Eastern U.S. Distributor For:
Vical 1000 NSF60 16X40 Fine Mesh Calcite
For Use in All Upflow and Downflow Acid Neutralizers
Cell Direct: (443) 640-5570
Email: Bruce@jw4enterprises.com
1) – 16 x 40 Mesh CaCO3 has exponentially more surface contact area than larger industry mesh sizes (6 X 10, 10 X 16, 12 X 30) resulting in better PH correction and higher PH values. Lower your customer recalls for “green stains” and lessen customer dissatisfaction related to higher frequency service intervals.
2) – Reduce the needed ratios and expense of Magnesium Oxide by blending with 16 X 40 Mesh CaCO3 for correcting highly aggressive waters. (Up to a 50% reduction using 16 X 40). This reduction is not possible with large mesh CaCO3.
3) – Higher sales revenue and profits (selling price of tank filtration neutralizers are usually more than chemfeeders). Minimize or eliminate chemfeeders for PH correction by using finer mesh 16 X 40 CaCO3 as is, or blended with Magnesium Oxide. (In 30 years in our region, we never sold or needed to sell a chemfeeder for PH correction and we successfully treated water with PH readings as low as 4.8 with mixed ratios of Magnesium Oxide). Boost on-site service revenues for rebeds as opposed to customers stopping by the store to purchase a bag of soda ash.
4) – CaCO3 with a PH of 9.4 is safer to handle and utilize than sodium hydroxide (PH 12 diluted, PH 14 undiluted) or soda ash with a PH of 11.6
5) – 16 X 40 Mesh CaCO3 is truly the only effective mesh size for the filtration of fine silt and sediments, especially suspended (particulate) iron. Successfully neutralize acidity and provide filtration at the same time (with the appropriate regeneration schedule). The customer will be VERY happy if you can eliminate or reduce the need for them to have to change a sediment filter.
6) – There is less chance and occurrence of clogged brine injectors on softeners due to better pre filtration through the neutralizer with 16 X 40 mesh CaCO3.
7) – Media bed expansion during regeneration is greatly reduced and sometimes non-existent with the largest mesh sizes. Expansion is greatly improved and maximized with 16 X 40 mesh (optimum pressure setting on wells 40-60 PSI for best results). Put a flashlight behind a lightly colored neutralizer tank in a dark basement during regeneration for comparing expansion vs mesh sizes.
8) -The CaCO3 “fines” created by the agitation of the granules during regeneration easily pass through the media bed of large mesh CaCO3 when the regeneration is completed, thereby exponentially increasing the chance of clogging the brine injector on the softener as opposed to the slim chance with 16 X 40 mesh.
9) – Minimize the chance of “tank wall scrub off” after recharging the neutralizer with 16 X 40 mesh CaCO3. Using large mesh CaCO3 can clog the brine injector on the softener within 24 hours. Even if you completely dump and fully repack the neutralizer on-site, you can still clog the brine injector within days using large mesh CaCO3. (This mostly pertains to iron bearing water – Call me for a 5 minute technical chat on this).
10) – There is less chance of “shellacking” or “cocooning” of the 16 X 40 Mesh CaCO3 in iron bearing waters. Unlike hardness in the water, iron content in water sources will shellack and cocoon the individual CaCO3 granules which results in the creation of a coating and barrier on the entire surface of the granulation that will minimize or even eliminate the ability of acid water to make surface contact for the reaction necessary to correct the PH. Combined with higher frequencies of regeneration and the maximized bed expansion of 16 X 40 Mesh CaCO3, the granules become abrasive against themselves and can wear away enough surface area of the granules by the agitation created during regeneration to help minimize this condition. Minimize (or sometimes eliminate) tank dumping and total refills depending upon iron levels. There is virtually no chance of avoiding this coating or achieving consistent PH correction with the large mesh CaCO3.
11) – Since there is more surface area contact with the 16 X 40 mesh CaCO3, most of the PH correction is accomplished in a shorter distance of travel through the top and upper layers of the media column, which happens to be the area that receives most of the agitation, turbulence and bed expansion during regeneration. So, there is less chance of “channeling” and “bridging” with the 16 X 40 Mesh. Larger mesh CaCO3 medias, where PH correction requires longer distances of travel through the media column (larger mesh means less surface contact area which prolongs PH correction deeper into the media column), and where there is reduced bed expansion during regeneration, are going to be much more susceptible to channeling and bridging of the media bed, both in the upper layer and lower depths of the media column.
12) – In speaking with the technical department at both Clack and Pentair (Fleck and Autotrol), the question was presented as to what mesh size CaCO3 was used when they established the backwash flow rates on their filter control heads. They all said 16 X 40 mesh. When asked why this info was not in any technical manual, there wasn’t any explanation, other than that is what they used and preferred.
