water softeners
Our Ion-Max metered controlled water softeners cope with variable numbers of occupants from 1 person to 100 persons on the hardest of waters, and because no single day of domestic water use is exactly the same and many days pass with often major variations in usage, so metered water softeners are the only sensible choice, saving up to 80% water and 70% salt use of smaller out dated timer based water softeners.
Ion-Max water softeners are one of a range of the very top end commercial grade water softener systems available in Ireland outranking the nearest competitors by extremely wide margins. Easily beating all other US brands including Autotrol, Fleck, Hague, Culligan, Eerie, Kinetico, Ionics + the Euro Siata, + Asian Fleck copies.
Manufactured in Ireland from all top US made Clack Corporation components using the highest food grade monospheric USP co-polymer resin made by Lanxess, our “bullet proof” Ion-Max water softeners are very rarely challenged by some of the most adverse water conditions.
The Ion-Max Series is built in Ireland with an NSF certified, 10 year warranty Clack Corporation mineral tanks filled with Lanxess ultra high performance monospheric, low oxidative resin using the number one internationally acclaimed Clack WS1CI meter controlled valve made in Wisconsin, USA. Best valve, best tank, best resin.
Mains or well water is directed via the Clack valve into the resin bed of the Clack 10x35 vessel. All calcium and magnesium ions plus a wide range of undesirable ions cling to the naturally electrostatic charge of the Lanxess polymer resin beads leaving the water free of water hardness (lime) also removing iron, manganese, heavy metals, radium, aluminium, ammonium and variable levels of dirt, sediment and organics.
Ion-Max systems automatically measure water used and compiles a rolling 63 diagnostic water use pattern within the microprocessor, predicting correct early morning backwash of the resin bed with an exhausted capacity same day over-ride default incase of say 5,000 litres used in a day washing cars or faulty cisterns.
The Ion-Max water softener may only regenerate on a 28 day interval or decide upon a period between the average 12 to 14 days, all variable and constantly self correcting based on accurate internal water metering using a Hall pulse sensor, and Clack’s astonishingly reliable and proven microprocessor controls.
You’ve probably heard about the benefits of perfectly softened water, squeaky clean, soft and silky, all the usual sales patter about saving on detergents, no scum on baths, energy savings, savings on plumbing bills and cleaning. Well, it is all true, and water softeners are actually proven by the recent independent multi million dollar - Battelle Water Softener Study - to be the greenest household energy savings devices.
General System Info (Ion-Max 10x24 and 10x54 series):
Min Water pressure : 18 psi Max Water pressure : 125 psi Voltage: 230 volts (3 pin plug)
Daily capacity regen : 2,350 to 7,500 Ltrs of softened water based on 400 ppm down to 200 ppm hardness
Weekly capacity : 16,450 to 52,500 litres soft water Galway Family Average : 1,750 litres per week
Average regeneration period 2 to 3 weeks Average annual salt bill : 4.5 bags or 30 euros
No exposed metal parts - lifetime rust free service Anti-shear sensor - sail through any ice siezures
Soft water brining - no internal blockages, clean tanks Best auto diagnostic controls on the market
User manual built into valve - no other valve has this Best build quality, warranty, reliability of all valves
Estimated system life 30 to 40 years - lifetime use Health check from 10 years Service from 20 years
Water softeners are the longest established effective household water treatment devices on the global water treatment market. In the era of steam power, UK and US firms discovered water softening could help steam engines beset by scale. Early UK pioneers Kennicott (1902) and Permutit (1908) were followed by Clack, Culligan and later GE and Siemens. Water softeners then became high-tech after the war years when synthetic resin based water softeners were introduced.
Also see ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_softening
Water softener systems are now understood to be possibly the most cost effective energy saving devices within the household plumbing system. No other household plumbed device comes close to the energy savings of a water softener, or does the cost of any other plumbed system get re-paid within the time frame of water softeners. Only water softener systems are guaranteed to fully soften water at the lowest possible lifetime costs for users, typically at the running cost per year of just one or two restaurant steak dinners using a meter softener.
Water softeners formed the backbone of green energy saving devices since their inception, keeping heating systems free from scale especially around copper cylinder spiral coil heat transfer areas of heating systems. Water softening is the removal of dissolved limestone from hard water, exchanging problem ions with harmless ions. Limescale causes plumbing damage by hard scale build up, staining and the problems of itchy skin, badly washed hair and poor results in washing clothes.
