Filtration at The Point of Entry or Whole Home

What is the difference between the CWL and EWS Series of product?

What contaminents will the CWL and EWS Series remove or reduce?

Everything you need to know about EWS filtration and conditioning?

What is the difference between EWS physical conditioning and
softening ion exchange?

What is water hardness and what do I need to know?
Coming Soon

How do softeners work, and what are the pros and cons?
Coming Soon

Can I combine product based on my needs and preferences?
Coming Soon

Replacement media information.

What is the difference between the CWL and EWS Series of product?
The CWL and EWS Series of product both incorporate the highest quality in tanks, valves, carbon filtration media, engineering and workmanship. The only difference between the systems is that the EWS Series incorporates the ICN Conditioner(s) to physically condition water. This conditioning assists with problems associated with water hardness.

Throughout the country, water conditions are incredibly diverse. There are municipal or well water applications that do not require any treatment regarding water hardness. Therefore, the CWL Series offers filtration only for these areas. We are not looking to over-sale or provide product that is unnecessary for your application.


What contaminents will the CWL and EWS Series remove or reduce?
The highest quality of Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) is used in all CWL and EWS filtration due to its high removal capacities. GAC Filtration is for the general removal of chlorine, chloramines, gases, dyes, fuels, the man-made pollutant issues, and volatile organic contaminents. Filtration of these items compliment most municipal water for taste, odor, clarity and quality for oral intake, absorption and inhalation.

Click to view a PDF file of our GAC Reference Chart and Removal Capabilities.


Everything you need to know about EWS filtration and conditioning?
Introduction to the EWS Series
Why Filter to the Whole Home?
Hard and Soft Water Facts
EWS Conditioning vs Softening
EWS Conditioned Water Benefits
EWS Frequently Asked Questions


EWS Whole-Home Filtration and Conditioning Appliance

The Environmental Water System combines in one appliance, a high grade of Granular Activated Carbon to filter water to the whole home and our ICN Conditioner(s) for physical conditioning, as an alternative to salt softening.

Environmental Water Systems (EWS) filters and conditions all your water to your home for a healthier lifestyle. EWS Water Conditioning causes a physical change in how naturally found calcium and magnesium minerals react in your water and on your surfaces. EWS keeps these essential minerals in your water for a pure, fresh taste while helping to solve the problems associated with hard water.

In each appliance, water is filtered through the media bed of Granular Activated Carbon (GAC), and then conditioned as it passes through the ICN Conditioner(s) on its way to your home. The ICN Conditioner breaks apart the calcium and magnesium minerals, that easily adhere to surfaces (including your skin), from the bonds of the water molecules. Once in suspension, the minerals become attracted to each other and form concentric patterns which no longer adhere to surfaces, actively inhibiting scale formation. EWS Conditioning will inhibit scale formation in your pipes and water heaters while making better use of soaps and cleaners and an easier wipe up of water spots in your daily routines.

In use Worldwide, our catalytic process is called, Increased Calcite Nucleation (ICN). Baking soda and other surfactants have been used in soaps and detergents for years to create the same ICN reaction, allowing soaps to work regardless of water conditions.

EWS Water Conditioning should not be confused with water softening. Softening is the exchange of naturally found minerals for either sodium or potassium chloride. Softening is not a filtration product. Softening can be very aggressive and has many trade-offs, disadvantages, slippery feeling, routine maintenance, and even legal restrictions. EWS employs an environmental approach to water hardness issues, while allowing you to enjoy filtered water throughout your home.

The Environmental Water System is like having a bottled drinking water factory in your home. Most filtration systems, some of which we also manufacture, are devices that hook directly to the cold water supply under your sink. This provides you with varying degress of filtered water limited to that tap only. EWS Filtration is designed to provide you filtered water to the entire home. EWS provides filtered water for your consumption and usage at all your sinks, and filtered water for your consumption, absorption and inhalation during bathing, showering, steam or sauna. EWS Filtration provides a healtheir, cleaner, quality water environment for you, your family, and your home. In addition, EWS Conditioning helps solve those problems associated with hard water without the disadvantages of salt-softening and brine discharge.

EWS saves you money. Now you can filter and condition water to your entire home without the continual maintenance. Environmental Water Systems uses no salts or other additives and EWS filtration is provided for years before GAC media needs replacement. Enjoy the benefits of conditioned and filtered, quality water for fractions of a penny per gallon.

Your professional plumber or builder can install an Environmental Water System to the main water supply to your home in a couple of hours. The EWS Appliance incorporates the EWS Digital Technology Valve and is extremely user friendly. The system automatically backwashes itself, once installed, it's set and leave it alone.The EWS system also takes up less room than a soft water system, does not take up vital kitchen cabinet space, there are no bags of salt to lift, or filters to buy.

Quality, clean, healthier water from every tap, for all your uses, every day.

This is an overview. The following pages provide a perspective on filtration and then conditioning. It is our goal to provide factual information so you may make an informed decision. We will answer questions and provide information on water quality, GAC and filtration. Secondly, we will answer questions and provide information on hard and soft water, softeners and conditioners, and the ICN. Additionally, installation instructions and customer service information may provide additional insights into the Environmental Water System.

Thank you for your consideration. Be informed - not sold. An informed consumer is our best customer.


Why Filter to the Whole Home?

You know water is very important to you!

