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Whole House Upflow Calcite Filter - High Flow Rate 14" x 65" (GT48-CUF-14")
Whole House Upflow Calcite Filter - High Flow Rate 14" x 65" (GT48-CUF-14") - 4m³/Hr Service flow
Suitable for tank water with a pH below 7 to help protect your plumbing fixtures/copper pipework from corrosion and degradation. Please contact us prior to ordering to ensure that you are getting the correct system for your requirements.
Upflow vs Backflow: Choosing the Right Calcite Water Filter
When deciding between an upflow calcite water filter and a backwashable (backflow) calcite filter, it's important to understand the key differences to determine which best suits your needs.
Upflow Calcite Water Filters are designed for efficiency and simplicity. Water flows upward through the media, ensuring even contact and reducing the risk of channeling, which leads to consistent pH adjustment. The unique 'lifting' motion of the water flow helps to circulate the media and help prevent clumping of the calcite as it dissolves. They require less maintenance, as there’s no need for backwashing, which also saves water. This design makes them ideal for those seeking a low-maintenance, cost-effective solution for neutralizing acidic water.
Backwashable Calcite Filters, on the other hand, use a downward water flow and require periodic backwashing to clean the media bed. This can be beneficial in situations where the water contains sediment or other particles that could clog the filter. The backwashing process helps to remove these impurities, ensuring the longevity and effectiveness of the filter. If your water has a significant amount of debris, a backwashable filter may be the better choice, despite the increased water usage and maintenance requirements.
Which One is Right for You?
- Choose an Upflow Filter if you want minimal maintenance, water savings, and consistent performance, and if your water is primarily acidic without heavy sediment.
- Opt for a Backwashable Filter if your water contains sediment or particles that need to be flushed out to maintain filter performance and longevity.
Important Information
DO NOT ADD MORE THAN 140KG OF MEDIA TO THE VESSEL (INCLUDING GRAVEL). OVERFILLING THE MEDIA VESSEL MAY RESULT IN MEDIA LOSS WHICH MAY DAMAGE PLUMBING FIXTURES OR APPLIANCES.
A suitable filtration system should be installed after the calcite filter to protect in the event of media loss. A flow controller should be fitted to prevent exceeding the systems specified maximum flow rate.
See Specs/Performance tab for full list of specifications
Kit Includes:
- 1x Media Vessel - 14" x 65"
- 1x 1" Head Cap with Drop Tube & Screens
- 1x 20kg Bag Filter Sand/Gravel
- 6x 20kg Bags Calcite Filter Media
- 1x Media Funnel
- 1x 1" F/F Check Valve
Why do you need a calcite filter for rainwater?
The issue of tank water acidity is of particular concern for customers with the poly/steel tank + copper pipes combo - this must be addressed in order to prevent copper pipe corrosion and pinhole leaks in your pipework later down the track (which is very costly to fix)!
Rain water is commonly known to be in a very acidic state (around a pH of 5) naturally, and it is only when it comes into contact with earth or other organic material that the pH rises to neutral and even alkaline levels. However when you have clean gutters and a new clean poly tank (or a poly-lined steel tank), there is no organic or inorganic matter to dissolve into the water to raise the pH, thus you are left with highly acidic water sitting in your tank. This can cause extensive health issues in the long term, but it may also affect your plumbing work throughout your house. Copper is easily corroded by acidic water - if this is happening in your home, you will notice a blue/green tinge which is a signal that copper is dissolving into your water. Acidic water works its way from the inside out and if left long enough untreated, may cause your entire copper pipework to fail and need replacing.
Have you checked for signs of copper pipe corrosion in your home? Above are some examples of copper pipe corrosion, which is easily detected by the presence of blue-green staining around drains, fixtures and faucets. In the worst-case scenario, copper pipe corrosion will start with pinhole leaks, progress to multiple holes, and will eventually require you to replace the entirety of the copper pipework of your home!
This brings us to the solution to acidic water - the Calcite Filter. The Calcite Vessel filter uses two different filter medias:
Stage 1: Filter Gravel - Gravel acts as a stable bed for supporting the calcite while helping distribute water evenly through the media.
Stage 2: Calcite Marble - The way Calcite Marble filtration works, is by dissolving traces of calcium into the water to help buffer the pH back to neutral. The Calcite Marble supplied with this system is of the highest quality available in Australia, providing a consistent pH buffer and a long filtering life.
The drop tube is pre-cut to length and fits snugly in the centre hole of the vessel (there is a port at the bottom of the vessel that the drop tube will sit in snugly). There will be no need to cut the drop tube.
Installation Notes - See instruction manual for more details
The Vessel must be installed in a vertical position on a solid base such as a concrete slab (500mm x 500mm minimum) near the main water line coming into the house (between the pump & house). Ideally you should locate where the cold water enters the building or tees off to the hot water system. Either way, you will need access to modify the pipe work for system installation. Allow enough room to install a bypass for the filtration system if something goes wrong with the system, or during maintenance so that water can still be supplied to the house.
Do I need Magnesium pH Booster Filter Media?
