chemical used in the refinement of oil, had been seeping into groundwater and private water wells. While the exact cause of the contamination is yet to be determined, the most likely cause is a gasoline spill which occurred within the town limits over a decade ago. The contamination was discovered recently, and has been detected in hundreds of homes in the area, at readings between 50 ppb and 250 ppb – levels above federally recommended concentrations, but not enough to make laboratory animals sick. In response to this problem, Flint Hills Resources, the firm which in 2004 bought the refinery responsible for the spills has developed some innovating solutions. By partnering with Fairbanks-based “Ecowater Systems,” Flint Hills Resources has conceived a point-of-entry water filtration unit to address the problem. In this unit, the contaminated water is first processed by sediment filter. Secondly, it is softened using a standard ion-exchange system. Next, a hydrogen peroxide pump breaks down the sulfolane, after which point a combination mixing chamber and charcoal filter gives the drinking water a final clean. The system has so far been successfully been implemented in 5 “test homes” in the area. Flint Hills Resources, which is currently providing bottled water to affected residents hopes to implement similar water filtration systems in more than 150 homes within the next few months.

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Point of Entry Filters (POE) vs. Point of Use Filters (POU)

In many commercial applications, several water filters, including those which are dedicated to specific pieces of machinery, are needed. In these cases, individual filters, known as “point of use” (POU) water filters are located inline just before the water is dispersed or enters the machinery for which the water is intended. As POU filters are usually application specific, they can be tailored to the needs of the user, and are often used in place of a generic reverse osmosis system. This fact makes a standard POU water filter easier to maintain, but usually more expensive. Because of this, it behooves the business owner to take measures against the premature degradation of the POU water filter. The easiest way to accomplish this is to install a “point of entry” (POE) water filter. POE water filters perform water filtration for the entire commercial water service. They are responsible for purifying the water supply to all faucets, pieces of machinery, and toilets. The advantage of this approach to water filtration is first that only one system must be purchased for an entire service, and second, that it greatly improves the life of any other filters present down-line. The most popular POE filters used are either sediment prefilters, or carbon filters.

  • Sediment filters are responsible for removing sediment that can clog softeners, prematurely foul carbon filters, or ruin the down-line plumbing. In addition, they reduce TDS (total dissolved solids) or many other harmful chemicals like nitrate, nitrites, etc.
  • Carbon filters are effective for certain trouble water conditions such as bad taste or odor.

Still other POE filters are designed as an entire system. These units typically employ a four-stage filtration process. The first stage of filtration removes sediment in the water that may clog the filter, reducing its effectiveness. The second stage uses a chemical process called water atomization to alter the molecular structure of chlorine and turn it into the harmless molecule, zinc chloride. The third and fourth stages of filtration involve activated carbon filters to filter pesticides, and other harmful chemicals. By removing chlorine and other harmful chemicals at the point-of-entry, the whole service is provided with cleaner, healthier water at a reduced cost to the business owner. Pre-filters are typically much less expensive than down-line, application specific filters, making their replacement cheaper than that of the filters the POE filter is saving.

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Which Water Filter is Right for You?

Deciding on a water filtration system for your home or business can be daunting. There are numerous types of filters, each of which is manufactured by each different brand, totaling thousands of options for anyone looking to choose between them. We at Filter Pure Systems, Inc. have recognized this, and prepared a short preparatory question and answer guide to help you make your decision. The first and most important question to ask yourself when determining which filter to purchase is: “What do I need my water filter to do?” While the answer to this question may seem obvious enough, it’s likely not. Granted yes, at the end of the day, you want your filter to “filter” your water, but there’s much more to consider. Am I purchasing a water filtration system for my home or business? Water purifiers “run the gamut” of design. Generally speaking, units designed for commercial applications are larger than residential designs and are more expensive to maintain. In addition, they generally have specific applications not required in a residential setting. As a result, they are capable of handling more frequent use, satisfying the highest level of commercial demands. It’s advisable for these, among other, reasons to consider going commercial when purchasing a water filtration system. Such systems include the drinking water QL2-OW200L system, ice machine Insurice Single-i2000(2) system or fountain QC7I Single- MC2 system. Do I have a specific application for my water filtration system in mind?   It is important to determine exactly what your water filter it will be responsible for doing, before buying it, for two main reasons. First, if you have a specific application in mind, it may be necessary to purchase a unit designed to address this concern. Some water filtration units have built-in water softeners or de-mineralizers designed to yield a specific quality of water. This is desirable for many commercial settings, especially where the water is being used to make beverages such as coffee and soda espresso. Second, it may be that narrowing down the use of your unit will greatly reduce both upfront and ongoing costs. Generally speaking, the smaller demand put on your filtration system, the lower the cost of maintenance. If you decide that your system need only be used for part of your water supply, you are very likely to save money. How much water do I need, and how fast?   While this is typically only a concern in commercial applications, it may also be a useful question in residential applications where the filter is responsible for purifying the entire home’s water supply. Filters have their limits. Only a predetermined amount of water can successfully be processed by a unit in a given amount of time. This measurement is called “flow” or “flux.” While units with lower flow may be less expensive, they may require a little patience on the part of their user. Units with greater capacity for flow can provide more water in a shorter period of time, but are generally more expensive. There are many questions to ask yourself when considering a water filtration unit. If you would like help making your decision, or have already decided, give Filter Pure Systems, Inc. a call at 1-800-942-7873.