The body is composed of 70-80% water. Water is one of the four main nutrients of the body. A healthy human being can go without food for two weeks but only three days without water. Many vital functions and all chemical reactions in the body take place in the medium of water. Water aids in all bodily processes - assimilation of nutrients, digestion, circulation and elimination. Water lubricates the joints of the body and helps regulate its' temperature. Drinking sufficient quantities of water helps flush out impurities, discourages bloating and the retention of water, and helps restore moisture to the skin and hair, while discouraging wrinkles and dryness.

You know there are several ways to intake water!

• Drinking: Water may be ingested, ie: water, coffee, tea, ice and mixes.

• Absorption: Taking a shower exposes you to the equivalent of consuming an additional 1/2 gallon of water each day. After soaking in a bath tub or spa for ten minutes, you may be up to 4 lbs. heavier upon your exit.

• Inhalation and absorption: The greatest intake may be your shower, where gases are vaporized. Inhalation expo- sure was found to be comparable to direct ingestion. Steam and sauna are included.

• Without getting paranoid, you know you have concerns with water, as well as, many other things!

Chlorine is used almost universally in the treatment of public drinking water because of its toxic effect on harmful bacteria and other waterborne, disease-causing organisms. But there is a growing body of scientific evidence that shows chlorine in drinking water may actually pose greater long-term dangers than those for which it was used to eliminate. These effects of chlorine may result from either ingestion or absorption through skin. Scientific studies have linked chlorine and chlorination by-products to cancer of the bladder, liver, stomach, rectum and colon, as well as, heart disease, anemia, high blood pressure, and allergic reactions and skin sensitivities. We know chlorine has issues with protein in our body and that of the skin and hair, just remember the last time you were in a pool.

Problems also arise from other chemical compounds. These compounds include, but are not limited to, chemicals associated with various pesticides, herbicides, fuels, dyes, solvents, and industrial and agricultural by-products. Misuse of these materials and/or improper storage and disposal has allowed drinking water supplies to become suspect. Trace elements of these chemicals may be within acceptable limits, however their long-term effects are unknown. Since chlorine, other disinfectants, their by-products, and other chemical compounds are present in our municipal supplies, one might want to remove these substances at the point of entry.

Did you know, there is a product for you!

The EWS Series of Whole Filtration and Conditioning Appliances by EWS, Inc. can be installed at your main water supply line and filter all the water entering your home of the chlorine and other volatile organic compounds while conditioning the natural occurring hardness minerals (calcium & magnesium) without the disadvantages of harsh salt softening. Period.

Filtration to the whole home is a wonderful experience and of all the great things you put into your new, remodeled or existing home, this is the one device that will be used by every member of the family, everyday. Showering, bathing, steam, sauna or just brushing your teeth is cleaner, tastier and healthier. The harsh elements you eliminate for yourself also protects your fixtures and finishes over the long term from these same chemical compounds.

They laughed back then!

Years ago, central heating and air conditioning was an option, that has become a standard feature in all homes. Now, heating and air conditioning units have advanced (de-) humidification and filtration devices to improve the air quality in your home. Central vacuuming, Central alarm, Central water. Luxury spa tubs and shower systems are commonplace, yet how luxurious can they be, using unfiltered, chlorinated, municipally-treated tap water?

EWS Filtration and Conditioning to the Whole Home is becoming a recognized upgrade; to your home, your lifestyle and your health.

Our commitment to you!

EWS, Inc. manufactures and provides a complete line of water filtration, softening and conditioning product from sink to whole home. We provide the information that enables the consumer to choose the right product for their water conditions and their concerns. Sold only through building wholesale supply, kitchen & bath showrooms, and appliance dealers, EWS, Inc. has been pioneering its' series of whole home filtration appliances for over 20 years to those consumers willing to be informed and not sold.

If there are specific water issues or consumer concerns, whole home filtration can be combined with specific sink (point of use) applications for oral intake (drinking) only.


Hard and Soft Water Facts

A Hard Water Perspective and it's Treatment

Hard water can be a multi-million dollar problem for individuals and business. Scale formation can increase the cost of equipment maintenance, shorten equipment life, decrease water heater efficiency requires greater usage of soaps and cleaners and can simply waste time and energy.

The hardness of water is determined by the amount of calcium and magnesium in the water. Calcium carbonate molecules solidify instantly when they come in contact with any hard surface and then grow upon themselves in every direction. Because of their tree-like shape they are called dendritic crystals. They constitute the beginning of the formation of lime scale.

It is important to note that the hardness minerals are a component of the total dissolved solids (TDS) in your water. These minerals and the TDS are generally an aesthetic consideration (as evidenced in your water standards) and not a consumption problem. By definition, hard water has these minerals and naturally soft water is low or devoid of this mineral content. Hard water can build up, yet can be maintained or properly treated. However, it is important to note, soft water is aggressive and corrosive. If soft, water naturally will seek to balance itself by leaching any minerals found in its' path. This creates problems for a diverse amount of water features such as; copper pipe, finishes, pools and spas, to name a few. Ironically, hard water is considered healthier (note: bottled water adds back minerals and spring water from natural sources all have a mineral content, from low to very high for taste). Hard water has greater properties of assimilation, the opposite of aggressive water. Of all the water on our planet, most is sea water and is undrinkable. Of the limited supply of fresh water available, most is hard to some extent or another.

