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Perfect Your Ice!!

Cocktails and mixed drinks would be no where without ice. Think about it – this is the one ingredient universal to almost every cocktail made (with the obvious exception of hot drinks and a few cocktails like the Champagne Cocktail). Ice not only chills drinks, but as it melts or is shaken it becomes a part of the mix and because of this, the frozen water deserves more than a little attention.

Basic science says that ice is water in a solid form and given that, it only stands to reason that cleaner water produces cleaner ice, which will add water to your cocktails in the end.

So, let’s perfect your ice!

Everpure’s Insurice Series is ideal for perfecting your ice. Not only does it filter your water giving you great quality ice, but it also maintains your ice machine equipment. That’s important when 70% of all restaurant service calls are water related. This line of filters by Everpure reduces:

  • Abrasion and clogging
  • Scale buildup and corrosion
  • Harmful cysts and other contaminants
  • Off-tastes and odors
  • Particles that result in cloudy ice

It also provides great benefits:

  • Best quality ice possible
  • Less equipment downtime
  • Lower maintenance costs
  • Lower total cost of ownership
  • Satisfied customers and increased profits

New and improved Micro-Pure II media with AgION antimicrobrial protection inhibits any potential bacterial growth. Each cartridge reduces dirt particles up to 1/2 micron in size. That means harmful contaminants, such as asbestos fibers, Cryptosporidium, and Giardia cysts won’t be hanging around in your ice. The Insurice family is NSF Certified under NSF/ANSI Standards 42 and 53. The i2000 (P/N#9612-27) has a gallon capacity of 9,000 gallons (34,068L). Service flow rate is maximum 1.67gpm (6.3Lpm). And the i4000 (P/N#9612-37) has a gallon capacity of 12,000 gallons (45,425L). Service flow rate is maximum 1.67gpm (6.3Lpm). So if you’re looking to perfect your cocktails, start by perfecting your ice. It will make a delicious difference you and your customers will LOVE! See below for a yummy cocktail recipe!! For more information on which Insurice system would be best for you, call 800-942-7873.  

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Chloride Ate Your Combi!

Lately, we have seen a rise in customer’s having problems with their boiler free combi ovens. Whether it is an Alto Sham, Blodgett, Cleveland, Rational, or CONVOtherm, alot of money has been invested in that equipment and with that investment, a long life is expected.  That’s why it’s important to pay attention to the water warranty requirements.

Did you know that the warranty can be voided if there is chloride in the water that is feeding your equipment, especially if the damage is caused by the chloride. The consensus of manufactures’ spec sheets is that chloride, specified in the water feeding your combi oven, is supposed to be less than 25 ppm,( parts per million).

For the combi oven pictured above, the water test came back indicating that the chloride levels were at 308.8 ppm. That’s high!! 

So why is chloride so bad in combi ovens, boiler based or boilerless? Keep in mind that chloride is not chlorine.

So what happens when you have alot of hydrogen chloride in your water and you super-heat it quickly into steam? It jumps out as hydrochloric acid, which is a clear, colorless, highly pungent solution of hydrogen chloride (HCL) in water. It is a highly corrosive strong mineral acid and it can chew through stainless steel very quickly. So where do you start if you already have a combi oven and you are seeing this type of damage? A detailed water test that will give you a full analysis of the chemical composition of your water is the place to start. Once you know that you do have an unacceptable level of chloride in your water, you can go to work on purchasing a blended reverse osmosis unit in order to remove the chloride. Why blended reverse osmosis? Because, no filter will take chlorides out of your water. Remember this is chloride, not chlorine. Reverse osmosis is not filtration, it is the use of a semi permeable membrane that forces everything but the water molecule out of the water. With blended RO you can then blend back in the right amount of filtered raw water in order to create the chemical composition of the water that you want to feed your combi. Everpure has developed an entire series of Blended MRS, Mineral Reduction System Reverse Osmosis units. From the MRS20, (20 stands for 20 gallons made per day), EV9797-91, up to the MRS600HEII, (600 gallons made per day), EV9970-54. One of the most popular for the combi application is the MRS350, (350 gallons of water made per day), EV9970-17. Note that these solutions require a storage tank. These systems can be sized to fit your piece or pieces of equipment and insure that the water you are using will protect your combi oven from whatever changes occur within your water supply. To get started with a water test please ask us below or call our team with your questions at 800-942-7873. Ask us a question! Sign up for our Newsletter!

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Chlorination Nation!

