FAQS
All you need to know about pure water
We are here to help answer questions and resolve any doubts you may have about our services, our products, and our company. We have collated some of the most common queries below, but if you have another question don't hesitate to contact us and we will be happy to help
Water filters remove impurities and contaminants that can make their way into the water supply in its journey from treatment plant to tap, as well as chemicals water companies deliberately add to water in order to kill bacteria. Filtered drinking water is therefore purer and generally tastier than tap water
WHAT IS WRONG WITH TAP WATER?
It is estimated that 99.5% of tap water in Spain is potable (drinkable) according to international water safety standards, however there are great regional variations in quality and remedial works being carried out on water pipes can result in a temporary reduction in quality. Even if safe, because water companies use chlorine to sterilise the water to kill bacteria and viruses, the water can often have an unpleasant 'swimming pool' taste and smell, particularly if the water is left to stand for a while. In addition, it's increasingly common for water testing to find micro-plastics in tap water which have leached into the process
WHAT IS WRONG WITH BOTTLED WATER?
Water that is bottled in plastic is both unhealthy and damaging for the environment. The plastic bottle breaks down and deposits microscopic pieces of plastic into the water which you then drink. The bottle itself takes 450 years to disintegrate and, though the bottles can be recycled, it is estimated that only a fifth are recycled with the rest ending up in landfill or the sea
Six to seven times more water than a bottle holds is used to manufacture it and the equivalent of 25% of the contents in crude oil is used in the production of a bottle. The Barcelona Institute for Global Health estimates that bottled water is 3,500 times more polluting than tap water and, on average, it is 131 times more expensive per litre than tap water
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A FILTER JUG AND A REVERSE OSMOSIS FILTER?
Filter jugs and bottles work by passing the water through a carbon filter which reduce the levels of carbon, copper, lead and chlorine but don't entire remove them. Unlike reverse osmosis filters, filter jugs do not remove pesticides, pharmaceuticals, bacteria and viruses so they are more focused on the smell and taste of water and not so much the safety. Additionally, the average filter in a jug filters only 100 litres and has no reliable way to alert when the filter is reaching the end of its life. Filters need changing regularly and this results in an expensive and incomplete solution to water filtration
A reverse osmosis direct flow filter pushes water through a semi-permeable membrane that separates out the water molecules from other substances and is the most efficient method of purifying water. Reverse osmosis water filters remove viruses and bacteria, pharmaceuticals, heavy metals, chlorine and limescale leaving water that is 99.9% pure. They are built for efficiency, with the average filter only needing to be replaced on an annual basis and all RO filters we sell include smart taps with both light and audible warning lights when the filter requires a change. A direct flow water filter also means that you can run the tap with a strong flow and the water is filtered as it happens, whereas with filter jugs and indirect flow filters there is a limit to the amount of filtered water you can obtain without the container (the jug or filter buffer tank) being refilled
WHY ARE YOUR FILTERS BETTER THAN CHEAPER ALTERNATIVES?
All the water filters we sell carry UNE 149101 Spanish accreditation for drinking water systems for use inside buildings and the patented systems we sell allow only UNE 149101 certified replacement filters to be used. Cheaper water filters, often shipped from China, do not carry the UNE 149101 accreditation mark (seen below) and also use generic replacement filters whose quality cannot be guaranteed
In addition, our filters have patented closed hydraulic internal processing systems which result in them having only three external connections whereas the cheaper alternatives have components interconnected by multiple tubes and connectors, each of which is a potential point of failure and a potential site of bacterial growth. Cheaper alternatives usually have much weaker water flow and are often not direct pour, means that you have to wait for the unit to refill when its limit of filtered water is reached
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WHAT IS HARD WATER?
Rain water is naturally soft, meaning it contains no minerals. When rain water falls on hard stone like granite, it runs straight off and remains soft. However when rain water falls on soft rock, such as limestone or chalk, it sinks in and dissolves minerals such as magnesium and calcium that makes the water 'hard'. When hard water is heated to 55°c, the minerals in it solidify into limescale that causes problems in your house unless you take measures to soften it. The Almeria region has some of the hardest water in Spain
HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE HARD WATER?
We are happy to perform a free analysis of your water with a simple test taking only a few minutes. A testing stick is dipped into a glass of water from your tap which reacts to Calcium and Magnesium present and gives an accurate measurement reading
WHY IS HARD WATER A PROBLEM?
Hard water causes a number of problems; some that you can readily see and others which are more hidden
Hidden Problems
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Pipes around your house gradually fur up like your kettle but are not descaled with the result that the flow of water becomes restricted over time
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Heating elements in hot water boilers become encrusted in limescale resulting in it taking longer, and therefore more expensive, to heat water
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The lifetime of appliances such as, boilers, washing machines and dishwashers is reduced
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The lifetime of clothing is reduced by around 40% as hard water damages the clothing fibres
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Children in a hard water area are 54% more like to suffer from eczema than children in soft water areas
Visible Problems
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Kettles that fur up with limescale and need descaling
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Chalky deposits that emit from steam irons
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Glassware that's hazy and requires use of salt in your dishwasher
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Limescale around taps, sinks and toilet bowls
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Water flow from taps does not steam strong
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Difficulty getting a good lather when using soap and shampoo
WHY ARE YOUR WATER SOFTENERS BETTER THAN CHEAPER ALTERNATIVES?
The Kinetico water softeners we sell are hand made in America using components made in house in the US whereas cheaper alternatives are generally mass produced in China completely, or assembled in another country from components mass produced in China. The Kinetico patented twin tank technology provides a continuous source of soft water 24/7, but cheaper alternatives are usually single tank which allow hard water into the system when they go through periodic cleaning routines
Our Kinetico softeners require no electric connection; the machine uses the flow and power of the water passing through to power it. They also boast a patented metering system where water is measured as it passes through to ensure that the cleaning routine is only carried out when X-litres of water have been softened. Cheaper alternatives require an electrical connection and have a metering system that is simply on a timer resulting in cleaning routines that occur at timed intervals rather than being needs based, this results in more salt being used
Kinetico softeners product soft water that is suitable for both central heating systems and human consumption; a glass of Kinetico softened water contains less salt than a glass of milk. Cheaper alternatives with single tanks will leach salt into the water making it unsuitable for drinking
Kinetico softeners come with a 10 year manufacturer's warrantee as standard whereas the cheap alternatives usually offer only a 1-2 year warrantee as they are made with less robust components