Softening - The Hard Facts

Softening has been around since the 1920's. In the process of softening, calcium and magnesium ions are removed from the water and replaced by sodium ions in a process called ionic exchange. The use of sodium or potassium chloride is used in this process. In this process the minerals have been exchanged for a salt, and in fact the TDS remains the same or in some instances is greater. The results are prevention of lime scale in your water heater or pipes, easier wipe up of water spots and the better use of soaps. Dishwasher results improve, but only if you use your appliance properly.

However, the disadvantages are an aggressive and corrosive water that needs to be bypassed from drinking and from equipment such as the pool or spa, otherwise you may void their warranty. The exchange of the minerals for a salt creates a two-fold problem; one, the water now lacks the minerals making it soft and aggressive, and two, the water has a sodium or potassium chloride content making the water more corrosive. Remember, your TDS has remained the same. Something has replaced your calcium and magnesium minerals!

"Softened" water has a slippery feeling in the shower due to the new make up of the water (it's the salt, not the natural oils from your skin that the salesman told you!). If a softener is on all your water, you may be asked to put a reverse osmosis at your kitchen sink, so you can remove the salt from the water the softener put in, and have a tap to drink from! Some homes now have soft water loops, because the water from a softener has its consumption and warranty issues. The loop bypasses the softener to provide unsoftened water to your kitchen sink, ice maker and hose bibs. If the water from a softener should be bypassed or filtered, and is not necessarily good to drink, why would you bathe or shower in it? TDS (now with a higher salt content) in water will still require you to maintain swamp and evaporative coolers, humidifiers, steam irons, shower heads, aerators and any items where the water is processed through small pores and restricted flow rates. Due to the corrosive or aggressive nature of softened water you may find a written or implied warranty issue with manufacturers of these and other products.

Please note that softeners do not filter, they soften. The marketing of problems associated with hard water relates more to selling softeners than actual fact. How do people acheive results without treatment? You still have to use your clothes washer and dishwasher properly to get good results. Water heaters should be flushed for longer life however if you soften be aware of the corrosion at the bottom of your heater over time. Surfaces can and should be sealed and all detergents are now formulated for low suds, add salt and soaps suds up - suds do not clean!

The nature of softening product is a trade off of problems, not necessarily a solution. Last issue is the environmental one; water softeners are already illegal or restricted in various areas in the U.S. (more municipalities are making this a consideration) because of the brine discharge of the softener during the regeneration process. Municipal and waste water treatment facilities have an increasing problem with this by-product, which inhibits the ability of delivering the required quality of water to the community and your home.


EWS Conditioning vs Softening

Physical Conditioning - Informed Alternative

The ICN conditioner acts as a catalyst in the water. The bonds that trap foreign particles to water molecules are broken and expose those foreign particles to the open solution. The surfaces of these particles become available as nucleation points for the hardness minerals. The hardness minerals cluster together to form microscopic seed crystals around those nucleation points. This process is called increased calcite nucleation (ICN). All the hardness minerals in the vicinity of these seed crystals eventually come in contact with its surface The hardness minerals solidify there and no longer have an affinity for hard surfaces with which the water comes in contact.

In order to understand this easier, look at a box of laundry detergent. Years ago, detergents asked you to add more soap in hard water and suds were the visual test. Since 1980, low sudsing formulas were an improvement (suds do not clean, hard to rinse out, bad for the appliance) and the detergent does not care whether the water is hard or soft. Detergents add "water conditioners" or ionic and/or anionic surfactants that attract the hardness minerals to their surfaces in a process called increased calcite nucleation (ICN). A billion-dollar business using the same physical process, incorporated in the Environmental Water System, to the advantage of the consumer and the environment.

The minerals in your water are naturally found in 95% of all freshwater and under no circumstances are considered contaminants. These hardness minerals (calcium and magnesium) are part of the natural balance of water. Low hardness can make water aggressive and corrosive. Adding salts and replacing these minerals becomes foolish and make for warranty and drinking quality issues (due to the sodium or potassium chlorides) and septic and environmental issues (due to the brine discharge). The Environmental Water System - Filtration and Conditioning Appliance does not have any of these issues or limitations.


Environmental Water Systems and it's Approach

The ICN conditioner is a unique product, exclusive to EWS, Inc. and Environmental Water Systems. Incorporated, as part of the riser manifold within the GAC media, the ICN is a cell containing dissimilar metals that have gone through a specific charging process. The three-dimensional field created by the ICN creates the reaction that it is named after. Environmental Water Systems filters all the water to your home or facility and physically conditions the water preventing the formation of lime scale deposits in your pipes and water heater. Furthermore, physically conditioned water is capable of dissolving formerly deposited scale. This water tends to sheet, allowing for faster drying times. Any water that does evaporate on a surface may leave a spot due to total dissolved solids in the water. However, this is easily wiped away, as opposed to untreated hard water spotting, which adheres to surfaces. In addition, aerators and shower heads may develop a ring that should be easy to wipe off, depending on the faucet, water flow and water conditions. A further benefit of our conditioned water is that it allows for better assimilation of anything added to it. You get better lather in your hand soaps and shampoos, and savings on detergent soaps and cleaners. Even the amount of coffee or tea can be reduced according to taste.

