If your Race Glaze Water Filter is no longer producing 0 PPM pure water or is leaving water spots on your vehicle, don't worry. Before replacing your unit, use this troubleshooting guide to identify the cause and restore your filter’s performance.

1. The Filter Resin Is Exhausted

The most common cause of mineral spotting is spent resin.

• How to test: Check your water's purity using a TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) Meter. To get an accurate reading, collect a sample in a surgically clean container—such as a fresh paper cup or a glass cleaned with isopropyl alcohol.

• Rule out environmental dust: Splash some filtered water onto a clean house window. If spots only appear on your car, dust falling onto drying water beads is often the culprit, not mineral deposits.

• The fix: If your TDS meter shows high mineral levels, replace your media with a fresh 7-litre bag of Race Glaze replacement resin.

2. Bacterial Growth on the Resin Beads

Warm weather creates an ideal environment for bacteria to grow inside the vessel. Bacteria coat the resin beads, preventing them from filtering minerals effectively.

How to sanitize and backwash your filter:

1. Remove the vessel head.

2. Pour a few capfuls of standard domestic bleach directly into the water inside the vessel.

3. Secure the head back onto the vessel.

4. Backwash the system: Connect your mains water supply to the OUT port instead of the IN port.

5. Turn on the mains water at low pressure and let it flow through until the bleach smell completely disappears.

6. Reconnect the filter correctly and resume normal use.

3. High Water Usage or Unnoticed Drain

It’s easy to underestimate total run time. A 7-litre Race Glaze filter in a hard water area typically provides 40 to 50 minutes of continuous flow:

• Rinse-only method: Using the filter only for the final rinse yields roughly 50 washes per resin fill.

• Full-wash method: Using filtered water for the entire washing process, or letting the hose run continuously, exhausts the resin rapidly.

• Unauthorised use: Ensure family members or neighbors haven't used your filtered supply for garden watering, window cleaning, or topping off ponds.

4. Internal Component Damage

Inspect the internal downpipe. If the downpipe inside the vessel is cracked or disconnected from the head unit, unfiltered water will bypass the resin entirely. Ensure the pipe sits securely inside the head.

Preventative Maintenance Tips for Race Glaze Filters

• Prevent Bacteria: During warm months, flush 2 to 3 litres of water through the vessel every 7 to 10 days to keep water moving.

• Avoid Direct Sun: Store the vessel in a shaded area to prevent excess heat buildup.

• Protect Against Frost: Move the unit indoors during winter. Water expanding as it freezes can split the outer shell.