Search Results for: scale

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Perfect Crema!

Great Espresso starts with great water. The first thing an operator should do is test their water to find out the hardness. Water hardness is measured in grains per gallon, a grain is (64.8 milligrams) of calcium carbonate dissolved in 1 US gallon of water (3.785412 L). Espresso is 85-96% water and that water is extremely important to drawing out the flavor of those expensive coffee beans.

But what determines the taste of a great tasting espresso? Crema! Crema is the flavorful, aromatic, reddish-brown froth made when air bubbles combine with fine-ground coffee’s soluble oils. The strong presence of crema in an espresso shot indicates a quality, well-ground coffee and a skilled barista (professional coffee maker). Crema, compared to drip coffee, helps give espresso a fuller flavor and longer aftertaste. The key to creating that perfect crema is tailoring the hardness of the water and Pentair/Everpure working directly with Specialty Coffee Operators and Espresso Equipment Manufactures developed working solutions to take care of espresso water regardless of the number of grains of hardness at an operators location.

The ESO7, 9607-25 (ESO stands for Espresso, the 7 just means the size of the filter cartridge) is a three-in-one system providing filtration, scale prevention and buffering/softening of  the water. The water retains enough mineral to bring out the espresso flavors. The ESO7 will take care of up to 5,300 grains of hardness or at 8 grains of hardness will generate 511 gallons of espresso before it will need to be changed. Need more capacity than that and more ability to work with the hardness of the water you want for your espresso?

The Claris XXL, 4339-14, unit will give you the same great 3 in 1 filter but also give you the ability to generate 2,910 gallons of espresso, (at 10 grains of hardness) but also has an adjustable DUOBLEND™ bypass valve that allows for a more precise adjustment of carbonate hardness. Either system is quick to install, easy to handle and fast to service. Not sure how hard your water is? Confused about what system would help “perfect” your crema? We can help! Call us at 800-942-7873. We are happy to answer all your question.

Click here to ask us a question!

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Water Testing in Schools

Many schools in the state of Florida have contacted Filter Pure in regards to testing their water. A common problem seen in schools is equipment damage due to hard and unfiltered water. Some of the most expensive equipment in schools can be found right in the cafeteria; ice machines, steamers and combi ovens. The problem with hard and unfiltered water is the limescale build-up that can cause excessive machine downtime and increased maintenance costs. It is estimated that 3mm of limescale build up can cause 25% energy loss in addition to unwanted and costly service calls. So how does Filter Pure help with these issues? We first test the water, checking all levels of chlorine, alkalinity and hardness. Once the test results are received back, we then recommend a course of action and filtering system to put in place to remedy these problems. One system recommended is the MRS-100 Reverse Osmosis System (9970-07). Ideal for flash steamers, conventional steamers, combi-ovens, and more, this system improves equipment life and performance by removing at least 90%+ of all dissolved solids that cause scale build-up. It guards against taste and odor causing contaminants, while removing dirt particulates and dissolved minerals that can adversely affect taste of water and beverages. Sanitary cartridge replacement is simple, quick and clean. Internal filter parts are never exposed to handling or contamination.  For over thirty year, Filter Pure has been providing great solutions to water problems in universities and schools. If you are interested in getting your water tested or have any questions or concerns about your water please contact us at 800-942-7873 or submit your question to the link below. If you are a school or university please contact Amy Easter at Amy@filterpure.com. She has helped hundreds of schools with their water issues and she is more than happy to help you as well.  Submit your question here!

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Commercial Ice Machine Filtration for Healthcare Facilities

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.

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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!

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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.

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Lovin' Your Combi-Oven

Michael Engel, owner of Pastiche Bistro in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with his favorite piece of kitchen equipment, the Alto Shaam Mini Combi oven. Photo by Kevin J. Miyazaki/Redux
One of the functions of a Combi-oven is its steam feature. Steam equipment is very susceptible to scale and corrosion problems. The last thing you want is your combi-oven breaking down, leaving you scrambling to figure out how you’re going to prepare your food and then trying to find a technician to fix the combi-oven, and you KNOW how expensive that can be! So it’s time to show your combi-oven some LOVE! Take careful consideration of its water quality by understanding a few basic characteristics about your water: 

  • Chlorine/Chloramines
  • Hardness (scale)
  • Chlorides

Chlorine and Chloramines are disinfectants that protect us from water-borne disease and other health risks, but they also promote corrosion in cooking equipment. The scale forming compounds of calcium and magnesium carbonate are found in most water supplies. The physics of generating steam results in the precipitation of these dissolved minerals which forms hard scale in boilers, valves and fittings, and on elements, cabinet walls and glass. Chlorides are common, active ions of dissolved solids in water that can cause pitting and crevice corrosion. At high temperatures chlorides are particularly corrosive to stainless steel.  Chlorides can only be removed with a system that utilizes reverse osmosis.

