Posts by Matthew and Jori Zarra | Panache Vue' Magazine

New Study – Water Softeners Among Very Best Household Energy Savers

March 18, 2012 By Matthew and Jori Zarra 169 Comments

Matthew and Jori Zarra

Water softeners can save significant amounts of money and energy in the home, a major new study by the independent Battelle Institute revealed. Softeners help preserve the efficiency of water heaters and major appliances and keep showers and faucets unclogged, the report found. The study was commissioned by the Water Quality Research Foundation (WQRF) in 2009. Battelle Memorial Institute is a renowned independent testing and research facility dedicated to applied science and technology development.

Among some of the key findings of the study:

Gas & Electric water heaters: Gas & Electric storage tank household water heaters operated on softened water maintained the original factory efficiency rating over a 15-year lifetime. On the other hand, hard water can lead to as much as a 48% loss of efficiency in water heaters. Up to 30 pounds of calcium carbonate rocklike scale can accumulate in these heaters over time, according to the study. The life of the heating element will be shortened due to scale buildup because of increased operating temperature of the heating element. Such scale adversely affects the water heater’s performance.

Tank-less heaters: Indoor instantaneous gas water heaters (tankless heaters) operated on softened water maintained the original factory efficiency rating over a 15-year lifetime. The study found that tankless water heaters completely failed to function because of scale plugging in the downstream plumbing after only 1.6 years of equivalent hot water use on 26 gpg hard water. Softened water saves 34% of costs compared to operating on 20 grains per gallon (gpg) and saves 47% compared to operation on 30 gpg hard water.

Showerheads and faucets: Showerheads on soft water maintained a brilliant luster and full flow. Faucets on softened water performed well throughout the study; nearly as well as the day they were installed. Showerheads on hard water lost 75% of the flow rate in less than 18 months. Faucets on hard water could not maintain the specified 1.25 gallons per minute flow rate because of scale collection of the strainers. The strainers on the faucets using un-softened water were almost completely plugged after 19 equivalent days of testing.

Appliances: In the study, dishwashers and washing machines were operated for 30 days and 240 completed wash cycles on soft and hard water sources. The units using soft water were almost completely free of any water scale buildup. As the report states, they appeared as if they could be cleaned up to look like new with just a quick wipe down. The appearance of the inside of units using hard water showed the need for de-liming and cleaning due to the buildup of scale and deposits.

Contact Florida Water Treatment by phone @ 727-736-2747 or visit us on the web @ www.flawatertreatment.com for all of your water treatment needs.

Study Source – Water Quality Association (WQA)

Filed Under: 2012, 2012, April 2012 - South Tampa, April 2012 – Tampa Bay, Green Living, March 2012 - South Tampa, March 2012 – Tampa Bay, South Tampa, Tampa Bay Tagged With: Energy Savings, Features, Florida Water Treatment, Green Living, Home, Jori Zarra, Matthew Zarra, South Tampa, Tampa, Tampa Bay

Can You Get Soft Water from a “No Salt” Conditioner?

February 22, 2012 By Matthew and Jori Zarra 25 Comments

Matthew and Jori Zarra

Lately I have heard a massive amount of advertising for water conditioning systems that do not use salt and claim to take the place of your water softener. These ads show consumers struggling to carry bags of salt for their water softener and claim this can be eliminated with their product because no salt is needed. The advertising is very misleading because it does not tell the whole story about their product. They are using deceptive tactics to mislead the consumer into believing that the product they are selling will give the same end result as a traditional water softener. The short answer is NO – IT WILL NOT SOFTEN THE WATER AND THEY ARE NOT THE SAME!! There is no technology available that will soften your water without using ion exchange technology (exchanging sodium chloride for calcium and magnesium on the softening resin filter media). You have to do your homework on these no salt conditioners to actually get the truth, if you dig deep enough you will find that some of the manufacturers actually state that you will get a white film or crust on your fixtures and glass but it is easily wiped away. Seriously??

The “No-Salt” technology is referred to as Physical Water Treatment. These systems include magnets, electro-magnets, electrical frequency (these are the systems where you wrap wire around your pipes) and crystallization polymers. All of them claim to modify the structure by changing the composition of the hardness minerals, in a way that prevents scale from forming. One big issue is that the hardness (calcium and magnesium) is still in the water and it is not being removed like a traditional water softener. Ion exchange technology in a traditional water softener 100% removes the hardness from the water unlike physical water treatment.

Another essential problem with all physical water treatment products is that you can’t verify that they are actually doing anything. There is not a test that can show a difference in water before and after the treatment, not one – unlike a water softener. There is not a detectable difference in the feel of the water, the reaction with soaps, or with laundry. The water before and after the treatment is exactly the same. With a traditional softener the effects are instantly noticed through the feeling of the water and the elimination of spots and scaling, this is not the case with physical water treatment If your softener breaks down or is removed you will instantly notice a difference in the water and know something is wrong unlike physical water treatment. In most cases the only way you know that the physical water treatment machine is working is by the green dummy light that shows the machine is on. At Florida Water Treatment we have removed hundreds of these physical water treatment machines because the customer states they have made no difference in their water and reinstalled a traditional water softener. DO NOT make the mistake of believing these physical water treatment machines will take the place of your water softener, they WILL NOT give you the same result and are by no means a direct replacement.

