Why should I purchase my treatment equipment or test my water through Home Water Experts?

The name pretty much says it all. Our staff has years of experience in municipal water treatment plant design, conducted numerous water treatability studies, and has designed chemical treatment protocols for numerous large treatment facilities. There is a fair chance the municipal treatment plant supplying your water may have had there treatment protocol designed by a member of our staff! We have been called upon to troubleshoot serious water chemistry problems for many water treatment plants throughout the United States and Canada. Our founder/manager is an Environmental Scientist. You can be certain our products are the highest quality and our advice the best available. We do not know of ANY other company with this kind of expertise. Typically this kind of expert advice is not available directly to the public.

An overwhelming number of companies which sell and install water treatment systems are primarily plumbing companies (even if they do not state so). They do not have a true understanding of water chemistry and available treatment processes. This is dangerous, because ANY filter will certainly make your water taste better which may lead you to believe you are being protected. However, the wrong treatment option can aggravate a potentially serious problem while leaving you with a false sense of security. For example, some companies sell filters which remove iron or sulfur, but fail to mention that it is only effective within a pH range of 6.5 -7.5 or that additional treatment is required. Some sell filters with hazardous silver impregnates which can cause serious health problems if used in the wrong application.

In addition, many internet sites which sell water filters also sell many other products and have no real knowledge of the products they sell. Many larger well known companies that do specialize in water filters, are often staffed by inexperienced technicians. In fact, members of our staff have been sent to residential and industrial water treatment sites to troubleshoot and correct major problems caused by major very well known water treatment companies. Which will go nameless, so we don't get sued.

Lastly, we actually enjoy our work and talking about health/ environmental issues.

Can I call if I have a question?

Anyone can call if they have a question, even if it is just a general question about water. We will be happy to help you, even if you are not buying a product. If you do intend to buy a product we strongly encourage EVERYONE to call before a purchase to ensure the system is right for your needs. Contact us.

I have one of those "pitcher type" water filters, that's good right?

Wrong, most "pitcher type" water filters are more marketing over substance. They are better than nothing and will make the water taste a little better. This is a perfect case of you get what you pay for. The key to removal of contaminants is contact time. Contact time is the time the water actually comes in contact with the filter media. Our whole home filters have a contact time of 5 minutes or more and typically have one cubic foot or more of media inside them. "Pitcher filters" have 3-4 cubic inches of media, there is no comparison.

In addition, as mentioned in another section, whole home filters treat the water for the entire house! The water you use to shower, cook, drink, and water your lawn with is purified. Also, during a typical shower you absorb many times the level of many contaminants through your skin than you would over the course of a normal day drinking water. You skin has a vast surface area, and is even responsible for 2% of your respiration. If it touches your skin, it is absorbed into your blood without exception. (Even dyes from you clothes get absorbed into your skin!)

What is the advantage of using a whole home system?

A whole home system provides treated water to every water source in your house. Whole home systems are generally more effective and require less maintenance than other systems. In addition, whole home filters purify shower and bath water. Many of the contaminants we are exposed to are actually absorbed more readily into our body through a shower than by drinking water. Our whole home systems use an automatic backflushing system which cleans the filter media and prevents water pressure drop. Once you have a whole home filter in your home, you won't believe you ever lived without it!

What are the major differences between cartridge filters and automated backwashing systems?

The simple answer is cost and effectiveness. Cartridge systems are very popular due to their initial low cost. However, every six months the cartridges need replacement which makes them a time consuming and costly in the longer term. Cartridge filters also can not treat many types of contaminants.

Automated systems require more intial investment for their purchase and installation, but once installed they require zero maintenance. The media inside should be replaced only every 3-5 years.

Automated systems are much more effective as whole home filters.We STRONGLY suggest purchasing automated systems. You will definitely notice a measurable improvemant in water quality, and it will be safer as well.

I have clear water, and it was tested for iron; but when I wash my clothes they are stained reddish brown. What is that?

There are many different types and chemical forms of iron. Colloidal, oxidized, ferric, ferrous, and organically bound to name a few. You probably have organically bound iron. Organically bound iron changes its chemical state when heated, acid treated, or oxidized. When you wash your clothes you are heating and oxidizing the iron which then precipitates the iron out of solution. This then stains your clothes. The reason your iron test didn't show any iron in the results is that the iron must be acid treated prior to testing, this may not have been done.

There are several ways to treat this water. Probably the most practical is the use of an Iron/Manganese system which uses KMno4 to oxidize the iron. However, organically bound iron can be hard to remove. As a result, chlorine may be needed to oxidize the iron then filter the iron precipitate from the water. Chlorine contact time and oxygen are the name of the game here. We don't encourage chlorine use at all, but in some cases it is needed.

My water smells like "rotten eggs". What is that?

