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Water
Treatment Advice
A brief look at the Problem and at some solutions.
Why do we need Water Treatment?
The
most usual reasons for treating a water supply are:
Limescale.
This is probably the most prevalent
reason for using a water treatment unit of some kind.
a) Limescale will cause equipment, which heats water, to
become inefficient over time. This can lead on then to equipment
malfunction and ultimately, total failure of the appliance.
b) Limescale can also give rise to an unacceptable appearance
in beverages - creating an almost grease-like scum on the
surface of tea or coffee. This "scum" however,
is only pure Calcium, which is one of the essential minerals.
But that, often, doesn't make it any easier to explain away
to a customer!
Taste Problems.
This is becoming a much more
prevalent problem with modern day water supplies.
The usual culprit here is Chlorine, which is being put into
most mains water supplies to combat the growing problem
of pollution.
Other Problems.
There is a number of other
water-related issues which cause a demand for water treatment.
Iron.
This can cause discoloration
in equipment giving rise to either black or brown deposits
- particularly noticeable when in combination with limescale.
Iron can also contribute to strong tastes when present in
high concentrations.
It is one of the more difficult problems to address, as
iron-specific filters tend to be quite expensive.
Algae.
Thankfully, algae-derived problems
are very rare. They usually indicate a major problem in
the water supply and can be quite difficult to identify
initially. The symptoms (bad tastes, odours and maybe discolouration)
are often confused with other issues such as Chlorine, Iron,
or the machine - water boiler or coffee brewer.
The Remedies
Limescale or "scale".
There are several options which will really depend on cost
considerations:
a) The value of the appliance to be protected, or,
b) The cost of downtime for the appliance to be repaired
or maintained.
The most effective option is a Replacement Resin System
like our Marco-Flowtech Dekal range. These remove almost
all of the harmful scale constituents from the water. There
are different sizes depending on usage. Physically, they
look similar to a domestic gas cylinder. They cost in the
£230-£600 range. Replacements cost in the of
£93-£250. Meters, to measure usage, cost £15-£40.
After those, there are the Siliphos-dosing Systems, like
our Marco-Flowtech Inline and Carbon-X ranges. These allow
a small amount of a Silicate-Phosphate compound (food-grade)
into the water and slow down the scaling process. These
do not remove the limescale - but change its nature. These
often double, the descaling interval. Prices range from
£30-£75. Refills £13-£25.
Bad Tastes. Often blamed on the machine, but usually a Chlorine-based
problem. A carbon, or "activated charcoal" filter
solves 90%+ problems of this nature. These usually have
a dirt-removal part built-in to remove rust, sediment, and
the like. Price range, £50-£85. Refills £15-£20.
Our Carbon-X range is an example of these types of units.
Note: Where combined with a scale treatment
unit, put carbon filters AFTER
a Resin unit, or BEFORE
a Siliphos unit.
Tips on Softeners.
It is recommended for Water Softeners that Salt-based Water
Softeners should not be used on beverage equipment. Such
softeners are quite OK for use on dishwashers and other
process equipment. The sodium left in the resin in the unit,
after the Regeneration Backwash, can have an effect on the
human nervous system at high dosages. Problems are also
caused in filter coffee brewers as the filters tend to clog
and flood. The Replacement Resin Cartridge systems (see
above) overcome these problems by using new, fresh resin
in each replacement cartridge.
Electronic or Magnetic Units seem,
to us, of limited use in boilers/coffee brewers. The electromagnetic
effect, in such storage-type situations, seems to wear off
after a number of hours of the water lying static. They are
probably fine in a process, or continuous flow, environment
- like in a dishwasher, for example.
Why not give us a call at our our Sales
Office
(Tel: +353 (0) 1 295 2674)(Ireland)
or 0207 274 4577(UK).a ring to request our latest literature
pack or for a quotation
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