Surge watts is basically extra watts needed to get an electric motor going. So say your fridge runs at 750 watts. To start the motor you may need 900 watts so you have 150 surge watts. The transfer switch allows you to run a number of different circuits in your house from your generator and not back feed the street utilities. Its much safer than running a plug through you dryer outlet and back feeding the system. There are many different switches, but make sure you get one that is rated for the highest outlet on your generator ie 20amp, 30amp or 50amp. My transfer switch is a 50amp switch that holds 12 circuits. My electrican swapped over the 12 circuit breakers from my main pain over to the transfer switch. When I have the switch to run off the street utility everything works like normal. When I lose power, I flip the switch to the generator power and I can now power those 12 circuits with my generator. With a transfer switch you start your generator, plug the power cord in, then flip a switch on the transfer switch. I can choose to run all 12 circuits or just a few and I don't have to worry about sending power to the street utilities possibly injuring a line man.

Owbist...do you also think maybe the reason there aren't so many questions any more is that people are getting more computer savvy (sort of hard to put into words). But..I, as a senior citizen, had a LOT of questions when I got into the world of computers..as time has gone on, I've learned a lot (mostly from reading at this site) and don't have nearly as many questions as I used to have. I still come here from time to time with a question, but not nearly as often as I used to. Others of my generation are about the same as me or never got into learning about computers at all. My children didn't grow up with computers but they had the first video game things that came out and they are computer literate. "Their" children have been using computers since they were in kindergarten. I was just mulling this over...does this make sense to why maybe there aren't so many questions...along with the fact that computers are getting more dependable? I've had a lot of panic times with my computer and this site has been like an old friend. My kids and grandkids don't panic like I did (and still do at times) Snidely...I understand what you have said, but I still might buy from my local repair shop. They will answer any question I might have via e-mail and give me a discount for having purchased my computer from them...and I they are also my internet provider. Just some thoughts from a senior computer user...thanks for listening :o)

Q1. What are the key features to look for in a water softener? In other words, what features do you look for to judge the quality of the system? ...I have had excellent success with the a twin tank design. These give seamless treatment regardless of volume. They are highly salt and water efficient, which in CA is becoming an important issue. Kinetico invented the twin tank design. ...Because there are NO electrical components, there will be zero issues in service, maintenance, repair or replacement of electronics and electrical parts. ...Long warranties give an indication of reliability. Q2. Chlorine filter vs. carbon in the resin tank: mixing carbon in the resin tank to neutralize the chlorine seems illogical to me. Carbon loads up fast and must be changed frequently to be effective. I know this because I must change my pre-carbon filters at 4x's the frequency as my HEPA filters on my air purifier. Resin doesn't perform the same functions as carbon; ions simply cling to the resin surface; it takes years before its surface is rendered ineffective so it does not need to be changed frequently; I also understand it is very expensive to replace. My guess is if you replace the carbon, you will end up replacing the resin before you really need to; so it doesn't make economic sense to mix the two in the same tank. With the level of chlorine in our water, will a cartridge filter work? Or do I need something bigger? ...What is your chlorine level? I don't like mixing tanks with resins and carbon, in part, for the reasons you stated. A carbon cartridge or upflow tank ahead of the softener will perform well and be easier to to maintain. Q3. Drinking water filters: will a reverse osmosis filter system improve the taste of water AND remove the potassium, aluminum, boron, chromium, vanadium in our water? If so ... Yes, an RO will significantly reduce a very wide range of contaminants. The Kinetico K5 is certified to remove more contaminats than any other RO system available. Q4. What are the key features to look for a reverse osmosis filter system? In other words, what features do you look for to judge the quality of the system? ...A self-rinsing membrane will provide up to ten times the life of the membrane. A metering or monitoring system that indicates when to change filters. A water pressurized (rather than air charged) holding tank provides superior water pressure, volume and recovery. A pressure pump will also greatly enhance performance and water quality. ...There other features that incluse aesthetics (designer faucets), easy of filter changes, availability of filter elements, filter options to handle particular water quality problems, A looong warranty, ability to handle new fridge water flow issues, and how long the membane is expected to last. Q5. Salt vs. Potassium chloride: discharge of sodium into the citys sewer system is fast becoming an issue in our state; one city in the area banned the use of residential salt water softeners; all salt water softeners in that city must be removed by June 2009. ...I don't see a question here. Potassium chloride, is NOT recommended by some of the manufactures, such as Kinetico. Does anyone know why potassium chloride is not suitable for some softeners, but okay for use in others? What damage will result to the softener? What brands can potassium chloride be used in safely? ...Not sure why you say Kinetico doesn't recommnd KCl...? That is perfectly fine and salt dosage charts are there to provide settings. The cost of KCl is causing some problems with dealers who don't want to sell it anymore. There will be absolutely no damage to softeners using KCl. Q6. Is a sodium filter for water softeners available? ...I don't know of any sodium filter that will work and is cost effective. Are you talking about removing sodium from the discharges water (brine rinse)? An RO will remove it for drinking water purposes. Q7. Since there is no room in our garage for a water softener (downsized house came with a downsize garage), the logical solution is to replace the humongous water heater with a tankless one, then put a water softener where the water heater currently sits. So the question is can I place a cartridge chlorine filter next to the softener, or do I have to find a location some minimum distance "up stream" from the water softener? ...Kinetico makes a quad-tank system that removes chlorine before entering the resin beds or a cartridge can be installed anywhere ahead of the softener.

Violate MFG Warranty: only if it was the wrong kind or installed improperly causing damage to the compressor. With that said, most modern HVAC compressors do not need hard starts these days. Usually, if one is required to start a compressor it typically indicates failure of the compressor. While you can 'sometimes' install a hard start kit to save a compressor sometimes this only lasts a short while. Typically what this means is that the bearings with in the compressor are failing. (seizing up) and so the compressor doesn't have enough power to start on it's own. By adding a 'proper' hard start kit (there are many configurations, because there are different types of compressors / different sizes in tonnage --if you use the wrong kind for the wrong compressor it can damage the compressor in addition to the damage that required you to install the hard start to begin with.) The best is a 3 wire hard start kit in which your HVAC contractor chooses the proper start capacitor as well as the starting relay. As mentioned earlier there is a bunch of different kinds. A knowledgeable HVAC contractor will know which kind you need. Others will just put in a packaged 'kit' that probably won't work for very long in some cases.