Take the Tour!----- 1. Project Overview 2. Builder 3. Neighborhood 4. Friends 5. Head Decorator----- ROOMS 6. Sherilyn's Room 7. Bonus Room 8. Teenage Bedroom Suite 9. Guest Suite 10. Master Suite 11. Dining Room 12. Home Theatre 13. Kitchen (Cabinets) 14. Kitchen (Appliances) 15. Kitchen (Countertop) 16. Family Room----- FEATURES 17. Details 18. Water System 19. Tile 20. Elevator 21. Staircase 22. Building Materials 23. Roof 24. Concrete Masonry 25. Concrete Countertops 26. Landscape & Hardscape 27. Pool

SPONSOR

EUGENE SMELIK

NHI DREAM HOME | WATER SYSTEM



BY PAUL COOK/PHOTOS BY RAY STRAWBRIDGE
WINTER 2005 ISSUE

Eugene Smelik wants you to think about water.

As head of Advanced Water Systems of Southeastern North Carolina’s Raleigh office, Smelik says most people take water for granted. “People don’t think too much about the quality of their water,” says Smelik. “It doesn’t make sense because except for air, water is the one thing we use a lot of every day.”

Holding a doctorate in geology gives Smelik a strong foundation in water chemistry and water problems. Smelik says his company, which is a Kinetico dealership, a water treatment manufacturer, was pleased to have a role in the NHI Dream Home by providing the water conditioner.”

In the NHI Dream Home we installed a water softener to remove the hardness in that water,” says Smelik. “This is going to protect the water-using appliances, lengthen the life of the water heater and provide the homeowner with very clean and soft water. They won’t have to worry about things like scale, soap scum and hard water stains because their water is conditioned.”

But Smelik doesn’t think that’s enough. He says homeowners need to make sure their drinking water is pure and safe and he wants to provide an alternative to the long rows of bottled water on grocery store shelves.

“One of the things that we try to promote is you don’t have to rely on bottled water,” says Smelik. “Regardless whether from a well or the city, we believe treating and purifying the water from your tap is better and cheaper. Kinetico makes equipment to treat all water problems whether particulates, sediment, hardness, smell, nitrates or chlorine. Whatever might be in your water, we have ways to solve the problem.”

Another advantage of an in-house purification system is that you are in control of the filter changes. Smelik says the Kinetico system is user friendly and prevents the homeowner from over using the filters. A shutoff automatically stops the water flow when the filter’s capacity of 500 gallons is reached.

“There is also a visual indicator that tells you when it is time to change the filters,” says Smelik. “It doesn’t have anything to do with time; it depends on volume and all the Kinetico equipment operates that way. Plus, the equipment is not dependent on electricity, so it is not subject to power
outages. These systems are completely automatic and they are designed around the way that people use water. All of their functions are based on how much water you process.”

Smelik says everyone should have their water tested; and his company provides free evaluations and consultations for homeowners. “Our mission is to provide high quality water to homes,” he says. “We’re trying to get builders to think about water the way they think about heat and air-conditioning, granite countertops and crown molding. We believe that in 10 years, having water
treatment equipment in your home will be like having ceiling fans. It will be something that is there from the beginning.”▪

PAUL COOK IS A FREELANCE WRITER FROM CARY.

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