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Frequently Asked Questions
Water Softeners
Q. What are the benefits of soft water?
A. When you use soft water in your home, you reduce the soapy residues
left by hard water, so you can enjoy cleaner clothes, dishes, and
surfaces, shinier hair, and softer skin.
Q. Can soft water help us save money?
A. Soft water results in using less detergent, reduces water heating
bills, and reduces hard water scaling of appliances and plumbing.
It also makes household cleaning easier and less expensive.
Q. What does Culligan® offer to help cut
down on the use of salt?
A. Culligan water softeners use Aqua-Sensor® technology. This
is our patented technology that electronically activates regeneration
only when needed. Regeneration is the process of removing minerals
from your water that cause it to be hard.
Q. How much salt does Aqua-Sensor save?
A. The Aqua-Sensor option can save nearly two tons of salt and 20,000
gallons of water over the life cycle of your water softener.
Q. What about maintenance of a Culligan water softener - is it difficult?
A. Culligan’s Salt ‘n Service program takes the worry
and the work out of maintaining a home or business water softener.
We deliver the salt to you and fill the salt tank. We figure your
salt usage so we will deliver the salt you need when you need it.
Then, with each delivery, the Culligan water expert will also do
a 10-point inspection of your water softener - including time setting,
water level, and looking for any leaks. We will discard empty bags
into your trash and stack remaining salt bags neatly. Contact us
for more information on this time-saving service for you.
Q. Do Culligan products carry a guarantee?
A. Because we are confident that Culligan products are the finest
available in the world today in the field of water treatment, we
promise a refund of the purchase price of any Culligan product
for residential use if, within 30 days, you are dissatisfied with
your Culligan product for any reason. This is the Culligan 100%
Satisfaction Guarantee.
Q. Does Culligan offer financing for products?
A. Yes. There are financing options for Culligan products and services – a
solution for every budget. Click here for more information.
Drinking
Water
Q. Why drink water?
A. Water makes up 55 to 75% of your body weight (about 10 to 12 gallons).
It is important in regulating the body’s temperature and organ
functions.
Q. How does drinking water affect health?
A. Water moves nutrients through your body, and proper hydration
can help lower cholesterol and blood pressure, plus minimize chronic
pains such as rheumatoid arthritis, lower back pain, migraines,
and colitis. It is naturally low in sodium, has no fat, cholesterol
or caffeine, and is absorbed by the body better than many other
beverages.
Q. Who needs to drink water?
A. Expectant mothers should drink six to eight 8-ounce servings of
water per day. Senior citizens should also drink plenty of water
to avoid dehydration, help kidney function, and prevent prescription
medication from dehydrating your body. Also, your thirst signals
may be duller than when you were younger.
Q. What guidelines do you have for children’s
water intake?
A. It varies by body weight and level of activity. Active children
should drink 8 ounces before playing, and drink water once every
20-30 minutes during play. Infants who are properly hydrated require
frequent diaper changes.
Q. How are various kinds of bottled water different?
A. Water classified as “bottled water” or “drinking
water” is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
to maintain certain standards. No sweeteners or chemical additions
are allowed– other than flavors from extracts and essences
derived from spice or fruit. If the flavors constitute more than
one percent by weight of the product, it must be classified as a
soft drink.
Q. What is artesian water?
A. It is bottled water from a well that taps a confined aquifer.
Q. What is purified water?
A. Water labeled as purified can be derived from distillation, de-ionization,
or reverse osmosis.
Q. What is mineral water?
A. Mineral water contains at least 250 parts per million of total
dissolved solids (minerals) and no minerals can be added to this
water.
Q. What is sparkling water?
A. Water that contains the same amount of carbon dioxide after treatment
and possible replacement with carbon dioxide as it had at emergence
from its source.
Q. What is spring water?
A. Bottled water from an underground formation from which water flows
naturally to the surface of the earth.
Q. Does Culligan offer bottled water?
A. Yes. Contact us for all the details about our bottled water.
Service and
Repair
Q. How can I keep my Culligan working trouble-free?
A. We recommend these steps that your installer will explain in more
detail. Monitor the salt level and check for bridging. Look for leaks
or water on the floor near the equipment. Listen for and report any
unusual noises or regenerations at odd times. Test for hardness periodically.
