Ice serves a variety of purposes in the Healthcare industry including dietary needs, operative procedures, and treatment of inflammation. The availability of clean ice for all of these uses is dependent on the level of filtration in use. Healthcare facilities use a variety of ice machines but the most common is the nugget based ice machine for its ability to provide all the needs in a hospital. Nugget ice machines are small counter top dispensers located throughout the buildings to provide quick access for staff. But due to the unit’s small size, facilities are having to install the water filtration systems under the counters. This could be a problem in the sense that a traditional ice machine water filter can exceed over 20 inches leaving little room to install and maintain the unit. Well, Everpure has a solution for that. Everpure’s BH2 (EV9612-51) is the filter of choice to fit below the counter and provide enough capacity to keep up with the demand of the counter top ice machines. The full height of the BH2 filter and manifold would be 16 inches leaving plenty of room for the installation and filter change. The filter is rated NSF 53, providing mechanical filtration to .5 micron and protection from bacterial contaminants. Scale inhibitor provides protection to your ice machines to keep them running efficiently for years to come. As much as we would like a single application filter to work for everybody, the needs and demands of customers change requiring different types of filtration. The BH2 is a great filter that has proven to work in a rigorous environment with high demand. Should you need to discuss other applications or your current filtration, please feel free to contact our Health Care & Lodging Specialist, Todd Leach.
The Benefits of Prefiltration
There are many benefits in using prefiltration. Most foodservice applications actually require it and there’s a good reason why. Everpure’s EC110 (9534-40) and EC210 (9534-20) saves you money by extending the life of primary filter cartridges by filtering out large dirt and rust particles. Their tightly spun polypropylene design delivers a 10 micron nominal filtration. Durable slim bowl design makes cartridge change outs easy to handle and the clear housing lets you visibly inspect trapped particles and makes determining when to change the cartridge easy. Whether you are filtering water for your soda, ice, coffee or tea, prefiltration is a great option that will not only prove beneficial for your primary filters but also for you financially. 
Already have a water filter system with no prefiltration? Don’t worry. You can easily add our E-10 (9795-80) and the E-20 (9795-90) to any system. If you are interested in learning more about prefiltration and how it can benefit you, call us at 1-800-942-7873 or email us your questions. Click here to ask us a question!
What Does the NSF Label on My Pentair/Everpure Water Filter Mean?
Millions of people take the safety of their food, water and consumer products for granted on a daily basis. Why? Because of three letters: NSF. Founded in 1944 as the National Sanitation Foundation, the foundation changed it’s name to NSF International in 1990 as they expanded services beyond sanitation and into global markets. NSF certification is your key to making sure that the products you use meet strict standards for public health protection. Choosing a product certified by NSF lets you know the company complies with strict standards and procedures imposed by NSF.
There are important reasons to look for NSF certification when purchasing a water filter;
- Performance claims may be based on internal testing only.
- Sometimes stated capacities are misleading.
- In capacity claims it’s not always clear what percentage of chemical contaminants are actually reduced.
NSF Certification ensures that:
- The contaminant reduction claims certified are true and accurate.
- The materials of construction do not add anything unwanted to the water such as lead.
- The system is structurally sound.
- Advertising claims are true and accurate.
From extensive product testing and material analyses to unannounced plant inspections, every aspect of a product’s development is thoroughly evaluated before it can earn our certification. Most importantly, NSF certification is not a one-time event, but involves regular on-site inspections of manufacturing facilities and regular re-testing of products to ensure that they continue to meet the same high standards required to maintain certification over time. If for any reason a product fails to meet one or more certification criteria, NSF will take enforcement actions to protect you, including product recall, public notification or de-certification. If you have any questions about the quality of the filter that you are currently using and whether or not that filter has an NSF certification please ask us about your filter below or call our team at 800-942-7873.
Water Hazards in Building Systems
NSF pushes forward with Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) training to reduce risk of microbial, chemical and physicals hazards in building water systems.
Every year, tens of thousands of preventable injuries and deaths are caused by exposure to microbial, chemical, and physical hazards from building water systems. Utilizing HACCP guidelines to building water systems builds a framework for identifying potential hazards and specifies measures for control to ensure building’s water supply safety. HACCP is a program that provides the necessary training to understand best practices procedure for maintaining a facility water supply. Filter Pure Systems supports the continued focus by NSF to provide guidelines to promote safe and healthy water.
When working with our Healthcare facilities, we verify with them the level of NSF certification needed by water systems to remove designated contaminants. NSF 42 certification for water filtration covers systems designed to reduce Aesthetic or non-health related contaminants. These contaminants include chlorine, taste and odor, and particulates that may be present in public and private drinking water. In the water supply for a hospital, this is not enough protection for the immunocompromised patients. We recommend utilizing NSF 53 standards at point of use sources for patients that may be susceptible to microbiological exposure. NSF 53 systems are certified to reduce specific health-related contaminants. These contaminants may be microbiological (including cyst and legionella), chemical (including disinfection byproducts, pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides), and particulates. 
