Quality Acid Neutralizers

Q. "How do I know if my water is acidic?"
A. The telltale signs of acidic water (if you have copper pipe) are blue or green stains in the bottom of your sink or tub. If these appear or if you suspect you have acidic water, then a simple pH test will tell you whether your water is acidic or not. You can get a pH test kit at most any pool supply store. If your water has a pH of less then 7 then it is considered acidic and should be treated.

Q. "How do these systems increase the pH level?"
A. These systems operate by passing the acidic water through either the Calcite or Corosex minerals which are dissolved into the water balancing out the pH level.

Q. "Why does the acid neutralizer increase hardness?"
A. A calcite system uses crushed and screened white marble limestone which is dissolved in the water to neutralize acidic water. The dissolved limestone in the water is responsible for the increase in hardness. A Corosex system uses reactive Magnesium Oxide which, like calcite, is dissolved in the water.

Q. "How much does a cubic foot of calcite weigh?"
A. Between 90 to 100 pounds.

Q. "Your standard system says it has a manual backwash. How will I know when to backwash the system?"
A. Normally when the media/mineral starts to compact the pressure will drop. This is an indicator that the system needs to be backwashed. There are systems that offer automatic backwash that work with timers. We don't recommend them because they don't take into account your water usage when determining when to backwash. If you "insist" then see the following faq.

Q. "What are the negatives of using an automatic backwash system?"
A. If you purchase an automatic system it will backwash more than needed and will use (waste) a significant additional amount of media. This is the reason that we do not feature them. They are convenient but we do want our customers to know that automatic backwash neutralizers use a lot more media.

Q. "Ok, I tested my water and it has a pH of less then 5.5 what can I do?"
A. There are other methods that must be considered such as a chemical metering pump to feed a liquid solution of soda ash or sodium hydroxide into the water system. It would be best to contact a local water treatment company for this type of system. Due to liability potential (and keeping our customer satisfaction above 99%) we do not offer systems for a pH of less than 5.5.

Q. "Why don't you also offer a liquid feed type system?"
A. Our system is virtually foolproof. A liquid feed system is a much more complex system and should be installed by a professional. There is much more that can go wrong with that type of system. It boils down to liability.

Q. "What brand is the system that you sell?"
A. We put this system together using top quality components from different manufacturers. It's the only way, we believe, we can offer the best at this price. No advertising overhead to pay for.

Q. "How long should I backwash?"
A. You shouldn't need to backwash for more than a few minutes. When backwashing it is best to keep the flow rate below 5 gpm.

Q. "How often will I have to add neutralizing media?"
A. It depends on how acidic your water is, and the amount of water that you use. It's best to re-check your pH level once a month. A low priced pool pH test kit is usually all that you will need. When the pH level starts to drop then it's time to add media. Some customers don't have to add any media for a few years and some need to add in a few months. When your neutralizer starts to not neutralize as much, it's probably time to add media. Click here when ready to order some neutralizing media.

Q. "Are the two systems that you offer physically the same?"
A. Yes, the only difference between the two systems is the composition of the media.

Q. "Why do you offer a down-flow style of neutralizer instead of an up-flow type?"
A. We offer the down-flow style acid neutralizer because we believe it to be a better product than the up-flow style. Hardness is added to the water with the use of either style. The up-flow style does not use a control valve. The incoming water enters through a distributor tube to the bottom of the tank and then flows up through the mineral bed and out into the main water supply. This can cause bits and pieces of mineral to flow directly into your main water supply. Also any dirt or sediment that may exist in your water will be deposited to the bottom of the tank and will stay at the bottom of the tank due to gravity and weight. This can substantially reduce water flow and pressure. The incoming water in the down-flow style enters directly into the media, flows down through the media to the bottom of the tank and then up through a screened distributor tube and back into your main water supply. The media should be backwashed occasionally which allows any dirt or sediment to be flushed out of the system. The backwashing also stirs up the gravel bed which knocks against the media and prevents the media from solidifying together (cementing or bridging) and keeps it active to be absorbed into your water. This allows for more contact time with the media.

Q. "How do I adjust the neutralizer for my specific pH level?"
A. One of the nice features of our down-flow acid neutralizers is that no adjustment is necessary. Water conditions in wells can change from day to day. Your water might have a pH of 5.8 one day and a few days later it might be 6.5. This is one of the reasons we refuse to sell metered systems. With our manual, down-flow style units, the more aggressive the water is, the more the Calcite/Coresex will be dissolved into the water.