13) – In averaging the surface area contact of the various mesh size ranges (6 X 10, 10 X 16, 12 X 30) the 16 X 40 mesh will have 2.73 times more surface area than a 6 X 10 mesh, 1.63 times more surface area than 10 X 16 mesh, and 1.41 times more than 12 X 30 mesh. So, it will take 2 ¾ bags of 6 X 10 mesh CaCO3 to equal one bag of 16 X 40 mesh, a little more than 1 ½ bags of 10 X 16 mesh CaCO3 to equal one bag of 16 X 40 mesh, and a little shy of 1 ½ bags of 12 X 30 mesh CaCO3 to equal one bag of 16 X 40 mesh CaCO3 in equivalent surface area.
14) – We achieved the same or more surface area contact within a 10” diameter tank (54” tall) with 16 X 40 mesh CaCO3 as compared to a 13” diameter tank (54” tall) containing larger mesh CaCO3. The benefit of being able to use a 10” tank as opposed to a 13” tank, is that the 10” tank only needs about a 6 GPM backwash flow rate as compared to 9 GPM plus on a 13” tank. We found most wells could deliver 5-6 GPM, but very few at 9 GPM or more. So, with a 10” tank and 16 X 40 mesh CaCO3, there was a highly reduced risk of bridging and media solidification, a superior release of particulates and iron solids during regeneration, superior bed expansion, a lot less water use for regeneration, and less well pump run time.
1) – CaCO3 granules are mined and ground to achieve the desired mesh size. When they are first manufactured and loaded into the neutralizer, the surface of the granules are rough and fractured, with small cracks embedded with CaCO3 dust. So, for the first few weeks, due to this temporary “softer surface”, the CaCO3 reacts easier and quicker with the acidity, therefore producing a better PH reading for this short period of time. After these few weeks have lapsed, the surface of the granules reach their long term phase of having a smoother and harder “glazed” surface. So, whatever PH reading you obtained before you left the house, you can now expect it to drop anywhere from .2 to .5 once the granular surface has become harder and “glazed” over after this break in period.
2) – There are two things that affect a neutralizer’s ability to keep the PH above 7. The first is the length of the media column the water is passing through and the second is the amount of contact time the water has with the media column. The media column will dissolve away (usually about 1/3 of the total media volume) until it becomes incapable of holding the PH above 7, even at low flow rates. On the other end of the spectrum, a high flow rate, even if the system is full of media, can be the equivalent of inadequate contact time to maintain the PH above 7.
3) – There are four high flow areas that make up approximately 80% of a home’s water useage; 1) – flushing toilets, 2) – showers, 3) – washing machines, and 4) – car washing. After recharging a neutralizer, most service techs retest the water at a kitchen sink or basement hand sink (low flow fixtures).
UNLESS YOU CAN;
1) – Afford to make a 2nd free service call to retest the PH in a few weeks after the “granule glazing” period is complete,
2) – Predict how far the PH will drop as the media column depletes over the next 6 to 12 months (a shorter media column = lower PH),
3) – Predict how far the PH will drop due to multiple high flow fixtures running at the same time, even though the media has just been replenished,
4) – Come back a few weeks later (when you said “I can’t afford to come back!”) and ask the customer to turn on the “fill” cycle on the washing machine, turn on the shower and flush the toilets at the same time (since at peak useage times of the day, it is likely and probable to have multiple fixtures running at the same time) and then retest the water during this peak flow period,
THEN;
You need to have a PH reading of approximately 8.0 before you leave the house and that can only reasonably be accomplished by using 16 X 40 mesh CaCO3. (Or in combination, if needed, with a ratio of magnesium oxide of your choice). This is a 30 Year Analysis – 92% of My Customers Own Neutralizers Caution Should be Utilized in the Application of Blended Medias The EPA Maximum High Level Recommendation for PH is 8.5
The preceding is a compilation of science and facts blended in with our analysis, processes and cumulative findings of our 30 years of experience in the specific area of effective PH control (acid neutralization), both as a stand alone or in combination with particulate filtration. We are providing our findings as a courtesy to our clients and potential clients of our product line. The presentation of the following findings are proprietary, confidential and the intellectual property of Core Commodities LLC. It is intended strictly for the person it is presented to, or to be immediately passed on to the decision maker as pertaining to interests in the acquisition of our product line. If you are a water treatment dealer, feel free to share the information or have us do a short tech session with your service personnel. If you are a distributor to licensed plumbers and water treatment dealers, feel free to offer them our phone number if we can help with a “second pair of eyes and ears” in offering some phone time or a tech session. This information is NOT to be reproduced, transmitted or shared in any manner or format with anyone other than stated above. Also, it is NOT to be shared in any manner or format with vendors of any type that are in competition to our line of water treatment products. In the end, you might find the confidentiality of this information of value, and the key in putting you ahead of your competition!