Bad news, but true water softeners are illegal for residential use in Israel.
Only water softeners that operate using salt physically remove calcium and magnesium. Every other so-called water softener conditions, or purportedly conditions, the water. Their efficacy, however, is the matter of much dispute as it is impossible to scientifically test the water and because many factors influence the results. Many people are conned into purchasing/installing inexpensive filters containing poly-phosphate thinking that they will completely remove all the hardness and prevent any buildup of mineral deposits in the plumbing system. This is patently false! I am not against installing poly-phosphate filters. I am against lying to customers about the efficacy of said filters. Oh, and those magnets sold by washing machine technicians? Garbage. Sorry for the cynicism but it is downright criminal to mislead your customer! As always, it is important to educate yourself before you go ahead with a purchase.
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The summer is here! That means you have shut off your heating system. If you are not using forced air but rather underfloor heating or radiators you will want to run the system at least once during the summer. Leaving a heating system stagnant for longer than six months is not healthy and may
Many contractors and tilers disregard the sewer access covers in people’s yards and just tile right over. Yes, that’s right. If you ever have a sewage backup and need quick access — you won’t. Instead of popping off the cover, putting in the rods and getting the job done you’ll need to tear up your beautiful patio to find the cover. That will cost you a lot of money, a lot of time, and a lot of agony.
Don’t put yourself in that position. Don’t rely on the contractor. Keep your eyes open and make sure the job is done right. Yaacov Prupis Myth: Partially closing your main supply valve will protect your pipes from high pressure.
Truth: Only a pressure reducer will protect your pipes from high pressure. Closing your valve will only restrict the water flow (dynamic pressure), not the damaging static pressure. You see the tube in the center of the toilet tank? That is the overflow. If the float fails and water continues to pour into the tank the excess watet flows down into the bowl.
A client called us because he kept finding pools of water on his bathroom floor. Why? We discovered that the float was jamming and the excess water began flowing onto the floor. But wait. What about the overflow? It is difficult to notice in the picture but the overflow tube extends beyond the two holes on the sides! The cap on the left and float on the right are not water tight. Result: flood. We have seen this several times. Go check the toilets in your house and make sure the overflow is installed correctly. Yaacov Solids not flushing properly?
For some this may be a difficult subject to broach. Especially if they are the only household member clogging the toilet. It is comforting to know, then, that this problem is not all too uncommon. Here are some common causes for chronic toilet clogging: Toilet is old and needs to be changed to a newer, better model; Mineral deposits built up decreasing the flow rate into the bowl and thus efficacy, of the flush. Flushing capacity needs to be increased; Persons diet needs to be changed. In regards to the last possibility, often a new medication interferes with a persons digestion. Other times it is simply the persons diet at fault. The result is too large, too tough fecal matter that cannot make it past the toilet bend. One should talk with their general practitioner to find an alternative medicine or change in diet. As always, feel free to drop a line, e-mail or comment. Suggestions for topics to discuss are always welcome! Yaacov Prupis So you figure you will install a cheap faucet this time. "We're kinda strapped for cash. Why pay hundreds of shekels when I can purchase one for 130? Alright, so it might not last long and we will need to change it in a few years. I can live with that."
Well, there is one scenario which you did not conjure: the tubing of a cheap faucet can burst. Do you want to come home to a flooded apartment? Are you prepared to endure the stress, loss of personal items and expense involved? Plumbing is one part of your budget you do not want to go cheap on. You just read one of many reasons why. Happy plumbing! When it rains outside we expect the water to flow unimpeded through the rain drains. You do not want to deal with the anxiety from worrying whether or not the drains will back up and your house will flood. Or even worse, the chaos of the porch actually flooding the house.
What steps can YOU take to prevent flooding? Before the rainy season, and before any big storm, check the drains and ensure they are free of debris. Pour down a couple of buckets and check down below that the water rushes out. If your drain is missing a cover -- put one on! Kids LOVE throwing toys down drains. Go try to retrieve a toy a few meters down the line. Even if you do not have kids, debris, such as cups, twigs, lint, etc. can still find its way inside. Many drains are way too narrow. Anything from 50mm and smaller have a propensity towards clogging. When renovating ensure that the drains are 3 inches or larger. If you are able to, consider widening your existing drains. Happy plumbing! Yaacov Prupis, owner of Prupis Plumbing If you are new to Israel or this is your first time purchasing a car in the Holy Land you probably are not aware that most car batteries require some maintenance.
Most of the car batteries require distilled water to function. Everytime you start your car you deplete some of the water. If you keep starting your car with too little water you will kill the battery! And batteries here are not cheap. Every few weeks make sure to check the cells and fill with water if needed. They are not connected so you will need to check each one seperately. Talk to your mechanic for more details! --Yaacov Prupis There are several types and installations for water filters.
Point of Entry filters are placed on the main line right after your water meter. Point of Use filters are typically placed under your kitchen sink with a spigot near your regular kitchen faucet. Point of Entry (POE) filters are meant to clean the water from fine and coarse sediment and/or "soften" the water. Those large garbage can size filters that actually remove all the calcium and magnesium are illegal here in Israel for residential use. They are also mighty expensive. That said, there are people who install them none the less. We do not. The typical POE filter consists of one or two filter housings. One filter catches the sediment as stated above. There are disposable filters that are changed every 6 months or once a year. There are also re-usable filters that can be cleaned every 6 months or once a year. The frequency that a filter is changed or cleaned depends on the water quality, usage, and the size particles the filter removes. The second filter housing (or sometimes the same housing) contains poly-phosphate crystals, or "cadurey siliphuse in hebrew. They are most effective on cold water lines and closer to the point to be affected. They are far less effective on hot water lines and once oxygen enters the system. Briefly, water passes through the filter. The poly-phosphate then latches onto the magnesium and calcium thereby preventing the minerals from separating from the water (note that the minerals are not removed). This filter housing can be placed on the main water line, as mentioned, and/or can be placed on the water line that supplies the water boiler or washing machine. The purpose of the poly-phosphate filter is to protect the supply piping, plumbing fixtures in the house (such as faucets and shower heads), water boiler and solar panels. The crystals are replenished every year to year and a half, depending on the water quality and water usage. (Disclaimer: We are not experts in water filtration. Therefore, before making a practical decision based on the following information the facts should be verified by the reader.) Point of Use filters are installed to make the water drinkable. Typical filters are reverse-osmosis that remove almost everything from the water or simpler filters for "aesthetic" purposes and less for health: no harmful metals or minerals are removed (or only a minimal amount); chlorine, sediment and cysts are removed to remove the bad taste and smell. Reverse Osmosis filters: These filters remove many particles from the water including salt, organic chemicals, heavy metals and minerals (even those that are good for us) and other harmful substances. Although the water supplied throughout the country is potable some people want to purify the water even more either for health concerns or medicals reasons. Some disadvantages: The unit is rather large and takes up much of the cabinet under the sink. Also, for every gallon used, around 3-5 gallons are released into the home waste pipes. Even the healthy minerals are removed from the water. Lastly, it takes some time to fill a cup or bottle due to the design of the system. "Aesthetic" filters: Typically Granular Activated Carbon filtering. These filters are installed anywhere from one to three filter housings and sometimes with even more filtration before the tap. As stated above, the purpose is to remove sediment, rid of any offensive odor and improve the taste. Aside from chlorine that is removed, some systems remove lead and cysts and perhaps some other particles as well. It is always important to verify that the filters have been verified by the Ministry of Health in Israel. Filters are available from china or America. The latter are more expensive and typically from Pentek. |
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