August 09, 2010

What You Should Know about Your Water

The negative effects of untreated water:

• Clogs plumbing pipes and shortens the life and efficiency of water using appliances (ex. costly water heater replacements).
• Forms green and white scale buildup on tubs, faucet fixtures and shower doors.
• Reduces lather and cleansing power of soaps and detergents, requiring more soap, scrubbing and cleaning.
• A ½” of scale buildup can require up to 70% more fuel to heat.
• Reduces life of clothing, towels and linens.
• Leaves spots and discoloration on dishes.
• Causes leaks and drips on faucets and fixtures requiring costly plumbing repairs.
• Causes skin irritation and drying.
• Gives water a bad taste or smell.

Water Softening – As plumbers we recommend water softeners as a necessity because they reduce buildup on pipes, fixtures and water using appliances. Softened water also requires less soaps, conditioners and detergents which can save you money. Water softeners eventually pay for themselves with the money savings they produce. Water can be softened manually or chemically. Examples of chemically softened water are jet-dry, hair conditioners and fabric softeners. Water can be softened manually with the use of a water softener which removes unwanted hard minerals like calcium and magnesium before they enter the home. Customers who choose this type of water treatment are looking to keep their new fixtures looking as new as possible for as long as possible and who do not enjoy cleaning the excess buildup hard water can cause.

Water Conditioning – Water conditioners do not remove hard minerals but instead help minerals to behave differently, causing them to be less “sticky”. Water conditioners look like small electrical boxes installed around your water piping which send radio frequencies in the water causing minerals not to adhere or stick to surfaces. In some cases these systems have been able to dissolve buildup in water pipes and around faucets and fixtures. These systems are ideal for customers who do not want to waste any water or who want ldquo;salt free” water treatment. This has also been a good solution for customers who did not have their home originally pre-plumbed for a water softener. To install a water softener on a home without a pre-plumbed soft water loop can be costly depending on how your home was plumbed. Water conditioners can be installed right at your water heater without the excess costs of additional plumbing.

Water Filtration – Water filtration is the best solution for removing chlorine and contaminants and smells from the water. Since filtered water is cleaner it can have a health benefit whereas water softening does not. Filtered water can provide clean water to drink and clean water to bath in. Water filtration is typically used to filter out chlorine and contaminants before it enters the home. Some people refer to this as “whole house filtration”. People who choose this type of water treatment typically have problems with smelly water, want to bathe in less contaminated and chlorine free water, or prefer filtered drinking water as opposed to purified water.

Reverse Osmosis – Removes impurities creating “bottled” quality drinking water. Reverse Osmosis “purifies” water whereas a water filter only “filters” water and is a much higher quality of water. Reverse Osmosis can produce water up to 95% pure. Bottled water companies such as Dasani and Aquafina purify their water through the reverse osmosis process. Reverse osmosis systems are the best solution for drinking water. Customers who choose this type of water treatment want the purest best tasting water available; want to enjoy the savings of not having to buy bottled water and who want to control the purity of their water by having their own system installed in their home.

Note:Water softeners, carbon filtration and reverse osmosis systems are typically enough to remove most unwanted contaminants and hard minerals from the water but for well water it is strongly recommended to have your water tested at least once to see if any specialty water treatments products like ultraviolet or arsenic filtration are required.

Benefits of buying through your local plumber:

• Water systems sized for today’s homes – We size all our water systems to meet or exceed the flow rate requirement of your home ensuring you with soft water even when all fixtures are in use.
• Eliminate Floods and Leaks – inexperienced non-plumbing water treatment dealers can potentially cause leaks and floods due to inexperience with both your plumbing distribution system as well as the local plumbing code.
• No hassle warranty – Limited Lifetime Warranty. We directly service all our products for the life of the product.
• Affordable – We don’t rely solely on water treatment sales to stay in business which is why we can give a much better price on the same quality you would find through a water treatment dealer.