Water & Air – Filter Systems News

It’s Holiday season and here at Filters Fast we’d like to know how you celebrate and what your favorite traditions are. Whether it’s setting up Christmas decorations, celebrating Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, putting up stockings and lights, or even personal and family traditions, like building a snowman or sledding, we’d like to know what traditions you enjoy the most.

That’s why we’re hosting a Holiday Tradition Photo Contest. Post a picture of what best represents your favorite holiday tradition on our Facebook wall between today, Friday December 16 and Friday December 23, and we will randomly select a winner to receive a free Vicks Starry Night Humidifier (a $60 value)! NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER.

To enter the contest, follow these easy steps:

1. “Like” our Facebook page.

2. Post an image of what your favorite holiday tradition on our wall or, if it’s easier, e-mail your photo directly to manish@filtersfast.com and we will post it on the wall ourselves.

3. After your photo is posted, we will hold a drawing on December 23rd to randomly select a winner.

Contest submissions  begin today, Friday December 16, and end on Friday December 23. The winner will be chosen through a random drawing on the 23rd and the winner will receive a $50 VISA gift card. We will only accept one photo per person.

The Vicks V3700 Starry Night Cool Moisture Humidifier is a humidifier that produces cool and invisible moisture for medium-sized rooms. With this Vicks humidifier you and your family will experience easier breathing, which will result in a good night’s sleep. This cool moisture humidifier features two output settings for customized moisture output. A humidifier from Vicks is useful for those suffering from cough and cold symptoms, including congestion and respiratory issues. A distinctive feature of the Vicks V3700 humidifier is its independently controlled Starry Night Projector, which transforms an ordinary room into a starry night sky that will delight and mesmerize children.

Source: fernwoodbigsur.com

Winter is slowly arriving and it’s time to be prepared. Before the cold weather fully sets in you want to make sure that you’ve adapted to the coming season. RV owners especially have to make the choice about whether they want to trek on through the camping season or park for the winter. If your choice is to park, KOA recommends several preventative measures to preserve your RV home and prepare it for the coming spring.

Through winterization you can ensure that your RV home can withstand the drop in temperature, which will result in a longer lifespan for your RV as well as reduced costs on future repairs. In order to begin winterizing, KOA recommends the following items:

•  Non-toxic RV antifreeze
• Water heater bypass kit (sometimes already installed)
• Wand, to clean holding tanks
• Water pump converter kit
• Basic hand tools

At Filters Fast we offer a variety of RV/Marine Filters that will suit your RV home, including the 3M US-A1 Recreational Vehicle/Marine Filter System that will provide you with great tasting water on camping trips and excursions.

KOA offers these steps for winterizing your RV, but be sure to consult your owner’s manual for tips specific to your own unit:

• If you have any inline water filters remove and bypass before starting.
• Drain the fresh water holding tank.
• Drain and flush the gray and black holding tanks. If your RV doesn’t have a built in tank flushing system clean the black tank out with a wand, or use a product like Flush King that allows you to clean both the black and gray tanks. Lubricate the termination valves with WD 40.
• Drain the water heater. Remove the drain plug and open the pressure relief valve. CAUTION (never drain the water heater when it is hot or under pressure)
• Open all hot and cold faucets; don’t forget the toilet valve and outside shower.
• Locate and open the low point drain lines. There will be one for the hot and cold water lines. Using the water pump will help force water out, but turn it off as soon as the system is drained.
• Recap all drains and close all faucets.
• By-pass the water heater. If you do not have a by-pass kit installed the water heater will fill up with antifreeze before it goes through the water lines, wasting six gallons of antifreeze.
• Install a water pump converter kit, or disconnect the inlet side of the water pump (the line coming from the fresh water holding tank). Connect a piece of clear tubing to the inlet side of the pump and put the other end into a one gallon container of non-toxic RV antifreeze.
• Turn the water pump on and pressurize the system. Starting with the closest faucet, slowly open the hot and then cold valves until antifreeze appears. Replace the antifreeze container as required.
• Repeat this process on all faucets from the closest to the farthest away. Don’t forget the outside shower, if equipped.
• Flush the toilet until antifreeze appears.
• Turn the water pump off and open a faucet to release the pressure. Go outside to the city water inlet. Remove the small screen over the inlet and push in on the valve with a small screwdriver until you see antifreeze. Replace the screen.
• Pour a cupful of antifreeze down each drain. Pour a couple of cups in the toilet and flush into the holding tank.
• If your water heater has an electric heating element make sure it is turned off. This will protect the element if the unit is plugged in while being stored.
• Make sure all the faucets are closed.
• Consult your owner manuals for winterizing icemakers and washing machines.