With these facts in mind, you want to make sure you pick the right water filtration system for your combi-oven. Here are a few options:

(Click the image to see more information on these systems.)

To figure out what is in your water, call us today for a water test kit!

 

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The Wonderful World of Conditioned Water

As a Hydrotech distributor, I wanted to share with you all the amazing benefits of having conditioned water! Soap Saver: having conditioned water reduces how much soap you use (up to 70%). It also delivers greater washing power and protects your washing machines too! Clothes Brightener: conditioned water helps your clothes last longer, feel fresher, cleaner, and softer! Plus, no fading colors! Money Stretcher: with conditioned water you’ll use less cleaning supplies. Hard water breaks down those cleaning chemicals making them less efficient and making you use more. Dish Sparkler: no more streaks and spots. Conditioned water eliminates those hard water problems and helps your dishwasher last longer. Stain Eliminator: tired of seeing mineral build up in your bathroom? Conditioned water benefits all your bathroom fixtures keeping those unsightly rings and spots away! Scrubbing Helper: hard water can cause film and soap scum to be left behind when scrubbing counter tops, floors, tile, etc. Not with conditioned water! Hot Water Guard: help your water heater last longer by eliminating scale build-up with conditioned water! With less scale build-up you’ll be able to save energy by 20%. Pipe Protector: through time, scale build up can kill your pipes. You can prevent a major headache by using conditioned water to help your pipes stay clean! Faucet Preserver: No more corroded or plugged valves. Keep your faucet in mint condition with conditioned water. Face Saver: conditioned water will leave your face smooth and razor burn free. Body Refresher: showering with conditioned water will leave you free from soap build-up left on your skin and a more refreshing feeling. Hair Pamperer: conditioned water revives hair color and leaves you with a more radiant shine! With all these amazing benefits, why wouldn’t you use conditioned water! Call us today to see how we can make a refreshing difference and save you money!  

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Legionella: The Silent Killer!

In the last year, over 400 people have been infected by a water born bacteria called Legionella.  Over 30 of those infected died. What’s more shocking than those numbers is the fact that those outbreaks took place in hospitals, retirement communities, theme parks, and hotels.   An estimated 8,000 to 18,000 people are hospitalized with Legionnaires’ disease each year in the U.S. How can so many people be infected by this bacteria, especially in places where you think you would be safe from any deadly bacteria? Being exposed to any water system can be a source of disease if the water in it is subjected to conditions that promote growth of the organism. 

 In Strong Memorial Hospital, Rochester, NY, multiple people developed Legionnaires disease; case investigation and environmental culture surveillance found that the Legionella bacteria came from the ice machine. One 66-year old patient, who was making a slow recovery from cancer, died from the outbreak due to inhalation of the aerosols released from the ice chips he was consuming. 

So how do you kill Legionella?

First, is preventing it! Killing the bacteria before it reaches any water system. Traditional oxidizing agents such as chlorine have been proven very effective in controlling Legionella. Using continuous chlorination at low free residual levels can be effective in controlling Legionella. That’s why many hospitals are using Everpure’s 7SI cartridges on their ice machines to help prevent the Legionella bacteria from forming in their water.

