Silkwater Conditioners – Silkwater Technologies

PostedFebruary 23, 2019

Last Updated OnJuly 10, 2020

ByAdmin

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Can I install the Silkwater conditioner myself?
A. We recommend that you use your local licensed plumber to perform the installation of your Silkwater hard water conditioner. By using a licensed plumber, you will ensure that your new conditioner is installed correctly and will operate properly. We do however provide installation instructions and, under typical circumstances, a normal DIY installation should be completed within two to three hours if you do it yourself.

Q. Can the Silkwater conditioner be installed sideways or horizontally?
A. No. The Silkwater hard water conditioner must be installed vertically and at least 8 inches off the ground.

Q. How much space is needed to install the Silkwater conditioner?
A. The Silkwater range of hard water conditioners including the SW200 Series and SW300 Series Whole-house Water Filter Descalers are compact and do not require a lot of space. For our popular SW200XL, you will want to allow for approximately 12-18″ in width and 12″ in height, depending on whether you include a by-pass valve. This should provide enough room to allow for connections to be made to your existing water supply and for the unit to be drained or cleaned.

Q. Is a water shut off needed while replacing the beads?
A. A shut-off valve is recommended before the water conditioner. If you don’t have a shut off valve installed before the Silkwater unit, you can go to your circuit breaker and shut the power off to your pump, or shut off the mains water supply and then drain through the water conditioner by placing a bucket under it to catch the water.

Q. Is the Silkwater conditioner weatherproof?
A. The Silkwater triple-action descaler conditioner SW200XL and SW300 Series units are very robust and can be installed outdoors provided it is protected from frost and freezing weather conditions.

Q. Where can I buy the pebble poly-phosphate crystal?
A. Polyphosphate is available in many places online including Amazon, and we offer replacement packets.

Q. Where can I find an installation manual?
A. You can find a copy of the installation manual available in our Knowledge Base section.

Q. Will this system prevent scale buildup in a tankless water heater?
A. Yes, the Silkwater conditioner is designed to prevent scale from hard water due to excessive calcium hardness.

Q. Will this unit adequately supply 3 units including 3 bathrooms/showers, 3 kitchens, 4 outdoor faucets?
A. Yes, the SW300 Series has a 1″ inlet and outlet with a flow rate of 30 gpm.

Q. What is the difference between a salt water softener and a Silkwater conditioner?
A. Salt based water softener systems are very effective at removing the minerals in water that cause hard water. They use a process known as ionic exchange or ion exchange where salt is used to remove calcium and magnesium from the water. They also require significant ongoing maintenance, heavy bags of salt or salt blocks, electricity and are bad for the environment because of the salt water being flushed when the system is regenerated. The Silkwater salt-free hard-water conditioning and filter system uses no salt, requires little maintenance, needs no electricity, provides water filtration, costs significantly less than most salt-based systems and doesn’t waste water due to backflushing. You also won’t have the “slippery” or “slimy” feel that is a common complaint with a salt water softener.

Q. How often is it recommended to replace the filter in a Silkwater Conditioner? How will I know when? And is it necessary for a technician to replace it?
A. The maintenance of our system is simple, you have to check and clean it at least twice a year. You will know a service is required as limescale spotting will become noticeable on glass and stainless steel surfaces like sinks. Those who are used to living with a low tartar or low limescale will notice the difference.

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Customer Reviews

My old water softener died on me and I wanted something without the salt.. It was becoming impossible for me to replace it because of the infirmaries of old age. I love this. It does not take up the space of the other one and the water tastes better. I live in AZ where the water is hard and very often bad tasting so I tried this out on my fussy friends and they all approved of the taste.Even with the water softener, I had spots on the tile but I have none yet eith this . I have very little build-up on anything and that was my main priority.

Margie Brown

We live in an area with very hard water. We put this in our brand new house and after 3 months we are not seeing any of the lime buildup or staining on sinks, faucets, etc that we fought on a daily basis in our old house. Highly recommend.

D. Hovorka

This product is awesome, does a great job softening the water and no need to add or buy bags of salt.

Rachel Eastburn

I have to give this 5 stars right now. Its only been 3 months, but I have no spotting on my glass or chrome, and no buildup on faucets. If I notice some later, I will come back and edit this review. Up till now, I am very satisfied. It was hard to believe that something this small and simple could take care of my water the way it does. No more buying and carrying the bulky salt bags, and no more looking at the large , ugly water softener. This unit is barley noticeable.

Michael Goodrich

This thing is awesome, does a great job softening the water, and replacing the crystals every 3 months is a cinch.

Michael B.

Recently installed this system in our home and truly think it is remarkable. Living in a rural area with a well we were having issues with calcium deposits. Had to replace our water heater after 6 years and the water softner was not working. Hated lugging 40lbs of salt under the house. Found out about this new technology and communicated with the seller who answered all our questions. It was very easy to install and within days we noticed a difference in our clothes and skin. The white residue on our fixture is no longer there. Even our dishes sparkle again. The price is right and I would recommend this great product to anyone.

Mark Burgess

No bags of salt to heft around and store, no back flushing, no tanks to maintain. We purchased a Filterwater-3166402237 Poly Salt Free Water Softener filtration kit in January of 2017. It was another year before it was installed as part of our house renovation. Since moving back into into the house this January, and watching for signs of calcium/lime deposits as previously experienced, we noticed nothing but the occasional formation of a white powder on countertops and around fixtures where water had evaporated.

Now, rather than having to remove greenish deposits with vinegar and bash bristled brushes, they just wipe away with a damp sponge during normal cleaning. In addition to the house we live in we also own a couple of rental properties. As a part of the upgrades we normally do when tenants leave we will definitely being installing these same water conditioners to reduce maintenance chores and plumbing deterioration. Sincerely, Tom Curl - Medfield, MA

Tom Curl

Amazing. Solved our hard water problems. Bought Jan 2017, now Nov 2017 and noticed dishes coming out chalky. Time for new crystals. Lasted much longer than the 6-8 months and we are a house of 7. Customer service is amazing as I had a leak initally and Brad Morris called and emailed until I got it fixed. I needed to add some Teflon tape on the pressure release valve (it is a separate piece).

Lori L