Frequently Asked Questions

Reverse osmosis is the opposite of the naturally occurring osmosis process. In reverse osmosis, water is forced by pressure through a semi-permeable membrane, leaving contaminants such as salt and bacteria on the other side. The process allows you to attain the cleanest of water. Huckson’s many systems and options, including our U-Fill Water Bottle Station, make it easy to have the healthiest water.

We carry a variety of systems and options to meet your personal or commercial needs. As well as our U-Fill Water Bottle Station, we offer Reverse Osmosis drinking water systems for the ultimate purified tap water, and chlorine removal systems for your tap water. If you require whole home solutions, we also offer ultraviolet systems and water softeners. As well, we carry products to meet more specific water purification needs, such as iron/sulphur and organic removal tools. Come speak to us to learn how we can ensure you’re drinking and using only clean water.

To ensure your septic system doesn’t fail, yearly inspection and pumping every 2 to 5 years is recommended. If you prefer, Huckson’s will also schedule and carry out the maintenance tasks, so you don’t have to worry about it.

We offer opening and closing services to get your cottage ready for beginning and end of season. We will inspect your cottage and schedule personalized maintenance to ensure your systems are running as they should be. Talk to us to learn how we can make your summer a little more enjoyable and hassle-free.

While there have been concerns over a water softener’s impact on septic systems – such as killing the bacteria in the septic tank with salt, overflowing tanks with too much backwash flow and reducing the drainage field’s ability to absorb water modern treatment systems have reduced these risks considerably.   Today's units minimize salt consumption and it has been found to have no harmful effects on bacteria and the soil of the drainage field if properly sized.  Insuring your equipment does not regenerate the softener not more than once a week will reduce the amount of backwash entering the septic system and maintain a health septic bed. We encourage you to incorporate Bio-Clean https://www.waterdepot.com/departments/home-essential-products/bio-clean)

into your septic system with or without water treatment solutions in place.

The purchase of salt for regeneration will be the main operating cost. Salt is sold in 20 kg bags and can be purchased at Huckson's. Other costs will be the water and energy required for operating and regeneration. Most equipment requires annual servicing to maintain performance.

Water softeners are associated with increased well water pumping costs and somewhat higher water bills. The average water softener will need approximately 55 litre of fresh water each time it regenerates the resin bed. To minimize costs, select a water efficient model. Check how often the softener backwashes and how much water is used during regeneration. Also ensure that the unit is set to your family-size and needs.

Water softeners are installed where the water line enters the home. A professional installer should carry out the installation.

How do I Maintain My Water Softener?

While most softeners need little care and will last for many years – problems may occasionally occur.

To ensure smooth functioning, the water softener should regenerate at least once a week to assure its longevity. If your water softener is not working properly, there are several things to watch for:

• Check for salt build-up in the brine tank. If a crust has formed, remove it using a vacuum, clean with soap and water, and rinse well.
• If your water contains iron, check for iron deposits in the resin bed. If it is present, use an iron-removing product to clean the softener.
• Check the resin tank injector. If it is plugged with “dirty” salt, shut off the softener’s bypass plug, run a manual regeneration and then clean the injector and injector screen.
• Consider machines that have controls that minimize water use during regeneration. Often, one cycling a week will be sufficient for a family of four if the unit is sized properly.

There are two basic types of water softeners. There is a single upright cabinet style and an upright twin tank style. Both are approximately 1.5 m in height and about 0.5 m in width.

Water softeners are installed where the water line enters the home. A professional installer should carry out the installation.

The price of a water softener varies according to the type and sophistication of the system. Automatic softeners are the most expensive, selling for around $900 or higher, on average. Some of the most popular units retail for $1800. Installation fees are extra – averaging about $250 or higher, per unit.

A water softener uses a medium that serves to exchange “ions” of calcium and magnesium with sodium or potassium. The water in the house runs through a media tank filled with a resin bed of small plastic beads designed to attract hard minerals present in the water. Eventually they are saturated with minerals and need to be cleaned or regenerated. Sodium or potassium is introduced to the media bed during regeneration.  As this brine water flows over the resin beads ion exchange occurs, they swap places with the calcium and magnesium ions and the hard minerals are removed from the resin beads and discharged in the backwash water along with any dirt or sediment collected.  The final phase rinses the resin bed with fresh water and loads the brine tank so it is ready for the next cycle. Automatic water softeners are usually programmed to recharge at specific times that will not disrupt the occupants. It is more water-efficient to have a metered that will regenerate only when required.

A water softener reduces water hardness, making it easier to shower and clean fabrics and dishes. With softened water, less soap is required for bathing and laundry. Skin feels cleaner and clothing softer. Pipes, fixtures and appliances have less scale build-up. With less build-up, appliances can operate efficiently. Mineral-derived odours may be reduced; and, there are fewer deposit stains on bathroom fixtures.

Water softeners come in two different types – Timeclock and Metered.

Timeclock – regenerates on a pre-set schedule.

Metered – regenerate on volume of water.

The most crucial step in deciding whether your home should have a water softener is to find out if your water is hard by allowing Huckson’s Water Depot to perform a chemistry analysis on your water source.  This information will allow them to determine the most appropriate solution to your water treatment needs.

Hard water contains large amounts of calcium and magnesium – two minerals that cause the soapy scum on glasses and lime residue on bathroom fixtures. While suitable for drinking and gardening, hard water can cause mineral build-up in water heaters, pipes, dishwashers and showerheads, reducing its flow. Soap and shampoo’s ability to lather is reduced, and laundry becomes stiffer and duller in appearance. (ADD) Hard mineral scale also interferes with the effective use of ultraviolet light disinfection systems.   Hard water scale builds up on the glass sleeve preventing adequate light penetration to disinfect the water supply.

Ultraviolet disinfection of water consists of a purely physical, chemical-free process. The bacteria in water that passes through UV light lose their reproductive capability and are destroyed. Even parasites such as Cryptosporidia or Giardia, which are extremely resistant to chemical disinfectants, are efficiently reduced. UV can also be used to remove chlorine and chlormaine species from water. UV disinfection does not remove dissolved organics, inorganic compounds or particles in the water.

UV water treatment devices can be used for well water and surface water disinfection. UV treatment compares favorably with other water disinfection systems in terms of cost, labor, while being perhaps the simplest to operate. Chlorine disinfection treats larger organisms and offers residual disinfection, but these systems are expensive and produce a steady supply of a potentially hazardous material. Finally, boiling water over a cook stove is the most reliable treatment method but it is not practical. UV treatment is rapid and, in terms of primary energy use, approximately 20,000 times more efficient than boiling.