FW2000 FAQ's

1) Why Should I choose The Fresh Water 2000?

Answer: All the benefits of the Fresh Water 1000 but with an additional housing. Using a twin cartridge assembly means that the filter properties may be varied to suit individual needs and preferences, for example for additional hardness (inorganic calcium) removal. Alternative filter configurations for specialist medical or health requirements are also available. The unit is just as easy and simple to fit and use as the Fresh Water 1000 and delivers up to 4 litres of pure fresh water per minute.

2) Question: What does the purifier remove?

Answer: The FW2000 removes a broad range of contaminants from water. Contaminants found in water can essentially be placed in three different categories - microbiological, chemical & aesthetic. Impurities within these categories that are removed by the FW2000 system include - harmful bacteria, protozoa organisms, chlorine, trihalomethanes, volatile organic chemicals (VOC), synthetic organic chemicals (SOC), foul tastes & odours, rust particles, sediment, aluminium sulphate and numerous other undesirable elements including dissolved and particulate metals.

3) Question: What does the filter leave in the water?

Answer: The FW2000 is designed to remove virtually all harmful contaminants from water while leaving minerals essential to good health and taste intact. Calcium for example contributes to the overall taste of drinking water, is a major component of bones and teeth and is essential for various bodily processes such as blood clotting. The minimum required concentration of calcium in drinking water has been set by the EEC at 60 mg per litre. While some products such as distillers and reverse osmosis systems remove calcium and other beneficial elements, the FW2000 system has been designed to remove only harmful contaminants while leaving in essential minerals.

4) Question: Will there be a noticeable difference in the quality of water from the pure supply?

Answer: Yes. Most people immediately notice a significant difference in the overall quality of purified water when they install a FW2000 system. The extent of this depends largely on the level of contaminants in the water and individual sensory thresholds. Most complaints relating to the taste and odour of tap water are due to the presence of chlorine. As the system also removes wide range of impurities and contaminants, people often notice a marked improvement in the clarity and taste of the purified water. Pure water enhances the flavour of tea, coffee, soups and cooking in general.

4) Question: How does the FW2000 system work?

Answer: By lifting or pressing the lever on the tap body, cold water is diverted through a non-return valve to the purification unit located under the sink. The housings of this unit will contain the replaceable filters you selected with your purchase. Once the water has passed through the two filters and purified it continues through its own separate channel and is dispensed via a dedicated or three way tap.

5) Question: How will I know when I need to change the cartridges?

Answer: After 6 months use the filtration media begins to lose its effectiveness, usually coinciding with a significant decrease in the pure water flow as the ceramic outer section begins to clog with contaminants. We will automatically contact you via email or traditional post to let you know when the filter is due to be replaced..

6) Question: How difficult is it to change the cartridges?

Answer: The procedure for replacing the cartridge is very simple and takes only a few minutes. The company does provide a call out cartridge replacement service thought this is very rarely required. Full Instructions explaining how to change the cartridge can be found in the installation Instructions and also come with every Replacement Cartridge.

7) Question: How much space does the system require?

Answer: The system takes-up very little space: the purifier, which is only 31cms high, will fit neatly under the sink in any size base unit.

8) Question: Does the FW2000 require the use of chemicals or electricity?

Answer: No. The system has been designed to work from mains water pressure, does not require the use of any chemicals and the cartridge is constructed entirely of natural .

9) Question: What is the operating pressure of the FW2000 system?

Answer: The system works on normal mains pressure. The maximum pressure that the unit should be subjected to has been calculated at 75psi (5 bars), and the minimum recommended pressure is 25 psi (1.7bars). Average mains pressure falls somewhere between the above while the pressure from a header tank in a bungalow is likely to be lower than the recommended minimum. Small pumps are available to deal with low pressure situations and pressure limiting valves can be supplied for households experiencing a higher than average water pressure.

10) Question: What is the flow rate from the pure water supply?

Answer: On normal water pressure the average flow rate of the pure water supply can go up to around 3 litres per minute. For optimum chemical removal performance, the service valve can be adjusted to provide a flow rate of around 1.5 to 2 litres per minute.

11) Question: What are the minimum and maximum temperatures the system should be subjected to?

Answer: The purifier should never be subjected to freezing temperatures as this can damage the unit. Damage can also occur if the purifier is connected to a hot water supply.

12) Question: Can I purchase the FW2000 purifier without the tap?

Answer: Yes. The FW2000 has been designed as a complete system but the housing and cartridge can be used for many different applications and can be plumbed in-line to coolers for instance and customers own individual taps. Please refer to technical specifications for flow rates and capacities.

13) Question: Does the FW2000 system soften water?

Answer: No. The FW2000 is not a water softener but can be used in conjunction with a household softener thereby supplying hot soft water, cold soft water and hard pure drinking water. Hard water is good for drinking while soft water is beneficial for bathing and other uses that do not involve the actual consumption of water, however a scale reduction cartridge can be installed into one of your housings if you are concerned with lime scale.

14) Question: Do I need to purchase a separate purifier for the water dispenser in my American style fridge or for my instant hot water unit?

Answer: No. A special fixing kit incorporating a tee piece is available, thereby allowing two separate supplies of purified water to be drawn from a single unit.

15) Question: Will the purifier stop my kettle from scaling up?

Answer: To a degree the answer is yes, though this reduction will be limited and depends on the overall chemistry of the water. The FW2000 is not a water softener, and unlike some filters, does not remove the minerals essential to good health and taste. Calcium and magnesium, perhaps the most essential of these minerals, are the cause of scaling. Some contaminants combine with these minerals and by removing the contaminants the scaling effect can be reduced.

When water is boiled, some of the temporary hardness (in the form of calcium carbonate) precipitates into the water. In extreme cases this results in the appearance of white flecks in the boiled water or as a surface film on tea and coffee. A convenient remedy for this problem is to use one of the new generation of kettles now available. These kettles incorporate a fine mesh screen that remove the precipitate but not the dissolved minerals, thereby complementing the use of the FW2000 system.

16) Question: How do I clean the tap without damaging the finish?

Answer: Care should be taken not to damage the plated or painted finish of the tap. To clean, all that is required is to gently wipe over the surface with a soft damp cloth. You should not under any circumstances use abrasive liquids, powders, or scouring pads to clean coloured taps.

17) Question: Is the FW2000 system guaranteed?

Answer: Yes, the stainless steel housings are guaranteed for 10 years and the rest of the system has a warranty for a period of twelve months after purchase (if free from defects in and workmanship, when properly installed, and operated in accordance with our Instructions. The cartridge life will depend on influent water quality, pressure and overall usage and is not covered by this warranty.

18) Question: Does the FW2000 system remove nitrates?

Answer: The FW2000 can incorporate a second cartridge for special needs such as the removal of nitrates. A separate data sheet on this is available on request.

19) Question: Will the FW2000 fit a sink with a standard size hole?

Answer: Yes. The base of the FW2000 tap conforms with European standards relating to the diameter of the tap base and the diameter of the fixing hole. The thread size of our taps is only 12mm so an additional drinking tap on any work surface or in the corner of any sink is very easy to install.

20) Question: I have heard that water filters breed bacteria, is this true?

Answer: Yes, but it does not apply to the FW2000 system. Certain carbon filters have in fact been criticised for their ability to breed bacteria. However, in fairness to the manufacturers of these, the situation has been widely exaggerated and only applies to heterotrophic opportunistic bacteria. By comparison the ceramic shell of the 1000-25-SM cartridge was originally developed for its bacteriological removal capability.