Everything You Need to Know About Reverse Osmosis Water Systems - February Monthly Newsletter

February 23, 2021

Everything You Need to Know About Reverse Osmosis Water Systems

We’re just going to come right out and say it: the water from your tap should taste good. But, sadly, some Phoenix tap water tastes like chlorine, minerals, or algae. Ish. 

Why Does Phoenix Water Taste So Bad? 

Phoenix city water undergoes rigorous treatment methods, including traveling through algae- and mineral-laden canals to the treatment facility for chlorine disinfection. After all it goes through to pass the safety muster, it comes out of your spigot hard with high mineral content and tasting terrible. 

Reverse osmosis water systems are effective at removing toxins, minerals, and salt and make your water taste like ... water. 

How Do Reverse Osmosis Systems Work? 

Simply put, reverse osmosis systems pass a solution (water + the salt, minerals, and other yucky stuff) through a pressure system that separates the water from the undesirable contaminants. 

Reverse osmosis water systems produce clear, clean water that tastes like bottled water because, coincidentally, reverse osmosis is the very same system popular bottled water brands like Dasani and Aquafina use. 

Reverse Osmosis vs. Other Water Treatment Systems

Water distillation and filtration systems are other popular choices for homeowners looking for better-tasting water, but reverse osmosis systems edge out both of these options in terms of performance and price. 

Water Distillers

Reverse osmosis systems purify more water per day than popular distilling systems and are less expensive to operate and maintain.  

Water Filtration Systems

Compared to water filtration systems that merely filter out chlorine and other contaminants, the reverse osmosis process actually purifies the water, producing 95% pure water right from your home tap. 

Types of Reverse Osmosis Systems

There are two types of reverse osmosis systems: point-of-use and point-of-entry. 

Point-of-Use

A point-of-use reverse osmosis system is the most common type. These systems are designed to provide purified water at a specific tap, like your kitchen sink. Because POU reverse osmosis systems are compact in size, they work well for this application and will fit in small spaces. But don’t let their size fool you. They’re still powerful enough to provide you with plenty of pure drinking water for everyone in your home. 

Point-of-Entry

Point-of-entry reverse osmosis systems are known as “whole home” systems and provide purified water to every tap in the house, so you can enjoy the benefits of pure water for bathing and laundry, as well as drinking. 

The most common configuration our clients choose is point-of-use partnered with a water softener system to provide delicious drinking and cooking water at specific taps and soft water for showers, baths, and laundry. 

How Will a Reverse Osmosis System Make My Life Better? 

Besides being confident in the knowledge that anytime you fill up your glass of water, you’re getting the best tasting water available, the benefits of installing a reverse osmosis system abound. 

Healthy Water = Healthy You

Remember that whole water debacle in Flint, MI? We’re certainly not comparing Phoenix water to that, but it certainly makes us think more about the contaminants in water and the ramifications of drinking unhealthy water.  Reverse osmosis systems can remove these contaminants from your water: 

• Lead
• Arsenic
• Nitrates & Nitrites
• Chromium
• Selenium
• Flouride
• Radium
• Barium
• Cryptosporidium

Salt-Free Water

Water softeners work wonders to remove hard minerals and produce water that’s perfect for bathing, laundry, and cleaning. But, let’s face it, it tastes salty. Reverse osmosis systems and water softeners are very compatible companion systems. Softeners remove the hard minerals, then the reverse osmosis system sweeps in to take away the salt taste so you get the best of both worlds. 

Bye Bye Bottled Water

With reverse osmosis, you can cross bottled water off your weekly shopping list. Imagine no more heaving those bulky cases of bottled water into and out of your shopping cart, in the car, in the house, etc., etc. Plus, you don’t have to worry that the landfills are getting bombarded with more plastic bottles-- at least not yours, anyway. 

Clean Cooking

If you know about New York City pizza and bagels, you know they’re just not the same anywhere else because of the water in NYC. So while NYC’s good water can “make” a pizza or bagel recipe, your contaminated water can “break” anything you’re using it in -- and contribute to an overall funky flavor. 

If your water doesn’t taste good to drink, it’s not going to taste good for boiling pasta or potatoes or making soup, coffee, or tea. 

Crystal Clear Ice

When you buy ice from the store, it’s clear. But when you make it at home, it’s cloudy. What’s up with that? The impurities in your water at home are what’s causing those murky-looking, lousy-tasting ice cubes -- that also melt faster, by the way. So, a reverse osmosis system will give you clear ice cubes that won’t diminish the flavor or dilute your beverages. 

Questions About Reverse Osmosis Water Systems? 

If your Phoenix tap water doesn’t taste as good as it should and you want the health benefits and convenience of pure, great-tasting water straight from any tap in your home, give Whitton Plumbing a call. As Arizona’s top plumbing company, Whitton Plumbing specializes in water treatment systems, and we’d love to help you enjoy better-tasting water. 

Give us a call for a free consultation.