Storms and Filtration

As a result of hurricane Helene, Western North Carolina and surrounding areas have experienced unprecedented volume/lengths of power outages and property damage. How might that affect filtration? The short, honest, answer might be that it's still too soon to tell. Our call volume has increased significantly since the storm, however, only a small percentage of the additional calls have been related to filtration damage/dysfunction. Several of our customers have sustained extensive property damage, making water filtration less of a priority and/or inaccessible. In time, we expect to be able to help these customers rebound from the catastrophe and continue to meet their water quality needs. Most of our customers have power restored, and are not having any issues with their water filtration. However, here is a quick breakdown of the specific calls relating to the storm.

Imploded water filtration tanks. Typically, it's the "weakest" point in your pressurized plumbing system. Without diving into the physics too much, essentially, when power is out for and extended period of time, the water level drops - particularly in deeper wells, and the force (weight) of the water pulls a vacuum. Backwashing filtration tanks are fiberglass, and typically 8+ inches in diameter. The filtration tank closest to the pressure tank is the most vulnerable, in this [albeit uncommon] situation. Therefore, the weight of the water "pulls," causing the tank to collapse (implode). If this happens, bypass the filtration (see our troubleshooting page for instructions) AND call us ASAP: 828-683-5400.

The time on the tank valve is wrong and/or flashing. A newer backwashing filtration tank's valve has a battery backup and most of them will not be affected by a power outage. However, power surges and battery life commonly affect the displayed time on the valve. If this happens, simply reset the time on the valve (see our troubleshooting page for instructions). Make sure 'AM' or 'PM' are correct on the time. It's very important that the time be correct so that the filter regenerates at the right time, based on the internal settings of the valve. The internal memory will typically retain regen settings in the event of power outages, even if prolonged.

Filtration isn't working correctly. This call has been pretty rare but it happens, and can happen for many reasons.  Again, without diving deep into physics, this is the basic explanation. Water chemistry can change, especially in extreme conditions. If filtration was not bypassed prior to power restoration (and pump reactivation), slugs of contaminants can potentially clog or overwhelm certain components of the system. Systems are designed to be resilient within certain parameters but, like any other system, extreme conditions can do damage. Before turning your pump on, be sure to bypass the filtration (see troubleshooting page for instructions) and run water for 5-10 minutes at the well head to flush the water before it can enter filtration. As always, if your filtration seems to be malfunctioning in any way, please call us ASAP: 828-683-5400.

City water customers: Under a boil advisory, your water quality is outside the EPA recommended ranges. Typically, we install whole-house carbon filters on city water to remove chlorine before the water enters the fixtures. This will not remove the contaminants that would require water to be boiled during the advisory period. However, we do sell equipment that does! Please see the Blog Post "YIKES! My city water is MURKY" for more on this.

At Mountain Water Systems, we understand the catastrophic nature of storms and how it may impact filtration systems. We remain committed to helping our customers achieve water quality goals and we will make any accommodations possible to do so. If you have any questions or concerns related to your water quality, please bring us a water sample at 171 Weaverville Rd, Asheville, NC. 28804 (click here for collection instructions) or always feel free to give us a call.

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