Along with this conditioned effect, which is a benefit to you, your home and the products therein, do not underestimate the value of filtered water throughout your home. Do not lose sight of the fact that the reason for water is for consumption, to the benefit of you and your family. Environmental concerns and the pollution and improper use of water supplies effect us all. With aesthetics being important in our culture, it is a distant second to quality of our water and the polluting of our water supplies.


Common Sense - Be Informed and Not Sold

Although nothing is perfect regarding water; you still have to wipe it off the counter, black surfaces will show more, low flow toilets require more work then old ones, small openings will eventually clog, sunlight will bake water on surfaces. We ask to you to use your common sense and be an informed consumer. Both Environmental Water Systems and softeners prevent buildup in your pipes and water heaters. Both allow an easier wipe down of water spots and maintenance of problems associated with hard water. However, Environmental Water Systems conditions and filters all the water to your home, softeners do not. Environmental Water Systems does not use salt or potassium chloride to produce the desired effect and therefore does not require the separate plumbing lines or the maintenance of the softener and other filtration devices at a sink. Environmental Water Systems provide a pleasurable showering experience, where the water feels clean coming on and off; without the slippery feeling the softener provides, yet both systems allow you to wipe down your shower enclosure effectively.


EWS Conditioned Water Benefits

A Common Sense Approach

Ask yourself, if the desired water effects are similar, why deal with the nutritional, consumption, quality, maintenance, aggressive/corrosive and environmental disadvantages of a softener, when an Environmental Water System offers benefits similar to the softener without the disadvantages. Ever see the prices on softeners and their companion reverse osmosis systems? They are either higher or competitive with an EWS unit. However, cheap units are available in local markets. These units are just that, cheap! By the time you use your salt or the costlier potassium chloride, the wasted water, the R.O. pre and post-filters and the membrane replacement, your cheap unit is more costly than an EWS unit without all the benefits.

Just a note. The ICN conditioner is not a magnet. The ICN conditioner is a unique product that creates a virtually permanent reaction. Magnets and other devices work over short distances and over short periods of time, therefore the results are not as beneficial for residential use. Magnets and pulse devices temporarily suspend the minerals and do not create the nucleation effect that is so effective to physically condition the water.

Throughout the U.S., the technique of selling water product at the door is something Environmental Water Systems does not engage in. The appointment setting, the give-a-ways, and the hard sell is left to those that are selling a flawed product. You don't buy a refrigerator this way?! Why trust your water to this approach? Be informed. Compare our benefits. Environmental Water Systems is the only appliance in the water business. Showcased by the National Association of Home Builders and in a survey selected as a "Favorite 50" product by Builder Magazine and ranked 15 of the top 150 products surveyed by Building Products Magazine. Please read the answers to frequently asked questions and consult with your local appliance, plumbing products dealer or kitchen and bath showroom.

Conditioned Water Benefits, An Alternative to Softening
Without the Disadvantages

Environmental Water Systems conditions your water for a healthier lifestyle. EWS water conditioning causes a physical change in the minerals found in your water. In each unit the water is filtered through the Granular Activated Carbon then conditioned as it passes through the ICN conditioner. The ICN conditioner breaks apart calcium and magnesium minerals that easily adhere to surfaces (including your skin) into small nuclei with concentric patterns which no longer adhere to surfaces and actively inhibits scale formation.

EWS will filter and condition your water. What does that mean for you and your family? First, your body is between 70 and 80 percent water. Water is the key to every body function especially the circulatory, assimilation, digestive, elimination and temperature control systems. Your body takes in vital water from various sources; orally by drinking, direct skin absorption and inhalation. Chemicals and other substances may be absorbed into the body that are contained in the water. Conditioned and filtered water removes agents such as chlorine. Chlorine plays havoc with our skin and hair because it chemically bonds with the protein in our bodies. It makes hair brittle and dry; it can make sensitive skin dry. flaky and itchy.

Q: Would you purchase a water system that removes your essential minerals and replaces them with salt?

A: Of course not. However, that is exactly what traditional softeners do.

Benefits:
• Better tasting, quality, chlorine-free water to your entire home
• Great for drinking, cooking, bathing, showering and all uses
• Healthier skin, hair and body systems
• Luxury bath, steam, sauna, and shower
• Natural water balance
• No slippery, slimy feeling in the shower
• Inhibits scale and corrosion in pipes and water heaters
• Reduces previous sediment build-up in pipes and heaters
• Easier to wipe up and clean up
• Use less soaps and conditioners
• Reduces drying time and heat to dry
• Environmentally safe, no brine discharge
• No salts or chemicals to add, and No environmental restrictions
• No continual maintenance expense
• No loops or bypasses to avoid the softened water
• No warranty issues with other products as a result of the salts


EWS Frequently Asked Questions

Over the years we have been asked and have answered many questions. The following are a sample of some popular questions to give you some perspective.

Q: How does Environmental Water taste?

A: Even though taste is subjective and very personal. Opinions vary, however, customers refer to our water as tasting like "country" water of yesteryear. They report our water is "smooth", natural tasting, has "vitality", is "sparkling clear" and has no odor. Many of our customers report, "We really enjoy drinking our water," and "We are now drinking more water." Water is necessary to the body, which is composed mainly of water. The body loses water through elimination and perspiration from 3-6 pints of water a day. More water is lost if working or exercising hard. This water should be replaced with quality water. The kidneys process 100 gallons of water a day. Clean water (6-8 glasses a day) is a necessity in flushing out impurities. Water is one of the four main nutrients of the body and the most often overlooked.