The first step, we take in securing the quality of our Healthcare facility is to ensure we have a solid foundation of filtration to protect the staff and patients. Using the industry-leading brand Everpure allows us the flexibility to meet the needs of our clients without sacrificing quality or reliability. Let us help you establish a guideline of how to secure the quality of your water from Point of Use to Point of Entry systems. To view more information on the HACCP training program, please visit nsf.org. For more information or to discuss your current water filtration system, please contact our Health Care & Lodging Specialist, Todd Leach. Click here to ask us a question!
Keeping our Soldiers Safe
For over 30 years, Filter Pure Systems has been keeping our soldiers safe by keeping their drinking water SAFE, especially our boys on the seas. Did you know that a survey was done to determine the risk of contaminated drinking water aboard eleven different US Naval ships? The findings showed that every ship had a moderate risk of chemical contamination in production, storage and distribution systems. This was due to volatile organic compounds, total petroleum hydrocarbons, disinfection by-products and lead.
The U.S. Navy has recognized Everpure Bromination as the safest, most reliable and easy to use method of water disinfection aboard their ships and Filter Pure Systems is proud to provide them with those systems. Bromination was first registered for use in 1976, treating potable water by using polybrominated ion exchange resin. Bromine is a natural occurring element that is found as bromide in living organisms and is a common component in seawater. A large portion of onboard and offshore illness can be caused by this.
The revolutionary bromine-based systems provide an excellent alternative to chlorine, while de-chlorination systems can be retrofitted to bring cleaner taste to pre-chlorinated water. Ideal for ships of any size, or even off-shore platforms, our Everpure Marine bromination systems won’t corrode filtration equipment like chlorine can.
Chlorine also carries a fire hazard safety warning and bromine does not. The bromine cartridges hold the polybromide resin, which is non-toxic, and more importantly, non-flammable. Everpure’s de-chlorination systems can also be retrofitted to work with existing chlorination systems, removing the unpleasant taste and smell of chlorine.
Remember, water is the fuel for the United State’s most important military weapon, our Soldiers! So it is a priority to make sure their water is fresh, clean, and most importantly, SAFE! 
To learn more about Everpure Marine water filters, contact Filter Pure Systems, Inc. today. We work closely with distributors and customers to ensure that they get the best water filter systems for their needs. Whether you need quick-change cartridges — or a completely new bromination system — Filter Pure Systems, Inc. is here to help! Contact us online or reach Customer Service at 1-800-942-7873. 
Don’t Forget About the O-Ring!
First, what is an O-ring? An O-ring is a doughnut, or torus shaped seal typically used to prevent the passing of air or fluid. O-rings are used to keep fluid or air IN or OUT of a defined space. This device helps to keep the water tight or air tight integrity of a filter housing or filter application. O-rings come in a wide variety of sizes and different types of materials; Types of Material
- Buna-N®
- Ethylene, Propylene
- Silicon Encapsulated with FEP, an FDA-approved material
- Silicone (Solid)
- Teflon® (Solid)
- Teflon® Encapsulated with FEP
- Viton® (Solid)
To extend the o-ring’s effectiveness there are some things you can do: Remove and inspect the o-ring at every filter change or every time the housing is opened, as well as applying the manufacturer’s approved lubricant. The protectant/gel, usually made of silicon is inexpensive and is easy to apply. If there are signs of any wear or improper form of the o-ring, the o-ring must be replaced immediately prior to restarting the filter system. 
The life of an o-ring varies based on how you take care of it and what it is made of. It is very important to your operation to make sure you have the proper o-ring for your filtration application. If you have any questions on changing out your o-rings or whether you are using the proper o-ring for your system, I invite you to submit a question below or call our team at 1-800-942-7873. Click here to ask us a question!
How Often Do I Change My Water Filter?
One of the most common questions we hear from our customers is in regards to how frequently a water filter cartridge should be changed. Whether it’s a standard sediment or carbon filter, every customer has one key priority in mind: How Long Will I Have Dependably Clean, Great Tasting Water? In other words, how can I be sure that my filter is still reducing the impurities that can impact the flavor of my water? Our standard answer: It depends. The frequency of filter changes depends upon your water quality and your water usage. For example, if there are a lot of sediment particulates in your water, then you will have to change your filters more frequently than someone with little to no sediment. If you are a large restaurant consuming large amounts of water a minute or a hospital with large ice machines, then your usage will demand more frequent filter changes. Having said that, we suggest replacement schedules that are generally as follows: Everpure High Flow CRS Quad MC2 System 
The most common Everpure Filtration System, mainly seen in the back of the house of restaurants should be changed every 6 months, or every 36,000 gallons. The EC210 prefilter, to the left of the MC2 filters, should be changed more frequently to extend the life of the MC2 filters. We recommend every 3-4 months. Insurice Triple PF i4000(2) System w/ 20″ Prefilter 
For water filtration on ice machines, sometimes it can be difficult knowing when to change the filters, especially if you see no difference in the ice. But even if the ice is fine, deep inside the machine inches of scale can be forming and ruining your machine. That’s why it is important to keep a filter change out schedule. We recommend every 6 months or however many gallons are specified on the water filters. For the system pictured to the left, the Insurice Triple PF i4000(2), change those filters every 36,000 gallons of use. Again, changing the prefilter will give your primary cartridges longer life. You should also replace your water filters whenever you notice a decline in performance, whether it is a drop in flow rate and/or pressure, or an unusual taste in the water. You should also, per the CDC, replace your water filter after any boil water advisory alert is lifted in your area. Remember: taste and odor may tip you off to the presence of chlorine in your water, but most contaminants are tasteless and odorless. For the benefit of our customers, we have set-up automatic electronic reminders that are sent when we see that their filters are due to be replaced, based on order history. We can even set-up Auto-Ship for customers that know they will need water filters by a certain date, but may not remember to place an order. If you have a water filter or filter model not included in the list above, and have a question regarding how often you should replace your filter, I invite you to submit a question below or call our team at 1-800-942-7873. Click here to ask us a question!
