All carbon filters are not created equal . . .

(Image: Some of the filters we carry,
including quality granular activated carbon
& carbon block.
Hytrex, Pentek, Excelpure brands)




I've done thousands of water filter changes and UV equipment service calls, and I've seen too many instances where homeowners buy those cheap carbon-cellulose filters. Essentially they are carbon powder impregnated onto filter paper. . .

Don't use them! They are crap. UV sleeves get coated with a blackish film from them, and for close to the same price, they don't last as long as other alternatives for odour reduction. Use coconut shell carbon block or coconut shell granular activated carbon filters. I like and use Pentek and Excelpure brands.

Depending on your water usage volume, the organics, sediment, and sulphur or H2S levels in your water (if you aerate to a cistern or use a Greensand filter), the type and size of prefiltration you are using -- expect to change these out in a typical household anywhere from every 6 weeks to 3 months.

Trojan UV Max C power supply problems . . .

If you have a Trojan UV Max C power supply (black box with two LED indicator lights) that was installed new or replaced anytime from January 2009 through to January 2010, it is likely it will have an alarm fault . . .

That is, when the UV lamp has about 1 year of lamp life used up, it will beep, but there is no way to reset it after you replace the lamp. It will just keep beeping!! Trojan will swap these with an upgraded power unit at no charge. Just contact them via their website or toll free line 1-800-265-7246. If you are a Witheys customer, we will do that for you.

UV lamp maintenance . . .

Whether a small cottage UV or a bank of 100 UV lights sanitizing New York City water, all UV lamps need regular servicing. The UV lamp itself needs replacing once every 12 months of lit/burn time. (This is the manufacturer's requirement, and is regardless of one gallon or 100,000 gallons passing through it!) That is, 365 days of lamp life. The reason for this is that the UV lamp is mercury gas and it slowly burns at a lower intensity over its life until, at about 365 days, it may not be at the intensity needed to confidently sterilize your water.

In a part-time cottage or seasonal home, simply shutting off the water valve before the UV and unplugging it, will allow you to maximize the use of the UV when you need it. You will need to remember to start it up each time you're in residence and track carefully when it's in use, as when it totals 365 days, then it will need replacement and servicing.

Do not let anyone simply replace the lamp. All UVs are two part systems: UV lamp and quartz sleeve or tube that the UV is housed. The quartz tube needs to be thoroughly cleaned and inspected and new o-rings installed. A new UV lamp inside a filthy quartz sleeve is pointless and a waste of money. Some systems require the sleeves cleaned more than once per year.

When it comes to changing filters . . . there are only three mistakes people tend to make: 1) not changing their filters enough; 2) changing their filters way too much; and 3) strong-arming the filters on and off. . .

In most average household applications (i.e. two standard-sized 10" filter housings mounted together before a UV system) -- rainwater and well service -- you should be changing your filters out every 3 -6 months. (2-4 times per year). If you're changing more than that, it usually indicates a problem with well turbidity, pumping zone; and with rainwater systems, it means your cistern is due for a cleaning and your collection pre-filtration (off the roof) is in poor condition.

Good polypropylene depth filters should trap through the entire depth of the filter. So don't be alarmed if it looks filthy on the outside in a week or so. Shine a light up through the bottom, and if you see white, it still has capacity. The other sign to watch for is flowrate at the tap. If it starts out strong and keeps tapering off all the time, it means the filters are indeed due for changing.

When changing your filters, always shut-off water at valve before the filter, and turn a downstream tap on or otherwise relieve water pressure on the system BEFORE you try to remove the filter housing. Otherwise you will struggle to remove the housing and eventually stretch your filter housing O-ring out of shape and it will cause leaks. Use your filter wrench to remove, keep your O-ring clean, wet and grit free, and firmly hand-tighten to put back on.

Regular maintenance is important

UV systems, filters, reverse osmosis units, water conditioners etc. need to be maintained as per manufacturer’s guidelines. Recently I’ve had a few calls from new residents who were told by “a friend” that as long as the green LED indicator was lit, the UV disinfection lamp was still good. That is true, only if the UV lamp has been changed yearly, and the quartz sleeve removed, inspected and cleaned. No matter the brand, UV lamps need to be replaced every 9000 hours (i.e. a year) as lamp life intensity drops continuously after that time to the point of offering little or no germicidal radiation. Check on your filters and change as needed. (Typical households need to change filters 2 – 6 times per year.)

Rainwater collection system ready for cold weather?

With about a metre of rain falling on Gabriola during the winter months, this is the time to make hay for rainwater harvesting. Check to make sure your cisterns are clean and vents are screened, gutters are cleaned and collection piping is connected. Ensure your pumphouse, exposed collection and distribution pipes are insulated and protected from rain and cold. If your rain collection pipes are a wet-system (i.e. a portion of the pipe always holds water), you will need to watch the thermometer and drain out the exposed wet pipe, before sub-zero weather hits or it may freeze and crack.