What To Expect With Your New Water Softener / Conditioner - Pentair PELICAN NS1354-P Manual

WHAT TO EXPECT WITH YOUR NEW WATER SOFTENER ALTERNATIVE SYSTEM
If you have never had a water softener:
You will experience naturally soft water immediately after the installation. Most detergents will work better with treated water
and you will be able to reduce the amount you use. However, there may be mineral deposits and hard water scale coating the
inside of your pipes and fixtures. Over the first few weeks, this hard water scale will dissolve, detach itself from the pipes, and
come out of your faucets. This descaling process is temporary and will steadily diminish. During these first weeks, you will
notice:
• Reduced softness of the water. This will be particularly evident when using hot water. The water can pick up more than ten
grains of mineral content per gallon between the water softener alternative system and the faucet as it travels through the
water heater and the plumbing.
• Mineral silt in the water. Since the existing limestone scale is softened and dissolved as part of the water softener
alternative effect, it will detach in small chunks ranging in size from very fine silt to pieces larger than a grain of sand.
The larger pieces may be big enough to build up in the aerator screens of your fixtures. Considerable silt-like accumulations
may be visible on shower heads, so clean them weekly for the first four (4) weeks. Higher flow rates will shear off more of
the existing hard water scale than will lower flow rates. Descaling activity will be most obvious in bathtubs which have high
flow and hot water. You may see milky water with sand-like grit, and possibly sediment or iron in the bath tub.
• The water line supplying fixtures which experience the most use will be cleaned the quickest and will be the first to return
to providing you the full benefits you experienced immediately following installation; rarely used fixtures will take longer.
If you had a traditional water softener:
A traditional water softener turns dissolved mineral hardness (calcium bicarbonate) into dissolved sodium bicarbonate. The
water softener alternative technology maintains the healthy mineral content of the water without adding the bicarbonate. You
will notice:
• In a traditional water softener, the absence of the calcium and the presence of sodium bicarbonate makes the water feel
slick and slimy. If you miss the slick feeling, add some baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) to your bath water.
• The water spots are more visible. A water softener replaces calcium with sodium. The water spotting that a traditional
water softener leaves behind is a salt haze that wipes off very easily and is far less noticeable than spots caused by minerals.
The water softener alternative treatment results in reduced spotting compared to untreated water, but more visible spots
than produced by traditional, chemically-treated softened water. The water softener alternative mineral spots are much
easier to clean than spots from untreated water.
• Soap curd forms with certain products. Oil-based soaps will react with calcium minerals to form a sticky film. Detergent-
based cleaners like shampoos, shower gels, dish soaps, and laundry detergents will react very slightly or not at all. Most
detergents will work better with treated water, but you will notice very little improvement when using regular bar soap
or oil-based products since the minerals are largely still able to react with the fats in the soap to form the curd.
• There is some mineral silt in the bathtub. Depending on the water chemistry of your water supply, you may still have some
hard water scale deposits in your plumbing system.
If you have a dishwasher:
Generally, the water softener alternative system removes mineral hardness from solution and forms microcrystals; it does not
physically remove the natural minerals from the water. Harsh chemicals, specifically acidic (low pH) detergents or rinse agents,
can redissolve these crystals. This reduces the desired effect. Also, dishwashers are supplied by the hot water side of a
building' s plumbing system, so for the first few weeks, the water hardness inside the dishwasher will be higher than normal. For
both of these reasons, you should adjust the combination and amounts of detergents and rinse agents. Gel packs offer a great
alternative since they contain detergents and rinse agents in predetermined amounts.
If you have glass shower doors:
Years of untreated hardness can etch the surface of your glass allowing for soap scum and minerals to get stuck in your glass.
We recommend cleaning the glass surface thoroughly with a descaling cleaner such as CLR® Cleaning Products then applying
a few coatings of Rain-X® to seal the pores on the glass surface. This process will fill the pores in the glass and allow the water
to bead.
PELICAN HIGH FLOW SALT-FREE WATER SOFTENER ALTERNATIVE • 9