This seems to me to be a legitimate question. With just a little web savvy and a touch of curiosity anyone can gather information. That part is easy. However, discerning the information (knowledge of facts) from web sites bloated with words and videos is a different story. In this article my goal is to help you find your comfort zone for purchasing a water conditioning, filtration, or purification system. Let’s start with a little background.

The distribution channels for water systems are:

1. Water Conditioning Dealer
1. from manufacturer to franchisee, or exclusive dealer (e.g. Culligan, Ecowater, Rainsoft, and Kinetico).
2. from manufacturer to distributor to independent water dealers.
2. Direct Marketing (ie AmWay)
3. On-line Stores (dot coms)
4. Big Box Stores e.g. Lowes, Home Depot)
5. Plumbers and Well Drillers

FRANCHISEES

Franchise type dealers come in a wide variety of professional expertise and use many different marketing and customer service models. Some manufacturers, such as Rainsoft and Kinetico, have formed an alliance with the “big box” stores in which they provide a display and receive prospects from the stores customers. In return the store receives a commission or other method of sharing in the profits.

INDEPENDENT DEALERS

Independent dealers typically represent major brand name manufacturers. Just like the franchisees these dealers come in a wide variety of professional expertise and use many different marketing and customer service models. Typically an independent dealer can offer a much wider product selection as they are not limited by a single manufacturer’s product line.

DIRECT MARKETING

Direct marketing companies usually sell a private labeled product that is manufactured exclusively for them. Normally the product line consists of a single filter or at best a very limited line of products. Expertise and service capability is usually limited to the knowledge and ability of the direct marketing companies “independent rep”. Products are normally purchased from the direct-marketing company’s website or from their catalog.

“BIG BOX” STORES

The products sold in the “big box” category are designed and built for the do-it-yourself (DIY) market. Manufacturers refer to these products as “consumer level” products. The product line is small and provides solutions for a very limited number of applications. Consumer level products are, typically, designed and manufactured to achieve low cost. The result is a less durable product with a relatively short life cycle. Consumer level products are typically sold off the shelf with no professional support in product application.

ON-LINE

On-line marketed products include a wide variety of products from various manufacturers. The expertise offered by these companies is as varied as there are on-line companies. Unfortunately, miss-information in this category is almost as common as information. Even companies with knowledgeable staff lack the ability to address application issues that consider water chemistry and distribution system properties.

PLUMBING / WELL DRILLING SUPPLIERS

Plumbing and well drilling suppliers who sell water systems generally offer a consumer level product line or a mid-range product line. Professional expertise in recommending product application is often lacking. Consumers tend to trust the service company who has provided reputable service in their primary profession. A license is required for plumbing and well drilling to assure some working knowledge of those professions. To be professional in one area,, e.g. well drilling, is no basis to assume professional expertise in another.

So how is a consumer to think about the best way to go, for themselves?

Although no particular route for purchasing is better than another, in and of itself, there are distinct differences between the distribution models. These differences are worthy of consideration as they will impact the purchasing and ownership experience. I am going to discuss some of the considerations that, hopefully, will help you to determine what will be best for you.

Understanding the Issues

What really matters about purchasing a water quality improvement product? At the end of the day most consumers simply want to open the tap and have great water. When we purchase a hot water tank we expect to have it installed and not really think about it again for many years. We just want to turn on the tap and have hot water. So it is, or should be, with water quality products.

It’s not as simple as picking one off the screen, or off the shelf. Imagine going on-line to purchase an HVAC system for your home. What is the sq. ft. of the house? The ductwork size? The required air flow (CFM)? The tonnage requirement for comfort? And the list goes on and on. Equally important are the many questions that require professional expertise in order to properly select and install water quality systems. What is the water chemistry of the supply? Is it a private well, spring, municipal water? What is the pressure range of the supply? Will the equipment meet the home’s demand in gallons per minute (GPM) of flow rate. What is the space availability? Access to the main? Access to drain? Is electrical required? What issues should be considered for water quality improvement? Is a simple field test adequate (see article about “Free Water Tests) or is a certified lab analysis necessary? After understanding the various issues, what are your personal desires for water quality improvement? What is the scheduled maintenance on a system. What is the company’s policy for warranties and service calls?

