Wednesday 4 May 2016

NSF Certification - Residential Drinking Water Treatment Standards


NSF International is a global independent public health and environmental organization that provides standards development, product certification, testing, auditing, education and risk management services for public health and the environment. It has earned ISO 14001 environmental management system certification, which demonstrates the organization’s overall commitment to environmental stewardship.

NSF developed its first drinking water treatment standard in 1973. Today, they test to seven point-of-use/point-of-entry (POU/POE) drinking water treatment standards and have certified thousands of systems and components.


The NSF POU/POE standards address the wide array of drinking water treatment technologies on the market today, including adsorptive medias, ion exchange, reverse osmosis, ceramic filters, pleated filters, ultraviolet (UV), distillation, reduction-oxidation (redox), shower filters and more.

Each NSF Residential Drinking Water Treatment Standard sets thorough health requirements and performance criteria for specific types of products. Contaminant reduction claims can be certified under each standard and can vary according to each water treatment technology capability. Systems that utilize more than one treatment technology may be certified under multiple standards.

Reverse osmosis systems are the only NSF certified systems that reduce fluoride and nitrate; and Reverse Osmosis systems are the only ones that are NSF certified to reduce both lead and copper.

How Do Products Become NSF Certified?
To earn NSF certification, water treatment systems must undergo extensive testing to confirm that they meet the strict requirements of American National Standards. In addition to verifying that the system is structurally sound, NSF verifies that:
  •     The contaminant reduction claims shown on the label are true.
  •     The system does not add anything harmful to the water.
  •     The product labeling, advertising and literature are not misleading.

Filtration
Two NSF standards cover filtration systems: NSF/ANSI 42 addresses aesthetic claims and NSF/ANSI 53 addresses health claims.

NSF/ANSI Standard 42: Drinking Water Treatment Units - Aesthetic Effects

NSF/ANSI Standard 42 establishes the minimum requirements for the certification of POU/POE filtration systems designed to reduce specific aesthetic or non-health-related contaminants (chlorine, taste, odor and particulates) that may be present in public or private drinking water.

The scope of NSF/ANSI 42 includes material safety, structural integrity and aesthetic, non-health-related contaminant reduction performance claims. The most common technology addressed by this standard is carbon filtration.

NSF/ANSI Standard 53: Drinking Water Treatment Units - Health Effects

NSF/ANSI Standard 53 establishes the minimum requirements for the certification of POU/POE filtration systems designed to reduce specific health-related contaminants, such as Cryptosporidium, Giardia, lead, volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) and MTBE (methyl tertiary-butyl ether), that may be present in public or private drinking water.

The scope of NSF/ANSI 53 includes material safety, structural integrity and health-related contaminant reduction performance claims. The most common technology addressed by this standard is carbon filtration.

Ultraviolet (UV)
NSF/ANSI Standard 55: Ultraviolet Microbiological Water Treatment Systems

NSF/ANSI Standard 55 establishes the minimum requirements for the certification of point-of-use/point-of-entry (POU/POE) ultraviolet (UV) systems and includes two optional classifications:

Class A systems (40 mJ/cm2) are designed to disinfect and/or remove microorganisms, including bacteria and viruses, from contaminated water to a safe level. Class A systems may claim to disinfect water that may be contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, viruses, Cryptosporidium or Giardia.

Class B systems (16 mJ/cm2) are designed for supplemental bactericidal treatment of public or other drinking water that has been deemed acceptable by a local health agency. Class B systems may claim to reduce normally occurring nuisance microorganisms.

Reverse Osmosis (RO)
NSF/ANSI Standard 58: Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Treatment Systems

NSF/ANSI Standard 58 establishes the minimum requirements for the certification of point-of-use (POU) reverse osmosis systems designed to reduce contaminants that may be present in public or private drinking water.

The scope of NSF/ANSI 58 includes material safety, structural integrity, total dissolved solids (TDS) reduction and other optional contaminant reduction claims. The most common optional claims addressed by NSF/ANSI 58 include cyst reduction, hexavalent and trivalent chromium reduction, arsenic reduction, nitrate/nitrite reduction, and cadmium and lead reduction.



NSF International
Add: P.O Box 130140, 789 N. Dixboro Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA
Email: info@nsf.org
Tel: +1 734 769 8010
Fax: +1 734 769 0109
Toll Free USA: +1800 NSF MARK (800 673 6275)

Search for NSF Certified Drinking Water Treatment Units, Water Filters: http://info.nsf.org/Certified/DWTU/

Tuesday 3 May 2016

Amway eSpring Home Water Treatment System


The eSpring Water Treatment System combines carbon block filter, UV light, and electronic monitoring.


