25 ANSWERS TO

COMMONLY ASKED

QUESTIONS

Improving water naturally since 1980

w w w . c a r e f r e e . c o m . a u

8. WHAT LEVEL OF SALINITY CAN BE TREATED FOR IRRIGATION?

Our records confirm the successful flood irrigation of lucerne with bore water, which after conditioning, had the following analysis:pH 6.9Conductivity 11,100 µS/cmChloride 3,400 mg/LSodium 1,640 mg/LTotal Hardness 1,986 mg/LSodium Chloride 5,600 mg/LNOTE: This salinity level is about four times the tolerance for lucerne. Although the soil had good drainage, the saline water almost destroyed the lucerne crop before the Care-Free Conditioner was installed.

9. WILL IT REDUCE RISING SALINITY IN THE SOIL?

Yes. In fact, Care-Free has been granted a Soil Desalination Patent for it’s remarkable ability to reduce soil salinity. Soil analysis tests in numerous applications confirmed a substantial reduction.For example, after irrigating turf grass at the Wagga Wagga Golf Course for only six months with the Care-Free Conditioner, the lowering of salinity in the soil was very apparent. The following results were taken from a soil analysis test before Care-Free and 2 1⁄2 years after installation:SOIL ANALYSIS BEFORE AFTER %ReductionElec. Cond. 2,620 µS/cm 1,170 µS/cm 55%Sodium 290 mg/L 167 mg/L 42%Chloride 650 mg/L 220 mg/L 66%

10. WILL CARE-FREE SAVE ME WATER?

Yes. Because conditioned water is absorbed more rapidly into the ground it reduces evaporation. Therefore watering time is shortened which means you save three valuable resources – water, energy and money.We suggest reducing your watering time by up to 20%. In fact some customers report water savings of 30%.

11. WHAT LEVEL OF CALCIUM CARBONATE (CaCO3) HARDNESS CAN BE USED FOR HOUSEHOLD USE?

The National Health and Medical Research Council Guidelines for CaCO3 hardness state 500 mg/L is the maximum. Care-Free has undertaken numerous tests with applications in very hard water and it has proved successful in reducing or in some cases eliminating scale build up.

5. HOW DOES CARE-FREE GIVE ME CLEARER WATER?

Laboratory tests confirm a decrease of 20% in the turbidity of the conditioned water. Your Care-Free Conditioner causes the mineral particles to repel each other, separate and become smaller (reducing micron size). Because there is less light refraction from the smaller particles your water becomes clearer. This is especially evident in swimming pools.

6. WILL IT GIVE ME CLEANER, SOFTER CLOTHES?

Yes. Conditioned water contains smaller particles, which pass more readily through clothes being washed. The water tends to be ‘wetter’, and penetrates better to carry away dirt and grease. In unconditioned water larger particles and other substances can become trapped in detergent and in the fibres of the clothes you are washing, causing staining.

7. HOW WILL CARE-FREE AFFECT NURSERIES, VINEYARDS, MARKET GARDENS, CROPS AND LAWNS?

Bottom line… you will have greener, healthier more robust growth with less water. You can also look forward to increased yields, which means more profitability because: a/ The better ‘wetting action’ of conditioned water improves soil texture by surrounding individual soil particles with tiny droplets of conditioned water. Not only does your soil become more permeable but it is also able to retain its moisture content for longer periods; b/ By improving the permeability, salts which previously accumulated around root systems and in the soil are leached away and do not reform. Plant stress is relieved and improved growth is noticed in weeks – sometimes only days; and c/ Mineral particles and salts in the conditioned water no longer adhere to leaves to the same extent and what’s more, leaf burn is reduced considerably – a major benefit.

NOTE: Laboratory LEAF ANALYSIS testing on an orchard of stone fruit trees between Conditioned and Unconditioned water, confirmed a massive 66% reduction in Sodium and 52% reduction in Chloride in the Conditioned water.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

1. WHY DO I NEED YOUR PRODUCT?

First and foremost the Care-Free Water Conditioner is a water problem solver. With a proven track record since 1980, our unique product has helped tens of thousands of people in Australia and around the world solve their water problems and improve their water quality. It can also help you improve your water supply... permenantly. With our 12 month money back guarantee, you having nothing to loose, except your water problems. What’s more, Care-Free will last you a lifetime.