Modern softeners utilise flow monitoring and memory functions, recording performance, monitoring water volumes, backwash and peak water flows over the life of the system. Water softeners are sealed with negative ion charged long life food grade polymer beaded resin that cause positive calcium ions in hard water to cling to the resin over a period of time - the water softener then calculates when to wash off the lime, chloride ions and excess sodium ions collected out into a waste water pipe using just very few sodium ions to regenerate the resin. Water softener systems do not discharge any hazards to bio or septic systems and do not impart sodium chloride as such to household supplies.
There is zero sodium chloride in softened water - just trace levels of sodium, often below the level found in officially "low sodium" beverages such as supermarket colas and lemonades and close to the level of some Tesco bottled waters. In short, even 1000 litres of softened water would not yield enough sodium to fill a tea spoon and because there are no chlorides in softened water - the prospect of any salt taste is completely absent in softened water.
Trace sodium in softened water is mainly below the EU limit of 200 mg/l, usually between 80 to 160 mg/l (ppm) factoring in sodium in source water. Many supermarket carbonated soft drinks exceed 200 mg/l, milk has 500 mg/l and Heinz soups contain 3000 mg per litre. The healthy sodium intake we require each day in our diets is2,400 mg. Of course milk, soup and softened water are all harmless for almost all age groups in normal use. Baby formula should be prepared as recommended by the manufacturers.
Domestic metered water softeners typically use 2 euros of electric and 2 to 6bags of food grade salt tablets per year costing around €15 to €45. Salt use depends on water hardness and amount of water used. Bags ofsalt cost from 7 euros each. Savings on household cleaning / bathing products / plumbing repairs can exceed 300 euros per year, repaying the cost of a water softener in a very short time, along with improving qualityof life considerably.
The older timer based water softener systems, could eat up to12 to 20 bags of salt per year. The difference in cost of timer and meter water softener systems nowadays is not usually more than 100euros. Using a small timer controlled mini cabinet water softener for normal domestic household use is like trying to use a moped to tow a caravan. You may succeed in getting a moped to pull a caravan along with a shaky level of confidence for a premature period of time, however the moped will drink several times the amount of petrol and will end up in the scrap yard with a much shortened longevity.
Galway Water Solutions import by container quantities, at the lowest costs, yet using the most sophisticated U.S. made metered water softeners into Ireland, direct from U.S. manufacturers. Try buying a water softener for less, and we will beat any water softener quotation, yet offer hyper-quality NSF / WQA Gold Seal brands, guaranteed.
A Clack water softener for limescale hardness removal, is easily the most efficient on water, electric and salt use. Our 10x54 high efficiency water softener can run on €15 to €45 for salt, €2 electric and €2 water use PER YEAR - based on 2-4 people using 100-300 litres per day @ 300ppm lime.
ZERO salt in softened water, ZERO chlorides, half the sodium of strict EU Directives and EPA limits. (approx 5% of daily dietary RDI). Water softeners also reduce grit, sediment, lead, radium, iron and manganese and selective ions.
The domestic water softener is the longest established domestic water treatment system for dealing with hard water and the effects of limescale. A water softener is guaranteed to remove limescale at the lowest costs compared to other water treatment technologies. Sometimes referred to as salt system or "the salt system" by some, although no salt is used in the softened water flow.
A water softener is not hazardous to bio or septic tanks and no salt enters household supplies - only limescale is removed and soft water produced. Plumbers may advise for hard pipe feeds separate to a water softener and without advising for reverse osmosis, if in doubt ask a WQA Certified Water Specialist or contact WQA.org direct.
The water softener has been around since 1902 to correct the effects of limescale and hard water. The competitive water softener and water treatment market stepped up after 1908 becoming high-tech around WW2 when the synthetic resin based water softener was introduced.
A water softener is the greenest domestic energy saving device for hard water and limescale, keeping limescale free from copper cylinder spiral coils.
The best water softener is metered often with annual running costs of a single restaurant steak dinner. A timer based water softener can eat up to 10 to 20 bags of salt per year. The difference in price of a timer and metered water softener is now within 100 euros. Salt savings of 1000's of euros are possible with a meter water softner during its life cycle.
A water softener is very effective for energy savings, appliance repair savings and hardness removal - the pay back is usually within three years. Clack water softners start from 500 euros - the best softners are 1,200 euros. It is worth combining a water softner with a reverse osmosis water filter as a discount package to guarantee water is correctly targeted.
Find a full list of water softeners, iron / manganese filters, odour /colour removal water filters, grit and turbidity removal water filters,ultra violet sterilisers, reverse osmosis water filters and other specialist water treatment equipment in our pdf brochures on the homepage.
