OneStop+ Anti-Scale Water Conditioning System

What Is OneStop+?

OneStop+ is a salt-free anti-scale water conditioning system designed to protect plumbing systems and water-using equipment from the damaging effects of scale formation.

It can be installed as a point-of-entry system to protect a building’s water supply or directly before specific equipment such as water heaters, coffee machines, dishwashers, washing machines and other appliances vulnerable to limescale.

The OneStop+ range is available in different configurations and capacities, allowing FlowSpec to match the system to residential, commercial and higher-flow applications. Manufacturer systems cover flow requirements ranging from approximately 3 litres per minute up to 303 litres per minute, depending on the model selected.

How Does the OneStop+ Anti-Scale System Work?

Template Assisted Crystallisation

OneStop+ uses a process known as Template Assisted Crystallisation, commonly abbreviated to TAC.

Hard water contains dissolved minerals, particularly calcium and magnesium compounds. Under the right conditions these minerals can form hard limescale deposits on surfaces.

Inside the OneStop+ system, the specialised media attracts dissolved calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate molecules to nucleation sites or “templates” on the media.

The process takes place in three stages:

1. Dissolved calcium and magnesium scale-forming molecules are attracted to the OneStop+ media.
2. The minerals form microscopic crystals on the media surface.
3. Once the crystals grow sufficiently, they detach and remain suspended in the flowing water.

Because the hardness minerals have been transformed into microscopic crystalline particles, their ability to attach to pipes, heating elements and other surfaces as hard scale is substantially reduced. The crystals are carried through the plumbing system with the water. Global Water Solutions

This process conditions the hardness minerals rather than removing them.

OneStop+ Is Not a Water Softener

This distinction is important.

Traditional ion-exchange water softeners physically remove calcium and magnesium hardness from the water and replace these ions with sodium or potassium.

OneStop+ works differently.

It retains the calcium and magnesium in the water but changes the behaviour of these scale-forming minerals.

That means OneStop+:

• Does not require salt
• Does not require chemical regeneration
• Does not produce regeneration wastewater
• Does not require a backwash drain
• Does not require electricity
• Retains naturally occurring minerals
• Helps reduce limescale formation

Because the hardness minerals remain in the water, OneStop+ does not produce chemically softened water.

If an application specifically requires the physical removal of hardness, a conventional water softener may still be the correct solution.

FlowSpec can help determine which technology is best suited to the application.

Limescale Protection for Pipes, Geysers and Equipment

Limescale can gradually build up wherever hard water flows or is heated.

OneStop+ can help protect equipment such as:

• Geysers and water heaters
• Boilers
• Heat exchangers
• Dishwashers
• Washing machines
• Coffee and espresso machines
• Taps and mixers
• Shower heads
• Shower screens
• RO systems
• Solar water-heating systems
• Car washes
• Commercial laundries
• Irrigation spray heads

Global Water Solutions specifically identifies these as applications for the OneStop+ technology. Global Water Solutions

Benefits of OneStop+

Salt-Free Scale Control

No bags of salt need to be transported, stored or continuously added to the system.

No Electricity Required

The conditioning process operates using normal water flow and does not require electrical power.

No Regeneration or Backwashing

Unlike conventional softeners, OneStop+ does not need regeneration cycles or backwashing, helping avoid unnecessary water wastage.

Retains Natural Minerals

Calcium and magnesium remain in the water rather than being exchanged for sodium.

Helps Protect Equipment

Reducing scale formation can help protect water heaters, plumbing, heat exchangers and other equipment exposed to hard water.

Easy to Integrate

OneStop+ systems require relatively straightforward inlet and outlet plumbing connections and can be integrated with other correctly designed water-treatment equipment.

Lower Maintenance Requirements

There is no salt replenishment, regeneration or routine backwashing.

The conditioning media is not permanent, however. Manufacturer guidance indicates that cartridge life is typically around 18 to 24 months depending on feed-water chemistry, so the media or cartridge will eventually require replacement. Global Water Solutions

Residential and Commercial Anti-Scale Applications

OneStop+ can be sized for anything from protection of individual equipment through to complete buildings and larger commercial water systems.

Typical applications include:

Residential

• Houses
• Apartments
• Residential estates
• Geyser protection
• Bathrooms and showers
• Washing machines
• Dishwashers

Hospitality

• Hotels
• Guest houses
• Lodges
• Restaurants
• Coffee shops
• Commercial kitchens

Commercial

• Office buildings
• Laundries
• Car washes
• Coffee and beverage equipment
• Water-heating systems

Agriculture and Other Applications

• Irrigation systems
• Spray nozzles
• Solar water-heating installations
• Selected process-water applications

OneStop+ System Sizes

OneStop+ is available in several configurations, and correct sizing is extremely important.

The smaller cartridge systems include approximately:

System	Continuous Flow	Peak Flow
10″ Standard	3 L/min	5 L/min
10″ Jumbo	8 L/min	12 L/min
20″ Jumbo	15 L/min	22 L/min

Larger OneStop+ systems are available for significantly higher flow requirements.

Water Quality Requirements

OneStop+ should not simply be installed on any water source without checking the water chemistry.

Current manufacturer specifications state the following feed-water parameters:

• pH: 6.5 to 8.5
• Maximum hardness: 1,300 ppm
• Chlorine: below 3 ppm
• Ferrous iron: maximum 0.3 ppm
• Manganese: maximum 0.05 ppm

Water containing excessive calcium sulphate, oil, polyphosphates or hydrogen sulphide requires treatment before OneStop+. Phosphate levels can also require activated-carbon prefiltration. Global Water Solutions

For borehole or other untreated water supplies, FlowSpec recommends water testing before specifying the system.

What OneStop+ Does Not Do

OneStop+ is designed primarily for scale control.

It does not replace every other form of water treatment.

OneStop+ does not:

• Remove all dissolved minerals
• Produce soft water in the conventional sense
• Reduce TDS in the way reverse osmosis does
• Remove sediment
• Replace disinfection where microbiological treatment is required
• Eliminate mineral spotting caused by water evaporating from surfaces

Because calcium and magnesium remain in the treated water, some mineral residue can still be visible where water repeatedly evaporates from glass, taps or other surfaces.

The purpose of OneStop+ is primarily to reduce the ability of scale-forming minerals to form hard deposits inside plumbing and equipment. This is an important distinction from conventional softening.

OneStop+ vs Traditional Water Softening