Think your pet’s the cutest? Post a photo on the Filters Fast Facebook page — if your photo gets the most “likes”, you will win a dog or cat water fountain!

The contest begins Friday December 9 and ends next Friday December 16. The photo with the most “Likes” at the end of the week wins the contest. The winner of the contest receives their choice of a  Dog It Water Fountain ($100 value) or Cat It Water Fountain ($37 value). NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER.

To enter the contest, follow these easy steps:

1. “Like” our Facebook page.

2. Post your best pet photo on our wall or e-mail your photo directly to manish@filtersfast.com and we will post it on the wall ourselves.

3. Tell your friends to “Like” our Facebook page so that they can “Like” your photo.

4. After your photo is posted, people will vote on their favorite photo by “liking” the image.

Voting begins today, Friday December 9, and ends at 3pm on Friday December 16. The photo with the most “Likes” at the end of the week wins the contest. In the event of a tie, we will randomly choose a winner.

Just like people, it’s very important for your pets to stay hydrated. These water fountains provide a continuous supply of fresh and filtered drinking water. The water recirculates throughout the fountain, which exposes it to more oxygen and makes it more appealing to cats and dogs. Anyone who has ever offered their dog water from a garden hose knows this is the case! Water also helps to maintain proper kidney function in cats and dogs.

The Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, located in the towns of Okuma and Futaba in Japan, gained international attention on March 11 of this year when the country was ravaged by earthquake and subsequent tsunami. After months of effort to prevent a nuclear meltdown at the site, the power plant has, according to NPR, “leaked about 45 tons of highly radioactive water from a purification device over the weekend, its operator said, and some may have drained into the ocean.”

Tokyo Electric Power Co. (also known as TEPCO) has pledged to shut down the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi power plant by the end of the year amidst much criticism about its construction and handling of the meltdown.

NPR reports that TEPCO released a statement on its website indicating that “a pool of radioactive water was discovered midday Sunday around a decontamination device” and that “after the equipment was turned off, the leak appeared to stop. Later, workers found a crack in a concrete barrier leaking the contaminated water into a gutter that leads to the ocean.”

The power company has estimated that approximately 300 litres leaked out from the power plant before a crew was able to plug a hole and stop the leak. The concern is that radioactive water containing the harmful Celsium-137 may be released into the ocean and impact the seafood in the water that many fisherman and citizens rely on.

TEPCO is utilizing purification devices “to decontaminate water that has been cooling the reactors. Three of the plant’s reactor cores mostly melted down when the March 11 tsunami knocked out the plant’s cooling system.”

It’s the start of December, which means it’s time to put up your best Christmas and holiday decorations! Here at Filters Fast, we’d like to see what sort of unique decorations you’re putting up, whether it’s outdoor Christmas lights or indoor stockings and Christmas trees. That’s why we’re hosting a Best Christmas Decoration Photo Contest. To enter the contest, post your best Christmas decoration photo, whether it’s a picture of your Christmas lights, tree, or home decorations, on our Facebook page.

The contest begins Friday December 2 and ends next Friday December 9. The photo with the most “Likes” at the end of the week wins the contest. The winner of the contest receives a free Crane Oscillating Tower Space Heater  (a $92 value). NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER.

To enter the contest, follow these easy steps:

1. “Like” our Facebook page.

2. Post your best Christmas decoration photo on our wall or e-mail your photo directly to manish@filtersfast.com and we will post it on the wall ourselves.

3. Tell your friends to “Like” our Facebook page so that they can “Like” your photo.

4. After your photo is posted, people will vote on the best photo by “liking” the image.

Voting begins today, Friday December, and ends at 4pm on Friday December 9. The photo with the most “Likes” at the end of the week wins the contest.

The Crane Oscillating Tower Space Heater (EE-6353) is an oscillating ceramic space heater with 2 heat settings for maximum comfort. Stay warm during the winter months with this sleekly designed and well crafted ceramic heater.

(Please submit only one photo per contestant and also make sure you only post your own photos.)

3M Medium Command Hooks

Decorating your home is a timeless tradition and a fun activity for the whole family. While adding decorations can be a little costly, there are ways to add flavor and decoration to your home without breaking the bank. 3M Command Hooks are an effective alternative that will add a personal touch to your home at a fraction of the cost.

3M Command Hooks come in several packages, including small hooks with strips, medium hooks with strips, and large hooks with strips. These hooks are ideal for mounting items without damaging the wall or paint and for hanging decorations around the house. You can also avoid hammering screws and nails into your wall, which can create unpleasant holes.

Command hooks are strong, effective, and affordable. Not to mention an economical alternative to costly decorations. You can evenly mount four hooks next to your door and use these hooks as a great place to hang your keys, jacket, or hat when you get home. And with the holiday season in effect, you can find creative ways to implement these hooks, such as using them to hang stockings, garland, and other Christmas decorations.

