We developed PolyHalt to give you a safe, soft water solution without having to use salt.
But… why no salt?
Salt-based softeners often contribute to poor water quality. And we believe you shouldn’t have to settle for poor water quality.
The rest of this article will dive into what makes PolyHalt® special. And, heads up, some of it is a bit technical.
But, in each section, there’s a non-technical overview at the top. So, if you don’t want to dive into the technical explanation, you can still have a clear understanding of how PolyHalt works.
First, what is PolyHalt®?
PolyHalt is a proprietary phosphate. In other words, a special chemical we developed here at Cascadian.
But unlike many bad chemicals on the market, this is a good one. It comes from naturally occurring phosphorus bearing rocks.
In technical terms, PolyHalt is a negatively charged semi-solid polyphosphate. You can contrast this against positively charged metals that are dissolved in water, such as calcium, magnesium, iron, and manganese.
As positively charged metals flow through negatively charged PolyHalt, a certain amount of PolyHalt (just enough to form a new ionic-bond) is automatically and proportionally released to form new ionic complexes.
These new complexes are very different from the original ions. One difference is in their chemical makeup. But they also have new behavioral properties as well.
So, how does PolyHalt® work?
PolyHalt® uses different electrical charges to interact with the dissolved metals already in your water.
Technically, in chemistry, this is a well-known process called Ionic Bonding.
Through Ionic Bonding PolyHalt® treats these dissolved metals allowing them to form a new ionic complex, with brand new properties. It’s like an ‘opposites attract’ sort of thing. So then, once the attraction is made and the new bond is formed — Voila, your water problems are resolved!
Is it safe?
Absolutely!
The levels of polyphosphate allowed in drinking water are regulated by the USEPA. And we adhere to those guidelines strictly.
Your safety and comfort is our first priority.
Also, the NSF, an independent third-party testing agency, tests and certifies all automatic proportional control and safety, as an added layer of protection.
So yes, PolyHalt® is very safe.
Will I notice it in my water?
Nope.
PolyHalt® has no color, taste, or odor. That means you won’t see it, taste it, or smell it.
The only thing you’ll notice is cleaner, healthier, more enjoyable water.
Tell me more about these new properties PolyHalt® complexes have…
There are many. But here are the 9 that matter most.
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Able to soften without salt
The hardness minerals (calcium and magnesium) stay in your water. But with PolyHalt®, they can no longer form hard scale, or stick to surfaces. And they cannot bind with soaps to form that gross soap scum residue. In other words, these minerals remain in your water (which is not bad), but they act as if they’re not there at all. It’s a win-win. And in the end, your water is soft and easy to work with. -
Easy to remove water spots
Water spots are formed when water evaporates. There’s no avoiding that. But with PolyHalt® they’re much easier to clean up. Most often, all that is required is to simply wipe the spots away. No hard work. And no extra chemicals for cleaning. -
Remove existing scaling
A major benefit to treated water — and PolyHalt® is no different — is that it cleans surfaces over time, helping to remove scale. -
Prevent soap scum
A major drawback to untreated hardness minerals in your water is that they bind with soap. That’s where the soap scum comes from. By using PolyHalt®, you won’t need to clean soap as often, and when you do, it’ll be much easier. -
Use less soap (and save money)
When hardness develops, you have to use extra soap to overcome the hardness effects. But with the right softener, you only use as much soap as you really need. Not only is this more sustainable, but it costs less! -
Keep plumbing and appliances from leaking or failing
In your plumbing and appliances, low pH levels (or aggressive water) can soften and dissolve metals, causing your plumbing to leak. And, we all want to avoid that. So when you use PolyHalt®, a very thin coating — a protective insulation on the inside of your pipes — is formed. This coating helps prevent the damaging effects of low pH and aggressive water. -
Slow the pitting in glass
When we created PolyHalt®, it was to soften your water. But, along the way, other good things happened, too. As they say, the rising tide raises all the ships. PolyHalt® will also prevent the etching and pitting in your glass, caused by silica found in salt water treatments. -
Prevent orange-red and black-brown staining
Dissolved iron and manganese in water are clear in color. But they won’t stay that way. Over time, as they are exposed to oxygen, their color changes. Typically, you’ll see this as orange-red and brown-black staining. PolyHalt® works to prevent that oxidation and keep your water clear — preventing stains in the process. -
Keep away blue-green staining
Have you noticed your sink or tub turning that blue-green color? This comes from water with low levels of pH or low TDS (an industry abbreviation meaning: Total Dissolved Solids). Water with low pH or TDS begins to eat away and dissolve your copper pipes from the inside. Which is…not good. And that’s where PolyHalt® steps in. PolyHalt® forms a very thin protective insulating layer on your copper that’s been exposed to this kind of water, blocking the blue-green color from happening.
