Yes, we know. Everyone says their water filter is the best. And yes, there are many good ones. So how can we say the UltraStream is THE BEST? (and be believed?)
We have many reasons and the purpose of this page isn’t to sell you on all of them. Its purpose is to spotlight just ONE filtration media we use that puts us above 99% of other water filters. It’s called KDF.
We use KDF in the UltraStream for a number of reasons.
Less bacteria
Less free chlorine
Less heavy metals
Less scale buildup
Lass filter maintenance.
We can be very confident in saying that there is NO other media with the cumulative benefits of KDF. And why don’t many vendors choose it? Because it’s the most expensive media on the market.. because it’s patented, and it’s the BEST.
KDF is a high-purity copper-zinc alloy. When immersed in water, it undergoes a process known as redox.
Redox is short for oxidation-reduction, which is a chemical reaction where electrons are transferred between molecules. In some cases, such as free chlorine, this transfer results in the formation of benign substances, (chloride in this case), which then passes through the filter.
In a similar way, copper, lead, mercury and other heavy metals react to plate out onto the surface of the KDF, effectively stopping them from passing through the UltraStream.
KDF is incredibly effective. It removes up to an astonishing 98% of inorganic water soluble heavy metals that are a concern of many municipal water suppliers – not to mention consumers!
But wait. There’s more.
KDF also controls microorganisms and reduces limescale. It even changes waterborne calcium molecules that inhibit scale buildup and improves the taste of your water.
One more reason people love UltraStream water.
Ahead Of The Carbon, Ahead Of The Game
KDF 55 Process Medium is the ideal complement to our catalytic carbon. Because carbon removes chlorine by surface chemistry, it can actually foster bacterial growth.
Unlike carbon, KDF 55 Process Medium is truly bacteriostatic. The electrolytic field created by the redox process is an environment deadly to some microorganisms; it also creates hydroxyl radicals and hydrogen peroxides that interfere with the ability of some other microorganisms to function.
Hi-Ho, No Silver
Some filter manufacturers use silver-impregnated carbon to claim to control bacterial growth. Perhaps this appears to be a reasonable compromise, but let’s consider the attendant problems that the use of silver brings with it:
1. The US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) considers silver a pesticide that must be registered.
2. Maintaining bacteriostatic levels of concentrated silver occasionally violates USEPA guidelines for dissolved silver content.
3. Although silver might inhibit the growth of bacteria within the confines of the filter itself while the unit is inactive, it is not necessarily effective as a bacteriostatic when the water is actively flowing through the filter.
So.. it may work when the filter is at rest but may not have the exposure time to kill bacteria when flowing.
KDF is bacteriostatic while the filter is both inactive and active. It is non-toxic, completely safe. I – meeting USSEPA and US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) standards for levels of zinc and copper in potable water. The USEPA has ruled that KDF is a “pesticidal device” that does not require registration.
Helping Carbon Do What Carbon Does Best
We take a Panoptic approach to filtration with UltraStream where every media used has its own specific job, but where possible, it also supports the efficiency of its neighbour media. By reducing inorganic contaminants before they get to the carbon bed, KDF protects our catalytic carbon from bacterial fouling and bacterial buildup, thus supporting the adsorption capacity of our catalytic carbon for removing organic contaminants.
Carbon is not re-cyclable. KDF is.
So we designed the UltraStream to get the absolute maximum from our carbon with KDF. In fact, KDF is more effective than carbon in removing chlorine. Not only does this mean our carbon works more efficiently, but it also means the amount of carbon can be reduced.
Less carbon means smaller filters.
Smaller filters mean less maintenance.
Less maintenance means reduced operating costs per glass.
Now that our catalytic carbon is available to do what it does best—control odour and improve taste—its effective life can be extended by up to fifteen times.
What about My Shower Water?
KDF Improves The Performance Of Shower Filters
At higher shower water temperatures, the very capacity of ordinary carbon used in lesser performance shower filters that makes it so effective and desirable in a water filtration system (trapping odour-causing contaminants, including chlorine) works against it in the shower.
You’ve removed them.. and they come back.
Higher temperatures can cause contaminants trapped in the carbon bed to re-enter the water flow. Hot water, however, has no such effect on KDF. The higher the water temperature, the more effective KDF becomes in reducing free chlorine, the cause of skin complaints and straw hair.
Combined in our shower filter with carbon, KDF 55 Process Medium improves the performance of the carbon.
Fewer contaminants get to the carbon so less can go through it. You’ll see less of the effects of chlorine- the dry flaky skin and damaged hair. At the same time, KDF helps control the unwanted growth of bacteria, fungi, algae, mould and limescale in the tub or shower.
Why did we choose KDF over cheaper media?
Start with Purity. KDF is protected by US and foreign patents and certified safe by the USEPA. There’s nothing else like it. Nothing!
Then consider Performance. It gets the job done. It works in cold or hot water, in large or small systems.
Cost-Effectiveness? It pays for itself. It reduces your system maintenance, extends the safe life of other media in the UltraStream, and eliminates the need for expensive and toxic silver-impregnated media.
Flexibility? It works by itself and it supports our other media.
Recyclable. Unlike carbon. which might not be but KDF most certainly is.
EPA-approved. No red tape. Unparalleled Technology.
KDF is unique, and we chose it because we wanted unique, stand-alone health and purity in the UltraStream.
NOTE: As of March 2017, KDF Fluid Treatmen
t, Inc. believes the data herein are reliable and accurate.
The data are based on outside and internal laboratory tests. Due to varying water chemistry, it is recommended that users test performance on their own equipment. As technical assistance is furnished by KDF Fluid Treatment, Inc. at no charge to the user and since KDF Fluid Treatment, Inc. has no control over engineering of hardware incorporating the KDF ® Process Media, KDF Fluid Treatment, Inc. assumes no liability or responsibility for such assistance. Due to synthetic procedures used by outside laboratories, KDF Fluid Treatment, Inc. is not responsible for differing results in the field.
KDF Fluid Treatment, Inc. assumes no responsibility for user claims on the pesticidal abilities of KDF Process Media because of varying water chemistry and users’ applications. Since governmental regulations may differ from one location to another and may change from time to time, KDF Fluid Treatment, Inc. is not responsible for users’ manufacturing procedures, disposal practices, selection of media, or claims or advertising by the user. No warranty, express or implied, is given nor is freedom from any patent owned by KDF Fluid Treatment, Inc. or others to be inferred.
