The Future of Water Treatment: ENPRESS Vortech® and Mid-Vortech® Distributor Systems
ENPRESS LLC’s Vortech® and Mid-Vortech® distributor systems are engineered to improve hydraulic efficiency, reduce water consumption, and simplify the internal design of water filtration and softening vessels. By integrating distributor plates directly into the tank structure, ENPRESS eliminates the need for gravel underbedding and allows multiple filtration media layers within a single tank.
How Vortech® Works
Enpress Vortech Plate Technology Video
The Vortech® bottom plate serves as a built-in distribution system. It replaces the traditional hub-and-lateral assembly, evenly dispersing flow across the tank floor during service and regeneration. This uniform distribution minimizes channeling and promotes better media contact. The dip tube connects directly to the plate, ensuring stable hydraulics and easier maintenance.
- No gravel underbed required
- Up to 30% reduction in backwash flow requirements
- Lightweight, efficient, and designed for clean, even flow
How Mid-Vortech® Expands Capability
Mid-Vortech® takes the concept further by inserting an additional distributor plate midway inside the
- Supports multi-media configurations within a single tank
- Improves system compactness and cost efficiency
- Ideal for whole-house or light commercial filtration systems
Advantages in Real-World Use
- Reduced Water & Salt Usage: Lower backwash demand translates to operational savings.
- Consistent Flow Distribution: Prevents channeling and dead spots common in conventional systems.
- Fewer Components: No gravel, fewer parts, simplified setup and servicing.
- Compact Footprint: Multiple media stages inside one tank save space and plumbing complexity.
This is a typical gravel underbedding and distributor style backwashing "video" showing what is used today in most water treatment systems. This is a very inefficient way to back any water treatment system, as the backwashing water doesn't rinse the filter bed properly or turn over the entire column of water softening resin to be regenerated frequently, causing hard water issues over time.
Typical gravel underbedding and distributor tube used in water treatment systems today.
Practical Considerations
I am not a fan of Mid-Vortech systems. Primarily because it really restricts the amount of resin in the tank, so upsizing the tank is always necessary. Plus, it's a pain in the butt to replace the resin when needed, and the amount of carbon in the top of the tank is also limited. It's just not practical.
Vortech tanks with a bottom distributor are incredibly efficient in every design element. They do have their limitations for certain water treatment applications, though. The distributor plate isn't designed to be used with heavy filtration media such as greensand, calcite, corosex, Filox-R, Filter Sand, Multi-Media filters, Pyrolox, or more than a 1/4 cuft of KDF Filtration Media. These media are just too heavy when wet to be backwashed with a Vortech Plate distributor. Using these media could cause distributor plate failure and necessitate replacing the tank.
Fine mesh water softening resin will occasionally cause problems, as some resin can slip through the plate out to service, but it's been my experience that using fine mesh resin from reputable manufacturers with consistent resin bead size solves this problem. I've always had good performance with Aldex and ResinTech water softening resins. Do NOT purchase any water softening resin made overseas.
All that being said, I could write months' worth of articles on filtration media and water softening resin. I don't recommend using fine mesh resin for water softening. It's not that much more efficient than regular softening resin. Some water treatment companies use fine mesh resin to help remove iron, but that is just a band-aid on the water treatment issue that will cause premature failure of the resin and an expensive rebedding of the water softener resin.
We'll have a complete breakdown of water filtration media and water softening resin in future posts.
Field experience shows that Vortech® and Mid-Vortech® systems perform well when properly sized and installed, but technicians should be aware of certain factors:
- Media selection: Avoid extremely fine or powdery resins that could migrate through the distributor plate openings.
- Media selection: Avoid heavy filtration media, as mentioned above for water filtration systems.
- Maintenance: Mid-plate tanks may require special tools for removing media from lower chambers.
- Replacement cost: Because plates are integral, tank replacement may be required if a plate fails.
Comparison: Conventional vs. Vortech® / Mid-Vortech®
| Feature | Conventional System | Vortech® / Mid-Vortech® |
|---|---|---|
| Underbedding | Gravel required | None required |
| Backwash Rate | High flow needed | Reduced by up to 30% |
| Multi-Media Capability | Limited, prone to mixing | Stable multi-chamber design |
| Flow Distribution | Variable/uneven | Even distribution via a plate |
| Serviceability | Replaceable distributor tube | Integrated, non-replaceable plate |
| Weight | Heavier (gravel load) | Lighter overall |
Where These Systems Excel
- Vortech distributor plates are a tremendous step forward in water treatment efficiency and water savings compared to conventional water treatment tanks that use gravel and a distributor tube or hub and lateral design for regenerating.
- Vortech tanks use 30% less water to regenerate and are more efficient at cleaning filter media and regenerating water softening resin. This is also a future topic in designing efficient water treatment systems. Look for: "How to Build an Efficient Water Softener" in our DIY Series to come.
- Residential softeners and filters prioritizing higher flow rates and efficient regeneration/backwashing flow rates.
- Water filtration systems for iron and sulfur removal, which require higher backwashing flow rates to efficiently clean the media and backwash oxidized particulates out.
- Combination filtration units (carbon + resin, oxidation + filtration)
- Compact installations requiring one multi-function vessel
- Well water applications demanding improved flow uniformity.
When you're looking to purchase a water treatment system from a dealer or DIY a system yourself, look for Vortech Tank Technology for better performance and higher efficiency in your next water treatment system for your home. You'll be happy you did.
The ENPRESS Vortech® and Mid-Vortech® distributor systems mark a significant evolution in water treatment vessel engineering. They conserve water, reduce maintenance, and enable innovative multi-media solutions—all while simplifying design and installation.
For installers and homeowners focused on sustainability, efficiency, and compactness, Vortech® technology represents the next frontier in the future of water treatment.
I wish you Good days and Good water!
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