Q. How can I find a Culligan Equipment Owner’s
Guide?
A. Locate your equipment model and follow this
link to your owner's
guide.
Q. How much salt should I keep in the salt storage tank?
A. Many people fill their brine tanks halfway. The only unacceptable
level is completely empty. (As long as there is salt or potassium
in the water, the system will make the brine solution used to regenerate
the resin.)
Q. What are salt bridges? Are they dangerous?
A. Salt bridges are hard crusts on the salt (or potassium) layer
in the brine tank. They can usually be broken up with a wooden
broom handle and the water stirred. They are not dangerous to the
equipment, but they do make water softeners inefficient. If salt
bridges are too hard to break up, call us and we’ll be glad
to take care of it.
Q. Is it normal to see water in the salt tank?
A. Yes. The water level is set during installation. There should
be 10 – 24 inches of water in the bottom of the salt tank.
Q. How do I determine if the water softener is working right?
A. The “touch” test will find your skin feeling slick
immediately after a shower or bath. The “soap test” is
more accurate. Culligan representatives carry these with them and
will be happy to leave a soap test kit with you. If you did not receive
one with your purchase, let us know and we will set one aside for
you.
Q. For service, will I have to wait around for the repairman?
A. No. Culligan schedules service calls in two-hour time blocks.
The majority of repairs are done in less time than that. However,
if the repairman is running late for any reason, you will be notified
so that the appropriate service can be rescheduled. Culligan service
is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week. One technician
is always on-call. Just call our regular office number and follow
directions for emergency service.
Q. Does Culligan work on other brands of water conditioning equipment?
A. Yes. Culligan service technicians are qualified to repair most
other major brands. However, one or two makers will not allow us
access to their parts. If you call for service on a brand we cannot
repair, you will be told so immediately.
Q. Do you do plumbing work?
A. No. We will only work on plumbing as it is related to our water
conditioning equipment.
Q. Can I shut water off if I do have a plumbing problem?
A. Yes, all Culligan installations have a whole house shut-off valve
on the inlet side of the water line. This can prove very useful
for other plumbing repairs and emergencies that may arise at your
household. So, it is a good thing to know about and teach the family
how to use just in case they need it.
Q. How do I use the by-pass valve?
A. The by-pass valve will be marked on each side. The blue side will
read "Push for Service" giving you soft water. The red
side reads "Push for By-pass" giving you hard water and
not allowing any water to enter the water softener. It is often used
when people go on vacation for more than a few days, or when they
need to use outside spigots which are not "hard plumbed" to
bypass the softener.
Q. Will the service man help me with the by-pass valve?
A. Yes. You may want to exercise this by-pass valve every few months
to make sure it does not become stuck in one position. If it is
extremely hard to exercise this by-pass, try turning the water
valve in front of the softener off and opening a valve downstream
to relieve some of the hydraulic pressure... or have your Culligan
Man help you with this on his next trip to your home.
Salt Routes
Q. How often are the deliveries?
A. They are scheduled according to each customer’s needs, but
normally about every three months
Q. Can I change the delivery?
A. Yes. Just call the office and ask for “salt routes.” The
person who answers will work with you on another schedule or another
route.
Q. Do I have to be home when the delivery is made?
A. No, as long as the drive has access to the water softener. All
Culligan drivers are bonded and insured, and many customers allow
drivers access to their house to make the deliveries, or the driver
will carefully stack the salt bags in a designated place for the
homeowner to move later.
Q. Do I have to be on the automatic delivery salt route?
A. No. but many of our customers find it more convenient to rely
on Culligan for this service rather than do it themselves. Salt
bags are heavy and may leak in your vehicle. You can purchase salt
at our office during our regular business hours. Call us for details.
