Here in New Hampshire we have more than our fair share of Radon in water issues. Although the treatment Systems have become more user friendly over the years, venting the gas has not changed. For more information on the removal of Radon in Water please visit our website at www.secondwindwater.com

Removing radon from the water is only half of the fun. In order to truly be rid of the Gas it is very important to follow safe venting practices. Vent stack exhaust should be at least ten feet, above the ground, or any platforms. They should also be ten feet away from any radon re-entry point such as a window, door, adjacent building, or other openings such as a sky light.

On older systems it is very very important to check the actual end of the exhaust pipe. Most systems are installed to EPA venting protocols. However over time changes may have occurred such as additions, new roof lines, and windows. One definite mistake is if the vent is open on the end allowing rain or snow to enter. The end of the vertical vent stack should have at least one 90 degree bend with a screen on the end. We generally attach a fitting that resembles a dryer vent at the end of the 90, that has a flapper and a screen. The last thing that you want is an open pipe pointing straight up, that allows  Precipitation fouled with Bacteria to flow down the vent and into your Water.  The absolute worst case would be wildlife nesting your vent pipe. They really love the warm air coming from the pipe in the Winter. So check your vents! 

Thank you for your continued support of Secondwind Water Systems. We truly appreciate your business and referrals. If you have any Water questions please visit our website at www.secondwindwater.com or call 1-800-287-5767. Until next time this is Chris Saltmarsh CWS-6, saying, “Thanks for reading!, and enjoy your great water”… : )

Here in New Hampshire we have a lot more than our fair share of Radionuclides in the Water. Many people are aware of the high presence of Radon in Water in New Hampshire, because it is something that is disclosed during Real Estate transactions. Uranium is less often discussed, although it is very present. For More information regarding Radionuclides and Radon in Water please visit our website at www.secondwindwater.com.

Uranium decays into Radium. Radium decays into Radon. This process takes Millions of years to occur, but still you can’t have Radon without Uranium and Radium having been around at some point. So, there are some relationships between high levels of Radon in Water and Uranium in Water. This doesn’t mean that if you have one that you will definitely have the other. It just means that if you have one, that you are more likely to have the other. Therefore if you know that there is high Radon in the raw Water it would be practical to have the drinking water tested for Uranium.

There are many people with very strong feelings regarding the Radon removal industry. This is brought on mostly by conflicting information available on line, and the fact that there is no set EPA maximum contaminant level for Radon in Water. Uranium is a very different story. There is a set EPA maximum level for Uranium in Water, 30 ug/l. People don’t question whether or not Uranium is bad for their health.   

If you do test your water and find that there are high levels of Uranium in the water, there are Water Treatment Systems available that do a great job of removing it. The test is only about $35 at most independent labs. As for your past exposure to Uranium in Water that you have already consumed, just think of it as quitting smoking. The best thing that you can do is quit, now!

Thank you for your continued support of Secondwind Water Systems. We truly appreciate your business and referrals. If you have any Water questions please visit our website at www.secondwindwater.com or call 1-800-287-5767. Until next time this is Chris Saltmarsh CWS-6, saying, “Thanks for reading!, and enjoy your great water”… : )

You have probably seen my blogs about using Potassium Chloride in your Water Softener before. If you did you would know that this is the toughest time of year for Potassium users. For more information on Water Softeners please visit our website at www.secondwindwater.com.com .

As we reach the peak Summer weather in New Hampshire the humidity levels are usually on the rise right along with the temperatures. This Humidity causes the Potassium to stick together in clumps. This will lead to mushing, bridging and poor saturation of the Brine Solution that should be cleaning your Water Softener. If you are using Potassium as a regenerant I strongly recommend that you do not put more Potassium into the Brine tank than what you will use in one month. Sodium Chloride is much less prone to mushing and bridging than Potassium and if I had to choose for my own personal use I would prefer Sodium. Of course I would put in a good RO drinking water System to remove Sodium and other contaminants as well.

If you have a Potassium regenerating Softener just pay a little more attention to it in the Summer. Kick your brine tank more often than normal, and don’t over fill it. This will help you to insure good water quality all year round.

Thank you for your continued support of Secondwind Water Systems. We truly appreciate your business and referrals. If you have any Water questions please visit our website at www.secondwindwater.com or call 1-800-287-5767. Until next time this is Chris Saltmarsh CWS-6, saying, “Thanks for reading!, and enjoy your great water”… : )

Like most things in life if you don’t use your Water Treatment System, it might not be there for you when you are ready to use it.

