FAQ (Frequently asked questions)

Hard water refers to any water which has a high amount of dissolved minerals which are mostly salt and metals. Water naturally becomes hard as it travels from distributor or spring to your house.

Water, especially that which is very hard, easily becomes problematic no matter the location. It stains, clothing, plates, showers, pipes and anything unfortunate enough to come into contact with it. Hard water can also accumulate, clogging pipes and causing unnecessary damage to clothing washers, dishwashers and water heaters as well.

According to the Asociación de Calidad de Agua (Water Quality Association), any water which has a mineral content of 1 g/G (1 gram per gallon) is considered hard water. The levels are defined as such:

• Soft – Less than 1 g/G
• Slightly Soft – 1 to 3.5 g/G
• Moderately Hard – 3.5 to 7 g/G
• Hard – 7 to 10.5 g/G
• Very Hard – More than 10 g/G

The most common way to treat water is a water softener using ionic interchange. This device removes most of the minerals inside the water, reducing its hardness. Experts here at Juturna can also offer individual analyses of your water, so as to choose the best option for your needs.

Hard water has tell-tale symptoms which include: sedimentation and white stains on
piping.

As water travels from its point of origin to your home, it picks up minerals in the ground or on the sides of most piping. As water is a universal solvent, it dissolves and picks up any mineral it comes into contact with.

Water hardness is mainly due to dissolved calcium and magnesium alongside some other contaminants. If present in high concentrations, drinking water can be labeled as hard. This can cause soap to be less effective when cleaning as well as an accumulation of mineral deposits, clogging your plumbing. Inversely, water with little to no minerals is called “soft”.

A water softener removes these dissolved minerals with the help of sodium and potassium. It is important to note that the effect that these minerals have on your health by ingestion is comically small compared to the amounts we consume in our food. These softeners can also be regenerated by adding more sodium and potassium.

Regeneration is a process by which the sodium and potassium deposits are replenished thus, allowing the water softener to remain functional.

If you worry about your sodium intake, our water experts can help you measure and regulate the amount inside your water. This varies depending on your water’s hardness. Although, we do recommend that any person on a strict sodium diet consult their doctor before making any decisions. If however, your sodium diet is extremely strict we recommend the usage of a reverse osmosis unit or any of our other products depending on how much sodium you have to regulate.

As a comparison, a slice of white bread contains upwards of 114 mg of sodium and if you paired that with a cup of milk you can expect another 120 mg of sodium. If your water has less than 10 grams per gallon (10 g/G) and you consume a quart of water a day, you can expect a sodium intake of 75 mg; Comparatively lower than even bread and milk.

One of the most common issues with water is the amount of iron present. Iron tends to oxidize leaving characteristic stains on piping. Iron is present in three forms, all of which have distinct effects. These three forms are:

Ferric Iron (dissolved): Although invisible to the human eye, dissolved ferric iron can mix with oxygen in the air leading to the familiar staining on pipes, clothing, and toilets. Certain cleaning products can sometimes worsen the problem as well causing rapid oxidation. To reduce these levels we can soften the water as well as some filtration.

Ferric Iron (suspended): This type of iron is easy to spot as it forms visible particles which can oxidize and become brown in color. Normally, these particles can show up when viewing a cup of water as they tend to sink to the bottom. Normal filtration can get rid of these particles. If however, these particles become too small to filter, other methods may be needed.

Iron Loving Bacteria: This general term refers to a whole host of bacteria who thrive in water with high concentrations of iron. These bacteria leave a viscous fluid on any surface they inhabit which can block the flow of water. Although harmless to humans, these bacteria can still cause damage and can be difficult to remove.

Black and brown staining on surfaces in contact with water is a telltale sign of manganese (not to be confused with magnesium). Manganese is a metal which is naturally present in water but if it exceeds 0.05 mg/L (milligram per liter) it will lead to staining.

Unfortunately, a dishwasher is the perfect place for this to happen as it can warm, mix and oxygenate the water all of which increase the rate at which manganese oxidizes leading to increased stains. Manganese can even stain clothing if you use bleach.

Water that leaves this type of stains is usually acidic. Acidic water can dissolve the metals present in most plumbing equipment which leads to the characteristic green stains.

If left unchecked, acidic water can wreak havoc on your pipes and pumps leading to premature failure and increased maintenance costs. Acidity is measured with the pH scale which goes from 0 (very acidic) all the way to 14 (very basic).

Hydrogen sulfide is a naturally occurring contaminant usually present as a gas. This chemical has the neat property of smelling just like rotten eggs, which can be extremely unpleasant. This is usually due to bacterial contamination at the source of water reducing the amount of non-harmful minerals. Testing for hydrogen sulfide is difficult due to it being a gas and easily coming out of solution. Its health effects are as of yet unknown however, hydrogen sulfide is a known oxidizer corroding surfaces it comes into contact with.

Nitrates as well as nitrites are commonly occurring chemicals where nitrogen is chemically bound to oxygen. Small amounts are normal but an elevated amount of them can contaminate groundwater.