Please contact us prior to ordering pH Booster Filter Media. This will ensure that you are receiving the correct product for your intended purpose.
If you are considering a Calcite Vessel as part of your tank filtration set up AND the pH of your tank water is below pH. 5, you may need to add pH Booster Filter Media (Magnesium) to get the correct final pH. Adding pH Booster Filter Media to water with a pH below 5 alters the water chemistry to enable the uptake of Calcite (Calcium). For this intended use you will see the pH range anywhere from ph. 7-8 or higher depending on the pH of the incoming water. Note: when using magnesium as a pH booster, the pH will likely be above 8 when the media is new and will gradually lower over time. We recommend that you buy a spare bag of Magnesium pH Booster with your order so you have it on hand for when you need to top up the filter.
Please note that magnesium can leave a slight residual metallic taste in the water. This taste is easily removed by carbon post-filtration (sold separately) which will produce clean, sweet-tasting water.
Using Magnesium & Calcite Together + Maintenance/Refill Instructions
Calcite and Magnesium are two common types of filter media used for pH adjustments in Rain or Bore Water. These types of media will slowly dissolve into the water over time which will mean that they require replenishment to maintain high flow rate capacity.
When using Magnesium pH Booster, it is recommended to make a blended media
- If the source water’s pH is around 5
- mix 85:15 ratio Calcite : Magnesium
- If the source water’s pH is around 4.5
- mix 80:20 ratio Calcite : Magnesium
DO NOT ADD MORE THAN 140KG OF MEDIA TO THE VESSEL (INCLUDING GRAVEL). OVERFILLING THE MEDIA VESSEL MAY RESULT IN MEDIA LOSS WHICH MAY DAMAGE PLUMBING FIXTURES OR APPLIANCES.
A suitable filtration system should be installed after the calcite filter to protect in the event of media loss. A flow controller should be fitted to prevent exceeding the systems specified maximum flow rate.
Test your pH ongoing and add more filter media when the pH drops below the minimum desired level (ie. 7.0 pH).
Specifications & Technical Data:
Filter Assembly Specifications
| Conditions | 12" x 52" | 14" x 65" |
| Pressure (Min/Max)* | 100 kPa / 1,000 kPa* | |
| Service Flow | 30L/Min | 67L/Min |
| Max Vacuum | 7 kPa (5" Hg) | |
| Nominal Volume | 84L | 148L |
| Temperature (Min/Max) | 1°C / 50°C | |
| Calcite | 60Kg | 120Kg |
| Minimum Feeboard | ~ 40% | |
| pH Range** | 5.2 - 6.8 | |
* If Inlet pressure exceeds 500 kPa – a pressure limiting device needs to be fitted prior to the filter system to limit the pressure to 500kPa
** If pH is 5.2 or below, magnesium (pH booster) may be required.
Vessel Specifications
Vessel Size: 65" x 14"
Polyethylene Inner Shell
Max Pressure: 150 PSI (10.5 Bar)
Max Temperature: 50 C (122 F)
Min Temperature: 1 C (34 F)
Max Vacuum: 140mmHg (5.5" Hg) Negative Pressure
(Do NOT exceed Specifications)
Vessel approved for water filtration use only. All other applications must be approved by the manufacturer.
Do not use for pneumatic or Hydro-pneumatic application.
Vessel must NOT be exposed to temperatures lower than -30 Degrees Celcius.
This Vessel complies with all requirements of P.E.D 97/23/EC Directive.
This water pressure vessel is tested & compliant to NSF/ANSI Standard 44 for Material and Structual Requirements Only.
Return Policy
Due to the nature of the products we sell, a strict return policy is in place. We work with food grade certified materials that must be un-opened and un-used as to be able to be re-sold.
You may receive a refund or credit of equal amount, less the restocking fee if applicable and any other deductions that are relevant.
- Wrongly purchased items may be returned for a merchandise credit, this applies for but not limited to: Wrong size, wrong system etc.
- 30 Day return Policy: Returns will not be accepted without prior approval or after 30 days of invoice date.
- All returns will incur a 17.5% restocking fee or cost to send the item to you whichever greater. FSA may use discretion to determine the restocking fee.
- Any damages (minor, that can be repaired) will incur a fee which will be deducted from the total refund which will be equal to the cost of the replacement
parts (List Price) and labour charge (if applicable) to repair the system(s). This will be separate to the restocking fee. - Any damage considered to be major and not feasible for repair may be refused and the return request will be void. The customer will be responsible for the return freight or disposal of the damaged unit.
- Return shipping is to be paid by the buyer to the address provided. It is recommended that the customer applies transit warranty to the return freight in case of damage.
- Any damages to the system that were not reported to FSA within 48 business hours of receipted delivery are not covered under our transit warranty.
- Should the item appear faulty or doesn’t work how described, the unit/item must be returned for testing (if requested), the return postage paid by the buyer. If the unit/item is deemed to be faulty, compensation will be provided for the postage cost (Proof of cost required). If the unit/item is deemed to be in working order and as described, the buyer will responsible for return postage.
If you have any questions about our return policy, please contact us before purchase. This will also help to ensure you purchase the correct product that suits your requirements.