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• carbon has a life. When replacement is needed the softener resin must be discarded also, creating: waste, expense, damage to the environment
• softener resin is unprotected from chlorine damage: premature failure
• the softener control valve is unprotected from chlorine damage, creating an unnecessary, expensive repair job down the road

2. A. No. Sureway takes the time to bypass the lawn service for all filter and softener applications.

3. A. For use in apartment and condo applications, we supply a KDF shower filter

Shower Filter

4. A. This is a common misconception. That "slimy" feeling is really the absence of soap curd (bathtub ring) on your skin. Minerals such as calcium strip off natural body oils which are part of our immune system, designed to protect us from itchiness and skin disorders. With softened water, soap sheets off very rapidly which is why commercial car washes all use water softeners.

5. A. Because they work and they are inexpensive to maintain. Canadian research and our own investigations have concluded that "no salt" products do not remove minerals from the water, do not prevent scaling in devices such as hot water tanks or tea kettles and do not result in soap savings. Ion exchange softeners (salt type) are proven: they work, are cost effective, and are used in industry.

6. A. Simply: to avoid the same types of problems consumers face with repairs to vehicles and entertainment equipment.

• Electronic valves have a turbine and sensor which send signals to a computer board.
• These are almost impossible to troubleshoot and are basically throw-away components and very costly to replace.

The mechanical gear and cable driven parts in the Fleckenstein valves we use are easy to troubleshoot and the parts are typically 70% less costly than their electronic equivalent. Sales persons, of course, would like you to believe that you can't have a reliable unit without the digital readout, flashing lights and a host of "bells and whistles" that the homeowner or service tech will never use.

7. A. About 15 years ago we started noticing a host of nuisance service calls relating to plugged intakes inside brine tanks. This quite simply was from inferior brands of salt turning to mush and compacting in the tank. Windsor salt is a hard pellet that avoids this problem and using it is a condition of our warranty.

8. A. Yes and No. It contains a "salt" technically, sodium bicarbonate. But it does not contain sodium chloride the salt that is used during regeneration.

9. A. Generally no, because high sodium is a factor in high blood pressure. Most of our clients install a reverse osmosis unit which removes 98 % of the sodium along with a host of other contaminants.

10. A. It's simple:

• potassium salt is more than double the cost per bag.
• From a chemistry viewpoint, potassium based salt is 30% less efficient than sodium chloride during regeneration.

11. A. The health benefits of potassium salt are questionable. Too much potassium can stop your heart. If you have a deficiency it would be far safer to have a program from your doctor with his recommendations for good nutrition and/or supplements. And of course, what about all the other contaminants in drinking softened tap water?

12. A. Definitely not. Soft water contains sodium bicarbonate which is great for laundry but not for drinking either by you or your plants. We've seen lawns and trees killed or damaged by this. We always bypass at least one outside tap so your plants will get untreated water.

13. A. First, quality control. We have a detailed approach to manufacturing. Our use of generic tanks with an industry standard thread size allows us to upgrade in the future as new control valves become available.

Second. Based on almost 30 years experience, we have avoided many service headaches by replacing standard pre-packaged parts with commercial components that we've adapted and assembled ourselves. Examples: high capacity Dowex resin, high capacity control valves, brine float assemblies, brine platforms.

14. A. While we have access, we've found that these are marginally effective, costly to replace and do not take the place of a Scheduled Maintenance Program. Warning indicators measure TDS (total dissolved solids) and DO NOT give any information about BACTERIAL SAFETY.

15. A. First. Many years ago they did. We use a quality auto shut-off that kicks in when the storage tank is full. Our units flush contaminants away on a 3:1 ratio. What does this mean in practical terms? The cost for an average family of four is about $20.00 per year to supply a reverse osmosis unit. On a daily basis this is the equivalent of one or two toilet flushes.

Second: compare this with your dishwasher "waste", perhaps 7 to 10 gallons or more per load. This isn't really a "waste" because it's providing a useful service, cleaning your dishes. Reverse osmosis cleans your drinking water and provides cleaner air when it leaves your humidifier. Well worth the small cost!

16. A. Carbon filter manufacturers have always recommended this. Health Canada for years has warned of the danger of saturated filters releasing contaminants in higher numbers than you started with. Our own experience with bacterial growth in poorly maintained units indicates that in most cases semi-annual service is a good idea.

17. A. First: We bring in off-shore components and build units to our own specifications using 75 gallon per day membranes. This number refers, NOT to what you use but to rate of production which is about 2 gallons U.S. per hour; 3 gph with an optional booster pump.

Second: we sanitize not just the sumps, but the tank and membrane as well.

Third: we pressure test our units for at least 12 hours before installation and bring out a unit that is ready to use and will not leak.

Fourth: Installation. This is where we excel.

• we use a ball valve supply; not a self-tapping needle valve that is prone to failure.
• use a variety of deluxe faucets which have ceramic disk internals
• build detailed manifolds to multiple devices; all clearly labeled with a dedicated line to each device
• the drain line will ALWAYS meet the airgap requirement of the plumbing code

18. A. No. Calcium (bi)carbonate is really just dissolved limestone. It is not in a chelated form that our bodies can assimilate. Locally produced books on nutrition do not list water as a viable source of calcium and magnesium. Health food stores market inexpensive supplements such as Calcium and Magnesium Citrate with Vitamin D for easy absorption.

Second: there is some research that indicates mineralized water may be a factor in development of kidney stones. Whatever the differing opinions, we encourage you to do your own research. Many of our clients are seeing naturopathic doctors for nutritional advice, especially because of food allergies such as dairy products.

19. A. You be the judge. Health Canada has published much about aluminum which is used as a settling agent in water treatment plants. Is it not ironic that we are advised not to eat fish out of the North Saskatchewan River because of mercury content but no such warnings apply to tap water? Our advice: do your homework.

20. A. Yes. When you draw water at the reverse osmosis faucet it goes through a final carbon post filter. Additionally, we use only food grade polyethylene tubing.

21. A. Several things; High cost of initial purchase. Extreme cost for power e.g. the last figure we have is from five years ago at $0.60 per gallon. Repairs are costly, replacing heating elements, micro switches, and seals. Independent lab tests have also shown that distilled water has a very low pH, 10 times as acidic as reverse osmosis water which is slightly below neutral (7.0). Some studies indicate that constant use of distilled water can result in multiple mineral deficiencies.

Additionally, distillers have a vent which puts VOCs (volatile organic chemicals) such as chlorine byproducts into the atmosphere of your home. While this can be solved with a carbon pre- filter, why not go with a reverse osmosis unit which already has filters built-in?

22. A. Easier, yes. Safer, no. With the sump style canisters we can visually inspect the filter for signs of failure or bacterial contamination. Sealed "twist" units not only are less safe, in our opinion, but they usually cost double. Manufacturers also control supply, locking you in to their unique filter. On the other hand, the 10" generic sumps that we use give us unlimited options as new and better products become available.

23. A. Because most clients have us connect to a dispenser and icemaker on their fridge. It doesn't make sense to pay extra for purchasing a cooler, supply the additional power to operate a second refrigeration unit or have it take up extra space in your kitchen.