Especially for Business
Q. Does my water quality affect my business?
A. Treated water can substantially reduce the following costs and
improve the taste of food and beverages:
- Utility bills – as little as
a sixteenth of scale can reduce efficiency by 11%, costing you
41.4 therms of energy
- Labor costs – laundry rewash
due to unclean linen and wiping off the spots from dishware costs
you money
- Chemical costs – you may be spending
more on chemicals than you would with proper softening or filtering
- Equipment costs - scale and corrosion can
reduce the efficiency of equipment and shorten its life span
- Maintenance costs – additional
boiler blowdowns and cleaning of scaled piping cost you money
- Detergent costs – the harder
the water the more soap you use
- Linen costs – linens can wear
out 15% faster when washed in hard water
Q.
What treatment options are available for my business?
A.
Treatment options include any
of the following which depending on the water conditions either used
singly or in combination:
- Filtering
- Softening
- Reverse Osmosis
Q. What are the advantages of boiler pretreatment?
A.
A business can reduce many operational costs and increase the equipment's
lifespan.
- Reduce labor and maintenance costs
- Reduce utility bills
- Reduce chemical expenses
- Reduce scale build-up
- Reduce corrosion
- Reduce repair costs
- Factory trained service technicians
Q. How can school administrators determine the benefit of treated
water?
A. There will be operational savings such as:
- Lower labor and maintenance costs
- Lower utility bills
- Lower chemical expenses
- Lower detergent expenses
- Increased equipment life span
Q. How will our students benefit from treated water?
A. They will enjoy consistent water for lab experiments, better tasting
ice cubes and beverages, and a brighter, easy to clean facility
with spot free floors, windows and fixtures.
Q. Will treated water help keep our healthcare facility
clean?
A. Yes. It will result in a brighter, easy to clean facility with
spot free floors, windows and fixtures. You will also see an improvement
with:
- Brighter-whiter-softer linens and towels
- Spot-free tableware
- Better tasting ice cubes, beverages, and food
Q. What about cost savings?
A. Your facility will realize operational savings in these areas:
- Lower labor and maintenance costs
- Lower utility bills
- Lower chemical expenses
- Lower detergent expenses
- Increased equipment life span
- Increased textile life
Q. How will treated water affect patient care?
A. Your staff can count on consistent water for lab procedures and
sterilization.
Q. What about servicing the equipment?
A. Culligan provides service by factory trained technicians.
Q. What financial results can I expect?
A. Your return on investment will be substantial when you use treated
water in the laundry, food service, central sterilization, domestic
hot, drinking water, ice and vending machines, and in the classrooms,
research and clinical labs.
Q. Will guests notice any difference with treated
water?
A. Your guests should take note of these differences:
- Brighter-whiter-softer linens and towels
- Spot-free tableware
- Shinier hair and softer skin
- Better tasting ice cubes and beverages
- Better tasting food
- Spot free floors, windows, and fixtures
Q. We are planning to use treated water in our hotel
as we do at home. What other uses should we consider?
A. Also use treated water for healthier atrium plants, for the spa
and swimming pool.
- Boiler & Cooling Tower Pretreatment
- Laundry
- Food Service
- Domestic Hot
- Drinking Water
- Ice & Vending Machines
Q. How can treated water help in our budgeting?
A. Your hotel will see operational costs fall in these areas:
- Labor and maintenance costs
- Utility bills
- Chemical expenses
- Detergent expenses
- Increase equipment life span
- Increase textile life
- Eliminates scale build-up in dish machine, water
heater & pipes
Q. Will diners notice a difference in our restaurant if we use treated
water?
A. Yes. Your customers will be aware of all the results:
- Better tasting water, beverages, and food
- Clear ice cubes
- Properly carbonated beverages
- Brighter-whiter-softer linens
- Spot-free tableware
- Spot free floors, windows and fixtures
Q. Will these advantages raise my costs?
A. In fact, you will see reductions in many operational costs such
as:
- Lower labor and maintenance costs
- Lower utility bills
- Lower chemical expenses
- Lower detergent expenses
- Lower syrup expenses
- Reduced scale build-up
Q. What uses would you recommend for treated water
in restaurants?
A. To provide the best dining experience and efficient operation,
consider these options:
- Boiler pretreatment
- Hot water heater pretreatment
- Booster heater pretreatment
- Dishwashing
- Food preparation equipment
- Drinking water
- Ice machines
- Fountain service
- Bottled water
- Food preparation
- Coffee & specialty brewers
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