Your imagination’s the limit! These hooks will hang around for a long time.

Source: "National Geographic"

Water is a major resource that we all take for granted. With approximately 70% of the Earth covered in salt water oceans, it’s easy to forget that there are places in the world that are without water. National Geographic is also concerned with how much water we use here in the United States and how that affects rivers, lakes, wetlands, underground aquifers, and freshwater species.

That’s why they’ve introduced the Water Footprint Calculator, an online questionnaire that asks questions about the way water is consumed in your home. National Geographic states:

“We live in a watery world, with the average American lifestyle fueled by nearly 2,000 gallons of H2O a day. What may come as a surprise is that very little of that—only five percent—runs through toilets, taps, and garden hoses at home. Nearly 95 percent of your water footprint is hidden in the food you eat, energy you use, products you buy, and services you rely on.”

The National Geographic Society encourages you to find out your Water Footprint and the “pledge to cut your water footprint and help return more water to rivers, lakes, wetlands, underground aquifers, and freshwater species.”

Filters Fast is having a Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale and we want to make sure you find the perfect item for your home or office. While we typically offer these sales exclusively to the recipients of our newsletter, we thought it would be best to share these terrific deals with everyone.

To receive information about upcoming exclusive deals, sales, and coupons, sign up for our monthly newsletter! Just e-mail us at dee@filtersfast.com and you’ll automatically be signed up. Be sure to put in the subject line “Subscribe to Newsletter.”

Check out the following hand-picked Super Deals, but be aware, supplies are limited!

IQAir HealthPro Compact                Katadyn Pocket             Fluval FX5 Aquarium
Room Air Purifier System                    Microfilter                        Canister Filter
Was $799.00                                        Was $319.99                      Was $379.99
Now $599.99                                         Now $234.99                       Now $299.99
Save $200.00                                        Save $85.00                         Save $80.00

For Mom: TrueAir Odor Eliminator

For A Friend: PUR Faucet Mount Filter

For Your College Student: Brita Marina Water Filtration System

For Babies and Kids: Crane Sponge Bob Humidifier, Crane Hello Kitty Humidifier

For Your Adorable Baby: Sprite Baby Shower

For Dad: Crane Oscillating Tower Space Heater

For Dad: Crane Personal Ceramic Space Heater

For Your Pampered Pooch: Fresh and Clear Dog It Water Fountain

For Your Pampered Feline: Fresh and Clear Cat It Water Fountain

We worry about many different types of contaminants in our water supply: chlorine, arsenic, lead, and iron to name just a few, but, according to Fox News,  researchers at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, Onatario have discovered a new possible addition to the list: estrogen.

Dr. David Margel, a study researcher, states that “several studies now have found an association between estrogen exposure and prostate cancer. We think this is environmental. [Estrogen] goes into the water [and] into our food chain.” Margel notes that this is still a theory and that more research needs to be done. He also advises women not to stop taking birth control medication until results are conclusive.

According to Margel’s study:

“Birth control pills often contain a type of estrogen called ethinyloestradiol, which women taking the pills excrete in their urine. The hormone ends up in the water supply, or is taken up by plants or animals that use the water, and then passed up the food chain. Although the amount [of estrogen] one woman would secrete is minimal, when millions of women take it for a long period of time, it may have an environmental effect.”

Margel concedes that his findings are only the preliminary stages and that much more research must be conducted in order to discern the full impact of birth control medication on the water supply. In addition, research must also be conducted in different countries in order to truly gage how ubiquitous these cases are.

Thanksgiving is less than a week away and before you fill your bellies with turkey, we’d like to hear what all of you are thankful for. That’s why we’re hosting a new “Thanksgiving Photo Contest.” To enter, post a picture on our Facebook wall of what you are most thankful for. Whether it’s family, friends, a prized possession, or something else unique and personal, we’d love to see it. The winner will be chosen through a random drawing and will receive a free $50 VISA gift card, which is perfect for upcoming holiday shopping. Post a picture of what you are thankful for on our Facebook wall between today, Friday November 18 and Monday November 28, and we will randomly select a winner on the 28th (NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER).

To enter the contest, follow these easy steps:

1. “Like” our Facebook page.

2. Post an image of what you are thankful for on our wall or e-mail your photo directly to manish@filtersfast.com and we will post it on the wall ourselves.

3. After your photo is posted, we will hold a drawing on the 28th to randomly select a winner.

Contest submissions  begin today, Friday November 18, and end on Friday November 28. The winner will be chosen through a random drawing on the 28th and the winner will receive a $50 VISA gift card. We will only accept one photo per person.