Maintaining clean filters in your EcoCart Waterfed system is essential for optimal performance. In this guide we’ll explore the telltale signs that indicate it’s time to change your filters, ensuring your equipment continues to deliver pristine results with efficiency and effectiveness giving your customers the results they expect with each cleaning.
In this brief overview, we’ll discuss the key indicators to recognize when it’s time to replace the carbon/sediment, DI (Deionization) and Reverse Osmosis (RO) filters in your EcoCart water system. By understanding these signs, you can ensure your system operates at its best, providing you with consistently high-quality purified water for your window cleaning needs.
Before we dive into the filter replacement portion of this blog, let’s quickly discuss the importance of using your TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) meter. Using a TDS meter for waterfed work is critical because it helps ensure that the water used is free from impurities, resulting in streak-free and spotless windows. By measuring the total dissolved solids, window cleaners can guarantee high-quality water, enhancing the effectiveness of the cleaning process and leaving behind a perfect spot-free finish. IMPORTANT: If at any point your TDS meters reads higher than 10ppm (Parts Per Million) post filtration, that’s an indicator that at least 1 of the filters needs to be replaced. Anything over 10ppm will not deliver spot free results. Read on to learn how to tell which filter to replace and when.
- Prefilter Replacement-Carbon/Sediment Filter
Think of the Carbon filter as the first line of defense. This is the filter the water travels through first. While this filter will remove particulates from the water, it also effectively removes chlorine, safeguarding your reverse osmosis filter and ensuring long-lasting performance. When residual chlorine comes into contact with the RO membrane, it can cause oxidation, leading to a decline in the membrane’s salt rejection rate. This decline in performance can result in reduced efficiency and compromise water quality post filtration, along with having to prematurely replace your RO filter.
What to look for- Keep an eye out for signs such as decreased water flow, changes in water quality, unusual odors and or discoloration. The filter may even start to turn a rusty orange color. How frequently you use your water system in combination with the average TDS levels you are working with will dictate how often the carbon/sediment filter needs to be changed. Frequent replacement of the carbon/sediment filter is crucial due to its low cost and essential role in maintaining the efficiency and longevity of your EcoCart waterfed system.
- DI Filter Replacement
Unlike the carbon/sediment filter, the DI is the last filter the water runs through, making it the last line of defense to deliver the purified water needed to achieve that spot free rinse. A healthy and fully functional RO filter will remove 90%-95% of the contaminants from the water and the DI filter polishes off the remaining balance of particulates the RO did not remove. The DI filter employs ion exchange resins to effectively strip water of remaining impurities, ensuring a pristine, streak-free finish on your windows with each use.
What to look for- Resin can come in a mixture of colors such as all black, light brown, or a mix of both. Recognizing when it’s time to replace your DI filter in your EcoCart is crucial for maintaining optimal performance. If you’ve just recently replaced your carbon/sediment filter and the TDS levels still elevate beyond 10ppm, this could indicate that it’s time to replace your DI. It could also mean that your RO filter has failed and may need to be replaced as well (details on troubleshooting the RO will be in the next section). Other signs to watch for: a decrease in water purity, reduced water flow, or visible spotting/streaks on windows, indicating that the DI filter’s resin capacity is depleted, and a replacement is necessary to ensure continued spot-free results. Please note that when replacing your DI canister that the orientation is correct. There should be an arrow on the side of the canister that points upward. This would be the correct position to insert the DI filter. HydroSphere now offers a plastic spacer that halos around the DI canister assisting it into a proper position. HydroSphere has since included a plastic spacer that greatly helps when repositioning the DI canister back into its place to ensure a secure fit.
- RO Filter Replacement
A reverse osmosis (RO) filter for a purified water system in window cleaning works by forcing water through a semipermeable membrane at high pressure. This membrane allows water molecules to pass through while blocking contaminants, minerals, and impurities. The result is purified water that is free from dissolved solids, minerals, and contaminants, making it ideal for streak-free window cleaning.
What to look for- When your RO filter is failing in your EcoCart, look for signs such as decreased water flow, lower water quality with visible spotting and or streaks, unusual odor in the water, or high levels of total dissolved solids (TDS) in the output water. You can localize a water quality test with your RO by unscrewing the DI housing and then removing the DI cartridge. Simply screw the DI housing back onto the unit without the DI cartridge installed. Now when you run water through your EcoCart you will be doing so without the use of the DI filter. So hypothetically let’s say there’s 100ppm running through your system; as mentioned earlier, your RO filter should be removing 90%-95% of the particulates; meaning that if you now test the water with your TDS meter the readout should be no higher than 10ppm. If your RO is not extracting at least 90% of the contaminants, then it’s time to replace it.
Maintaining clean and spot-free windows requires attention to detail, including regular maintenance of your EcoCart. We believe it’s a great idea to keep a log as to when you are replacing each filter. This helps keep tabs on who’s replacing the filters as well as when. By understanding when to change your filters and following proper replacement procedures, you can ensure that your system continues to deliver optimal performance and pristine results with every use. Stay proactive, stay informed, and enjoy crystal-clear windows year-round.
Still have questions about the EcoCart and filters? Feel free to reach out to any one of our friendly and knowledgeable team members who would be happy to assist. You can drop us an email to customerservice@detroitsponge.com or call us at 1-800-535-6394.