I have seen many cases where Systems have been put in bypass for years. This allows the contaminants inside to solidify and ruin the bed of Media. Pistons that operate within the Valve will stick in position and destroy the Control Head. If you would like to learn more about Water Treatment Systems please visit our website at www.secondwindwater.com .

One of the biggest problems with not using your equipment regularly is Bacteria/ Bio Slime.  Not all Bacteria is bad for you. In fact you need Bacteria to survive. So lets just assume that there is Bacteria in everything that we consume and not just point the finger at Water, shall we! The big difference is that you wouldn’t put other consumables into a vessel and store it at room temperature, expecting it to be ready to consume months or years later . If you did the Bacteria would grow and produce Bio Slime and decay to the point where the consumable was rotten. With water it is a slightly different condition because there is not much exposure to air but still there is that nice warm temperature to grow in. So, when you just put a Water System into bypass you are trapping the water in that vessel and exposing it to warm temperature for a really prolonged period of time.  What comes out from the vessel later is probably not something that you will like.

I can’t really offer a timeline on how long it takes for storage to become an issue because everyone’s Water Chemistry is different. However it is safe to say that water can can go stagnant within a few days. Here are some easy steps to consider the next time that you by-pass a Water Treatment System. Give it a good Backwash/Regeneration first. Leave it in service and just shut off the Water after the System that goes to the house so that the System can still Backwash/Regenerate. Have your treatment equipment serviced regularly to avoid Valve problems. Have the Media removed from Systems that have a greater chance of going hard such as Calcite/Corosex or  Adsorber, that don’t backwash. Empty your Brine Tank before it turns as hard as a rock! Empty all Cartridge Filter Housings.

When you turn your System back on be sure to Backwash/ Regenerate it again to send all of that stagnant water off to waste instead of straight to the faucet. If you have a cartridge filter housing you can chlorinate you distribution system by adding household bleach to the filter housing. Be sure to flush out the bleach first before drinking it. Then you can replace the Cartridges.

Thank you for your continued support of Secondwind Water Systems. We truly appreciate your business and referrals. If you have any Water questions please visit our website at www.secondwindwater.com or call 1-800-287-5767. Until next time this is Chris Saltmarsh CWS-6, saying, “Thanks for reading!, and enjoy your great water”… : )

In our last Blog I revealed ways of  releasing pressure from your Cartridge Filter Housing to make removing the Cartridge easier. Today I would like to discuss another reason that Cartridges are hard to open, which is over tightening. This happens quite often because the Filter leaks, and has to be tightened over and over to stop the dripping. The goal here is to be able to change the Cartridge when it plugs. So, lets spend some time on why Cartridges leak in the first place. For more information on Water Treatment Systems please visit our website at www.secondwindwater.com .

Usually the reason for the leak is that the O-Ring has become soiled with grit and sediment or has become dry. When the Cartridge Housing is re-tightened the grit is then driven down into the O-Ring creating divots and wear spots. The O-Ring should also have a nice healthy layer of silicon, potable water grade, sealant on it to stop leaks. Next Time your Cartridge Filter leaks don’t just keep tightening it with the wrench. Stop and inspect the O-Ring, wipe off any Grit and Sediment from it and reapply the sealant if necessary. Many times there is enough sealant in the head of the Filter Housing to seal the O-Ring and get you out of an emergency.  Often, you can just flip the O-ring over to get lubricant, from the underside, onto both sides.

These easy steps can save you a world of frustration in a few months when its time to change the Cartridge. Remember O-Rings and lube are cheap, but a trouble free weekend is priceless. Call us if you need some sealant and a new O-Ring. We will mail it right out to you. Or ask the technician for one when you schedule your next Service call.

Remember don’t over tighten your Filter and life will be a lot easier later on, and enjoy your great Water!

Thank you for your continued support of Secondwind Water Systems. We truly appreciate your business and referrals. If you have any Water questions please visit our website at www.secondwindwater.com or call 1-800-287-5767. Until next time this is Chris Saltmarsh CWS-6, saying, “Thanks for reading!, and enjoy your great water”… : )

Probably the most common Water Treatment System in homes today is the ever faithful Cartridge Filter. There are many types of Housings and many types of Cartridges to go into those Housings. They come in different shapes, sizes, and colors, to tackle a wide array of Water Quality issues.

No matter what type you have, they all have one thing in common. You can’t get them open unless you let the pressure out of the Housing first. Possibly Governor Schwarzenegger can, but he’s the only one!