Q: How does the feel of Environmental Water compare to salt softened water?

A: EWS conditioned water is not mushy soft nor does it have that slippery, soapy-feel of softened water, that never seems to wash off. EWS water comes on and rinses off completely with a nice clean feeling. Most customers prefer the "squeaky clean" feel of Environmental Water than that of a softener, however this is a personal choice.

Q: How do washing and cleaning results compare to salt-softened water?

A: Surveys of our customers show that washing and cleaning with EWS is comparable to salt-softened water. Customers use less soaps, shampoos, cleaning materials, than they used when their hard water was untreated. Customers report that they no longer use fabric softener, anti-static sheets, or hair conditioners. They also report that their clothes and hair dry faster, thus saving on time and energy costs.

Q: Will the Environmental Water System with ICN help prevent scale in my home?

A: Yes. In fact, our system will even help remove the existing build-up in water pipes and water-using appliances. Removing scale and corrosion will prolong the life of your water heater, your appliances, and plumbing fixtures. It will also reduce your energy costs. Hot water heaters with scale build-up require more energy to heat the water. Keep in mind, softeners use salt, EWS does not; Salt is known to be corrosive.

Q: Where should the Environmental Water System be installed?

A: The EWS should ideally be installed on the main water line of your home to treat all the water in your home. This can be determined by your builder or plumber. If you locate the main water shut off valve to your home, the pipe thereafter will supply all the water to the unit. Be careful of soft water loops which bypass certain pipes that should not be softened. Treat and protect the system like you would a water heater. A garage, basement or utility room install is fine. Take care with outside installations and take the logical steps to protect the systems from the elements.

Q: How much maintenance is required of the Environmental Water System?

A: Every few years, the GAC media and ICN(s) should be replaced as a replacement kit within the tank. Historically, our field surveys show 7-10 years of useful life. EWS, Inc. typically recommends every 7-8 years depending on local water conditions and usage. Proper application, installation, set-up and backwashing effects the useful life. However, no salt, chemicals, filters, or other supplies need to be bought and added or changed on a monthly or annual basis. The automatic system requires no maintenance. A digital timer is set to automatically backwash (clean out) the carbon bed. The backwash water can be used to water a garden area so no water is wasted. Plants flourish on this water. This water can also be put into a drain line with no detrimental effects to septic tanks or sewer lines.

Q: Will my ice cubes be clear?

A: No. Water is very unique. Clarity of ice is not a quality issue or consideration. Water expands when it freezes and contracts when heated. Water freezes from the outside in. The minerals,being heavier than water, go toward the center and freeze last. The clouded appearance of ice cubes is due to minerals and air. Likewise, when ice melts, the minerals being heavier may drop in the water. Thus, the little flecks you see are actually the heavier minerals. You'll note these will dissolve or blend back into the water as the water temperature increases.Reverse osmosis water will make clearer ice cubes because 90-95% of the minerals are removed. The average home refrigerator ice cube makers inject a lot of air so that even reverse osmosis ice cubes will not be perfectly clear. Reverse osmosis must be plumbed in plastic to ice-makers. Copper tubing, which contains copper and aluminum, cannot be used. RO water is aggressive, and will pull or leach copper and aluminum from the tubing, making the water and ice taste metallic. Please consult your refrigerator manufacturer regarding potential warranty issues regarding softeners and reverse osmosis units. Some ice skating rinks are now using de-ionized water (water with little or no minerals). The drawback is the solvency, (the aggressiveness of water without minerals) reacting to the surface of the rink itself and the equipment. Good Housekeeping Institute's Appliance Lab states "for crystal-clear cubes, you need a professional ice-making machine". Commercial ice-makers work on a quick freeze from one side to another so that the minerals are sloughed off, thus producing clear ice cubes mechanically.

Q: How will I know when I need to change out the carbon?

A: The standard system, the EWS-1054, has 11/2 cubic feet of carbon (approx. 41 lbs.). We use a high grade GAC. Based on general estimates, this amount of GAC will be effective in removing chlorine from normally treated municipal water for approximately one million gallons. Because of variations in water treatment and usage, there is no guarantee on the life of the carbon. The average family uses about 100,000 gallons of water a year in their home (not including what is used on lawn areas for watering). One hundred gallons of water per day per person is the usual estimate on water usage. When the carbon reaches its saturation point (all the internal pore surfaces are filled) the water will change in taste back to your regular tap water. A pool test kit that tests for the presence of chlorine is the easiest way to test if the GAC media is still effective.

Q: How is the carbon changed out?

A: The system is put on bypass by turning off the water to the system. Relieve the pressure in the tank by cycling the valve into a backwash. Remaining water will expel, then air as pressure is relieved. Disconnect the backwash/drain line and unplug the system. Disconnect the valve head from the bypass, allowing the tank to pull away from the pipes. Unscrew the valve head and lift off. The carbon and water in the tank can either be dumped out, hosed out with water, or a wet/dry vacuum can be used to suck out the water and wet carbon. Once the water, carbon and ICN riser manifold are removed, A complete kit that contains the new ICN riser manifold and the correct amount of GAC media is supplied making this an easy process. The carbon will fill 2/3 of the tank, which allows 1/3 of freeboard area, which is necessary for backwashing purposes. Once media is replaced, pre-fill the tank with water, then screw on the valve head and reconnect the tank to the bypass. Reconnect the backwash line. Follow the same start-up procedures when the unit was first installed.