2. WHERE CAN I USE A CARE-FREE CONDITIONER?

The advantages of a Care-Free installation mean you can use it virtually anywhere you use water. Applications include:-Domestic / Farm / Irrigation / Commercial / Industrial / Cooling TowerEvap Cooler / Swimming Pool / Aquaculture / Hydroponics / Motorhome

3. WHAT TYPE OF WATER WILL IT WORK ON?

Care-Free Water Conditioners work effectively on water with both high and low mineral concentrations; especially lime, soda, calcium carbonate and saline waters. Care-Free improves water from town supplies, bores, springs, creeks, rivers and wells. With tens of thousands of units now installed, we have experienced very good results in all areas. To assist you, some of these results are outlined in our “Comments from Care-Free Customers” brochure.

4. WILL CARE-FREE HELP REMOVE THE CHLORINE TASTE FROM OUR WATER SUPPLY?

Yes. Laboratory tests have confirmed you can look forward to a reduction of 70% in the concentration of residual chlorine in Care-Free conditioned water. This decrease is due to the freeing of the chlorine artificially trapped between the mineral particles of the water before being conditioned. It is freed into the atmosphere in gaseous form as water leaves your tap.With a Care-Free system fitted you get the benefits of chlorination, but without the taste.

C A R E - F R E E W a t e r C o n d i t i o n e r s

IMPROVES TASTE

HOW IT WORKSBy applying a simple, yet totally natural water treatment process, the Care-Free Water Conditioner helps neutralise the adverse effects of many of the undesirable substances in your water supply.

The Care-Free Water Conditioner is an in-line catalytic water treatment system. It operates by a combination of the following:1. Turbulence of the water through a specially designed catalytic chamber2. By the creation of a small electrical field around the chamber casing

This combination causes a separation of the mineral particles in the water, which changes their behaviour. Particles, which were previously attracted to each other now repel and separate into smaller individual particles. This allows the “separated” mineral particles and salts to flow through the system with minimal interference.

To put it simply, the Care-Free Conditioner eliminates the cohesion that exists between the mineral particles in the water.

This is clearly seen in the before and after photos below. These photos reveal mineral particles precipitated from ‘the same water sample’ with a reading of 750mg/l hardness.

Electron microscope photographs - mag. x 1440 BEFORE AFTER

Note how the particles are bound together before Care-Free treatment and ‘separated’ after treatment. You can compare this reduction in micron size from the size of your fist to the size of your fingernail.

We would like to point out that when analysing ‘before’ and ‘after’ results, there will be minimal changes to water chemistry / analysis. However, you will observe substantial changes in a soil and leaf analysis.

ENHANCES WATER QUALITY

REDUCES SOIL SALINITY

FLOW RATES20. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN CARE-FREE IS FITTED BEFORE A REVERSE OSMOSIS OR CARBON FILTER?

The Care-Free Water Conditioner neutralizes the negative influence of mineral particles, which otherwise tend to hinder the filter’s performance and reduce the working life of reverse osmosis membranes. Installing a Care-Free Conditioner before the reverse osmosis or carbon filter, keeps the filter cleaner and greatly improves its efficiency. The longevity of the membranes and filter cartridges is extended by several times.

21. WHERE DO I INSTALL THE CARE-FREE CONDITIONER?

In most domestic household applications, your Care-Free Water Conditioner is best fitted into the main line after the water meter or pump and before any tee junctions or holding tanks, whereby the whole system will benefit. Your Care-Free Water Conditioner will operate at any angle, above or below the ground, however do not bury it.When fitted below ground it must be installed in a suitable size box or pit, which allows access to unions for cleaning. On larger installations where it is impractical to install a Care-Free Water Conditioner on the water meter due to variation in flow, several smaller Care-Free Conditioners may be fitted on branch lines within the property.

NOTE: Do not install or test the Conditioner at the end of the pipeline.

22. WHAT SIZE CONDITIONER DO I USE?

Establish the maximum flow rate of your pump or supply at the DELIVERY OR DISCHARGE POINT and order according to our flow rate table.Domestic (household) Conditioners are 20mm (Australia, NZ and US), or 15mm (Europe). Swimming Pool, Evaporative Air Conditioner and Motorhome units are also set sizes.

NOTE: Remember... DO NOT OVERSIZE.

