Water treatment involves delivering an instantaneous electric current to one or more pairs of activated electrodes immersed in the water, each of the pairs of electrodes comprising a sacrificial electrode operating predominantly as an anode and an inert electrode operating predominantly as a cathode. The sacrifical electrode, when as an anode, is able to provide dissolved ions to the water as current passes between the pairs of electrodes, to assist in treating the water. The polarity of the electrodes is periodically reversed to reduce electrode clogging. The amount of charge passed by the instantaneous electric current is indicative of the degree to which the water has been treated, and is used to control the treatment process.
A hydro-power generation system for use in conjunction with a water treatment system is disclosed. The embodiments of the hydro-power generation system include an impeller rotatably positioned in a housing. The impeller is rotatably coupled with a generator. When water flows through the water treatment system, water flows to the hydro-power generation system and acts on the impeller causing rotation thereof. The rotation of the impeller results in the generation of electricity for the water treatment system by the generator. Other embodiments of the hydro-power generation system include a rotor rotatably positioned in a conduit through which water flows. The flowing water causes the rotor to rotate. The rotor operatively cooperates with a surrounding stator. As the rotor rotates within the stator electricity is generated for the water treatment system.
A water treatment unit is disclosed which can be mounted directly on the faucet or tap of the user's sink and which contains one or more water treatment media and an operating valve which permits the selection of several operating modes including service, spray and stream modes. In the service mode the water is treated by at least one if not all of the various water treatment media contained in the unit housing after which the water is discharged from the valve of the unit for service use, and the service discharge may be adjusted to direct the treated water as desired by the user. The valve of the treatment unit includes a housing, a stationary member, a slide member and a rotatable switch member unit and may also be operated in a backflush mode in which water may be directed in the reverse direction through at least one of the water treatment media to regenerate that media. The volume of flow through the unit may also be sensed to measure the life of the treatment media to signal when they should be replaced. |