The technology has been improved greatly with traditional water softeners drastically reducing the amount of salt used. At Florida Water Treatment we build softeners that use 4-6 bags of salt per year and we guarantee that you will never miss a day of soft water. The newer technology has made our softeners much more efficient and effective in the way they soften water. AT Florida Water treatment we have a water softener for every budget since all of our equipment is custom built. At FWT we employ no sales personnel so there are no long demonstrations or pushy and deceptive sales tactics. Please call FWT for a free water analysis and estimate.

Filed Under: 2012, 2012, February 2012 - South Tampa, February 2012 – Tampa Bay, Green Living, South Tampa, Tampa Bay Tagged With: Energy Savings, Features, Florida Water Treatment, Green Living, Home, Jori Zarra, Matthew Zarra, South Tampa, Tampa, Tampa Bay

Is It Time To Service Your Water Treatment System?

December 13, 2011 By Matthew and Jori Zarra 40 Comments

Matthew and Jori Zarra

Have you noticed that your water bills have been increasing and cannot figure out why? Do you experience low water pressure at times? Does your softener seem to be going through more salt than normal? If you answered yes to any of these questions you have a problem with your water softener. Water softeners like any other appliance have seals, motors, and timers that may go bad over time. The extreme hardness and high amounts of chlorine in our water tends to break down water softeners very quickly. The good news is that most of these problems can be fixed with a simple service call. The majority of water softeners are built using the one size fits all approach and are not designed to handle the harsh water conditions we encounter in the Tampa Bay area.

With the tough water restrictions now in place it is important that your water softener is running effectively and efficient. Depending on the system you have will determine how often it will regenerate (go through it’s cleaning cycle using salt or potassium). In today’s market there are generally two types of systems available – a time clock or metered system. A time clock valve is usually on a day clock and it set to regenerate on certain days of the week regardless if it needs to or not. These valves if not set properly can waste a large amount of water backwashing, use a lot of salt, and put needless wear and tear on the softener shortening its life. A metered valve regenerates based on your water usage, it is set to a certain amount of gallons (example-every 1200 gallons). This only allows the softener to regenerate when needed based on the water being used in the home. A metered water softener is very efficient, typically uses less salt, and does not put as much wear and tear on the unit from unnecessary regenerations.

Water softeners today need maintenance like any other appliance, they have many parts that need to be cleaned and calibrated to maintain their effectiveness. At Florida Water Treatment we service all makes and models of water softeners. Call today to schedule your annual maintenance and ask about our service special for Panache Vue’ Magazine readers.

Florida Water treatment has been providing customized water treatment solutions since 1951 at wholesale prices. Our water softeners are custom built to meet the needs of your water; FWT does not offer the “one size fi ts all approach of all National Brands.” To schedule a free water analysis call Florida Water Treatment at 727-736-2747 or visit us on the web @ www.flawatertreatment.com for all of your water treatment needs.

Filed Under: 2011, 2011, December 2011 - South Tampa, December 2011 – Tampa Bay, South Tampa, Tampa Bay Tagged With: Energy Savings, Features, Florida Water Treatment, Green Living, Home, Jori Zarra, Matthew Zarra, South Tampa, Tampa, Tampa Bay

Water Treatment – Choose your Company Wisely

October 14, 2011 By Matthew and Jori Zarra 28 Comments

Matthew and Jori Zarra

We are currently in an age where information is readily available and easy to access, but it surprises me every day that consumers are making poor decisions when choosing a company to treat their homes water. As with every other service industry there are many choices when it comes to choosing a company to meet your needs. Unfortunately it seems that the water treatment industry seems to attract some very deceitful individuals. It is a shame because these fraudulent few seem to give my industry a bad name. This is why it is very important to choose a company that has a solid track record in the water treatment industry. Look for a company that has been operating under the same name for many years, because a majority of these dishonest companies will change names every few years to avoid warranty claims by their customers – stating that your warranty was with the other company even though it is the same owner and they are keeping the customer files. As I stated earlier information is very easily attained through the Internet, BBB, Angie’s List, and the Department of consumer affairs to name a few. If there is any dirt on these companies you will find it with any of these sources. Look for accredited companies with a clean record and no criminal charges. You should also look up the owner of the company through Sunbiz or the BBB, then check your local sheriffs website or the FDLE to see if they have a fraudulent criminal record. By taking these steps and doing a little research you will protect yourself from making a poor decision when it comes to choosing a water treatment company to treat your homes water.

Florida Water Treatment has been family owned and operated for the past 60 years providing high quality water treatment solutions in the Tampa Bay area since 1951. We have been in our current location at 1398 Main Street – Dunedin, FL since 1987 and have our roots firmly planted in delightful Dunedin. Florida Water Treatment is an accredited business with the BBB maintaining an A+ rating and very highly rated through Angie’s List winning the Super Service award multiple times. Florida Water Treatment has a customer base of over 50,000 installing over 100 water treatment systems a month and running over 120 service calls a week. At Florida Water Treatment we strive to maintain the highest level of customer service treating every customer as if they were are only one.

If you are in the market for a new water treatment system or need service on your current system we can help. Our factory trained technicians service all makes and models of water treatment and at Florida Water Treatment every system we build is designed for your home and built to order – we do not believe in the one sized fits all approach of the majority of our competitors.

Contact Florida Water Treatment by phone @ 727-736-2747 or visit us on the web @ www.flawatertreatment.com for all of your water treatment needs.