Usually you can find a pressure release button on the Housing and some types even come with a bypass/pressure relief valve built right into them. These can still be very hard to open.For more information about Cartridge Filters visit our website at www.secondwindwater.com .

So, what to do? If your plumbing system allows, run the water upstairs in the tub, and then turn off the breaker to your well pump. When the pressure gauge on your pressure tank reads zero shut off the water following the Cartridge Housing. There is usually a Ball Valve handle right there. This will stop all the household water from flowing back down the pipe, later on. Then hook up a short hose to the boiler drain on your pressure tank and let the remaining water out. The Housing should be depressurized now. This should be as easy as it gets to open that stubborn sump and get the old cartridge out. Once you have replaced the Cartridge, and added a couple ounces of bleach to sterilize everything, put the Cartridge Housing back together hand tight and then give it a 1/4 turn with the Filter Wrench, shut off the boiler drain on the pressure tank, and turn on the Breaker to the pump. If there are no leaks you can now slowly open the ball valve after the housing. The water will start running upstairs again, so go shut it off once you have let the bleach flush out.

Not every house is plumbed the same, but after performing well over 2000 site assessments, I can say that most homes on wells, are this way. However, if you have a Radon in Water System be sure to put it in bypass before attempting this procedure. Take a look at your plumbing and really think through what I am suggesting to you before doing it, to avoid getting wet, or give us a call and we can talk you through it. As always, if you are an existing customer of Secondwind and would like an additional walk-through on your water system please don’t hesitate to call on us.

Thank you for your continued support of Secondwind Water Systems. We truly appreciate your business and referrals. If you have any Water questions please visit our website at www.secondwindwater.com or call 1-800-287-5767. Until next time this is Chris Saltmarsh CWS-6, saying, “Thanks for reading!, and enjoy your great water”… : )

A few weeks ago I commented on how low the Water table has been this year. We certainly have seen an increase in customer call ins this year due to low well Water yield. As the static level in a well starts to drop down due to a low water table the well pump has to work harder and harder to pump the water up to the home. This results in lower flows, longer pump cycles, and reduced pressure. For more information about your well and pumping system please visit our website at www.secondwindwater.com .

With the increased water use of Summertime and the lower water table, Wells can simply run out of Water. When this occurs it is not unusual to see some very dirty Water coming from the well. Quite often Wells will have Water flowing in from cracks located all up and down the Well. When the static level of the Well drops down to below these crack it is possible to cause what we at Secondwind call a Brown Out. The water trickling down the sides of the Well will loosen and disturb sediment. This sediment, often Iron and Manganese, will cause the water to turn to a Dark Brown/Black color. Don’t panic just try lowering your Water Usage over the next few days. The Water color will return to clear over time. The thing to remember is that this Sediment can quickly plug a Sediment Cartridge, backwashing Filter, or Softener. If you notice a pressure drop inspect your system. The settings on your equipment are not set up to deal with a Brown Out. You may have to Manually backwash/ regenerate your equipment sooner than originally planned. Cartridges may need to be changed every day instead of every few months until the Water clears up. Also, if your Well is hit by lightening you may experience a Brown Out afterwards, because the ground shakes loosening up the Sediment. Usually, there is no reason to change the settings on your equipment. You will just need to know how to Manually run your equipment through a Backwash/ Regeneration cycle. We cover this in our customer walk through. Also, there should be labels on our Systems explaining how to perform this, it’s easy.

Thank you for your continued support of Secondwind Water Systems. We truly appreciate your business and referrals. If you have any Water questions please visit our website at www.secondwindwater.com or call 1-800-287-5767. Until next time this is Chris Saltmarsh CWS-6, saying, “Thanks for reading!, and enjoy your great water”… : )

One of the first things that I hear from customers who are not accustomed to Softened water is that the water feels slippery in the shower. This is something that people who have spent their whole life on Softened Water desire and come to expect.  There are many things that cause this and I will try to cover the three most common ones today. If you would like to learn more about Water Softeners please visit our website at www.secondwindwater.com .

Water Softening is a process also known as ion exchange. Negatively charged Resin beads attract positively charged contaminants in the Water, such as Iron Manganese and Calcium Hardness. As these positive ions stick to the resin Sodium/Potassium ions are released into the water.

Iron, Manganese and Calcium Hardness are rough on your skin. They also plug up the pores in your skin. When these undesirable contaminants are removed from the water the pores in your skin can open up and release natural skin oils, as they should. The increased release of natural skin oils is one of the ways that Softened Water can produce a silky feeling.