Q. "What is the recommended flow rate for your acid neutralizer?"
A. For the most effective use of our acid neutralizer, we recommend a flow rate of not more than 5gpm. (The system includes a 5gpm flow regulator.) If you need more than 5gpm, we recommend purchasing multiple units. Do not fail to install, or remove the 5-gallon per minute flow regulator. The 5gpm regulator is in the system for 2 reasons. The first is to ensure that the incoming water has enough "contact" time with the media. The second reason is for backwashing. If the neutralizer is backwashed at a higher rate than 5gpm flow rate, it is possible it can cause damage to the distributor screen, particularly if there is not a filter before the acid neutralizer unit. Taking the 5gpm flow control out can create a "sandblasting" effect on the internals of the tank, causing damage to the distributor and possibly the tank. This neutralizer should last at least ten years (except you'll need to replenish the media) unless you put it in the sun, have it in freezing conditions or do not use the 5gpm flow restrictor. If you need more than 5 gpm, then you'll need to buy an additional unit(s) and place them side-by-side. If you take out the restrictor, you will not achieve what this unit is designed for. Any pH below 7 can cause problems to your copper pipes.

Q. "My copper piping is thin in places, and I would like to know the feasibility of moderately coating the inside of my copper piping with calcium to protect and strengthen the problem on a long-term basis?"
A. Installing an acid neutralizer will not help repair or coat your piping. All that you can hope to gain from an acid neutralizer (any brand), is that it will slow down or stop acidic water from causing any further damage to your copper pipes. Too much copper residue in your water can potentially be toxic and an acid neutralizer can help stop this from happening. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee any results because water qualities, due to minerals, gases, electrolysis, etc., can be very complex and even with thousands of dollars worth of testing, one cannot always be sure of the results water treatment will produce. If you have acidic water and copper piping then you must improve the condition of your water, and in most cases a quality acid neutralizer will help.

Q. "What is the total height from the floor to the control outlets?"
A. Approximately 52 3/4" on both models (the only difference between the two models is the mixture/content of the media).

Q. "Five gallons per minute doesn't seem like enough for my family. Can I increase the gallons per minute or not use your flow regulator?"
A. Our acid neutralizers work best at 5 gallons per minute or less. In order to best raise your pH the water has to have "contact" time with the media. That means a relatively low flow rate. You can install/purchase two (or more) units and place them next to each other to increase the flow rate but do not remove the 5 gallon per minute flow regulator as it is part of the design of these neutralizers. Most people learn to live with 5 gallons per minute but for some families (or if you have very low pressures) 5 gallons per minute is not an acceptable amount of flow.

Q. "If I buy the corosex/calcite combination model N125, which media will be used more (which will dissolve faster)?"
A. Corosex generally dissolves at about twice the rate of the calcite. The main purpose of the calcite in the model N125 is to prevent the corosex from clumping together. Your #125 comes with more calcite than corosex. Since corosex dissolves faster, when you reorder/install replacement media we suggest ordering/installing two parts corosex and one part calcite.

Q. "Is there a strong relationship between backwashing and the life of the media?"
A. Yes. Backwashing will waste some media.

Q. "How easy is it to install one of the acid neutralizers?"
A. For a handy person generally it isn't too hard. You do need access to a drain and you should place the acid neutralizer in a place near your main water line. We have an instructions page that you can read and that will help you determine if you can install it. Click here to read our acid neutralizer installation manual.

Q. "A friend of mine told me that an up-flow acid neutralizer is better. Is there any truth to that?"
A. The negative to a down-flow system is that the neutralizing media can "cake" easier than an up-flow system. That is the only positive that we can see with an up-flow system. Our down-flow system will have less loss (waste) of media, and you will get less uncontrolled media into your home with our down-flow system. Generally our system will have better "contact" time (your water flowing through the media). We could easily sell an up-flow system instead or offer both. We believe that our system works better for neutralizing water, but please understand, there is no "perfect" system.

Q. "My pH is 3.0, my hardness is 43 grains, etc ... Can you tell me what I need?"
A. We sell top quality products for many water needs, however due to liability reasons, we will not recommend which system you need. Please note that the systems that we sell are very good at solving specific water problems. We can't say if it will solve your problem. If you know what you need we can sell it to you at a great price.

Q. "My water has a pH of over 9. Do you offer systems that can reduce my pH to near 7?"
A. Sorry but that type of system can be very complex (such as adding white vinegar by chemical feed, etc), and we prefer to not offer them as we believe that it is best for you to buy that type of complex system from a local water expert who would know more about local water quality issues.