Common Water Problems
Why water can look orange.
Iron. It is seen in water as rust stains in sinks, showers and other fixtures. At only 3/10 of one part per million staining becomes obvious.
Why water can reduce the life of your water using appliances.
Hard water forms scale build-up in plumbing and water using appliances, causing the need to repair or replace these items more frequently. Treated water can increase the useful life of these items by up to 30%.
Why water can increase energy costs.
Hard water forms a scale build-up in appliances such as water heaters. If the scale is only 1/8″ thick, 33% more fuel is required to heat the water.
Why water can corrode your plumbing.
pH measures acidity or alkalidity and is measured on a scale of 0 to 14. A reading of 7 is neutral. Low pH indicates acidity and can cause corrosion in pipes and fixtures. Blue/green or rust color stains are often a result of low pH water.
Why water can have a chlorine taste and odor.
One way cities treat water is to add chlorine gas. Chlorine above .2 parts per million produces an unpleasant taste and odor. Large amounts can irritate the skin and eyes.
Why water can smell like rotten eggs.
A “rotten egg” smell indicates the presence of hydrogen sulfide. This develops from decaying organic matter, and some bacteria.
Hard Water
Hard water is the amount of minerals, calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate in your water.
- Soft Water is 1.0 grains per gallon or less
- Slightly hard water is 1.0 to 3.5 grains per gallon
- Moderately hard water is 3.5 to 7.0 grains per gallon
- Hard water is 7.0 or more grains per gallon
How do we remove hardness from water?
- Hardness can be removed from a water supply through an ion exchange method.
- Ion exchange is necessary when dissolved solids need to be removed from water.
- Before hardness becomes scale it is in a dissolved form of calcium and magnesium bicarbonate.
Why can’t hardness be removed by filtration?
- Dissolved solids cannot be physically removed from water as they carry a charge which holds them in solution.
- Particulate and sediment do not carry a charge and therefore can be removed physically from solution. (ie using a filter)
