water filtration system maintenance

Maintenance is Key

Like any good machinery, your water filtration system requires a little maintenance.

We see the following points as priorities:

The water must be safe to use in the house, from a bacteria/microbiological point of view. Even if you’re not drinking the water, and you use it to shower, bathe or brush your teeth, make sure it’s safe!

    Water can easily pick up unwanted bacteria, which can lead to several illnesses like diarrhoea.

  • The inside walls of storage tanks can become coated with biofilm. Biofilm is also a cause of corrosion in pipes and should be treated.
  • The UV lamp has a lifespan of between 8000 and 9000  hours and should be replaced once a year to maintain its germicidal properties.
  • We will replace your UV lamp, clean the quartz sleeve if necessary, and make sure that the ballast is working properly.
  • We can facilitate full laboratory testing.

The water must not be corrosive to the copper piping in your house.

  • Most groundwater is acidic, and often low in minerals. This causes the copper piping to corrode from the inside, which can lead to pinhole leaks in the pipes and subsequent damp from inside the walls. This is very costly to repair and best avoided!
  • We will check the pH while we’re on-site, as part of our maintenance. Although it’s a good indicator, the pH is only part of the check for corrosion potential.
  • We offer a comprehensive lab test which will show the various corrosion indices and give an indication of whether your water is possibly corrosive.

The water must not stain walls, swimming pools, bathroom fittings or laundry.

  • Stains caused by treated water often originate from corrosive water which will leach copper from the pipes in the house and result in blue/green stains under the taps on bathroom basins, toilets and baths.
  • Other common causes of staining are orange/brown stains from high iron levels (0.3 mg/l is the maximum aesthetic threshold) or from manganese (black stains), or tannins in the water which can stain laundry.
  • Kettles, geysers and other appliances which have heating elements are susceptible to a build-up of calcium – we will check for this and advise accordingly.

Filter cartridges should be replaced periodically. Their lifespan depends on the water quality and the volume of water used. When the filter cartridges become saturated with sediment, they are less efficient and can lead to pressure loss in the house – usually noticed in the shower, running a bath, or other high water flow situations. Charcoal filters can become comfortable homes for bacteria, and cartridges should be replaced if any biofilm is present.

Siliphos is a scale inhibitor, and it dissolves over time. We will refill the cartridge if you have one.

Service Options:

System Check:

An ad-hoc system checkup is charged at the callout fee plus time spent.

Consumables can be found here:  water-treatment-consumables

Monthly Maintenance:

Contact us for a quote on regular monthly maintenance of your system. This will include a pH, TDS, filter cartridge and UV lamp check.

A microbiology lab analysis (for bacteria, viruses and protozoa) can be conducted. This is highly recommended if the water is being used in the house for bathing and drinking, especially in rental, “Airbnb” and guest house situations.

General Service Calls:

Service charges are based on a minimum callout rate, plus time and materials. For outlying areas and service in other towns, there may be an additional travel fee based on mileage. Contact us for pricing.

Water Testing:

We will collect a water sample (using the correct protocols) and deliver to the lab for testing.