Frequently Asked Questions

No. The water pipes are not changed from when we started our program. If the water treatment is stopped, pinhole leaks will re-occur in time.

Water treatment using a Water Softener is similar. A water softener adds a certified chemical to the drinking water, while simultaneously removing other chemicals. Water softeners do not disinfect drinking water, they just add Sodium and remove Calcium & Magnesium from the Drinking water. The use of Water softeners does not permanently change the building water pipes, by design. They can usually be removed quite easily, without any effect on the original pipe system.

No. It has non-permanent flexible pipe connections and our equipment can be removed easily. Once removed, there has been no material change made to the existing water pipe system in your building.

Sodium Silicate will prevent your Drinking Water pipe pinhole leaks quickly. It is also the most economical and environmentally friendly solution. It is registered as a Health Canada "Approved Food Additive", and is used in Drinking Water Utilities across Ontario to purify raw water and to eliminate unwanted metals such as iron or lead. Our program will not cause damage to the environment, as some others can.

Yes they can. However, installing these valves will dramatically affect the volume of water flowing through the recirculation system. Good engineering practice and safe use of these valves is a must.

Only Licensed Plumbers and Certified Water Balancing Agents should be employed when installing these valves. Improper installation and balancing is quite common, with resulting low water flows causing many problems for occupants, including: 1. Very low water temperature problems (which can cause dangerous Legionella Bacteria growth in the hot water pipes), and 2. Stagnant water and sludge production; these are just a few of the problems associated with unqualified or uncertified balancing valve installations.

Installation and maintenance of these valves are directly governed by the Ontario Building Code (7.6.3.1 (2)), through references to specific ASHRAE & ASPE governing guidelines and OH&S regulations.

Qualified Ontario installers are certified by either the NEBB – National Environmental Balancing Bureau, or the AABC – Associated Air Balance Council, and they are always willing to produce their certification documentation for review by customers.

Qualified Balancing Agents shall always review design drawings for engineering guidance on location and equipment sizing. Qualified installers and balancing agents shall always provide a written report identifying the location, size, type, and actual measured flow, through each installed balancing valve, for future use in maintenance, annual cleaning, and periodic replacement of balancing equipment components - as needed according to manufacturer’s warranty documentation.

LEaC Shield recommendations for balancing valve applications in domestic hot water pipes:

• Untested balancing valves should not be used.
• Engineered flow rates through each new water balancing valve should be specified in writing.
• The actual water flow through each valve is measured, recorded, & certified as meeting the specified design, through on-site testing by a qualified agent.
• Qualified Agent is usually paid independently of the licensed plumbing installer.

Our program is operating very quickly, often in one day. We will not interfere with the occupant's normal use of their premises. We will not damage walls nor ceilings during our installation. We often stop active leaks, in a very short time.

Yes, fully!

Yes, and this approval is noted as an "Approved Food Additive", and it can be found listed as such, on the Canadian Government's HEALTH CANADA web site.

Yes.

The Ontario Ministry of Environment and Climate Control.

Many do, yes. Sodium Silicate has been used for decades in water purification.

Yes, the sodium silicate we use must be produced and distributed according to NSF/ANSI Drinking Water Chemicals - Health Effect Standard 60 - 2016. The Sodium Silicate we use is fully compliant with this NSF/ANSI Standard 60.

Many do, yes. Sodium Silicate has been used for decades in drinking water plant distribution pipes.

Yes, fully.

Yes. Sodium Silicate has been used for decades in Municipal Utility drinking water plant pipes.

Yes, and in certain regions in Ontario there has been extensive information sharing by LEaC Shield Ltd. staff.

'N' Sodium Silicate is a chemical, sometimes called water glass. Produced and distributed according to NSF/ANSI Standard 60 for Drinking Water Chemicals.

