Knowledge

Plumbing system overview

The plumbing system consists of a few major systems:

• System 1: Water Softener

• System 2: Hot Water Loop

• System 3: Fire suppression system

• System 4: Landscaping loop

• System 5: AC/Heater loop

Water flow 

1. Water comes in from the city at a fluctuating PSI into the plumbing room located next to the EV Stations underneath the northwest side of C-West.

2. It then goes to a Cla-Val which smooths out the pressure, flow, level, surge and pump control. 

3. From there, it goes into a water softener system (3 big large black containers) where sodium is added (the salt tanks are on the right side) which then offset and displace the calcium and magnesium that's in the water. 

4. The filtered water is then fed into a large 750 gallon storage tank. 3 pumps take that stored water and increase the water pressure PSI to around 70-80 PSI. 

5. The water then is fed into the cold water pipes throughout the building, and also goes into the hot water loop system. 

6. The Hot Water Loop allows instant water throughout the building and by recirculating, it keeps energy costs low. 

   1. The loop consists of another hot water storage tank and set of pumps that take it to the two natural gas boilers located on Rooftop A.

The fire suppression and landscaping loop take in city water but do not go through System 1 and 2. 

Resident Education on Water Hardness

What is water hardness

Calcium and magnesium. It's not harmful, but buildup is not good for your pipes. Hardness ratings are listed on the right.

What happens when the water is hard?

When the water is hard, you'll notice:

1. Scale residue on your dishes, faucet handles, toilet bowl, etc

2. Your shower has soap scum/film left behind when soap is combined with calcium and magnesium particles after washing.

3. If you have sensitive skin, it'll be drier and feel irritation

4. Your clothes feel stiffer

What is the mitigation?

Plant 51 uses a whole-complex salt-based water softener system located in the room by the EV charging stations, and has been replaced as of Q3 2021. Note that because the water does become salty as part of the water softening process, which may affect plant health (very dependent on the plant), so there is a spigot with untreated water is around the corner from the CW rubbish room toward the north.

If you're still experiencing issues, you can mitigate the issue the following ways:

1. Sink - Buy a reverse-osmosis water filter an RO filter removes the minerals, however it will only solve for your drinking water and isn't attached to your main faucet. 

2. Dishwasher - Use rinse aid, or buy a dishwasher water softener (these are expensive) - example 

3. Coffee Machine - Use a descaler occasionally

4. Shower - Wipe down and spray down with vinegar fill a spray bottle with vinegar from your local store, and spray it on the surface, then wipe it down.

5. Shower - Buy a OXO Squeegee, to wipe down shower glass and walls after every use. This reduces hard water stains and inhibits the growth of bacteria as well. 

6. Laundry - buy a Laundry Detergent Booster

Things that won't help

1. A carbon-based water filter/shower filter (these do not remove calcium and magnesium)

2. Calling Seabreeze Management - there is nothing they can do about it.

How do I test my water softness?

• Test strips: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Q84ZR7Y 

• TDS devices: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002C0A7ZY
  (note: TDS will account for more than Calcium and Magnesium so we recommend the test strips)

Resources:

https://www.sjwater.com/customer-care/help-information/water-quality

http://sjwater.com/ccr

https://puracy.com/blogs/cleaning-tips/how-to-remove-hard-water-stains-quickly-easily