Common Water Supply Problems

!±8± Common Water Supply Problems

Everyone knows that having clean water to drink is essential for human health. In many cases, however, the water that flows from our household taps is not as clean or as pure as we would like. There can be many problems associated with the water that is supplied to your home including ground contamination, hardness and softness. Luckily, there are many options of water purification and water filtration systems available to you that will ensure your family receives clean and safe water for your cooking, washing and drinking needs.

In the worst cases, contamination from the ground can be especially hazardous to your health. This usually occurs when pipes that bring the water into your home have been compromised or have degraded. Older homes with outdated lines are more likely to have some sort of ground contamination. Many contaminates can be present in the ground, and even a miniscule amount of bacteria can cause serious health problems to those who consume contaminated water. Ground water can contain bacteria and pathogens from a variety of sources, most notably lawn fertilization chemicals and pet waste.

On the other hand, assuming the water supply is safely entering your home, you may still have problems with either the hardness or softness. Hard water contains a high amount of minerals, making the water slightly metallic in taste. You'll find it difficult to wash because working up lather with soap is almost impossible. You'll use more soap than usual and you'll always feel as if your hair is filmy and dirty. An excess of calcium or iron in the water usually causes hardness. You can see the telltale signs of hard water when your water-using appliances start to display rust-colored stains. The build up of elements can damage your appliances, so remedying your hard water problem as soon as possible will save from having to replace those expensive machines.

Conversely, soft water has very little mineral content. While this may seem like a good thing, having water with no mineral content can also be dangerous to your health. We need certain minerals in our diet to maintain a healthy immune system. Your tap water should contain a certain amount that is not harmful to your plumbing, but beneficial to your health. There are steps you can take to remedy your water problems. Installing a filter will remove the harmful contaminates from a water supply that has been compromised. There are tap-based mounts or under-the-sink filters that can be installed in your home, or you can install a larger water purification system that filters the water as it enters your home.

Filtration systems are also available that will remove the mineral content from hard water. These are usually brine tanks. The sodium in the tanks will work to attract the harmful elements and keep them from flowing through your plumbing. No matter what your water problems entail, there is a filtration system right for you and your family. Have a professional filtration company perform a test of your water supply to see what measures should be taken to ensure the cleanliness of your family's water.

Common Water Supply Problems

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10 Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Water Softeners

!±8± 10 Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Water Softeners

1. What are the different types of water treatment systems?

There are three types of water present in your home. Raw water is brought in from the city, county, or a well. Raw water is typically used for watering your lawn and is untreated. Working water is the water treated by your water treatment system, and is used for bathing, washing, and cleaning. Finally, the third type of water present in your home is drinking water. Drinking water treatment systems such as reverse osmosis are available to better the quality of the water you drink.

2. What does a water softener do?

Hard water has large deposits of calcium and magnesium, and once it evaporates it leaves a white film on sink fixtures and showers that can often be difficult to clean. A water softener eliminates these mineral deposits with the following steps. First, the water travels into the resin bed where the resin beads bind to calcium and magnesium molecules. The resin bed will eventually become saturated, calling for the use of salt. Contrary to common belief, salt is not directly added to the water. Instead, it is used to clean the resin bed, and only a small amount of sodium actually is added to your water with the removal of calcium and magnesium.

3. What are the benefits of a water softener?

Benefits are evident to both your body and your home with the use of soft water. Your skin will feel softer and free of any scum or residue left by soaps, and your hair will have more shine and luster. Any skin irritations or issues will be improved with the use of soft water as well. No scale will be visible in your ice cube tray, water heater, plumbing pipes, or bathroom fixtures. The life of your fixtures and water heater will be vastly improved. Soft water will also advance the quality of your drinking water.

4. What is the difference between an electrical water softener and a mechanical water softener?

Electrical water softeners are often found at your local home improvement stores. They require a power source nearby and are run on a timer on top of the resin bed. Like an alarm clock, the timer tells the unit when to regenerate. Mechanical systems, like a Kinetico, only work when you are using water, increasing its efficiency. Other chemical free units exist, and there are countless options available.

5. How do I know if I have hard water?

Hard water causes scale to form on the inside of plumbing, water heaters, toilet bowls, sink fixtures, shower heads, shower doors, and even your skin, just to name a few. It is visible in the form of white film on your fixtures and shower. If you have a sprayer or shower head, flip it over and check the openings. If the holes are filled, hard water could be impeding you from getting the best results from your fixtures. Hard water can also stick to skin and clothing.

6. What is involved in getting my water tested?

Water is tested directly at the source, your kitchen sink for city and county water, or directly at the well pump. The test will include checking for hardness as well as chlorine levels and TDS (total dissolved solids). With well water, sulfide, sediment, and tannin tests could also be performed. Representatives may show you a soap test, in which they will demonstrate the different reactions of soap between hard and soft treated water. Tests will last about 30-45 minutes.

7. Does size or capacity matter when choosing a water softener?

When buying electrical systems with one tank of resin, take capacity into account. It is important to remember how much water your home uses and the amount of water pressure necessary. With mechanical units, capacity does not matter. They have an infinite reserve of soft and treated water. Size depends on how much water pressure your family needs.

8. What are the operating costs of a water softener?

Salt and water are the main operating costs of a water treatment system. The unit will need both salt and water to regenerate and clean the resin bed. With an electrical machine, the average salt per day is one pound per person. Thus, for a family of two people, about 60 pounds of salt per month will be necessary. Electrical units also use between 45 and 100 gallons of water every time it cleans, which could amount to over 1,000 gallons per month depending on how often you have it set for. Non-electrical units are much more efficient, using about 7 pounds of salt per person per month, and approximately 7 gallons of water each time it cleans. Keep in mind that carbon beds and systems treating well water may require more maintenance.

9. Where is the softener installed?

Contrary to common belief, you do not always have to put your water softener in your garage. Check with your homeowner's association to be sure. Electrical units will need to be installed in the garage because it provides a power source for the system. Mechanical units, however, can be installed completely outdoor, as they do not have any power source requirements or corrosive parts.

10. How long will the unit take to install?

Install should not take more than 2-3 hours. If installing an electrical unit, be sure your power source is available and working. Mechanical machines usually have a shorter install period than electrical machines.

10 Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Water Softeners

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