All this information is in our complete service guides and also available on the web. Replacement kits can be easy obtained by contacting your local distributor, plumber, website, or our local representation.

Q: What are the real differences between salt softened water and the Environmental Water System providing filtration and conditioning?

Salt-Softened Water

PRINCIPLE

Salt softened water is based on ionic exchange. For each calcium and magnesium ion (the hardness minerals) two sodium ions go into the water. A traditional softener using salt does not filter chlorine, volatile organic compounds, or considered a filtration system. A salt softener usually has a reverse osmosis system at the kitchen sink to remove the sodium added to the water that the softener put in.

FEEL

Salt-softened water feels mushy and has a slippery or slimy feel when bathing with soap. Those not liking the softened feeling feel as if they can't get the soap off. The skin feels like it has a coating on it. Consumers are told that salt softeners bring out the natural oils of the body by those trying to sell them a salt system. This is not true. If you like the slippery feeling, restrict your softener usage to the inlet side of the water heater, in order to soften to the hot side only.

AESTHETICS

Salt softeners, by removing the hardness minerals of calcium and magnesium, can prevent the scale build-up in pipes and water heaters. Because of the sodium content, softened water unites with soap limiting bathtub rings, allows better results with clothes washers and dishwashers, and leaves shower doors virtually free of the usual soap scum build-up. Most laundry and dishwashing detergents contain a lot of sodium. Sodium causes more suds, however suds do not clean. Even though the minerals are gone, the total dissolved solids in the water has not changed and therefore when water is left, it will leave a residue on surfaces or around faucets which simply wipe up. Salt softened water can also cause spotting depending on how much sodium is in the water.

SALT IS CORROSIVE

Those in the Navy are familiar with the term "Marine Whites." Sailors used to put their white clothes in ocean water to whiten them. Caution had to be used because if the clothes remained too long in the heavily salt-laden water, they would deteriorate. Salt is corrosive. Softeners use the same salt spread on icy roads, which destroy the underside of cars. Those living near oceans know well the corrosivity of salt to cars, houses, etc. Many people with galvanized pipes found that softened water did prevent scale build-up, but the trade-off was the salt also corroded their pipes.

It's interesting to note how many water heaters people with softened water go through in some areas. The salt (sodium) corrodes the heating coils of the hot water heaters. Always check with a manufacturer's warranty related to water. Softened water should not go to a pool or spa. Hard water and naturally soft water have their maintenance issues, however softened water offers potential problems that may imply or outright void the warranty on certain products.

The Environmental Water System (EWS)

PRINCIPLE

The EWS combines both filtration and conditioning in one system. The filtration is accomplished with a high grade of Granular Activated Carbon (GAC). Used extensively in both water and air filtration, GAC works on the principle of adsorption, in which substances in water are attracted to and adhere to the surface of the carbon. GAC is carbon that has been activated to produce an extensive intricate inner pore structure with a large surface area.

GAC is most widely used for the removal of chlorine, chloramines (chlorine and ammonia), bad taste and odors. It is also used to remove volatile organic compounds, phenols, herbicides, pesticides, and surfactants. Most minerals, having the same polarity as carbon, are not removed when filtering through carbon. Carbon is the last stage in both reverse osmosis and distillation systems for removal of chlorine and volatile organic compounds.

The ICN Conditioner causes a physical change of the minerals. There is a breaking apart into tiny nuclei. Operating on principles of polarity, the calcium and magnesium are attracted to tiny nuclei rather than attaching to pipes. The minerals are put into a suspended state, making them less adhering. Technically, this is called "increased calcite nucleation".

FEEL

Environmental Water has more of the feel of naturally soft water (water with lower mineral content). It does not feel slippery, slimy, or mushy soft, like salt softened water. No water in its natural state feels like salt softened water. Soaps produce more lather with EWS filtered water versus untreated water. However, these soaps will rinse off quickly, unlike salt softened water. Those who don't like salt softened water say they feel they can't really get the soap off. Less soaps, shampoos, coffee grounds, tea, etc., are needed with an EWS system. Most people will use less soap then they would normally use with untreated water.

AESTHETICS

EWS conditioned water will tend to sheet. If water is left to dry on any surface it will leave something behind. These spots will simply wipe off versus untreated water where more work and special products may have to be used. Those that have had a salt softener must be told that there will be less suds with EWS water. The sodium content of salt softened water causes more suds. This is particularly true with some of the biodegradable laundry detergents. You should not use more soap to get more suds. Clothes will get clean without the excess soap and suds and rinse out and dry easier. The same with your dishwasher, use the appliance properly and with less powdered detergent.

When showering, EWS water rinses off quickly. Those accustomed to the slippery feel of salt softened water might try, using more soap to get that same feeling, resulting in more soap usage and soap scum build-up. Salt softened water unites with the soap, leaving little soap scum. This is not true with EWS. Using less soap and rinsing well will help prevent this. EWS makes the water easier to clean up just like a softener (our approach is different) however this does not preclude you from your routine maintenance. A dishwasher still needs to be used properly, toilets need to be cleaned, and surfaces need to be wiped off. The use of a surface sealant when the shower is new or has just been cleaned will also make clean-up easier. If there is a lot of soap scum because of frequent usage without clean-up, effective products that are non-abrasive are all that are recommended. An environmental alternative is hot water and plain white vinegar. Check with the manufacturer of your appliances and other household products, including your surfaces, for the best way to seal, clean and/or maintain. Some cleaning practices may not be effective, or have an adverse effect to the life of the product.

