In 500 BC, Greeks, Romans and Egyptians used Silver to purify and preserve water.  In the 1800′s Doctors used silver sutures in surgical wounds, Pioneers and frontier settlers used Silver Coins in their drinking water and milk to prevent spoilage. And in the 1970′s NASA scientists developed silver ion technology to purify drinking water for space shuttle orbiters.

Silver is a naturally occurring and highly effective antimicrobial agent. Silver has long been known for its antimicrobial properties and is effective in fighting a wide range of microbes.  Silver provides many benefits over other antimicrobials that are chlorine, ammonia or alcohol based. Silver is proven to be safe with no toxic effects on people, plants or animals.

Inventor Ray Ward learned about the NASA silver ion filtration media and, after gathering information on the technology from NASA, worked with Puronics to adapt it for improving water quality in homes.  Puronics helped him design his equipment to make the most efficient usage of silver impregnated carbon.  Puronics used the NASA technology as a departure point for company development of a silver carbon of such a light density that it would remain on the top of the water softening resin bed where, as research indicated, the greatest bacterial growth occurs.  After extensive company testing, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) evaluated the process and found silver carbon to be an effective bacterial growth inhibitor.

Microsilver Bateriostasis technology uses microscopic particles of silver that are embedded into the SilverShield® Hygene® filter media using a proprietary process.  The SilverShield Hygene filter media allows a controlled release of silver ions that attack microbes and inhibit their growth within the filter media bed of the water system, as well as removing or reducing tastes, odors and chlorine.  SilverShield Hygene bacteriostatic filter media is included in the majority of Puronics residential products and in certain commercial products.

Puronics SilverShield protection assures you of the highest quality water coming into your home or business.

Puronics SilverShield Protection

Visit our Main Site to compare all of our different products

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West Coast Water Filtration also services all the system we carry, as well as most other systems on the market.  Did you buy your Reverse Osmosis or Water Softener at Home Depot, Lowes, Sams Club or CostCo?  But, now you don’t want the hassle of servicing your system or replacing your filters?  We can help.   Our staff of professional, highly trained technicians can come to your home or office, sometimes the same day you call, and replace your filters, service your equipment or even replace entire systems all at very reasonable and competitive prices.

So, how does this compare to the sodium content in common foods?

*It is important to note that about 2/3 of the daily water intake of any individual is through food and only about 1/3 is from water itself.

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Reprinted from MayoClinic.com

Regular tap water contains very little sodium. The amount of sodium a water softener adds to tap water depends on the “hardness” of the water. Hard water contains large amounts of calcium and magnesium. Some water-softening systems remove calcium and magnesium ions and replace them with sodium ions. The higher the concentration of calcium and magnesium, the more sodium needed to soften the water. Even so, the added sodium doesn’t add up to much.

An 8-ounce (237-milliliter) glass of softened water generally contains less than 12.5 milligrams of sodium, which is well within the Food and Drug Administration’s definition of “very low sodium.” The majority of sodium in the average diet comes from table salt and processed foods. Thus, the best way to decrease the sodium in your diet is by cutting back on table salt and processed foods.

If you’re on a diet that calls for very little sodium and you’re concerned about the amount of sodium in your softened water, talk with your doctor. He or she may suggest testing the sodium concentration of your water or switching to a type of water-purification system that doesn’t replace magnesium and calcium with sodium. Another option is to soften only the hot water and use unsoftened cold water for drinking and cooking.

By Sheldon G. Sheps, M.D.

Most of the quality reverse osmosis systems available for household use contain 3, 4 or 5 stages before the water is output to the faucet.  These stages may contain a combination of the following filter media; Membrane, sediment filters & carbon filters.  Quality systems also have the ability to add or interchange additional filters for certain household situations, such as heavy sediment, unusually high levels of chemicals, well water or other contaminates.

There are several factors that affect the performance of Reverse Osmosis systems; Household water pressure, quality of the pre & post filters and membranes used in the system, temperature of the incoming water supply and the type and number of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in your water.  There are many different companies producing Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water systems with just as many price points.  The main factor that determines the quality and/or price of most systems is the quality of the filter media and membranes being used.   The higher quality of the filter stages will directly effect the quality and purity of the water coming out at the faucet.

We carry two different Reverse Osmosis systems, both outfitted with some of the highest quality media available.  Our Micromax 6500 is a 4 stage system producing up to 25 gallons per day of clean, pure, filtered water.  Our 5 stage system produces up to 50 gallons of clean, pure, filtered water.  Both of our systems remove an average of 95% of the dissolved solids from the incoming water, including arsenic, chromium6, nitrates, lead and cysts.  This is the same technology used by most bottled water companies.

It’s easy to forget how important water is in our lives. Of course we need it in our diet, but in our homes, it’s a tool–a fluid medium that carries material from one place to the next. And one of the reasons it does this job well is that it’s very good at holding things, either by suspending them or dissolving them.