Sodium Silicate as an approved food additive, acting according to applicable NSF/ANSI certification, develops and then maintains a thin-film on the inside surface of the water pipe. The thin-film keeps the water within the pipe from touching the inner surface of the metal pipe. This prevents corrosion and subsequent pinholes from developing.

Plumbing fixtures such as faucets and taps may contain lead. Copper pipe was connected together with a solder that contained lead, in the past. These two reasons are why there is lead in drinking water today. Drinking water can extract the lead out of the pipe joints or plumbing fixtures. Coating the interior of the pipe with Sodium Silicate film ensures the lead will be contained.

The cold water supply to your building will be shut off for 6 hours. The hot water supply within your building will be shut off at the same time. All actual construction work will be completed in the water room. We will install our pumps, meters, pipe, injector, two secure housings, and a sodium silicate storage container in the water room.

Our service technicians will visit each month to monitor the system, test the water quality. Provide a thorough written checklist for your review. After each monthly service visit, you will have the peace of mind that your water system is operating to the highest standard.

No. Complying with Ontario Government Guidelines ensure that Sodium Silicate will not cause scaling. Nor will it damage equipment. Entire Municipalities follow the same guidelines to protect their own Drinking water equipment and water pipes; and have been doing this for more than fifty years. The Public and Private Municipal Water Utility Drinking Water supply to entire communities, containing sodium silicate, has not caused damage to their customers heating equipment to-date.

LEaC Shield guarantees in our warranty that if a pinhole leak is discovered any time after a the initial conditioning period is over (or reasonably determined to be operating as designed), we will work with you to complete a 3 step investigation to determine the cause of the leak. This investigation includes: (1) a site visit to review plumbing system operation, (2) taking samples of water for testing and pipe sample analysis, and (3) providing an incident report to you which outlines the specific pinhole leak cause and probable solution, whenever possible.

Yes, our system coats the entire water system in your building. As long as our sodium silicate is injected into your system, your pipes will be protected. Our warrantee applies for the total life of your building, and that's how long we intend to protect you from pinhole leaks.

LEaC Shield is a great idea for new buildings because your pipe is very expensive, and should be subject to preventative maintenance from the very beginning. The cost of maintaining your pipe is much less than the cost of replacing it. Leaks often start to occur in a few years and pipe restoration and repairs can cost thousands of dollars.

Corrosion causes pipes to develop pinhole leaks, over time the interior surface of the pipe is worn down. Corrosion can be caused by a number of things, including water velocity, pressure, turbulence and chemistry. Unbalanced water systems can cause pinhole leaks as well.

Yes, our program does not interfere with the Epoxy coating program, and in fact can be enhanced by our silicate thin-film.

The majority of our clients are located in the Greater Toronto Area, Golden Horseshoe, London, Sarnia, Chatham and Windsor.

Phosphates can have a powerful, negative effect on the environment.

Why? Phosphates in freshwater, and also in wastewater, can lead to an alarming overgrowth of algae and weeds, severely depleting available oxygen in ponds, reservoirs, streams, rivers, and lakes. This leads to significant loss of marine life; reducing fish stocks and degrading the quality of the Great Lakes. While the City of Toronto does use phosphate to produce a thin-film in their drinking water distribution pipe, they specifically remove it from all wastewater prior to treatment.

In comparison, Sodium Silicate does not harm the natural environment in any way!

Phosphate may also promote excess Biofilm growth within building drinking water pipe. Dependable monitoring to carefully control the residual phosphate dose is beneficial as Biofilm can harbor pathogens. See (ASCE)EE.1943-7870.0001031 and Permalink.

Both Sodium Silicate and Phosphate are Ontario Government approved Drinking Water Treatment Chemicals, approved as corrosion inhibitors in compliance with NSF/ANSI Std. 60. Toronto, Ottawa, Vaughan, York Region, Barrie, Guelph, Peterborough, Sault Ste. Marie, Wasaga Beach, Stratford, Sturgeon Falls, Holland Landing, Brantford, Montreal, Gatineau, and many more are currently using a corrosion inhibitor. More discussion on Sodium Silicate vs. Phosphate is available upon request.