An EWS application allows you to clean up easier than your untreated water, saves on soaps, keeps your plumbing clear and filters to the entire home. Our service guides contain helpful hints regarding the care of a wide variety of products. Since we distribute through appliance, plumbing and kitchen and bath showrooms our extensive knowledge of these appliances, products and surfaces can be of benefit to you.

EWS water will prevent scale and corrosion in pipes and will de-scale as the scale is attracted to the nuclei. Older water heaters should be drained to remove scale and sediment after an initial installation. Water heaters will work more efficiently, and a savings on fuel will result. After de-scaling water heaters, they should be drained at least once a year to remove powdery calcium and magnesium caused by the nucleation effect. Water heater manufacturers recommend this procedure as preventive maintenance.

Q: How does EWS compare to reverse osmosis water?

A: Reverse Osmosis works on the opposite (reverse) of the osmosis process. This means that the water goes first through a pre-sediment filter, then a carbon filter (for chlorine removal and to protect the membrane from deterioration), and through a membrane where only the lighter water can squeeze through. The heavier elements (mostly minerals) will be sent down the drain, the filtered water into a storage tank.

In the reverse osmosis process, about 1 gallon an hour can be made by our standard systems. For every gallon of water put into the storage tank, about 4 or more gallons can go down the drain. The standard storage tank holds 3 gallons of water. The water is continually running until the tank is full at which time the water shuts off. Reverse osmosis systems are almost always used when one has a salt softener to take out the sodium the softener put in. They also remove 90-95% of all the minerals, producing a flatter tasting water. Many bottled waters add minerals to the water to give it taste or flavor. Mineral or spring waters, bottled at the source, have higher mineral content and are naturally very hard.

Reverse osmosis water is aggressive or highly solvent with the removal of the minerals. Water seeks out minerals to balance itself; thus RO water must be plumbed in plastic or PVC. Copper tubing consists of copper and aluminum, the RO water will pull (leach) the copper and aluminum into the water, giving it a metallic taste. This leaching effect is the same with cooking and drinking. The common complaints against reverse osmosis systems are:

a) How much water is wasted
b) Flat-tasting
c) Expensive up-keep. Pre-sediment filters and carbon filters need to be changed once or twice a year and membranes every 2 years, or as the manufacturer suggests.

Reverse osmosis units are necessary when dealing with extreme problems such as nitrates in the water. If a customer has an RO system, keep it, then decide which water they prefer to drink. As with everything, different people like different things. That is why on the supermarket shelves there are dozens of different types of bottled drinking waters. Those accustomed to reverse osmosis water may not like the taste of minerals, while others love EWS water because it tastes more like spring or bottled water.

EWS, Inc. does manufacture reverse osmosis systems for correct applications, which waste less water and produce more water per day. Visit our website at www.EWSWATER.com for this and other units that may be correct for you, your concerns and/or your water conditions. Any and all of our systems can be used in combination with each other to get the desired effect.

Q: Does bacteria grow in a carbon system?

A: First of all, the EWS system is designed for potable water (water without coliform bacteria).Municipally treated water generally uses some form of treatment, usually chlorine or chloramines, to destroy coliform bacteria. Municipally treated water is continually tested to make sure that there is no coliform bacteria present. For well water applications it is really important to have an independent laboratory take samples and test that the well is bacteria free. This should be done routinely to ensure "safe" drinking water.

Coliform bacteria is bacteria from human or animal bacteria. Its presence is an indicator of potential diseases or illnesses that could result from consuming the water. By law, there can be NO coliform in municipally treated water. There are many types of bacteria, both good and bad. Bacteria is needed in the human colon for processing wastes. Many people buy milk and yogurt, as well as other dairy products, with acidophilus to provide this good bacteria. Bacteria itself is present everywhere - in the air, on the surface and in what we eat and drink. A heterotrophic plate count indicates the number of colonies of bacteria in general. Milk, for instance, is allowed to contain 10,000 colonies of bacteria (excluding coliform. of course.)

Bacteria can grow in carbon. One of the reasons for backwashing is to prevent this growth. EPA studies show that backwashing serves to minimize any growth. The EPA has also conducted studies showing no ill effects from drinking water with a higher heterotrophic plate count. Currently there is no maximum standard for heterotrophic bacteria. Those individuals who dwell on this issue fail to realize that all drinking water systems use carbon. Carbon block filters can develop bacteria. The carbon filters at the end of reverse osmosis membranes can develop bacteria. And reverse osmosis membranes can also become fouled with bacterial growth. The carbon filters used in drinking water systems generally do not allow for backwashing, which serves to clean the carbon. That is one of the reasons why smaller carbon filters should be changed routinely based on the manufacturer's recommendations. Carbon drinking water systems and reverse osmosis systems are designed to be put on only potable water - water free of coliform bacteria.

Q: What is the purpose of backwashing?