Unlike most tools, though, water doesn’t come with an instruction manual. If it did, you’d know why the dishes you thought were washed are covered with spots when dry, why the water in your shower leaves a film on everything it touches, and why what you thought was clean water has clogged up your plumbing system.

While water is in the ground, it picks up soluble bits of whatever it passes through. While this can mean contamination that makes the water unfit to drink, in many cases it simply means that the water contains minerals found in the earth. Of these, calcium and magnesium are of particular importance because they affect the water’s ability to function in our homes. These minerals make our water hard.

One effect of hard water is that soaps and detergents lose some effectiveness. Instead of dissolving completely, soap combines with the minerals to form a coagulated soap curd. Because less soap is dissolved, more is required. And the sticky insoluble curd hangs around–it clings to the skin and may actually inhibit cleansing. Washed hair seems dull and lifeless.

In the laundry, things aren’t much better. The soap curd can work its way into your clothes as they’re being washed in your automatic washing machine. This can keep dirt trapped in the fibers, and it can stiffen and roughen the fabric.

In addition to affecting the actual washing process, insoluble soap deposits leave spots on everything you wash–from your dishes to the family car–and a soap film will build up in your bath and shower.

Another reason to be concerned about hard water is its effect on your plumbing system. Calcium and magnesium deposits can build up in pipes, reducing flow to taps and appliances. In water heaters, these minerals generate a scale buildup that reduces the efficiency and life of the heater.

The Fix

The solution to the problem is to get rid of the calcium and magnesium. While there are chemical treatments that do this, the most popular answer is a water softener.

The typical water softener is a mechanical appliance that’s plumbed into your home’s water supply system. All water softeners use the same operating principle: They trade the minerals for something else, in most cases sodium. The process is called ion exchange.

The heart of a water softener is a mineral tank. It’s filled with small polystyrene beads, also known as resin or zeolite. The beads carry a negative charge.

Calcium and magnesium in water both carry positive charges. This means that these minerals will cling to the beads as the hard water passes through the mineral tank. Sodium ions also have positive charges, albeit not as strong as the charge on the calcium and magnesium. When a very strong brine solution is flushed through a tank that has beads already saturated with calcium and magnesium, the sheer volume of the sodium ions is enough to drive the calcium and magnesium ions off the beads. Water softeners have a separate brine tank that uses common salt to create this brine solution.

In normal operation, hard water moves into the mineral tank and the calcium and magnesium ions move to the beads, replacing sodium ions. The sodium ions go into the water. Once the beads are saturated with calcium and magnesium, the unit enters a 3-phase regenerating cycle. First, the backwash phase reverses water flow to flush dirt out of the tank. In the recharge phase, the concentrated sodium-rich salt solution is carried from the brine tank through the mineral tank. The sodium collects on the beads, replacing the calcium and magnesium, which go down the drain. Once this phase is over, the mineral tank is flushed of excess brine and the brine tank is refilled.

The Brains

Most popular water softeners have an automatic regenerating system. The most basic type has an electric timer that flushes and recharges the system on a regular schedule. During recharging, soft water is not available.

A second type of control uses a computer that watches how much water is used. When enough water has passed through the mineral tank to have depleted the beads of sodium, the computer triggers regeneration. These softeners often have reserve resin capacity, so that some soft water will be available during recharging.

A third type of control uses a mechanical water meter to measure water usage and initiate recharging. The advantage of this system is that no electrical components are required and the mineral tank is only recharged when necessary. When it is equipped with two mineral tanks, softened water is always available, even when the unit is recharging.

Judging Water Hardness

West Coast Water Filtration is pleased to offer FREE in-home water testing.  If you would like your water tested by one of our qualified technicians, please fill out our FORM.

Water hardness is measured in grains per gallon (GPG) or milligrams per liter (mg/l, equivalent to parts per million, or ppm). Water up to 1 GPG (or 17.1 mg/l) is considered soft, and water from 60 to 120 GPG is considered moderately hard. A water softener’s effectiveness depends on how hard the incoming water is. Water over 100 GPG may not be completely softened.

We are starting our new blog to help share our knowledge and experience with the water around us.  If you live in Southern California, you know what the quality of our drinking water is. Poor at best.  We plan on using our new blog to help you, our neighbors, enjoy clean, soft and great tasting water, everyday!

We plan on posting weekly articles talking about things such as the causes of hard water, how to make your water soft, the benefits of soft water, what makes drinking water taste/smell bad, how to make great tasting drinking water from you tap water and other topics to help you get the best water possible for you and your family.

If you have a question about your water, please feel free to ‘Ask the Water Guy’.  We will do our best to answer each and every question that comes across our blog.

Our goal, one drop at a time, is to get every person in Southern California drinking and enjoying clean, great tasting water.

Thanks again for stopping by,

The Water Guy!