And then there’s the feel
Another difference between conventional salt-based softeners and PolyHalt® softeners is how the water feels.
Salt-softened water feels slippery.
PolyHalt®, on the other hand, fixes that and removes the slippery feeling.
Tell me more about the hardness testing…
Because PolyHalt® softens water by forming complexes through an Ion Bond, we don’t need to remove hardness materials (such as calcium and magnesium). But this also means that traditional hardness tests will STILL show the same levels of calcium and magnesium after treatment.
That doesn’t mean the softener didn’t work. It’s just a result of what traditional water hardness tests show.
These tests look for calcium and magnesium that are in the water.
The assumption is: if these minerals are present, then your water is still hard.
But PolyHalt® does something different. It softens your water while leaving these minerals in.
It does this by forming a new complex with the manganese via ionic bonding. So without removing these minerals, they become harmless and unable to convert to their colored form.
And even though this new complex is in your water, making it now soft, just know that standard hardness testing will still show the same concentration of calcium and manganese.
Hardness test results indicate concentration of dissolved hardness minerals, mostly calcium and magnesium. Results do not indicate how hardness minerals behave and do not indicate whether or not your PolyHalt® salt free ion bond softener is working.
Here’s a great test
How do you know if your PolyHalt® softener is working? Simply look for any of these:
- Water marks are easy to clean up
- No added hard scale build-up
- More soap suds while less soap is required
- Whiter / brighter / softer laundry
- Softer, cleaner hair
- Reduced (or even eliminated) soap scum
- Reduced mineral staining in sinks, tubs, showers, and toilets
- Reduced or eliminated silica etching and pitting
How long does PolyHalt® last?
Because PolyHalt® is an additive, and because you’re constantly bringing more water into your home or business, the PolyHalt® filter will naturally need to be replaced over time to prevent water problems from occurring.
The maximum filter life is 1 year for whole home Point of Entry system and 6 months for smaller Point of Use systems.
Most often PolyHalt® systems will last a full year, but water quality and volume treated may affect or shorten filter life. One indication of this is spots that are hard to clean after treatment. That may mean it’s time to replace your filter.
And because we don’t want you to end up with difficult water problems, we’ve set up “Subscribe and Save” options. When you’re checking out, just select the frequency, and when the time comes, we’ll send you a new filter.
Wait — I just used PolyHalt® and my water looks worse!
That’s okay – In fact, it’s actually a good thing.
When you first use PolyHalt®, it’ll begin to clean your system, and that flushes out some of the bad stuff that’s been building up inside. What you’re seeing is the existing scale buildup being loosened and cleaned away in your plumbing and fixtures.
But, like all transitions, this “worse” water is only temporary.
It’ll stop when the existing building up is cleaned. Usually — depending on how much build-up you currently have — it’ll stop after 30 to 60 days.
It’s always recommended you flush our hot water tank to clear accumulated loose minerals at the same time you install your new PolyHalt® softener system.
Are there any temperature limitations?
The new ionic complex that PolyHalt formed is strong and stable. It’ll withstand and not begin to breakdown at temperatures up to 140° F.
This table compares features and benefits of ion bond and ion exchange softeners:
