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The Well Guru review: System Failures 8

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3:42 pm EST
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I have had repeated failure with the equipment used in the Well Guru's design, more specifically the Water Way In-line Chlorinator [protected]) and the Water Way Check Valve [protected]). The lids on both of these products broke at the manufactured seams multiple times, having nothing to do with regular maintenance as the owner suggested. I got in contact with the manufacture Water Way Plastics and was told the products you used on my system are designed and tested for pool and spa's use only. Furthermore, they recommend that I have a professional remove the system since the products were not tested for use on wells or county or city water services. While they stated they have no controls over how any product of theirs is used, they did confirm lack of maintenance or lack of using Salt in my system would not have caused the lids on the Chlorinator or Check Valve to crack. As to the O ring being dry or needing to be inspected and or replaced, as the Well Guru claimed to have caused the failure, Water Way stated that would not have caused the lids to crack. I have removed the water purification system designed and installed at my residence by the Well Guru. I requested a full refund and in return told them they could come and get the equipment they installed. I now have a new system which is working great, water is clear not Gray (even using salt), no chlorinator which means I no longer require Chlorine which I found out is not recommended to be used in water being consumed by humans since chlorine has been linked to causing Cancer. I would not recommend their system

Update by 007A
May 02, 2013 10:34 pm EDT

As I have written, the system I purchased from the Well Guru continued to have problems. The problems I had were identical to those of other Well Guru System owners. After being given given a nonsense explanation for the failures and knowing it I requested my money back. I never had multiple systems as Eric claimed I in fact had 1 other which worked good but it came with an injector that had to be replaced about every 6 months but other wise functioned fine. When one of Eric's friends recommended his system I felt it was worth looking into. Eric made promises and I bought his system. I did put salt in the system as stated in the beginning but did not like the feel of the water and did not know how to regulate the amount of salt. I did not read the website manuals nor did I watch Eric's CD. I'm a busy person and was assured the system required very little. There was not need to perform any maintenance and as verified by the part manufactures no maintenance would have prevented the failures I and others had experienced. The problem is the parts used on the system are designed and tested for use on pools not wells or water supply's.

As you can read from Eric's responses he is quick to place all the blame on the customer and then uses the response as an ad. In fact his site claims no complaints with the BBB, but they rate him with a D (See Attachment). His site shows a photo of his system with a Water Quality Association Seal which would lead a consumer to believe his system has been approved by this association. Below is the response I received from the Water Quality Association when I contacted them to question their testing of systems they approve. Below you can read the response I received from them. I also contact the manufacture of the In-Line Chlorinator and Check Valve used on my system by the Well Guru and you can read that response as well. You decide who truthful, or unreasonable in this transaction. I have replaced the Well Guru System and have had no problems and have good water.

BUYER BEWARE, DO YOUR HOME WORK, READ ERIC'S SLANDEROUS RESPONSES, MAYBE YOU WILL HAVE BETTER LUCK, IF NOT HEY YOU ONLY LOST A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS RIGHT!

I have already sent you all the information off of our web site that we have for the Clearwater In-Line Chlorinator. Once again, the Clearwater In-line Chlorinator is a Pool Chlorinator.

Best Regards,

Eddie Torres
Technical Support Rep.
Waterway Plastics Inc.
2200 E. Sturgis Rd., Oxnard, CA 93030
Office: [protected] ext. 122
fax: [protected]
web: www.waterwayplastics.com

From:
Sent: Monday, February 04, 2013 1:27 PM
To: Eduardo Torres
Subject: Re: In-line Chlorinator [protected]), Check Valve 600-7010

Thank you for your reply Eduardo but it does not answer my question pertaining to its use. Furthermore I have noted the Well Guru is claiming on his site that he some how owns the copyright and patent of the chlorinator. Below I have attached a copy of his statement from his site along with a photo for your reference. If he does own the patent then I know who I may have actionable claims, if he does not then why is Water Way allowing him to claim such in his marketing material. The one he used on my system 515-1210 may not be the one in the photo but includes the below statement on the chlorinator body. I await your response.

From the Well Guru's website www.thewellguru.com:

*ALL ORIGINAL PHOTOS AND INFORMATION, THE " WELLGURU" AS WELL AS OUR EXCLUSIVE DRY CHLORINE INLINE CHLORANATOR ARE COPYRIGHTED. A.F.S 2001. OUR INLINE CHLORINATOR IS PATENTED AND OUR WELLGURU IS COMMON LAW COPYRIGHT SINCE 1981.

On Jan 30, 2013, at 2:37 PM, Eduardo Torres wrote:
Jay,

Attached is the page in our 2013 catalog that shows the in-ground and above ground Pool Chlorinators.
As always, if you have any questions or if I can be of any assistance, please contact me.

Best Regards,

Eddie Torres
Technical Support Rep.
Waterway Plastics Inc.
2200 E. Sturgis Rd., Oxnard, CA 93030
Office: [protected] ext. 122
fax: [protected]
web: www.waterwayplastics.com

-----Original Message-----
From:
Sent: Monday, January 28, 2013 11:34 AM
To: Eduardo Torres
Subject: In-line Chlorinator [protected]), Check Valve 600-7010

Eddie,

Thank you for accepting my call. As discussed I bought a Water Treatment System from a company called The Well Guru (thewellguru.com) to treat my water which is drawn from a well. Since purchasing the system I have had 2 of the chlorinator lids crack along the manufactured seam and also had the same issue with the Check Valve lid, in addition to a Ball Valve made by American Valve Company.

Since I was unable able to reach the Well Guru for replacement parts, I went to my local home improvement stores to get replacements in order to get my water back in service. I discovered these parts were not sold by these stores and it was suggested I try a pool supply company. I did this and found the lids were not available but could be ordered. I was asked who took care of my pool service by the pool supply company to which I replied these parts were for my well water treatment system and not for a pool. It was at this point I was cautioned that the intended use for these products was for above ground and in-ground pools and advised to have someone with a well company come out and inspect the system I purchased, since using them for this application could cause bodily injury. I followed this advise and was also told the same thing by the well company. I then contact the Well Guru with my findings and naturally asked for a refund. This request was rejected and I was told the parts (Chlorinator 515-1210, and Check Valve 600-7010) were designed for this type of use and that the cause of the lids cracking was due to owner maintenance specifically due to not changing the O rings. I then went to your website and found information leading me to believe the people from the pool supply company and the well company were correct in stating the installed equipment is intended for pools and spa's and not for wells. As discussed I'm looking for something a little more concrete stating the equipment is designed and intended for use on pools and spa's and NOT for use on wells or city and county supplied water connects.

Again, I would appreciate any response you can give as to the intended use of the products noted in this email.

Hello Jay,

After looking into the company further, we were unable to find any link between membership or certification with the Water Quality Association. A logo misuse complaint has been filed. In the future, we list the companies that are in violation on our website here. Consumers can also report misuse on that page as well. I will let you know if I hear anything else related to this company.

Have a nice day!

Kristin Lancor, BS, CWS-VI
Water Quality Association
Associate Toxicologist
Regulatory and Technical Affairs Coordinator
klancor@wqa.org
Telephone: [protected]

Thank you for calling the Water Quality Association today. We are looking into the WQA Gold Seal Logo being displayed on the following website: http://www.thewellguru.com/. As soon as we find out more information, I will get back to you.

Have a nice day!

Kristin Lancor, BS, CWS-VI
Water Quality Association
Associate Toxicologist
Regulatory and Technical Affairs Coordinator
klancor@wqa.org
Telephone: [protected]

Update by 007A
May 04, 2013 9:12 am EDT

I came to this forum to share my experience with the Well Guru and to warn other consumers. The system Eric designed and installed at my residence was plagued with reoccurring problems that began almost immediately after installation. With each failure I lost water to my home until replacement parts were obtained from Eric, which at times left my family without water for hours. I have given Eric applauds for getting me the parts, either by bringing them over, or my going to get them from him, but that did not make up for the inconvenience to me and my family. In fact the system became worrisome and leaving my home to go to work, or out of town, caused me concern that a lid may crack while I was gone. Eric's solution was to turn the water off when I left, and or, instruct my wife on how to make repairs. Really, is that the level of comfort a consumer of his system should expect. After I researched the parts and spoke to the manufactures rep's and relayed my findings back to Eric that the failures were because of improper application and usage, he became hostile, rude, and sent an email stating he would no longer provide service, sell me replacement parts, or provide further advice. Instead, as you can read from Eric's postings his only resolve is to slander me, accuse me of not maintaining the system, and boost about his product using this forum as if it were an advertising platform. I have removed Eric's contraption and had a new system installed which is doing fine. It is only the 3rd system I bought in15 and hopefully the last. I'm now free to travel the country, and it does not require chlorine and the only maintenance is to add salt (which I do) and every 6 months change the media (which the installer will do as scheduled).

Below you will find emails from and to the manufactures of the parts that cracked and a interesting email from the WQA who I contacted since Eric's site display's a photo of his system with a WQA Seal/Logo which leads a consumer to believe his system has been approved by them.
Waterway Correspondence:

I have already sent you all the information off of our web site that we have for the Clearwater In-Line Chlorinator. Once again, the Clearwater In-line Chlorinator is a Pool Chlorinator.

Best Regards,

Eddie Torres
Technical Support Rep.
Waterway Plastics Inc.
2200 E. Sturgis Rd., Oxnard, CA 93030
Office: [protected] ext. 122
fax: [protected]
web: www.waterwayplastics.com

From:
Sent: Monday, February 04, 2013 1:27 PM
To: Eduardo Torres
Subject: Re: In-line Chlorinator [protected]), Check Valve 600-7010

Thank you for your reply Eduardo but it does not answer my question pertaining to its use. Furthermore I have noted the Well Guru is claiming on his site that he some how owns the copyright and patent of the chlorinator. Below I have attached a copy of his statement from his site along with a photo for your reference. The chlorinator used on my system [protected]) may not be the one in the photo but includes the below statement on the chlorinator body.

From the Well Guru's website www.thewellguru.com:

*ALL ORIGINAL PHOTOS AND INFORMATION, THE " WELLGURU" AS WELL AS OUR EXCLUSIVE DRY CHLORINE INLINE CHLORANATOR ARE COPYRIGHTED. A.F.S 2001. OUR INLINE CHLORINATOR IS PATENTED AND OUR WELLGURU IS COMMON LAW COPYRIGHT SINCE 1981.

On Jan 30, 2013, at 2:37 PM, Eduardo Torres wrote:
Jay,

Attached is the page in our 2013 catalog that shows the in-ground and above ground Pool Chlorinators.
As always, if you have any questions or if I can be of any assistance, please contact me.

Best Regards,

Eddie Torres
Technical Support Rep.
Waterway Plastics Inc.
2200 E. Sturgis Rd., Oxnard, CA 93030
Office: [protected] ext. 122
fax: [protected]
web: www.waterwayplastics.com

Subject: In-line Chlorinator [protected]), Check Valve 600-7010

Eddie,

Thank you for accepting my call. As discussed I bought a Water Treatment System from a company called The Well Guru (thewellguru.com) to treat my water which is drawn from a well. Since purchasing the system I have had 2 of the chlorinator lids crack along the manufactured seam and also had the same issue with the Check Valve lid, in addition to a Ball Valve made by American Valve Company. I was cautioned by a local pool company (while searching for replacement lids) that the intended use for these products was for above ground and in-ground pools and advised to have someone with a well company come out and inspect the system. As discussed I'm looking for something a little more concrete stating the equipment is designed and intended for use on pools and spa's and NOT for use on wells or city and county supplied water connects. I'am also looking for confirmation the lids cracking are not the results of failure to replace O rings, or other system maintenance as asserted by the Well Guru.

Water Quality Association Correspondence:

Hello Jay,

I have forwarded your email on to the Quality department to see what sort of progress they have had with this company and will let you know what I hear back. I do know they have tried contacting the company, but I am not sure of the results.

Kristin Lancor, BS, CWS-VI
Water Quality Association
Toxicology Associate
klancor@wqa.org
Telephone: [protected]

Hello Jay,

After looking into the company further, we were unable to find any link between membership or certification with the Water Quality Association. A logo misuse complaint has been filed. In the future, we list the companies that are in violation on our website here. Consumers can also report misuse on that page as well. I will let you know if I hear anything else related to this company.

Have a nice day!

Kristin Lancor, BS, CWS-VI
Water Quality Association
Associate Toxicologist
Regulatory and Technical Affairs Coordinator
klancor@wqa.org
Telephone: [protected]

Thank you for calling the Water Quality Association today. We are looking into the WQA Gold Seal Logo being displayed on the following website: http://www.thewellguru.com/. As soon as we find out more information, I will get back to you.

Have a nice day!

Kristin Lancor, BS, CWS-VI
Water Quality Association
Associate Toxicologist
Regulatory and Technical Affairs Coordinator
klancor@wqa.org
Telephone: [protected]

8 comments
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Omar Fuentes
, US
Jul 10, 2022 8:36 am EDT

Great experience with AFS from beginning to end. Eric Watson provided his experience and expertise analyzing the well water issues that I have and recommended different measures and tips to do on my old system to remedy my situation until he can deliver my new water system. I have to honestly say that is was worth the wait for the system, I installed it myself following his install video guidance with no issues at all. Now I can have peace of mind with the water quality Im getting from this water system. (cristal clear water). If you want a good, reliable and low maintenance system that you can service yourself look no further and don't buy the other garbage out there. Thanks Eric for your service.

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William Golden
, US
Dec 28, 2020 12:22 am EST

So I'm looking for a water treatment system I have been keeping fresh water and reef aquariums for 30 years now so I guess you could say that I have a VERY strong understanding of water purification. The system looks great but I spend most of my time trying to remove chlorine and chloromine from my water for my house ! So not sure what is going to be the best system for my home . only two things I did pick up on while watching the infomercial about wellgurus
1 a UV sterilizer doesn't kill bacteria or microorganisms it only renders them unable to reproduce
2 every single customer in this forum said exactly the same thing the cap on their clorinator cracked ! It looks like the same injection moulded sch40 pool parts that everyone else uses
Maybe you should have a sch80 version manufactured for you

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Forensbro
, US
Jun 10, 2020 9:36 am EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I've been the proud owner a Well Guru system for nearly 15 years and have had to replace the chlorinator cap once because it developed a crack and had to replace a valve part on the conditioner tank once because of a minor leak. Otherwise, the system has operated flawlessly and Mr. Watson has always addressed any concerns or questions expeditiously. I did a lot of research before purchasing a water filtration system and I am glad I found the Well Guru. You can certainly pay thousands more, but in my opinion you will not find a better water filtration system for the money and Eric's customer service is second to none!

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pingjocky638
, US
Feb 28, 2020 4:31 pm EST

I have been a well guru owner for over 10 years, I am in California and put a lot of trust in Eric. His system does what he says, and he has always been honest
to me even when I ask simple questions. If someone doesn’t do maintenance on the well guru and then goes to a website and bad mouths the Well Guru, he is a dishonest fool! Is the Well Guru perfect? No, but it’s still the best system out there for the money. Sounds like Eddy is trying some shady business practice!

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ThaCooka
, US
Sep 25, 2018 11:02 pm EDT

I am a customer of Well Guru and have enjoyed a perfectly sound system for the past 3 years. Yes, you need to maintain any water filtration system, its not difficult to do but you must remain diligent. If you were on public water there is a cost for that service and consumption, it is not free so why would a private system be free to use? In the past 3 years of owning Eric's system I have regularly added Chlorine tablets, drained my retaining system for 20 mins once every 2 weeks, lubed the cap O ring every 6 months, replaced the cap once, added salt and free up any salt bridges... the water is perfect and never any issues. Eric has bent over backwards to assist me with questions via text, he's been spot on and responsive, you can't go wrong with his system, I live in NC and appreciate out water every day!

Thank you Eric!
RMC

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The Well-Guru
Saint Petersburg, US
Sep 25, 2018 11:29 pm EDT
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Replying to comment of ThaCooka

Thanks RC ! I was just telling my Sons We are blessed with so many amazing customers .. and We love to hear from you Always here for You buddy 24/7. Eric Watson Owner

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The Well-Guru
Saint Petersburg, US
Jul 18, 2016 9:35 am EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

The reality is every company has customers but do not follow directions. Even the most basic directions. Jay never opened the door on his well shed in 5.5 years of owning the system. I sent my mechanic out to repair and re instruct Jay and he was so aggressive and argumentative the mechanic left. He wanted a full refund and refused service. Eight years later he still renews his complaint. I have no affiliation with any plastic company he contacts or Associations. The fact Is after forty years of operation solving some of the most difficult water well problems ( globally ) we are seeked out by many water treatment companies for advice and build specs. Many of those who run those associations have our systems in their homes. Jay never added salt or chlorine in almost six years And he never watched a DVD as we at the time provided a CD for Tips and maintenance. He told my mechanic He never kept up the system . He could have paid $80 and it would have been back up and running but He chose to purchase again from another company. His system prior to ours lasted only a year with no upkeep and the system prior lasted a year. I know this because He told me. Now He says He has an inline filter and it's better. The reality is its not better water and it's a nursery for bacteria. There is no higher technology then our system and nothing lasts longer and no brand makes better water or is easier to maintain. Every company has customers that don't maintain what they purchase and complain when they have a problem resulting from no maintenance our systems exceed all expectations . We build and ship to 92 Countries and we solve some of the worlds toughest water quality problems. We also maintain a AAA- BBB rating consistently. Thank you Owner.

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The Well-Guru
Saint Petersburg, US
May 02, 2013 6:58 pm EDT
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I am the owner of The Well Guru... This Complaint is completely false and "purposely misleading" which was malicious and done out of spite for personal gain. Here are the actual facts:

I have been engineering Well Filtration for 38 years and this is the "only complaint" by an actual owner of a system He is disgruntled because He tried to obtain a full refund of his system be cause of neglect on his part. He duplicated the same misleading comments where ever He could. We have thousands of installations and sales all over the planet "solving some of the industries most challenging well problems" and We have complete satisfaction from our clients. He wanted a full refund after 5 years of neglecting his system (just as He had on his last two filter systems from various local vendors) all failing him because of the lack of the "most basic of owner maintenance" .

With our systems there is no scheduled Dealer maintenance for a full decade on 99% of well waters. He neglected to change a simple inexpensive cap gasket which takes two seconds to switch. ( He never changed over nearly five years ). He in fact told Jeff our service Mechanic that "He never opened the door on the shed" . His other systems "by others" began to fail within months and failed ... We removed one of them ourselves.

No system is easier to maintain then The Well Guru... When he finally did contact me ... He was upset and I could not understand Him or his concerns I sent Jeff our shop Mechanic right over., He had to leave because of his abusive behavior.. "The customer was Inebriated ... combative and abusive."

Unlike all other brands.. The Well Guru does not need the usual $1500 (average) Dealer repairs, . He also failed to ever use either of the "crucial standard system additives" for proper disinfection and conditioning of well water "Chlorine and Salt ". (*once our system uses the Chlorine it removes it ).

REBUTAL OF HIS FALSE CLAIMS : The chlorine used in our system is 100% pure hard puck chlorine, ..it is in fact long APPROVED at a cost of over $150.000 by a water treatment pHD Engineer for usage. The Well Guru platform was engineered around this 100% pure chlorine back in 1999 and has taken our system to the "Zenith" in well filtration- system -performance. Our Chlorine is in use serving millions of customers for decades previously and outperforms other forms of oxidizers. The fact is the several other types of chlorine's have never been approved for potable water treatment.

The levels of other forms of chlorine's for disinfection and oxidation are 10 to 60% . The "higher the oxidation" the better the "contaminate- rejection (that's science.) Our ability to process and remove "Iron... bacteria and sulphur" as well has hundreds of contaminates out performs the competition . "He who has the highest available oxidizer level? (chlorine) wins !
If your chlorine runs "out of steam?" on bacteria or iron or its absorbed by sulphur then...contaminates slip through and "clog and bog down your system- filters resulting in system failure. This does not happen with The Well Guru platform.

The re-engineering of The Well-Guru with the new chlorine in 99 ...cost well over $300.000, . ( The Well-Guru was already a top performer for decades before this period ) .. because of our technology our customers enjoy clean.. pure.. and trouble free home well water. The Customer complaint mentions, various parts numbers and plumbing part names... however we are not affiliated with anything He mentioned here or other false claims He used. Today with our Custom "AFS Chlorinator injector" we are able to utilize 100% pure "chlorine pucks" (no lugging home Liq. jugs of bleach or chlorine) utilizing highly specialized filter medias, military grade electronics and our pure virgin poly vessels, silicone O-rings--etc etc ( and many other proprietary advancements) making it possible to engineer the "Zenith " in Well filtration for residential and commercial applications.

Other Franchises and independents (many who do not sell large volume and Internationally as we do) have hundreds of trade name complaints due to the problems not addressed by the industry. ...they have been ignored for many decades (this creates service revenue for the Dealer) so they have "no incentive" to spend any monies or time on change.

I am a licensed plumber and spent 37 years engineering "The Well Guru- platform" ... it is the answer for home owners who want trouble free pure and disinfected home water and also live in rural cities and towns where service is inconvenient and costly.

Contact TheWell-Guru.com and find out how we can solve your problems.
" Eric Watson, owner