My new water filter isn't working!
This question is asked daily by many people who have purchased a water filter online or hired a professional to install a new water filter for their home, “Why isn’t it working? Did they rip me off?” In this blog we’ll discuss the top reasons why the filter is not working or, in some cases, does not appear to be working. We’ll even cover some reasons why a filter that initially worked but now doesn’t appear to be working may be having problems.
Buying filter equipment online may not have the desired result.
The internet is full of advertisements for the perfect water filter that removes just the stains, odors and tastes you have, all you need to do is order and follow the simple to install directions. WAIT! The types and quantities of minerals/contaminates in dirty water can vary widely and the appropriate technology to remove one type of mineral, taste or odor can be very different from another type of filter that prevents green, brown or black staining. The appropriate technology to remove 0.5 parts per million of iron can very different from the technology used to remove 5 parts per million of iron!
Test your water
The first thing that should be done prior to purchasing any type of water filter is to perform a water test that will indicate what minerals are present and in what quantities they are present. A good lab report will also show what quantities of each mineral are considered high. One of our favorite water testing laboratories to work with is National Testing Laboratory because they have very affordable prices AND their lab reports are super easy for our customers to read! Results in green are in the safe/low/normal area. Results in yellow show areas that are at or near the maximum recommended level. Results that are red indicate contaminates that should be addressed. If you need to test your water, check out their affordable well check and water check test kits available from National Testing Laboratory.
Filter design considerations
One of the reasons that your water filter isn’t working may be that it wasn’t designed to do what you need it to! Maybe you have 5 parts per million of iron, but the filter you ordered online can only remove a maximum of 1 part per million! Maybe your home needs a filter that can handle a flow rate of 10 gallons per minute, but the one you ordered online is only capable of cleaning of 4 gallons per minute and running higher flow rates means the filter is simply overwhelmed and allow the contaminants through! The type of equipment for a home or office that doesn’t use any water at night that allows the filter to regenerate or clean itself in the middle of the night might be very different from the filter equipment for an industrial or commercial application where the water is being used constantly and the filter equipment needs to provide water constantly without shutting down for regeneration.
The local water company can help, right?
What about a local company that installs filter equipment with a big brand name behind them? Hopefully they can deliver what they promise, but they should be doing more water testing than a simple little demo at your kitchen sink that they find “shocking.” Don’t allow slick sales techniques to compel you to buy a water filter when all the factors haven’t been considered. They should be doing water testing that looks at several aspects, including but not limited to, pH, turbidity, iron, manganese, hardness, bacteria, taste & odor, etc… They should provide an initial test that shows what the water quality is and what the corrective action. After installation the company should also provide the results of a water test after the filter equipment has been installed and commissioned. Final payment should be predicated on both the water tests showing the filter equipment is working properly AND your confirming observation that the water has been cleaned up appropriately in your home. The company you work with should provide manuals for all the equipment installed, clear guidelines on the maintenance that your water filter equipment requires and should be able to offer a monthly, quarterly or yearly service plan to take care of the filter equipment for you.
Water filter failure due to lack of maintenance
In some cases your filter isn’t working because it hasn’t been properly maintained. For your filter system to work properly there may be filter cartridges that may need to be replaced every few months, there may be a salt tank that needs to be refilled and the filter regenerated, there may be another tank with chlorine that needs to be filled, UV bulbs to be changed, or a cleaner added to your water softener and a manual regeneration cycle started to remove mineral buildup inside the filter. If you don’t know the maintenance required for your specific water filter, then this could be the reason it is no longer working! The problem may be as simple as a little battery in the filter head that needs to be replaced or setting the proper time on the filter controller so it knows when to regenerate itself. Make certain you know your equipment, how it works and what the specific maintenance requirements are for each piece of equipment.
The filter is working, but the water is still terrible!
There are situations where the correct filter has been chosen, it has been installed correctly and the water immediately after the filters is of excellent quality BUT the water in the house is still terrible. In these cases the piping in your house has been coated with mineral deposits that, unless the piping is cleaned or replaced, will contaminate the clean water from the newly installed filters and be carried to your bathroom, sink or faucet for many months or even years! In these situations you should discuss the options to clean the pipes in your house to remove the buildup with the filter installer. Depending on the type of pipe in your house, a mild acid can be injected into the pipes where it can sit for a set period of time. This acid will dissolve the mineral buildup before it is flushed out. It some cases, more than one treatment/flushing is needed and the water cannot be used in the home during this process which can often take several hours.
Oakville Pump Service helps our clients understand their water quality and the options for filtering the specific contaminates in their water. If you are located in the Napa Valley and are struggling with dirty, smelly or bad tasting water, give our experienced team a call today to discuss the path to a great solution!
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