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Mechanic testing the water

Plumbers are telling customers Kinetico kill water heaters anodes faster. This has gone viral and is NOT TRUE.

All water heaters work better with Kinetico. We have actual science to prove it; see 10-year New Mexico State University and See Battelle study. The CEO of A.O. Smith which is the world’s largest maker of water heaters and manufactures State, A.O. Smith, American, Takagi, Reliance brand water heaters; has a Kinetico water softener installed on his home here in AZ.

To learn anything about water treatment without the bias of any company please call:

Arizona Water Quality Association
6819 East Diamond Street, Scottsdale Az 85257
480-947-9850

The reason why water heaters fail in AZ are numerous – Some are not practical to address – High feed-water Temperature, High feedwater TDS, very alkaline water. Only some of which can be addressed. Also the various piping materials used in a house without dielectric fittings, the high water hardness, the lack of proper grounding, the lack of proper maintenance for the water heater.

Water Heaters – Being able to maintain your water heater can not only save your health but can help keep some money in your pocket. Knowing what kills a water heater and how to prevent that from happening can help you in the long run. Several causes can lead to the death of your water heater. Here are a few to be thinking about. On the water main – ensure the Grounding cable & clamp are on the pipe correctly. Ensure water is Kinetico soft – twin tanks ensure constant feed-water quality. Use the ball valves on the bottom of the tank to flush sediment from the hot water tank for 3-5 minutes every 90 days. Have a professional inspect and maintain the sacrificial water heater anode rod every year. Set the temperature to 140 degrees. Temperature/pressure relief valves, or T&Ps. should be checked yearly, and replaced if water won’t flow freely, or won’t stop running or dripping when you let go of the handle. T&Ps fail, even after only a few years. Drain and flush water heater every 12 months.

Water Heaters – Being able to maintain your water heater can not only save your health but can help keep some money in your pocket. Knowing what kills a water heater and how to prevent that from happening can help you in the long run. There are several causes that can lead to the premature death of your water heater. Here are a few to be thinking about.

  • Ensure the plumbing system is properly grounded.
  • Ensure water is Kinetico soft – twin tanks ensure constant feed-water quality.
  • Flush sediment from the hot water tank for 3-5 minutes every 90 days. Using the ball valves on the bottom of the tanks.
  • Have a professional inspect and maintain the sacrificial water heater anode rod every year. Use a segmented Magnesium Anode Rod or a powered anode rod installed with soft water.
  • Set the temperature @ 120 to 140 degrees.
  • Temperature/pressure relief valves, or T&Ps. They should be checked yearly and replaced if water won’t flow freely, or won’t stop running or dripping when you let go of the handle.
  • Pressure should ideally stay in the 45 to 65 psi range. Pressure reducers fail, even after only a few years.
  • Drain and flush water heater every 12 months.

Water softeners can save significant amounts of money and energy in the home, a major new study by the independent Battelle Institute revealed; Softeners help preserve the efficiency of water heaters and major appliances and keep showers and faucets unclogged, the report found. The study was commissioned by the Water Quality Research Foundation (WQRF) in 2009. Battelle Memorial Institute is a renowned independent testing and research facility dedicated to applied science and technology development. Battelle Memorial Institute is a 2 billion dollars private 501c nonprofit applied science and technology development company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Battelle manages the following Labs: Brookhaven National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, National Biodefense Analysis, and Countermeasures Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. They work with National Security: Applied Genomics, Applied Technology, Battelle Manufacturing, CBRNE Defense, Critical Infrastructure, Cyber Innovations, Data Analytics, Demilitarization, Life Sciences Research, Maritime Technologies, Medical Readiness & Response, Tactical Systems. They also do Pharmaceutical & Medical Devices: Life Sciences Research, Manufacturing & Design, Medical Devices.

Among some of the key findings of the study:

Tankless heaters: Indoor instantaneous gas water heaters (tankless heaters) operated on softened water maintained the original factory efficiency rating over a 15-year lifetime. The study found that tankless water heaters completely failed to function because of scale plugging in the downstream plumbing after only 1.6 years of equivalent hot water use on 26 gpg hard water. Softened water saves 34% of costs compared to operating on 20 gpg and saves 47% compared to operation on 30 gpg hard water.

Gas water heaters: Gas storage tank household water heaters operated on softened water maintained the original factory efficiency rating over a 15-year lifetime. On the other hand, hard water can lead to as much as a 48% loss of efficiency in water heaters.

Every five grains per gallon of water hardness causes a 4% loss in efficiency and a 4% increase in cost for gas storage tank water heaters when using 50 gallons of hot water per day. (On 30 gpg hard water, that’s 24% less efficient than with softened water.)

Every five grains per gallon of hardness causes an 8% loss in efficiency and an 8% increase in cost when using 100 gallons of hot water per day in a gas storage-tank water heater. (On 30 gpg hard water, that’s 48% less efficient than with softened water.)

Electric Water Heaters

Up to 30 pounds of calcium carbonate rock-like scale can accumulate in these heaters over time, according to the study. The life of the heating element will be shortened due to scale buildup because of the increased operating temperature of the heating element. Also, each five gpg of water hardness causes 0.4 pounds of scale accumulation each year in electric storage tank household water heaters. In central Arizona all those little spots you see = an extra 2 pounds per year of scale you heat before you heat the water – costing you at least 50% of the service life of the water heater and adding to your other real Hard Water costs which are as much as $43 per week for an average house. Such scale adversely affects the water heater’s performance. Battelle says in the electric storage water heaters.

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