No, our system does not require the use of a backflow preventer. However, according to the Ontario Safe Drinking Water Act and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC), all Industrial, Commercial, Institutional (ICI) and Multi-residential Properties (five or more units) that have the potential to contaminate the drinking water supply system must install a backflow prevention devices. We do recommend it.

No, Sodium Silicate will not prevent a Reverse Osmosis system from functioning properly, nor will it clog the film membrane in the system.

Yes, our suppliers is Univar Solutions Canada Ltd. 'N' Sodium Silicate is produced according to NSF/ANSI Standard 60 and is listed on the web based publication tool here. Look to the bottom of this web page to find the section on Sodium Silicates, to find “Sodium Silicate N Solution”. Chemicals listed under this NSF web-site is the means that the Ontario government uses to approve Drinking Water treatment chemicals. It is kept current and accurate to the date on the electronic form.

Yes. This is a daily occurrence in many cities, including the GTA, Sarnia, and Hamilton.

While polymer/plastic pipes like PEX don’t degrade by typical aqueous corrosion, they still fail, and often quicker than metal (copper) pipe. It is well documented that polymer pipes like PEX fail by “Environmental Stress Cracking.” Essentially, plastic pipe undergoes chemical attack from dissolved oxidants in water like chlorine (disinfectant) and oxygen. These oxidants attack the plastics molecular structure and degrade the material. Over time, microplastics and plasticizers leach out into the water and the pipe becomes so brittle it cracks, causing catastrophic failure. Our team at LEaC Shield recommends using our sodium silicate mineral to protect your metal pipe indefinitely; you will never have to replace your metal piping! Our solution reduces the amount of microplastics leaching into your water and protects our environment.

For more information view:
Contino, M., Andena, L., Rink, M. Time-temperature equivalence in environmental stress cracking of high-density polyethylene, J. Engineering Fracture Mechanics, 2018, 203, 34-43.
Mitroka, S., Smiley T., Tanko J., Dietrich A. Reaction mechanism for oxidation and degradation of high density polyethylene in chlorinated water, J. Polymer Degradation and Stability, 2013, 98, 1369-1377.

Yes. Sodium silicate is very safe! Silica is needed for bone, heart and digestive health, and much more! It’s an approved organic additive. It’s used in food preservatives, anti-aging products, toothpaste, and cosmetic creams. Foods such as green beans, bananas and brown rice are silica rich. These foods are necessary for proper health. If you eat vegetables, you are getting your daily silica! 1 L of LEaC Shield formula contains the same amount of Silica that’s in 2 cups of green beans.

Although silica is a nutritional supplement, good news for you! With sodium silicate, you can protect your pipes and easily remove any residual silica right at your tap. Particle filters such as Brita ultrafilters easily remove colloidal silica. Standard, household RO filters will also remove all silica, including molecular silica!

Yes, the scientific literature is very clear that sodium silicate prevents scale or lime scale from forming. In drinking water, scale seed crystals become stabilized in by silica and can’t precipitate.

See:
Kellermeier, M., et al. Colloidal Stabilization of Calcium Carbonate Prenucleation Clusters with Silica. J. Advanced Functional Materials, 2010, 22, 4301-4311.

No. Both silica and phosphate disrupt scale seed crystals and prevent new scale from forming but do not remove hardness minerals (Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺). Some say, “Polyphosphate minerals target the hardened scale deposits, first releasing them from your plumbing walls.” However, this method frees toxic heavy metals like lead, copper and antimony which were trapped in your scale and delivers it right to your drinking water. Sodium silicate is our mineral of choice since it does not dissolve existing scale, rather, prevents it from forming, so our customers do not receive lead and antimony poisoning. For buildings with very hard water, it is recommended to use a true water softening system such as ion-exchange resins, nanofiltration and reverse osmosis.