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Reverse Osmosis Connector Systems
Reverse Osmosis Connector Systems
reverse osmosis

reverse osmosis

Quality Water Deserves A Quality Connector

By David F. Walling

The water treatment professional of today has been blessed with the best equipment that has ever been produced in this industry. Eleven years ago when I started renting reverse osmosis equipment I always believed that technology would take care of all the hurdles involved in the treatment process called reverse osmosis. Technology however cannot correct poor installations, that is up to the person who does the job. I am still appalled at the way that some dealers in this business install equipment in customers homes and businesses. I have seen saddle valves installed behind angle stops so that when the saddle valve fails the pipe must be cut back to eliminate the pierced pipe. Some R/O systems were so hard to get out from under the sink the drain pipes had to be dismantled and the doors to the cabinetry removed to get the unit out. How is the customer to deal with the service of an R/O system if a service man has trouble just trying to install it ? I believe the installation is one of the most important things to consider when selecting R/O equipment, because the water is only as good as the persons ability to service the unit. If it's to difficult to service than it wont get done that is the main reason why I invented RO/CONN. I have seen the R/O drain line run directly to the drain no air gap used and where the drain connection is made, the tube is just stuck through a hole in the pipe and siliconed in place. I have seen units hooked up to hot water and backwards so the customer is drinking the concentrate. I have even seen units hooked up without a flow control and water just pouring freely into the drain. These problems are not limited to R/O installations they also include water softener installs as well, but we will just stick to R/O's. I realize that some of these installs are done by the homeowner as well. The water dealer has to be more aware of the kind of installations that are going on in this business. Poor installations affect the industry as a whole because if one customer receives a good installation and one customer receives a poor installation that must be corrected again and again, you can bet that the customer that received the poor installation is only going to have negative things to say about their R/O system, and this hurts everyone. Its just like going out to eat, if you find a poor restaurant you are more likely to tell people about the poor service or food than good service because good service is always expected.

Better Access
There are six main issues of the WQA plumbing code task force, one of which is " better access for installation, service and repair." A service disconnect manifold or junction assembly makes an R/O system more accessible. Located under the sink and mounted to the front this accessory would include clearly marked ball valves and be wall mounted. It would also include two connector unions- the spigot connector, which is a place to disconnect the product water line; and a drain connector, which is a place to disconnect the R/O drain-as well as a tee connector for the icemaker by-pass valve. This system would allow the home owner or the service person to easily remove the system from under the sink so that routine maintenance and sanitation of that system can be more effective. In the event of any water leak from under the sink the R/O system can be immediately removed so repairs to the customers plumbing can be better performed. If the service person makes it easy for the customer to address their own plumbing failures, then they are less likely to call you.

Ice-makers
My water business is in Arizona which means we are hooked up to many icemakers. When icemakers malfunction we also get calls about no ice. The first thing that I ask a customer is "if you turn the R/O spigot on, does water come out?" If the answer is yes the problem lies with the icemaker. Most likely a stuck valve that opens and closes as the icemaker demands water located at the back of the refrigerator. I tell the customer they need to call for appliance repair. The customer should turn off the water to the refrigerator in case the valve is partially open so a mass of ice does not form on the ice tray. If the original installer did not use a by-pass valve downstream from the tee to the icemaker then the customer will have to shut off the R/O and drain the storage tank. Of coarse this means they will have no purified water until the icemaker can be repaired. For an icemaker installation I would suggest using a clearly marked ball valve to by-pass the icemaker, located up in front of the cabinet so the customer can easily find it. Mount it next to the spigot line connector also clearly marked. If you really want to make this a nice installation, you could mount the storage tank shut off valve clearly marked up in the front of the cabinet so that any time the R/O needs servicing the storage tank can be easily shut off or filled with sanitizing solution using the feed valve and a sump. Then flushed into the drain connector mounted right next to your storage tank shut off valve. This would speed up the time it takes to fill and drain the storage tank. Then using a small piece of tubing, drain the storage tank right into your drain connector. Which also checks another very important thing how free the drain runs. I have so many times found obstructions in the drains this way.

Convenience of service
Now we have all of the primary connections located right in front of the under sink cabinet or where the connector system is easily accessible by the homeowner and the service person. Sometimes the best place to install an R/O is not under the sink. The manifold connector system gives the installer more options in placement of the R/O system and it's components. Everyone will benefit from installing R/O systems this way. The homeowner gets a much simpler way to service the system themselves or at least shut it off in the event of a leak, benefiting the dealers who sell convenience of service. As for the service person they get in and out of the service call much quicker increasing productivity. This also decreases the service persons exposure to the customers under sink plumbing. The less contact with aging plumbing the better.

Leaks just happen
I have been blamed for more leaks then I care to remember 90% of those leaks were from the homeowners faulty plumbing. The weight of a full storage tank is enough to send it through the average wet particle board cabinet bottom. So I would suggest a piece of plywood under the storage tank to displace the weight. If it's your leak, than I would also suggest a professional water removal company and a new cabinet bottom. Try to asses the damage as soon as possible if your honest and understanding, that is all any customer can ask for in this situation. It's hard to admit a leak was your fault but if you lie and make excuses it will make you look even worse. I have been able to keep most of my catastrophic leak customers, most people would be happy if you just had a carpet cleaner show up to clean their carpets or give them a free months rental.

Customer Satisfaction
Satisfying the customer, making them believe you went that extra distance for them, is what will keep them referring you new customers in the years to come. In the thirteen years that we have been installing equipment we have only had to use our liability insurance once. The rest of those seemingly far to frequent leaks we were able to satisfy the customer with our own means rather than getting insurance involved increasing our premiums.

Conclusion
The water treatment professional of today needs to be more aware of the liabilities that exist with installing water systems in customers homes and businesses. A connector system may not be necessary for all installs. But I have found many situations where a connector system has proven to be an invaluable tool, icemaker installations being just one of them. This device should be in every service truck so that the service person can determine the best time to use it. It is very important that the customer at the time of trouble, under the sink ,be able to easily locate and shut off the R/O system with as little effort as possible. The old days of just slapping in R/O's and not worrying about the inevitable service of that system are over. The customer will not accept poor quality installations or equipment. Remember this reflects down on our industry as a whole and service is the name of the game.

For more information, please contact R/O CONN at (602) 432-5402 or fax (602) 942-1451. Or you can E-mail us at roinfo@roconn.com.

 

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