A: In backwashing, the water goes down the riser tube, lifts and turbulates the carbon with the water coming out of the backwash drain line. The tank is filled 2/3 full of carbon, which allows the remaining 1/3 as a freeboard area - room for the carbon to swirl around without being forced out the backwash line. A top screen on the valve head protects the valve head from any carbon lodging in it. Backwashing serves to force out dirt and sediment, rearrange the tiny granules of carbon, prevent any channeling by refluffing the carbon bed, and discouraging any bacteria growth.

Frequency days for backwashing will vary, based on the hardness of the water. Las Vegas and Arizona, for example, use a 3 day backwash cycle. No system should go beyond 12 days without a backwash. Water usage, dirt in the water, and the type of water (hardness. alkalinity, high TDS), are what govern the day setting. Manual backwashing can always be done which allows for greater agitation of the bed. This is necessary, for example, if a great deal of dirt gets into the tank from repair or construction on water lines in the area. When you vacation or leave for an extended period, set to backwash infrequently and re-set when you return. Never shut down the system completely for any length of time.

Q: Are there other types or alternatives besides the Environmental Water System with ICN conditioner?

MAGNETS

Magnets operate for short distances - usually less than 125 feet. Thus, magnets must be installed at several places for long pipe runs. Magnetically treated water also reverts within 36-72 hours. Therefore, magnets are usually placed on the outlet side of a water heater in which water can stand for long periods or water has to be constantly recirculating past the device to work. Magnets also require grounding, as do some of the catalytic bars. Magnetic polarity can be disrupted by high power lines and by the ground itself. There are too many magnets misapplied and misrepresented as cheap alternatives to harsh softening.

ULTRASOUND

This is a device that uses ultrasound vibrations to create a nucleation effect. The system plugs into an electrical outlet and then uses a wrap of wire around the water pipe to conduct the ultrasound vibration into the water. In the 50's, the United States Government conducted tests using ultrasound. The vibrations created by this process literally caused dirt to fall off of laundry. Consumers report the pipe is clean where the pipe is wrapped but no further. The technology has not been fully developed in the water industry.

Unlike the other alternatives, EWS has been very low-key, is not sold door to door and has been available next to the finest appliances, faucets and fixtures throughout the building industry and kitchen and bath showrooms. We have combined the very accepted filtration aspects of granular activated carbon with the ICN Conditioner.

Q: Chlorine in salt-softened water? Why don't I get a reading on chlorine if a person has a salt-softener and the outside water shows chlorine?

A: The softener tank with the resin hold 6-10 gallons of water. If the water has been sitting in that tank for a few hours with little or no use, the resin will have reacted with the chlorine, causing it to break down. Chlorine will also dissipate when it sits in the water heater for a few hours. If a person takes a shower or does a load of wash, the water in the tank is used up and the new water going through will not have the prolonged contact time and the chlorine will come through. Be aware - these man-made resins in a softener break down with usage in chlorinated municipal water. The materials that break down and go in your water are a point of interest. Manufacturers compete on the facts that their resin may not add certain known contaminants as much as a competitor. EWS - NO SOFTENER, NO SALTS, NO RESINS, NO BRINE, NO PROBLEMS!

Q: What is Potassium Chloride or the "no salt" alternative?

A: It's not bananas or a healthy potassium (K). It is potassium chloride (KCl), a substitute for salt (sodium chloride) to "soften" the water. It is also based on ionic exchange. The drawbacks to potassium chloride are:

a) Anyone with diabetes, heart disease or other conditions should be advised that the use of this product with the increased potassium chloride intake might be a concern to their health and may negate the medications used to treat these conditions. Let's face it! It's still a salt, but the seman tics make for a good sales pitch.

b) The maintenance of adding potassium chloride to the brine tanks is the same as salt, however the potassium chloride is more expensive.

c) During regeneration, excessive amounts of chlorides (as well as TDS) are being put back into our municipal water supply. Those with septic tanks should consider that the brine discharge inhibits the bacteria necessary in the septic tank from doing their job.

d) Valuable calcium and magnesium are still being removed from the water.

Q: How do I determine what system is right for me?

A: The size of your home, the number of bathrooms, the size of the family, the size of the pipe supplying the water to the home, the hardness of the water and your personal habits and considerations - all determine the best system for you and your home. Certain considerations will immediately indicate the proper system. The standard home unit (EWS-1054) is proper for most applications with these exceptions: The service line is 1 1/4" or greater, the hardness of the water exceeds 15 grains or 257 mg/1, five or more people reside in the home, the home exceeds 4,000 square feet, and/or their will be a considerable usage of water, two or more water heaters, etc. The upgraded or larger residential unit (EWS-1354 series) is applicable with all the above exceptions. The larger units have valve options to accommodate larger main services and better water flow rates. The increase in tank size allows for an extra cubic foot of GAC for greater filtration capabilities, and an additional ICN conditioner for better conditioning effects and aesthetics. Discuss this with your local distributor. You may have to ask your builder or plumber the correct question or two, but the result is a correct unit for your current and/or future needs.

It is our hope...

...that we have provided you with as much information as possible on filtration and conditioning. Any additional questions you may have, that have not been answered in these sections, may be answered in our installation, customer service and troubleshooting guide. This guide is available, and is enclosed with every unit or available on the web. Do not let your installer discard this information. Installation is very simple, however an incorrect install or a total disregard of start up procedures is usually the only problems (easily corrected) we have had with any systems since our inception in 1979.

Replacement media information.
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