Decades ago, municipalities started adding ammonia to the chlorinated water treatment to boost the effectiveness in making water safe for consumption. As you can see in the chart above, Florida is one of the largest users. Chloramine is a combination of both chlorine and ammonia designed to strengthen the chlorine, making it last longer through the municipal water system. Chloraminated water is blended at the municipal water treatment site. It is monitored daily and after a large amount of rain, it is then blended a little stronger to handle the extra amount of water in the supply.  The ammonia in the water has created new types of problems that commercial equipment must deal with. Chloramines damage gaskets and o-rings and react with sweeteners in fountain syrups to form compounds that impact the taste. The activated carbon filters we used in the past are not as effective in removing  chloramine as they were with chlorine. So new types of filters and filter systems have been designed to deal with this problem. We constantly recommended the Everpure Series of CLM filters; the EV9278-11, EV9278-12, EV9278-13, and the EV9278-14.

All are not only rated for Chloramine but are NSF 42 and 53 certified. They have also been specified by Coca-Cola after testing with the new Coke Freestyle unitFor even larger capacity applications, the Everpure CB20 series can supply up to 5 gallons per minute for up to 85,000 gallons of water. If you have a chloramine problem, let us know right away. To find out what chemicals your municipality is using and what filtration can best take care of your water, call us at 800-942-7873. Have a different problem or questions, let us know! Sign up to receive our Newsletter!

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Lead Reduction in Schools

In schools, water fountains are the main source children get their water from. So it is important that the water in these fountains are lead free and safe to drink. For this, we recommend a Point of Use system with the Pentek CBR2 filter.  This filter provides several forms of protection.

  • NSF 42 and 53 standards
  • Reduces cyst, lead and mercury down to 99.95%
  • Taste and odor reduction
  • 20,000 gallons capacity
  • .5 micron rating

There are two different types of CBR2 filters; the CBR2-10R, 155403-43 and the CBR2-10, 155268-43. The Pentek CBR2-10 water filter has a higher flow rate than the Pentek CBR2-10R water filter, though CBR2-10R has a built-in flow restrictor (0.6 gpm). This allows for maximum contact time on the carbon to get even more sediment out of the water. The filter is made up powdered activated carbon with a specially designed absorbent medium for lead and mercury reduction. You can install these at the water fountain. The foot print of the CBR2 system is very minimal with a height of about 13” and width of less than 6”. The filter is only 10″ long and just drops in the bowl. This makes for easy replacement. For more information on the removal of lead or other contaminates and how Filter Pure has been assisting the Government, Schools, and Municipalities please contact Amy Easter, amy@filterpure.com or 800-942-7873.

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Claris: The Solution to your Steamer Problems

Protecting a commercial steamer from limescale and other damaging entities caused by the water has become easier with the introduction of the Claris system.  The Claris system utilizes five stage softening and filtering to allow the user to dial in the perfect amount of mineral for their steamer.  Boilerless and combi steamer ovens have to retain enough mineral content for probes to accurately detect the water levels.  While necessary to keep minerals, too much content will cause scaling on heating rods and the hot plates.  So having the ability to choose the amount of wanted mineral in your water is a great feature. The Claris system protects your steamer with a five-stage process.

Five-Stage Filtration Process Pre-filtration – Media at the entrance to the cartridge reduces coarse particles, such as dirt & sediment Carbonate hardness adjustment – The ion-selective Claris filter media reduces the levels of carbonate hardness while retaining essential minerals Fine filtration – Behind the carbonate hardness adjustment process, a fine filter compresses the filter bed and retains fine particles from the water High efficiency activated carbon absorption media -removes contaminants and chlorine off tastes & odors  Final particle membrane – removes particles down to 5 micron (5 µm) for highest equipment protection The Claris system combines ion exchange, filtration and the ability to blend in one compact system.  The Duoblend system allows constant and precise adjustment to produce the right amount of minerals in the water to protect the steamer. • Easy and flexible installation, horizontally or vertically • 4 sizes to accommodate many different applications • Compact design requires minimum space • Quick change head/cartridge design with AUTO SHUT-OFF For more information on which Claris System would best fit your water filtration needs, please call us at 800-942-7873 or click the link below to ask a question. Our customer service team is always happy to help. Ask us a question! Get our Newsletter!

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Small Restaurants and Their Water

Many small restaurants do not use water filtration in their facilities. They rely on the additives in the city water to protect them from any contaminants. While the public water supply is generally safe for most applications, it is not always as harmless as we’d like to believe. In addition to additives like chorine and fluoride, water may contain various contaminants which generally fall into five categories.

