Lotus Clean Calc Down Pad

Improved product!

Why should water be softened?

1. Hard water tends to cause limescale deposits. Limescale deposits in pipes lead to build-up and biofilms.
2. Limescale deposits can reduce the service life of heating systems.
3. Hard water leads to a sharp rise in pH values, which can only be lowered with a lot of pH minus. Constantly lowering the pH value takes a lot of time and is expensive.
4. Hard water with a high pH value can cause the water to become cloudy.
5. Hard water reduces the effectiveness of water care products.

IMPORTANT!

Do I need additional equipment?

Yes, we recommend purchasing an ‘aquarium submersible pump’ with a flow rate of 500 l to a maximum of 1500 l per hour. Ideally, you should use the following pump with a flow rate of 600 litres per hour: Click here

What do I need the aquarium pump for?

Water must flow through the granulate in the Calc Down Pads. If the granulate becomes saturated with water, the flow is severely disrupted. We use the aquarium pump to force the water through the granulate. Without the aquarium pump, the Calc Down Pad cannot function properly.

How do the Calc Down Pads work?

The Calc Down Pads contain a special granulate that is charged with sodium ions. In water, the granulate releases the sodium ions and absorbs calcium ions in return. This softens the water.

How do I determine the water hardness?

Ask your water supplier. They will know your water hardness. Ask them to give you the total hardness in degrees of German hardness. Alternatively, you can determine the water hardness yourself with our water hardness test kit.

What is the ideal water hardness in a whirlpool?

The ideal water hardness is between 7 and 10 degrees of German hardness. Do not lower the water hardness below 7 °dH. Water that is too soft can quickly become corrosive and the pH value will not remain stable.

How long does it take to soften the water?

The duration depends on the water hardness and the number of passes required.

Application

Placement of the pad

Good flow through the pad is important for fast and effective water softening. Use scissors to cut the conical end to the diameter of the pump connector. Insert the aquarium pump connector into the cut end of the Calc Down Pad and secure the pump connector with the hose clamp provided.
Submerge the pad in the whirlpool and switch on the aquarium pump.

Important: Do not use the whirlpool while the aquarium pump is switched on.

Reducing water hardness

To reduce 1000 litres of water by 7 °dH, you need one pass (approx. 1 day). After that, the pad must be regenerated. Regeneration also takes approx. 1 day. You can see how many passes you need in the diagrams. If your whirlpool size is not listed, take the first diagram and multiply it by the respective factor. For 1200 litres, this would be 1.2, and for a capacity of 2000 litres, it would be 2.0. These are approximate figures that may vary on site. With the total hardness test kit, you can measure the exact amount of one pass at your location.

Note:
It is not possible to measure when the pad is charged or discharged. You can only measure whether it is still reducing the water hardness. Use our total hardness test kit for this.

How do I regenerate the Calc Down Pad?

Remove the pad from the whirlpool and place it, unchanged and connected to the aquarium pump, in a sufficiently large container with approx. 25% salt content. This corresponds to approximately 360 grams per litre at room temperature. Use dishwasher salt for this, as other salts have an anti-caking agent added to them. Switch on the aquarium pump and leave the pad in the salt solution for approx. 24 hours.

How should the Calc Down Pad be stored?

The pad must not be allowed to dry out under any circumstances, as this will cause the granules to crack and render them unusable. Place the damp pad in the original bag and seal it.

How often can I use the Calc Down Pad?

We recommend using the pad a maximum of five to six times. The seams are not suitable for continuous use and may tear if used for a longer period of time.

I have a water softener in my house. Do I still need the Calc Down pads?

Yes. A domestic water softener can only soften a certain amount of water at a time, but never the amount that fits into a whirlpool. Once the target water volume has been reached, the exchange granulate in the water softener would have to be regenerated. However, as far more water continuously flows through the water softener, water that has not been softened also enters the whirlpool after the target water volume has been reached.
There are continuous flow softening systems that can soften very large quantities of water without interruption. With these systems, softening with our pad is not necessary.