7SI Cartridge

  • Specializes in slime and bacteria growth prevention
  • Reduces particulates down to 0.5 micron
  • Utilizes depth filtration and Fiberdyne™ media for superior dirt holding capability
  • Leaves chlorine and chloramines within water that is supplied to equipment which helps to reduce slime and bacteria growth in applications
  • Reduces system maintenance, service costs and buildup. Scale and slime, as well as, bacteria growth can result in clogging of distribution lines, malfunction of probes, floats, pumps, solenoids and valves, and higher energy consumption
  • Sanitary cartridge replacement is simple, quick and clean. Internal filter parts are never exposed to handling or contamination
  • Can be used on Insurice® and Hybrid Manifold Systems
  • NSF® Certified under NSF / ANSI Standards 42 and 53

Features:

  • Cyst Reduction
  • Particulate Reduction
  • Capacity: 25,000 gallons (94,635 liters)
  • Maximum Flow: 3.5 gpm (13.25 lpm)
  • Qty. per Case: 0
  • Working Pressure: 10 – 125 psi (0.7 – 8.6 bar), non-shock
  • Max. Temp: 35 – 100ºF (2 – 38ºC)
  • H: 20.75″ D: 3.25″ Certifications: NSF42 NSF53
Contact us for more information on the 7SI cartridge and how to stop Legionella.
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The Insurice Family!

Everpure’s Insurice family is ideal for ice filtration applications. Not only does it filter your water, but it also maintains your ice machine equipment. That’s important when 70% of all restaurant service calls are water related. This line of filters by Everpure reduces:

  • Abrasion and clogging
  • Scale buildup and corrosion
  • Harmful cysts and other contaminants
  • Off-tastes and odors
  • Particles that result in cloudy ice

It also provides great benefits:

  • Best quality ice possible
  • Less equipment downtime
  • Lower maintenance costs
  • Lower total cost of ownership
  • Satisfied customers and increased profits

New and improved Micro-Pure II media with AgION antimicrobrial protection inhibits any potential bacterial growth. Each cartridge reduces dirt particles up to 1/2 micron in size. That means harmful contaminants, such as asbestos fibers, Cryptosporidium, and Giardia cysts won’t be hanging around in your ice. Sanitary cartridge replacement is simple, quick, and clean. Internal filter parts are never exposed to handling or contamination. The Insurice family is NSF Certified under NSF/ANSI Standards 42 and 53. The i2000 (P/N#9612-22) has a gallon capacity of 9,000 gallons (34,068L). It’s overall dimension is 20.75″H x 3.25″Diameter. Service flow rate is maximum 1.67gpm (6.3Lpm). And the i4000 (P/N#9612-32) has a gallon capacity of 12,000 gallons (45,425L). It’s overall dimension is 25″H x 3.25″Diameter. Service flow rate is maximum 1.67gpm (6.3Lpm). Filter Pure stocks all Insurice systems, ready to ship out to you today! Call for more information on how we deliver premium quality water for ice applications!

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Meet the OW Family!

This lovely family of water filter cartridges delivers premium quality drinking water for bottleless coolers and drinking fountains. Their unique filter blend uses activated carbon to reduce chlorine taste and odor and other offensive contaminants. Like most of Everpure’s carbon water filters, the OW family contains a precoat submicron technology which reduces dirt and particles as small as 1/2 micron in size. Check out my blog about Microns to see how small a 1/2 micron really is! But beware of the GIARDIA cyst!! The OW family inhibits scale from building up in your home water cooler, your water dispenser, or your drinking fountains. Keep an eye out for my up-coming blog about Scale!! Let’s break down this family and see what’s unique about each filter! The OW200L (P/N EV9619-06) has a rated capacity of 480 gallons. Its overall dimensions are 17″H x 3.25″ diameter. Its service flow rate is at maximum 0.5 gpm. This cartridge is commonLY used in office drinking water systems and home drinking water systems. In fact, that’s what I have installed under my sink at home. The OW2-PLUS (P/N EV9634-01) and the OW4-PLUS (P/N EV9635-01) are essentially the same. The only difference is their capacity rating and size. The OW2-PLUS is rated at 1,000 gallons and 10.25″H x 3.25″ Diameter. The OW4-PLUS is rated at 2,000 gallons and 14.5″H x 3.25″ diameter. But unlike the OW200L, they both contain a KDF media that can remove lead to below the Federal Action Level of 10 ppb. All the OW replacement water filter cartridges are NSF Certified under NSF/ANSI Standards 42 and 53, which means these cartridges get the job done! We gladly stock the OW family and for more information about the OW family, contact us at 1-800-942-7873 or click on the “Live Help ONLINE” link on the left of your screen.