  • Microorganisms: Both bacteria and viruses may be present in tap water. Chlorine is added to water to kill microorganisms; it kills the vast majority of bacteria and most viruses. Because viruses are so small, they can be difficult to detect. Parasites may also contaminate water, causing gastrointestinal problems for healthy people.
  • Metals and minerals: These may be introduced at any step of the water distribution process. Water sources close to mining facilities are most likely to be contaminated with these substances.
  • Organic chemicals: Over 100,000 commercial chemicals have been detected in water, from pesticides and fertilizers, to dyes and pharmaceuticals. When organic chemicals mix with water, they can form VOC’s or THM’s. These compounds can infiltrate the body through contact, inhalation, or drinking.
  • Radioactive substances: As they decay, radioactive contaminants also release radon gas, which also poses a health threat. Although this sort of contamination is relatively rare, it does sometimes occur.
  • Additives: Public water suppliers routinely add substances like chorine and fluoride to water. Chorine is added to kill microorganisms, and fluoride improves dental health. People who prefer non-fluoridated water can filter their water or buy water that does not contain fluoride.
water animated GIF

Many common contaminants can be significantly reduced or completely removed with a high-quality Everpure water filter system. One of these systems you can use is the Coldrink 1 MC2 System (EV932801).

  • Chlorine, Taste & Odor, Sediment, and Cyst Reduction
  • 1/2 micron precoat filtration with Micropure II media AgION antimicrobial protection
  • 20″ Integrated Sediment Prefilter System
  • NSF Certification Standards 42 & 53
  • Inlet water shut-off valve, flushing valve and water pressure gauge
  • 1.67 gpm flow rate / 9,000 gallon rated capacity
  • Sized for single carbonators, less than 25 Bag in Box per month, low volume outlet
  • Cartridges should be changed every 6 months

Our foodservice department is dedicated to helping ALL restaurants with their water quality. This cost effective solution to filtering drinking water, especially for low volume locations, is a great way keep your beverages tasting fresh and pure from contaminants. If you have a small restaurant and would like more information on how to filter your water, please call us at 800-942-7873. You can also email us a question by clicking the link below. Ask us now! Get our Newsletter!!

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The MEGA C-Store Water Filter Solution!

Beverage trends and prototype stores indicate that future restaurant and convenient stores (c-store) water demands will continue to increase. Foodservice operators are adding equipment and expanding beverage menus, which requires larger capacities and higher flow rates than ever before. Ever seen a Buc-ee’s in Texas?

The Buc-ee’s in New Braunfels is the largest convenience store in the world at 68,000 square feet. The store features 120 fuel pumps, 31 cash registers, and 80 fountain dispensers. All of these beverage dispensers require consistently clean filtered water in order to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In every one of these stores, space comes at a premium, so what’s our solution? The Everpure Endurance Quad System (EV9437-32).

  • Up to 757,082 liters (200,000 gallons capacity)
  • 15 gpm
  • One-year cartridge change, including pre-treatment
  • Proprietary Industrial-strength Pre-treatment and Fibredyne II Media fine filters provide substantial dirt holding capacity
  • Two water qualities for hot and cold beverages
  • 0.5 micron
  • NSF 42 and 53

One Endurance Quad has a 200,000 gallon capacity and can take care of all of this equipment requiring one filter change annually, and it only takes up a 2 foot by 3 foot space on the wall. There are multiple sizes to choose from for the Endurance Systems:

For more information on which Endurance System would best fit your water filtration needs, please call us at 800-942-7873 or click the link below to ask a question. Our customer service team is always happy to help.  Ask us a question! Sign up for our newsletter!

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Safe Drinking Water Act

The Safe Drinking Water Act was passed by Congress in 1974. This was to protect public drinking water by regulating its supply. It was however amended in 1986 and 1996. It authorizes the US EPA to set National Health Based Standards for drinking water. The sources of water include rivers, lakes, reservoirs, springs and ground water wells. It does not include private wells. The contaminants they are protecting against are both naturally occurring and man-made that are found in drinking water. The 1974 version of the Act was focused on the treatment of the water to be safe at the tap. In 1996 the amendment enhanced the law by looking at the source water protection, operation training, funding for system improvements, and providing the public with more information. The list of regulated contaminants is very long; however they have broken it down into primary and secondary contaminants. The main concern is monitoring contaminants that may have adverse health risks. Examples of these are arsenic, lead, mercury, and uranium to name a few. The secondary contaminates are the aesthetics of water, like taste, odor, and clarity. Some of the contaminates that cause this are aluminum, copper, iron, fluoride and sulfate.  A series of filters we recommend to handle the second contaminates is the Pentek EP series carbon-briquette cartridges. • Nominal 5-micron rating* • High dirt-holding capacity maximizes utilization of the carbon block* • Highly effective bad taste & odor and chlorine taste & odor reduction* The government is working hard on regulating the water standards from state to state and even county to county. However the water may not be as clean as you need it to be for safe drinking water. Filter Pure is here to help make that happen. For more information on the removal of the above contaminates and how Filter Pure has been assisting the Government, Schools, and Municipalities please contact Amy Easter, amy@filterpure.com or 800-942-7873. Sign up for our Newsletter! Ask us a question!