Water that is high in Calcium Bi-Carbonate can give off a silky feeling when Softened. When the Calcium is exchange for Sodium the result is Sodium Bi-Carbonate (Baking Soda) which also can result in a nice silky feel on your wet skin.

Lastly, by Softening the Calcium Hardness from the your Water you will increase the sudsing affect of Soaps. Quite often people are accustomed to using a certain amount of shaving cream, shampoo, or bath soap when ever they use it.  Removing the Calcium from the water will often result in a 1/3 to 2/3 Soap reduction. If you continue to use Soap in the same quantities as before the water was Softened the result will be an extremely slippery on.

So cut down on your Soaps and Detergents, let those skin oils flow, and enjoy your Silky Softened Water!

Thank you for your continued support of Secondwind Water Systems. We truly appreciate your business and referrals. If you have any Water questions please visit our website at www.secondwindwater.com or call 1-800-287-5767. Until next time this is Chris Saltmarsh CWS-6, saying, “Thanks for reading!, and enjoy your great water”… : )

I hear about it every Summer. Usually it is from new customers that aren’t experienced with their Water Treatment Systems yet. When the warm humid summer air touches the cold Treatment Equipment the humidity condenses into water. The result is usually a puddle at the base of the Tanks. For more information regarding condensation please visit our website at www.secondwindwater.com .

In order to slow down the condensation process you have to slow down the air circulation around the tanks, and/or reduce the humidity within the air. This means closing all basement windows and doors. If the Water treatment is in a closet keep the closet door closed.  Wrapping the tanks and plumbing with closed cell foam really works well. Installing a dehumidifier is also a good option.

Never blow a fan on your Water Treatment Equipment. It will only make the situation worse by increasing the humidity that comes in contact with the tank. I actually had a customer once who had us install their Water Softener in a closet. Once the equipment was in they had a contractor sheetrock the inside of the closet. The contractor told them to blow a fan into the closet so that the sheetrock would dry. With the closet door open and the fan blowing on the Softener Tanks in August it sure made for one big mess. Finally I convinced the Customer to close the closet door and to replace the fan with a dehumidifier. In less than 4 days everything was looking good.

Thank you for your continued support of Secondwind Water Systems. We truly appreciate your business and referrals. If you have any Water questions please visit our website at www.secondwindwater.com or call 1-800-287-5767. Until next time this is Chris Saltmarsh CWS-6, saying, “Thanks for reading!, and enjoy your great water”… : )

Once again this is my week for Secondwind On-Call. This means that if a Customer has an Emergency they can call our 24 hr answering service and have the on call Project Manager paged, ME. Although I am not intimately aware of all of the customer sites, I am usually able to help the Customer understand what is going on and make adjustments to their system over the phone, so that they can go back to their lives again. This week was no too bad! However there were a couple of calls regarding low water pressure, that are really standing out in my mind. If you would like to know more about the different services available here at Secondwind please visit our website at www.secondwindwater.com

In each case the customers had me paged because they had low water pressure in the home. I don’t know for certain if they assumed that the problem was in their Treatment Equipment, or if they just new that we would call them back right away with phone assistance. Either way, I helped them out ASAP!  As their stories started to unfold I remembered some information going around the office a few weeks ago about a larger than normal amount of customer call ins as a result of a low water table. In both cases the low pressure was indeed a result of a low water supply in the well. Both of the customers had been running outdoor water in the afternoon on a HOT day! It is very easy to pump a full days water supply through a garden hose in just a half hour. This is definitely something to be aware of.  In a year when the water table is obviously low it is very important to conserve your well water.  

Water Treatment Equipment such as Water Softeners and Filters often require an certain water flow and pressure in order to clean themselves properly and also for their valves to open and close correctly. We usually set the pressure at 40/60 psi at installation time. So if you are experiencing low pressure at the faucets and fixtures check the pressure gauge reading on your pressure tank where the water comes in from the well, with the water running.  Your pressure may seem fine at first but in a short amount of time the pressure may start to drop off. This would usually indicate a well or pump issue, not your treatment system. Like all things water there is a lot more to this than I can cover in this small blog, but this gives you the basics. In most cases the simple solution to this problem is to just conserve water and let the well recover naturally.

Thank you for your continued support of Secondwind Water Systems. We truly appreciate your business and referrals. If you have any Water questions please visit our website at www.secondwindwater.com or call 1-800-287-5767. Until next time this is Chris Saltmarsh CWS-6, saying, “Thanks for reading!, and enjoy your great water”… : )