23. HOW OFTEN SHOULD I CLEAN MY CONDITIONER?

Your Care-Free Conditioner has been designed for life, however it must be maintained. Periodic cleaning is required and is dependent upon your water conditions and usage. Use the following as a guide:Domestic town supply 5-10 yearsFarm use and Irrigation 1-2 yearsSwimming pools 10 yearsIndustrial – Cooling towers 1-2 years

24. DOES THE CARE-FREE CONDITIONER HAVE ANY GOVERNMENT APPROVALS?

Yes. WaterMark Certification (No. 23046) for the CF6 through CF50 Care-Free Water Conditioners to Australian Technical Specification ATS 5200.103.2004 – plumbing and drainage products Part 103: Water Treatment Systems (other than those specified in AS/NZS 3497).In layman’s terms this standard covers water treatment systems for potable water – that for human consumption. Each Care-Free Water Conditioner in this range carries the WaterMark Certification emblem.After two years of testing, the State Electricity Commission, Portland Victoria, (Powercor) endorsed the Conditioner. To quote: – “We conclude that it was beneficial to install these units to lessen the costly replacement of hot water cylinders, anodes and elements. It would be a real benefit to install a water conditioner on all residences within the Portland Water Board region.”The Benalla office of the Victorian Health Department has also given an endorsement of the Care-Free Conditioner as an alternative non-chemical means of managing the aquatic environment of cooling towers, in a way that precludes the proliferation of bacteriological contaminants. To quote from an extensive report: – “After a two-year field test experiment, every condenser tube was completely clean and shining like a gun barrel. In addition, test results as provided by a NATA certified testing agency have identified the lowest detectable levels of all legionellas. This is an excellent result for cooling towers which are using chemicals, but is an exceptional result from cooling towers which are using no biocide or algaecide chemicals.”

25. WHAT ARE THE PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE LIMITATIONS OF THE CARE-FREE CONDITIONER?

The range of Care-Free Water Conditioners CF06 to CF50 comply to hydrostatic tests performed by the Water Corporation, Plumbing Testing Laboratory at 2 MPa or 285 PSI for 60 seconds. It also withstood burst pressure testing of 3.5 MPa (500 PSI) without failure. The Care-Free Water Conditioner will function from 5° C to 85° C.

One of the automatic benefits when you invest in a Care-Free Water Conditioner is our two-fold policy… 1.Riskfree.100%satisfactionguaranteedoryourmoneyback2.Plusyoureceiveafreelifetimereplacementwarranty

If you are not 100% delighted with your purchase, simply return the product to us within 12 months and we will refund your full purchase price – immediately, with no questions asked.

MINIMAL SERVICE

FLOW RATES

Size Type Lit/Min G.P.HCF6 ECO Fem. Thread 12 160CF15 ECO Male Thread 25 330CF20 ECO “ 50 660CF25 ECO “ 90 1,190CF32 ECO “ 165 2,180CF40 ECO “ 260 3,430CF50 ECO “ 380 5,020CF6 MkII Fem. Thread 15 200CF15 MkII “ 29 385CF20 MkII “ 58 765CF25 MkII “ 112 1,480CF32 MkII “ 215 2,840CF40 MkII “ 320 4,225 CF50 MkII “ 480 6,340 CF50+ MkII “ 600 7,920CF65 MkII Table E Flange 800 (1,100) 10,600 CF75 MkII “ 1,150 (1,450) 15,200 CF100 MkII “ 1,580 (2,000) 20,800 CF125-150 MkII “ 2,400 (3,200) 31,700 CF150 MkII “ 3,700 (4,800) 48,800 CF200 MkII “ 6,500 (9,400) 85, 800CF250 MkII “ 10,500 (15,300) 138,600SWP40 MkII Swim Pool 280 3,700A/C 6 Evap Cooler 20 260A tolerance of plus 66% or minus 50% of nominal capacity is permissible on threaded units. On flanged units, tolerance is plus 66% or minus 33%. The nominal capacity is increased when the orifice is not used. Bracketed figures = no orifice cone. Headloss @ nominal capacity = 35 kPa (5 PSI).