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The Multiple Advantages for Commercial Water Filtration

More consumers are “going green” and ditching the bottled water. What does that mean for businesses? An increased demand for pure and refreshing water, ice, and beverages. The best way to deliver that is through a high-quality commercial filtration system. Benefits of Commercial Water Filtration Commercial water filtration systems are indispensable for virtually every business. These systems offer businesses multiple advantages, including savings:

  • Reduced expenditures on bottled water: In the office setting, employers often supply their staff and customers with bottled water. Cut costs on beverage service with an office water purification system. A filter system requires a higher one-time investment, but eliminates a recurring cost.
  • Eliminate incidence of injury: Lifting and changing the heavy bottles on popular water coolers can result in employee injury, due to muscle strain. Replace the cooler with an Everpure Reverse Osmosis System, which runs directly from the office water supply.
  • Improved sanitation: Since water filtration systems can remove microorganisms, shielding employees and customers from potentially harmful bacteria. Meanwhile, food preparation attains a new level of sanitation when completed with purified water.
  • Better flavor: The flavor of all water-based beverages improves with water filtration. Food service customers will appreciate the consistently delicious flavor of all their favorite beverages, from fountain soda to coffee.

Attaining Maximum Benefit The key to gaining the greatest benefit from commercial water filtration is proper maintenance. Business owners should take special care to maintain their systems properly:

  • Follow manufacturer guidelines for installation: Be sure that the person who installs the water filtration system is a licensed plumber or a qualified manufacturer’s representative. The installer should have specific experience installing commercial systems.
  • Don’t skip the regular maintenance: Read the instructions for the system and adhere to any specified maintenance schedule, such as changing filters. Failure to do so can cause increased wear on parts and leave water less than totally pure.
  • Clean the system properly: If employees will be responsible for any aspect of commercial water filtration maintenance, be sure that they receive proper instruction in all necessary techniques. Ask your installer to provide “lessons” to key staff members.
  • Teach proper technique: Show all employees the best way to maintain sanitary conditions. This step is often as simple as reminding employees to use the provided scoop in the ice machine!

From corporate headquarters to family-owned diners, all businesses can benefit from commercial water filtration systems. These systems ensure consistent quality, improve sanitation, and save business owners money.

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The Artisan Soda Trend Gains Momentum

Restaurant consultants at Baum + Whiteman predicted that 2014 would be the year of the artisan soda. Given the popularity of at-home machines like SodaStream and with Starbucks launch in June of a new line of “handcrafted” sodas, it looks like they were right.  After piloting the products in Atlanta and Austin last year, the coffee giant rolled out a trio of summer sodas in the US that resurrect retro flavors with Spiced Root Beer, Golden Ginger Ale and Lemon Ale.

Freshness and originality are becoming increasingly important buying factors for today’s restaurant-goers. Operators have continued to bolster their drink programs with premium water and craft-soda options, which offer customers a more enhanced beverage experience than traditional mass-market picks. As restaurant operators have worked to develop their own Artisan sodas they have found that it all starts with the water.

The right Artisan water system can meet the challenge of dispensing consistently clean, cold and long lasting carbonated water. Designed with a patented cold carbonation process, the Crysalli Artisan Water System delivers longer lasting carbonation, about twice as long as a cold plate carbonation system while using about half the CO2. Generating smaller bubbles, Crysalli water not only presents well, it absorbs more aroma molecules than large bubbles, so you get silky smooth water dispensed at an average of 36˚F.

The Crysalli CR-UCM2

Crysalli under counter units even have the capability of supporting multiple dispensing towers. This gives restaurant operators the ability to create self service Artisan Water Stations in the dining room, while also giving their Mixologist staff the ability to create “handcrafted” sodas behind the counter. Multiple water filtration options for the Crysalli systems come from the most trusted name in water filtration, Pentair/Everpure. They feature the Everpure 4FC (EV9692-21) long life mechanical filtration filter that removes off tastes, chlorine, odors, colors and particles as small as half a micron from the water while retaining the essential minerals in the water for great flavor profiles and carbonation.  For more information on Crysalli Artisan Water please call our team at 800-942-7873 or enter your question below. Get our Newsletter!! Ask us a question!