It is surprising how many people ask me if our business is seasonal! Actually, Winter is the time of year when people are in doors more and are actually thinking more about their Water Filter and Water Quality.

Real Estate does tend to slow down this time of year. I remember moving in February once, BRRRRRR!! But it really is a good time of year for us. In fact I have always thought that a nice drinking water system for the Family is great Holiday gift. The dry air and chlorinated water can really dry out your skin when the temperature drops. Filtering out Chlorine with a filter below the shower can help resolve that. You can also think whole house Carbon Filteration and then the water at every faucet will taste clean and look sparkling.

The Wintery weather can really ad some extra hurdles to overcome, but it is something you learn to live with around here. Our Technicians really appreciate it when they arrive to find that there is a path cleared out for them, to the bulk head. It makes working much better for them. They are really amazing guys slugging their way through snow storms, sleet, and ice everyday. The Vans always seem to make it home everyday in one piece, KUDOOS to them!!

This will be my last Blog for the year, and I would just like to take the time to wish everyone out there a wonderful Holiday season. To anyone who became a new Secondwind customer in 2009 thank you for your trust, it means everything to us.

Thank you for your continued support of Secondwind Water Systems. We truly appreciate your business and referrals. If you have any Water questions please visit our website at www.secondwindwater.com or call 1-800-287-5767. Until next time this is Chris Saltmarsh CWS-6 saying, “Thanks for reading!, Have a great Holiday Season, and until we chat in 2010, enjoy your great water”…

As the owner of a Water Filter you should be aware that Water Filters and Softeners don’t like the cold weather either. It may surprise a lot of you to hear about how many Water Treatment Systems actually suffer from freezing every year, but it always happens, every year!

One time there was a customer who put a wood stove on the first floor of the house and everything in the basement froze up, because the furnace never turned on during a real cold snap. There was the time when the only thing thing keeping the Treatment space warm was a Black Light Bulb. I didn’t even realize that they still sold Black Light Bulbs anymore. Of course the bulb burned out and the rest is history. The majority of the time the freezing takes place in the drain line. Septic Systems aren’t back filled enough or lines to daylight freeze up. These situation usually result in a flood somewhere, hopefully it’s outside the building.

Usually if the the System is going to freeze it will freeze in the plumbing first. Filtration systems hold a lot of water which will require a long time to freeze. If the flow of water starts to slow down during a real cold spell, run the water and check the heat in the area near the Treatment System.

The best protection against freezing is to design your system with a robust heating system. Think 5-10 years from now. Will my plan still work then? What will happen on a windy day in February when the Temps get down to -30 F. Will the heating system still protect the Filter. Oh, and one more thing, Secondwind does not recommend the use of Heat Tape, due to the possibility of Fire.

Thank you for your continued support of Secondwind Water Systems. If you have any Water questions please visit our website at www.secondwindwater.com or call 1-800-287-5767. Until next time this is Chris Saltmarsh CWS-6 saying, “Thanks for reading!, and remember that Water Filters don’t like the cold weather either, enjoy your great water”…

As the owner of a Water Filter you should be aware that power outages can affect your Water Quality. The power to your well pump is the most obvious issue that people have to deal with. When that occurs usually there is some Water captured in the pressure tank. That will give you some Water to work with, but use it sparingly because there won’t be much. Usually you will have anywhere from 3-20 gals and in most homes its closer to 3 gals.

The big problem in Water Quality has to do with timers that are not reset after a power outage. Single tank Electric Filters/Softeners need to Backwash/Regenerate in order to clean themselves. During the Backwash/Regeneration cycle a Single Tank Water Treatment System cannot treat the the Water to the Building. This is not the case with Twin Tank, Non-Electric Systems. However, there are many Electric Single Tank Systems out there in the field and so this subject deserves discussion. When a Single Tank Electric System cleans itself it needs to occur at a time when the Water is least likely to be in use. Most Electric Systems are preset at the Factory to begin a Backwash/Regeneration Cycle at 2 am. If a timer is set wrong because of a power outage it may Backwash at a time when water is being used and this will allow untreated water into the Building. It may take quite some time for the desired Water Quality to return.

An easy way to avoid this problem is to reset the timers twice a year when you adjust your clocks for daylight savings time, and after any power outages that last more than just a few minutes. Actually the job of resetting a timer only takes about 30 seconds to perform. It usually takes longer to take off the cover on the control head than it does to reset the timer. The most difficult part of setting the timer is taking that first step down to the basement!

Thank you for your continued support of Secondwind Water Systems. If you have any Water questions please visit our website at www.secondwindwater.com or call 1-800-287-5767. Until next time this is Chris Saltmarsh CWS-6 saying, “Thanks for reading! Remember that power outages can affect your Water Quality, so set those timers, and enjoy your great water”…

The Greening of America is all the rage and I wish that I could say that Secondwind has learned a whole lot of new exiting things from it. The truth is that we have always been Environmentally sensitive in our approach. The Green movement offers little information regarding Water Quality or Consumption. I wish that we could find a way to increase the awareness of Water Conservation in New Hampshire. The main issue isn’t how much water do we have, it is how much water of the Water do we have, that is potable! I honestly believe that our grandchildren will pay the penalty, if everyone doesn’t start to look at Water from a Green perspective.

Currently the eye of the consumer is on Energy Consumption, mostly because Energy hits them where it hurts. In the wallet! Water hasn’t reached that point yet, but it will. Paying $1.50 for a bottle of Water is
just the start. I was really amazed to learn that 2/3 of the Public Water consumed in Southern New Hampshire is used on Lawn and Garden irrigation. I love a nice green lawn as much as the next guy, but wow! 2/3, that’s startling!!!

One thing that everyone can do to save Water is to look at the amount of Waste Water generated over a 10 year period by their Water Treatment System before making a purchasing decision. Water Treatment System Filters and Softeners are as much a part of modern life as the Refrigerator and Furnace. The big difference is that people look closely at the energy rating before they invest. Waste Water efficient Filters and Softeners are available and they do make a big difference, especially over a 10 to 20 year period.

I’m glad that the Green movement is finally catching up with us in the Water Treatment Industry. It has always been our pleasure to offer Low Waste Water, Non Electric, Made in America, Low Chemical/ No Chemical solutions to our customers. For those of you wondering about Grey Water recycling, it is just down the road a little further. R&D is being performed and these systems will become a reality in the not to distant future.

Thank you for your continued support of Secondwind Water Systems. If you have any Water questions please visit our website at www.secondwindwater.com or call 1-800-287-5767. Until next time this is Chris Saltmarsh CWS-6 saying, “Thanks for reading! Remember that water is our greatest resource conserve it whenever possible, enjoy your great water”…