A Word from Our Industrial Sector
My name is Vince Paglino and I am the Industrial Filtration specialist at Filter Pure Systems. We specialize in Chemical Feed Pumps, Chlorinators & Air Injection, Commercial Softening & ION Exchange, Commercial Reverse Osmosis, Industrial Water Remediation, UV Sterilization and Industrial filtration systems. I wanted to share with you a recent industrial experience. We were approached by a large ice manufacturer to help them find a resolution for their scale problem. The limescale accumulation was so bad that it had clogged the compressors and starved the equipment of water that it needed to produce the 360,000 pounds of ice it manufactured daily. We visited the location and immediately took water samples and investigated the type of equipment they were using and noticed the large amount of limescale remnants and corrosion it was causing to their equipment. They were using 2 large cartridge housings to filter the water down to 5 microns. After a few weeks of limescale buildup all of the ice manufacturing equipment was shut down and at a standstill without any ice production. Once the water tests were completed, the results noted that the Ph level was very high at 9.3 & 9.4 (the range should be between 7.0 – 7.5) and both the bicarbonate and carbonate alkalinity levels were elevated as well. The results indicated that the solution required softening the water and reducing the Ph levels at the same time to eliminate the problems of limescale accumulation. We customized a solution to handle the 40,000+ gallons of water that they use daily. A large duplex softening unit that continuously treats the water even while servicing one tank at a time when it cycles to backwash. A chemical pulse feeder that will introduce Muriatic Acid after the softener to reduce the Ph levels in the water. The solution is also modular so equipment can be added at a later date to handle any ice production growth and added manufacturing equipment. The delivery of this equipment was not only timely but it was delivered several days early to the customers delight. The manufacturer’s representative scheduled a time for installation training for the company representatives to ensure normal and ongoing operational use and maintenance of the equipment. Our Industrial sector is dedicated to insure that our customers are able to achieve the most efficient and cost effective solution for their industrial water problems. Our client support, industrial technical expertise and follow up is unmatched in the industry. 
Congratulations Generation Food Truck!
Congratulations to Generation Food Truck for making it into the Guinness Book of World Records! On March 29th, the largest parade of food trucks, numbered at 121, all arrived at the Florida State Fair Grounds to achieve the record of the World’s Largest Food Truck Festival right here in Tampa!! We are so proud of all our clients who attended the event with our Everpure products on board! Trucks are now taking advantage of the new Everpure 4FC systems; a small under counter system offering high quality 0.5 micron filtration with a 15,000 gallons capacity per cartridge. For more information check out our website at www.FilterPure.com or call us at 800-942-7873. 
The Best Espresso in Town!
Every single morning before arriving to work, Amy stops by her local Starbucks and orders her usual venti latte. They know her there by name and are happy to send her on her way with her triple espresso shot drink. Amy said that her morning espresso kick starts her day and without it, well, you would probably find her half asleep at her desk, struggling to focus on her work. 
Espresso can be a vital part of someone’s day, like Amy. Did you know that over 55% of the US drink espresso? That percentage is equivalent to 150 million people! That’s A LOT of espresso!
Did you also know that Espresso is 90% water! It is a key essential ingredient in espresso preparation. So having a water filtration system becomes a must, especially in areas with hard water. Not having filtered water will affect the taste of your espresso as well as the lifespan of your equipment. So what is the best water filtration system for your espresso machine? Well, here’s a couple options to consider: The Claris System 
5-Stage Filtration Process
- Pre-filtration
- Carbonate hardness adjustment
- Fine filtration
- Highly efficient carbon block removes harmful contaminant and unpleasant odors and tastes
- Solid membrane filter removes particles down to 5 micron for highest equipment protection
- Operates in vertical or horizontal position
3 -Stage Blending: Softens, Buffers, and Filters Water
- Utilizes ion exchange resin with buffering capabilities and high capacity coconut carbon filtration.
- A small amount of carbon filtered water bypasses softening resin to allow proper initial hardness.
- Buffering prevents water from becoming too acidic.
- It also reduces hardness in water that can cause minerals to build-up in espresso equipment.
- It also reduces chlorine, off tastes and odors. Cartridge replacement is simple, quick and clean.
*The QC7I-Twin ESO7 System is pictured to the right.
Depending on your espresso machine and water quality needs, your commercial water filtration system may differ. Give us a call and we’ll be glad to help you in sizing the right system.