The most common source of nitrates are fertilizers, manure and septic systems. Excessively high levels of nitrates are usually found in rural and agricultural producing areas.

Transported by rainfall or irrigation, nitrates travel easily through the ground ending up in groundwater and eventually in springs. Since groundwater is one of if not the biggest source of springwater, nitrate contamination is easily dispersed into most water sources. Badly constructed or poorly maintained springs can also lead to nitrate contamination.

For most people, small amounts of nitrates have no adverse health effects. Over time, nitrates can cause health problems in infants as it interferes with the blood’s ability to transport oxygen around the body. This can cause hypoxia which leads to a very dangerous condition known as “blue baby syndrome”.

The most common symptom of nitrate contamination is the blueing of the skin due to lack of oxygen in the blood. This discoloration is mostly seen in the lips and mouth. This is why pregnant women alongside newborns must avoid water with high amounts of nitrates. Nitrate induced hypoxia is not limited to humans, farm animals such as pigs, cows and even horses can suffer from this condition as well.

There exists two possibilities:

The first includes primary problems which are immediate health risks to anyone consuming said water. The second includes things that affect taste but are not dangerous for us to consume.

How slippery something is determined by its coefficient of friction. The lower the value the lower the friction, increasing the perceived slipperiness of the surface such as your skin.

Hard water leaves mineral residue on your skin which acts like sandpaper, increasing the friction coefficient, reducing slipperiness. Inversely, soft water contains little to no minerals thus, eliminating any mineral residue on your skin, reducing friction and increasing slipperiness.

From time to time, when we fill a cup of water a noticeable white color can be seen. Given a few seconds this color disappeared just as quickly as it came. This is due to dissolved air coming out of solution in your water. As it leaves the water, it forms microscopic air bubbles which we perceive as a white color. This usually happens because the piping that brings water to your home is at a different pressure. As we pour said water into a cup, the pressure returns to normal atmospheric conditions, knocking some of the dissolved air out of solution.

Any pure salt can be used however, we do recommend using a block of salt or solar salts as these types of salt are the most pure and will cause the least amount of issues when submerged in a tank. We never recommend the usage of active iron cleaners or any of its derivatives on any of our equipment. These chemicals can permanently damage your equipment. If you are still unsure as to what product to use, please contact us or your local distributor directly.

Yes. Potassium chloride salts are completely interchangeable with sodium chloride salts. However, there is a noticeable drop in the efficiency of your water softener when doing this. If you are changing the salt due to health reasons please contact your doctor to address any health concerns over potassium salt.

Reverse Osmosis refers to a manner in which we filter water. Water is forced through a semipermeable membrane (fine mesh) where only water can pass through. Any other contaminant , even the ones that are dissolved in water cannot pass through the membrane. Specifically, reverse osmosis stops arsenic, barium, chromium, radium-226, radium-228 as well as bacteria such as Cryptosporidium and Giarda, two common parasites.

As the water softener removes minerals from your water you can expect the following benefits:

• Cleaner piping
• Less soap residue
• Cleaner and Brighter clothing
• Softer Clothing
• Softer and Cleaner Hair
• Less oxide stains
• Less accumulation of hard water preventing the effective maintenance of dishwashers, washers, and sinks

Softer water also has benefits regarding our electrical and plumbing systems as well, such as:

• Increase electrical efficiency
• Less corrosive water extending pipe life
• Less soap is needed to clean

The Juturna Expert can recommend the right water softener for your home or business.

Regeneration is a process by which the salts are “recharged” so they can keep filtering out minerals. The salts in the water softener gradually deplete and once they are gone the water softener stops working. Regeneration replenished the resins that contain salts returning the device back to normal operation.

Our AquaTouch technology offers clients advanced ways of regenerating the salt inside the water softeners. The AquaTouch system measures the hardness of your water and determines if you need to regenerate the salts or not. This exclusive option can save upwards of 2 metric tons of salt (2000 kg) and 20000 gallons of water during the life cycle of your equipment. Our experts can also explain the intricate mechanisms of our devices as well.

These are some but not all the things you might consider before getting a water filtration system.

• Do I have hard water? Our analytic methods can help you determine what option best suits your needs.
• The pressure and rate of consumption of water in your home. Just as the quality of water is important, so is the pressure. Two factors that are key in bettering the quality of your water. The amount of people in your family can affect the amount of water consumption but we recognize that different families have different needs. Each case is different and that’s where our Juturna experts can help you determine what option is best for you and your family.
• The real cost of an easy fix. Cheap filters along with easy fix alternatives always come with a hidden cost. As, more often than not, they end up having little to no effect on water quality. Not to mention that a high quality system might have a higher up front cost but will save you a lot of money in the long run.- Look for a trusted distributor. Look for someone who really knows how to face the
  problems affecting you and offer you effective solutions for water filtration. A true Juturna
  expert is capable of dealing with the specific problems that your water has.