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Proper Sizing is Critical for any UV Disinfection System
The most common question we get is how to properly size a UV system for the intended use. As a quick review, consumers need UV in the home to ensure that all the water in the home is clean and safe from disease causing pathogens such as E.coli, Influenza, Cryptosporidium and many other bacterial and viral contaminants. To select the proper size of UV you have several options and considerations: Base your system on the pipe size in your home. If you have 3/4 inch pipes entering the home, your choice may be for a 3/4 inch UV system. Next, consider the volume of water used. You may choose to size the UV based on the capacity of your water pump. Next, consider the number of people in the home as UV systems are manufacturerd based on specific flow rates. If you have only 1 or 2 people in the home a 4-5 GPM system will suffice. If you have up to 5 or 6 people use an 8 or 12 GPM or larger system. You may want to adjust this based on the number of teenagers in the home (they tend to use more water). Finally, consider the quality of your source water. Cloudy water or water with high iron, and high calcium content will present a problem for UV disinfection and requires pre-treatment. Taking all factors into consideration will provide you with the information you need to properly size a UV. Remember to have your water tested for iron content, hardness and clarity (most UV sellers can do this for you) in order to make sure that your new UV system will provide the measure of safety you need to protect your customer's home water supply. UV light is the best chemical-free method of disinfecting your water supply. It's safe, effective and inexpensive. Wyckomar will test your water sample for UV transmittance absolutely free. We are also pleased to help you with any questions regarding proper UV system size for your application. Contact us for details.
How To Select the Right Water Filter for Your Home
Water filtration is a hot topic these days due to the vast amounts of contaminants in our everyday environment. There is a wide variety of water filtration systems you can choose from but choosing the proper technology is key to having clean and safe drinking water at home. A standard water filter is designed to trap contaminants. Things such as dirt, rust and dust are simple to remove from your water by using a standard sediment type water filter. These can be purchased as a filter to use on a single faucet in your home, or they can be bought to be installed on the water line to filter all of the water in the home. Carbon filters are popular due to the fact that they can remove foul taste and odour from the water along with a variety of chemical contaminants that may have infiltrated your water supply. Both sediment style and carbon filters can be purchased in cartridge format which requires occasional change-out with a new filter, or as an automatic backwashable filter to service the whole house on a continuous basis. Filtration systems can only go so far however, and are ineffective against bacterial and viral contamination. Common pathogens that can infect your water supply include E. coli, Coliform, Cryptosporidium and many others. The best way to deal with these pathogens is to kill them so they do not become a threat to your health. The part of a filtration system used to deal with these nasty contaminants is the disinfection module. As part of a home filtration system, the disinfection module is typically either chemical based (most often chlorine) or non-chemical based like UV or ultraviolet light. A chlorine system adds chemical chlorine to the water supply to kill pathogens after some period of contact time. The UV system kills all pathogens instantaneously and uses no chemicals whatsoever. The advantages of a chemical free UV disinfection module over a chemical based one are rather obvious. First, with a UV system there is no need to buy, store and handle any dangerous chemicals. Second, a UV system produces no disinfection by-products, that is the remnants of the chemical reaction that kills the pathogens. These chemical by-products can be dangerous themselves and most people prefer to avoid them if possible. Third, the impact of continually dumping chemically treated, chlorinated water into our environment is unacceptable to many. In order to get high quality water from your water source, be sure to select the proper technology for your specific problem. A proper filtration and disinfection system can also act as a type of insurance against future health problems related to contaminated drinking water.
Should I Use a Faucet Mounted Water Filter or a Whole House System?
The use of whole house water filters is fast becoming extremely popular with homeowners. A whole house water filter will treat every single drop of water entering your home and is the most cost effective method to give you peace of mind about the qualit your home water supply. The whole house water filter can be configured in a wide variety of styles and price levels depending on what contaminants are in your water, your rate of water use and your budget. One of the most popular configurations of a whole house water filter uses a dual filtration system to remove suspended solids (dirt, rust, dust etc) which will help to clarify the water. The second filter is a carbon filter which will remove foul tastes and odours from the water. The final portion of a quality whole house water filter is an ultraviolet (UV) light which is used to kill all bacterial and viral pathogens that may be (or may potentially get) in your water supply. The beauty of a whole house water filter like this is that it's an economical way to clean all the water in your home using simple, widely available, proven technology. This is the same type of water filtration that most water bottling plants use specifically because it works and is simple to maintain. Homeowners can select the proper sized whole house water filter for their specific use. Manufacturers typically will make several sizes available so there will be a simple whole house water filter available for any sized household. Consider amount of water used, number of people in the home and water quality (the specific water contaminants that you may be concerned about) when choosing a whole house water filter for your home. Be sure to work with a manufacturer that has extensive experience in manufacturing and delivering a whole house water filter that works for you. There are a wide variety of whole house water filters on the market. Decide first on your concerns, water use patterns and budget, then work with a qualified manufacturer or delaer to get the whole house water filter that will meet all of your needs and provide safe, clean water for years to come.