Hydrogen sulfide gas causes that "rotten-egg" or sulfur water smell. Hydrogen sulfide in water causes no serious health effects. The gaseous form is very dangerous, avoid pits or enclosed areas which have this strong smell.

Hydrogen sulfide dissolved in water corrodes metals. The corrosion of iron and steel from sulfur forms ferrous sulfide or "black water".

Iron and manganese are ussually present with hydrogen sulfide. . If left untreated, the water can stain laundry. When used in the laundry, chlorine bleach reacts with iron and manganese forming dark rusty or brownish stains on clothes.

Unless you like the smell of rotten eggs, you never know, we strongly suggest clicking on this link (Sulfur Removal).

What is GAC?

GAC is short for Granular Activated Carbon. It is more expensive than the carbon typically used in filters, but it is much more effective. Essentially it is very porous carbon source which has the unique ability to adsorb fine particles and small molecules. Some GAC is anthracite coal which has been heated; other sources include ground coconut shells. It is especially useful in treating water which has chemical contaminants in it such as THM's, VOC's, MTBE, pesticides, herbicides, chlorine, and many others.

Where do you sell and deliver your systems to?

We deliver to the USA and Canada. All prices are in U.S. Dollars.

Do you do home installations?

Yes, at this time- however- we only complete home installations only in Delaware (New Castle, and Kent Counties), Eastern Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Delaware, Berks, Montgomery, Lancaster and Bucks Counties) New Jersey (Mercer, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Salem Counties) and Washington D.C. . If you live in these areas please call 267-234-4493. For more assistance and information regarding installations click here to Contact Us. Unfortunately, we only do installations in areas mentioned above. We sell systems and do water testing throughout the USA and Canada. If you want advice on doing your own installation we will be happy to help.

Where do you do water testing?

USA and Canada.

Does someone come to my house to test the water?

No, we send a sampling kit to you. You sample the water then mail the samples to us. Within 3 weeks you should receive the testing results and the one page custom written report.

What is your warranty/return policy?

All products are covered under the manufacturers warranty which covers replacement of defective parts or products which are found to be defective as a result of manufacturers defect. Manufacturers warranties will be honored for no more than one year from date of purchase. Determining if a warranty return is authorized is the sole discretion of Home Water Experts LLC and/or the manufacturer. The liability of Home Water Experts LLC and the exclusive remedy of the Purchaser arising out of the manufacture, sale or furnishing of the products hereunder or its use, on warranties or otherwise, shall be limited to the cost of replacement of defective products alone. If the product is deemed not to be defective, the item will be returned to you as we received it- purchaser pays all shipping costs.

We want you to be completely satisfied. Much of our business is "word of mouth" so we will make every reasonable effort to accept returns, however due to the nature of the product returns can not be accepted in all cases. If you need to return a product, a return authorization code is needed. You must call or email us first to obtain this code.

A product is eligible for return and refund of purchase price within 30 days of purchase in accordance to the rules and notes below:

We accept returns if:

1A) The product is faulty as a result of poor workmanship as covered under the manufacturers warranty and as noted above.

OR
2A) The system you purchased is not correct for your application, AND is a result of our product suggestion and only as a result of direct personal contact via email or phone. In this circumstance we will cover all shipping costs and refund the purchase price of the product and receive our most humble apologies. Cost of installation, parts, labor, lost time, and damages are not the responsibility of Home Water Experts LLC and these costs are not reimbursable or covered in anyway.

We can not accept returns if any of the following are the case:

1B) The product has reached ANY stage of installation or if packaging has been opened and the product can not be returned complete or in a safe manner. Exception: as noted in rule 2A above.
2B) The product has been damaged or tampered with in ANY way by any agent including purchaser, shipper, installer or anyone other than those employed by Home Water Experts LLC. (Contact shipper within 24 hours if damage is a result of shipping, it is the purchasers responsibility to recoup loses from shipper)
3B) You do not have a receipt (an official receipt is included with each order). Any other receipt is not acceptable.

4B) The system you purchased is incorrect for your application. Exception as noted in 2A above.

Please note:

Home Water Experts LLC reserves the sole right to deny Returns\ Refunds for any reason.

What are the privacy/security policies?

The personal information you provide such as name, address, phone number and credit card number is processed by secure servers SSL (Secured Socket Layer). SSL is the industry encryption standard for ensuring secure transmission of personal information. Those pages on our website which show "https://" before the page address are secure. When you access these pages you may have an alert banner which states "Do you whish to display the nonsecure items"; don't be alarmed by that question. Your response will not effect how your private information is handled. Your private information is always secure in transmission. Our website is hosted by one of the best and most secure hosting companies in America. Our company computers have passwords which limit access from terminals and firewalls protecting from outside intrusion. None of your personal information will ever be given to another company for any reason.