There are many issues to consider before making a water system purchase to assure a correct product application. A true water quality professional will know the right questions to ask; the water quality issues that should be considered, the mechanical (plumbing and electrical) requirements needed, the best source for water analysis, how to interpret the analysis, and possess an in depth knowledge of hundreds of products in order to recommend the best solution. A professional company will then provide installation by certified personnel, maintain stock of parts and filters, and have certified service personnel to perform scheduled maintenance (if required) or repair service. A thorough site survey and analysis, a factual explanation of the various water quality issues, an understanding of your desires, followed by professional installation and service will result in a satisfied customer, an excellent long term relationship, and outstanding water quality throughout your home.

Are Products the Main Thing?

Advertising tends to put the focus on products. A real hierarchy of quality does exist between consumer level products and mid-range products. Another distinction exists between mid-range products and high end products. Unfortunately, price is not necessarily a reliable indicator. Quality products are important but 30 years of experience has shown me, time and again, that the product brand is not the most important element of a satisfied customer.

What are the Main Things?

1. The service company’s business model
1. Sales Driven: The residential department of most water system dealers operate using a sales driven business model. The industry leaders in the 1950’s and 1960’s first brought water softeners to market using door to door sales. For the most part, the ideology that comes with door to door sales has kept a sort of stronghold on the manufacturers over the years. Nowadays it comes in the form of telemarketing, FREE water tests, and a host of tactics to “get in the door” to conduct a persuasive sales pitch. The result of this approach is usually a somewhat pushy style that includes questionable sales tactics, high prices, “easy” payment plans, borderline ethics practices, and less than professional service.

 

2. Contractor / Sub-contractor Driven: This business model uses a contractor approach to the market. Here the prospective buyer is offered a survey, analysis, discussion of the options, and a quote with recommendations and pricing. This type of business model normally encourages a relaxed discussion and a pleasant, long term relationship.

 

2. The knowledge and ethics of the company’s representatives
1. Professional Certification The first step, according to a publication by the Better Business Bureau (BBB), is to deal with a Specialist CERTIFIED by the Water Quality Association (WQA). WQA provides professional certification of individuals who have demonstrated a certified level of professional expertise and are dedicated to high professional standards. The levels of certification that pertain to residential water treatment are:
1. The Certified Water Specialist (CWS): This is a management level course covering various aspects of the business from water chemistry to legal and ethical issues. This certification is available in 6 levels from CWS-I to CWS-VI. Each level covers additional coursework pertaining to specific water problems and treatment methods.
2. The Certified Installer (CI): covers plumbing, electrical, products and application.
3. The Certified Sales Rep (CSR): covers basic chemistry, products, and application.

Each certification requires passing a business ethics course. Ethics violations expose the individual to potentially losing certified status.

Each certification requires continuing education (CEU) periodically to maintain certification status.

WQA does have “member” companies but does NOT certify companies. Only individuals can be certified.

CERTIFIED personnel are listed, by state, at the Find a Water Pro page of the WQA website.
 

2. State License: Many states require a license to install water quality improvement products on private wells. In Tennessee the license is administered by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). The TDEC well water installers license requires continuing education (CEU) annually to maintain a valid license. A list of current license holders can be found here on the TDEC website.

 

3. A Wide Selection of Brands Name Products:
   A wide selection of products allows a professional to recommend a product that is an exact fit for every situation. It is usually not in your best interest to be “sold” a product, as the very best, if the company is required by “franchise” restrictions to sell products from a limited selection.