FOR OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE please remember...1. Size according to flow rates. Donotoversize2. Connection to a power source is essential - Sacrificial Rod, Care-Free Battery Pack or Care-Free Power Regulator3. Clean the Conditioner as per the Maintenance Instructions

www.carefree.com.auABN 50 614 975 048 A division of Smorgham Pty Ltd as Trustee for Robert Uden Family Trust

3/73DobneyAve(POBox681)WaggaWaggaNSW2650Phone:1300300235Int’l:+61269252304waterguys@carefree.com.au

MONEY BACK GUARANTEE

For example, the properties of the water in the following test was considered Hard to Very Hard and hot water systems using this water had very short life expectancies. The water contained the following properties:pH 7.5Total Solids 915 mg/LCalcium 77.2 mg/LChloride 301 mg/LAlkalinity 267 mg/LHardness (as CaCO3) 346 mg/L (Hard to Very Hard)After 18 months of Care-Free conditioning, an inspection of hot water systems found no evidence of any scale build up. The Local Water Authority reported tubes and cylinders were in excellent condition.

12. HOW DOES IT AFFECT CALCIUM CARBONATE?

Calcium Carbonate appears in predominately two forms, Calcite (CaCO3) and Aragonite (CaCO3). They have the same chemical composition but have different crystalline structures. Calcite precipitates to form hard to remove whitish scale, whereas Aragonite is much softer and is more easily removed.Testing by ANSTO confirmed that the crystalline structure of Calcium Carbonate in its Calcite form was changed to Aragonite when the Care-Free Water Conditioner was used, hence its easy removal.Over the years, Care-Free has aroused the attention of several scientists. In fact, an Australian scientist recently completed a thesis on Care-Free and scale removal. For more information, please visit our website.

13. CAN YOU HELP MANGANESE OR IRON PROBLEMS?

We have found that with high concentrations of Manganese above 0.5 mg/L and iron above 1.0 mg/L, the Care-Free Water Conditioner requires more frequent cleaning.NOTE: With iron and manganese problems, the Conditioner must be down-sized. Please check with your dealer or contact us.

14. HOW DOES CARE-FREE REMOVE RUST AND SCALE FROM OUR PLUMBING SYSTEM?

In conditioned water the mineral particles repel and lose their attraction to each other and the surfaces of pipes, elements, valves, rods and other equipment.Being a solvent, the water now slowly etches, loosens and dissolves the existing scale and rust from the system. We have found that once clean your system will stay clean!

SAVES WATER

15. WHAT HAPPENS TO THE PIPES AND EQUIPMENT AFTER SCALE IS REMOVED?

The Care-Free Conditioner causes a natural protective carbonate film to form inside the equipment and piping, which will not grow or increase in time. This self-healing greyish film is of negligible thickness and not only protects the system against scale and corrosion, but will not impede water or heat flow.In old, corroded systems it is possible for scale to seal a leak. So removing the scale may cause the pipe to leak (In this case the pipe should be replaced). Nothing further will happen, except you will have clean pipes!

16. HOW LONG WILL A CARE-FREE CONDITIONER LAST AND DO I HAVE TO REPLACE ANYTHING?

Provided it is installed properly and maintained, your Care-Free Conditioner will last you a lifetime. It has no complex moving parts to wear out so you’ll enjoy big savings for years to come. The Conditioner is made from high quality 316 stainless steel which is extremely resistant to corrosion. Under normal circumstances they do not require replacing.

17. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN CONDITIONED WATER IS HELD IN STORAGE TANKS?

Care-Free treated water will maintain its conditioned state, unlike magnetic or electronic water treatment devices, where the water reverts quickly back to its original form. Seed propagation tests using Care-Free treated water which had been stored for eight weeks, confirmed that the water remained in its conditioned state. Periodically, it may be necessary to drain the lower region of the tank in order to expel any high concentration of dissolved solids that settle on the bottom.

18. WHAT WILL IT DO FOR MY ALGAE PROBLEM?

The Care-Free Water Conditioner, by virtually eliminating the biofilm in the water, denies the algae its food source. This occurs because of the ‘conditioning’ or mineral separation process. With nothing to feed on, the algae is either greatly reduced or completely eliminated.

19. IS THERE ANY FLOW RESTRICTION?

Nominal capacity of the Care-Free Conditioner is 35 kPa – 5 PSI. Provided you abide by our flow rates there is minimal restriction. Headloss charts are available for all sizes.

NOTE: For a little pain in headloss - there’s a lot to gain in performance.