Carbon block filter:
Inside the eSpring Water Treatment System is an activated pressed carbon-block filter. This US patented multi-stage carbon block effectively removes:
  • chlorine taste and smell
  • particulates down to 0.2 micron, which improves clarity
  • more than 140 possible health-effect contaminants, including lead, mercury, VOCs, and the petrol additive MTBE
While eSpring removes contaminants by trapping them in the patented carbon-block filter, beneficial minerals, such as calcium, magnesium and potassium, pass through unchanged and remain in the water. Activated carbon readily bonds to and adsorbs many organic carbon-based compounds such as pesticides and herbicides. The carbon in the filter bonds with organic, carbon-based compounds. Minerals and other inorganic compounds do not have a carbon base. Therefore, a bond usually will not form with the carbon, and the minerals will remain in solution in the water and pass through the filter.
UV Light:
A patented shining light system, it emits up to 80 millijoules/cm2 of UV light and destroys more than 99.99% of bacteria and viruses that may be found in drinking water. Uses patented wireless inductive technology to power up the UV lamp, which results in greater safety and reliability. If there are bacteria present in the incoming water, they may grow in a carbon filter overnight, or during periods of inactivity. This is true for all carbon filters on the market – including those treated with silver. The eSpring Water Treatment System uses ultraviolet light to destroy any bacteria present in water after it leaves the carbon filter.

Electronic Monitoring:
‘Smart chips’ in the eSpring monitor keep track of the UV lamp and filter life, and an LED display lets you know when the cartridge needs to be replaced.



PH:
Initially the carbon activation process leaves an alkaline surface on the carbon that is similar to baking soda. This alkaline surface raises the pH of water that initially passes through the filter to the 9-10 range. This pH shift is well within the acceptable range for drinking water. After approximately 58 litres (15 gallons) have passed through the filter, the pH level drops to about 8.5. After 190 litres (50 gallons) have passed through, water pH is between 7 and 8, nearly identical to untreated water.

Certifications:
NSF International is a non-profit organisation recognised worldwide as the leading independent testing and certification authority on water treatment systems. NSF International has tested and certified the eSpring Water Treatment System for the reduction of more health-effect contaminants than any other UV/carbon-based system it has certified. Certified under NSF/ANSI Standards 42 (Filtration aesthetic), 53 (Filtration health) and 55 (Ultraviolet Microbiological). More details about NSF Standards.
eSpring NSF Certification: http://info.nsf.org/Certified/DWTU/Listings.asp?TradeName=espring

Awarded the Gold Seal by WQA.




REVIEWS
https://forum.lowyat.net/topic/1893515/+91
2012
I've been using Amway Water Treatment System for yrs wit no problem. The only downside is the water filter replacement & UV light which is kinda pricey.
Everybody knows BMW is the best car in the world. How many in Malaysia afford to buy BMW ? Same thing applies to Amway eSpring.
The UV tech by Amway is primitive. You must change the bulb every year. My water filter, Hendrex with better technology and design for the same UV it takes many years to change if it is compared to other designs.
i did my research on various indoor water filter system. at the end, eSpring came up as the most desired one due to its many strengths compared to the rest. the initial cost could be slightly more but the running cost is very reasonable and much cheaper if you compare to the other brands. 

2013
about rm500 per change of d core..actually can last quite long.currently am using t he 2nd generation filter,2 people at home,daily boil water so estimate 2l a day,last me prolly half a year to 1 year before it needs replacing

2014
The eSpring filter costs @ RM510 iinm.. somehow, using eSpring is peace of mind with all their proven certification. How long you been using? Somehow, if you looking switch from eSpring to other brand, I rather you look for NSF 48+53 certified filter instead of marketing term like Alkaline water or Energy water.
https://forum.lowyat.net/topic/3006199/all
Oct 2013
RM 4000 include installation. interested call me 0176852993 dickson.TQ
https://forum.lowyat.net/topic/696787/+356
May 2013
Despite allowing some good minerals to pass through the filter, eSpring also allows some inorganic contaminants to pass through, such as nitrates and heavy metals such as chromium and cadmium. This weakness of eSpring is admitted by the company itself: http://www.espring.com/english/ibocenter/d...uctGde_2_04.pdf


eSpring Home Water Treatment System by Amway


Website: http://www.amway.my/Shop/Product/Product.aspx?itemno=100188
eSpring Water Treatment System - Product: eSpring Document
FAQ: FAQ Document
Technical, list of contaminants, performance Document

Warranty: Two years comprehensive product warranty (This warranty does not cover replacement parts and wear-and-tear components)
Cartridge Capacity: Lasts up to 5,000 litres or 1 year - about RM700 per cartridge
Price: RM3-4K (cheaper with Amway membership). eBay: RM3600. 11 street: RM3800