Pelican Up-flow Water Systems versus Other Down-Flow Water Systems
Pelican Up-Flow Designed Water Systems
Up-flow systems direct the water in the up-flow direction of the system. The water comes into the water system tank and flows through an upper basket and then down a riser tube in the middle of the tank. Once the water reaches the bottom of the riser tube it is then distributed through a lower basket attached to the riser tube. The water then flows from the bottom of the tank through the filter media in a swirling motion. The swirling motion is created by the reaction of the water coming out of the lower basket coming in contact with the bottom of the filter tank which is rounded or curved. An up-flow design eliminates the need for backwashing on most filters because the filter media is continuously being fluffed each time the water flows through the tank. Another advantage to an up-flow design is the amount of contact time the untreated water has with the filter media. An up-flow design also forces the filter media to swirl which in turn allows the media to have longer contact time with the water yielding better results.
All Pelican Carbon Series Whole House Water Filters (PC600/PC1000), Pelican NaturSoft Salt-Free Water Softener/Conditioners (NS-3/NS-6), and Pelican Combo Series Whole House Water Filter and Salt-Free Water Softener/Conditioning Systems (PSE1800/PSE2000) are Up-flow design Systems. All of these Pelican Systems do not waste water or require drain lines or electricity.
Others Down-Flow Designed Water Systems
Down-flow systems direct the water in a down-flow direction. The water comes into the tank through an upper basket and flows down the tank around the outside of the distributor tube through the filter media. The water then flows through the filter media and into the lower basket at the bottom of the riser tube. The water then flows up the riser tube and out of the tank. Down flow water systems require back washing to raise or fluff the filter media because the direction of the incoming water presses down on the filter media compacting it. Down flow systems can sometimes have issues with channeling caused when the water makes channels or tunnels in the compacted filter media. When the water does not reach the other filter media, the effectiveness of the filter can be weakened. If you are looking to purchase a down-flow water system be sure that it back washes to avoid channeling. This is not an issue in up-flow designed water systems. Another benefit to up-flow filters is that most do not require back washing, drain lines or electricity. Even though most water systems may look the same, it is always a good idea to understand how the different systems work. In cases like iron removal using oxidation media like greensand plus or salt system regeneration, down flow systems may be required to flush out oxidized iron or water hardness.