Here Are A Few Random Facts About Residential Water Conditioning and Purification

1. There is no one size fits all
2. No one brand makes the best solution for every situation
3. Salt FREE systems are not water softeners and provide very few of the benefits of water softening
4. Softened water does not have to produce a slick feeling when skin is wet
5. Battelle Institute, and other scientific laboratories, have provided recent reports proving the “green” energy saving aspects of water softening.
6. A legitimate water analysis must be performed by a certified laboratory except for 3 or very basic tests that pertain to aesthetic water quality (vs health related issues)
7. Reverse Osmosis systems are old technology and are very wasteful
8. Purified drinking water, for the home, is best produced using electronic de-ionization with slight mineralization for taste

 
The goal of providing professional water treatment service should always be to install a system that requires no more than opening the tap to enjoy healthy, great tasting water 24/7. I hope this article is useful to you should you look into having great water for your home.

-Denis Rochat, CWS-IV, CI

So many times I’ve heard people, who live in homes supplied by municipal (city vs. well) water mention that so and so water conditioning company came out to “test their water”. This is usually followed by something like “WOW! You cannot believe the yuck that is in my water, it was really gross”. So a water conditioning company came out to run a “test” and, lo and behold, they discovered some extreme contamination in this particular home. This whole approach bothers me.

The intended use of the word “test” is to communicate that the “expert” will determine the presence or absence of harmful contaminants. That sounds plausible, at first.

Following are three reasons that cast doubt on the credibility of this approach.

The items that can be somewhat accurately tested from the simple field test kit:

1. Are very basic items that deal with aesthetic water quality, such as hardness (Calcium and Magnesium – aka: lime and scale), Iron, pH, and TDS, and do not quantify health related contaminants.

2. Have not fluctuated on our municipal supplies for many years. The “test” is repeated time and again, but every home, serviced by a given utility district, is the same and the “expert” already knows that answer.

3. Have no value for providing useful health related information. More data is made available July 1st, each year, to customers of municipal water suppliers in the annual CCR (Consumer Confidence Report).

So it’s not really a test. What is it? Well, most of the time it is a tactic used to get into the home to perform a demonstration. The demonstration can include a variety of drops and chemicals and colors to reveal some of the most basic information in water treatment such as hardness, chlorine, and pH. Unfortunately the demonstration goes further.

That brings us to the “yuck” part.

This part of the demonstration normally comes in one of two forms:

1. This type consists of using a couple of chemicals that react with hardness to form a large mass of chemical goop that has no real representation of calcium and magnesium in water other than the fact that it is there. It looks disgusting and all it represents is a couple of the least harmful contaminants that exist in water from a health related point of view. However, the demonstration implies that it represents all kinds of harmful contaminants. 

2. Type 2 utilizes a jar with two metal probes attached to the lid. The probes are attached to an electrical plug. The customer’s tap water is poured into the jar and the jar is plugged in. This one really is “yucky” looking. Yellow, green, brown, slime and goop. Well, one of the probes is aluminum and the other is iron. The electrical charge across the probes, through the water, causes iron oxide to spin off of the iron probe and precipitate some of the minerals in the water. What the customer is seeing is 98% iron oxide that came from the probe and not anything that is in the customer’s water.

If an appointment is acquired under misleading implications and the “test” is a misleading demonstration then what are the odds that the purchase will result in a good, long term, relationship?

I grew up with quite a bit of family in heating and air conditioning. When I got into water conditioning the heating and air conditioning business model (contractor or sub-contractor) seemed to be a natural.

This is a contracting business that should include the following services:

1. Professional analysis, performed by a laboratory (for medical, industrial, private, and community well applications).

2. Consultation.

3. System design.

4. Installation, scheduled maintenance, and repair service.

The water story is a very interesting story with plenty of scientific and logical reasons to improve the quality of household use and drinking water. I have touted the virtues of soft, chlorine free, water throughout the home and purified drinking water for 30 years. I have never felt that I needed to play games to have a conversation or perform “magic” tricks to make a sale.

The facts speak for themselves. They don’t need to be embellished. Just think about it next time someone says that they want to “test” your municipal water.

- Denis Rochat, CWS IV, CI

But then, why would I hesitate to seriously engage, and celebrate, the ability to share my experiences, observations, and opinions with anyone who may find them interesting? No good reason that I can think of so I’m going to blog. I want to have a conversation about things that I have learned over the course of 30 years in the water business.

Welcome to Perfect Water!

-Denis Rochat