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Water touches practically every room in your home. Its quality
affects how your water tastes and smells, the food you cook, how
your skin and hair feel and even how your appliances, fixtures and
plumbing look and last. There are so many ways that better water
can make a difference in your life. We invite you to learn more.
Hard Water
Cloudy Water
Chlorine Taste and Smell
Tastes and Odors
Staining
Bacteria
Hard Water
Hard water contains dissolved calcium, magnesium and, in many cases,
iron. Most homes have hard water, whether it is supplied by a private
well or a municipality. In many cases, homeowners don't realize
they have hard water or the constant and expensive harm it causes.
Many mistake the telltale signs of hard water and blame the problems
on inadequate cleaners and detergents and poor performing appliances.
Or they resign themselves to the fact that these problems are simply
a way of life. Dry skin and hair, bathtub ring, spots on glass and
silverware, dull, dingy clothing, disappointing performance and
a shortened life expectancy of water-using appliances are all problems
frequently caused by hard water. Most don't realize how much time,
money and energy is spent fighting the hard water battle.
Take the first step and find out how hard your water is and if
there are any other issues. We will be glad to arrange for a free,
in-home water analysis.
Cloudy Water
Cloudy, murky or grayish water is usually caused by dissolved or
suspended solids. This is also known as “turbidity.”
Water can become turbid naturally or from land disturbances such
as construction, storms and urban runoff.
The turbidity of your water can range from low to high. But even
if your water looks clear, it could still contain a high level of
dissolved solids. That’s why, whether your water is turbid
or not, we recommend you have it tested.We will perform a free water
analysis and plumbing audit. Based on the results, we’ll recommend
appropriate treatment approaches if needed.
Chlorine Taste and Smell
Since the 1850s, chlorine has been used as a disinfectant to kill
harmful bacteria in water itself or the pipes that transport it.
It has helped end a number of major threats to public health. Although
chlorine in water is essential at the treatment plant and in the
water distribution system, it is no longer necessary once the water
reaches your home.
Though chlorine is vital for stopping the spread of disease, its
benefits come at a price. Chlorine tastes and smells bad. It dries
skin and hair, fades clothes (bleach is made of chlorine) and can
dry out the rubber seals in appliances, shortening their lives.
Kinetico’s chlorine removal systems eliminate chlorine from
your water. Call us to set up a free in-home water analysis and
to discuss your options.
Tastes and Odors
In its pristine state, water is colorless, tasteless and odorless.
So, if your water tastes or smells funny, you owe it to yourself
to find out why.
Earthy or musty taste and odor:
These types of complaints are generally the result of compounds
released due to decayed vegetation and are typically associated
with different forms of algae. They are most prevalent in supplies
that use surface water as their supply. While not toxic, they are
nonetheless unpleasant and can be offensive at very low concentrations.
“Rotten egg” smell:
Another common source of smelly water is hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen
sulfide is a colorless corrosive gas that has the characteristic
odor of rotten eggs. It is most commonly found in groundwater supplies
and often is noticed coming from hot water tanks. It can occur naturally
from deep in the ground or can be produced by sulfate-reducing bacteria.
It can affect the taste of food and beverages, making them unpalatable.
If present in high enough concentrations, it can leave an unpleasant
odor on hair and clothing. It can also accelerate corrosion of metal
parts in appliances. Because it is a gas, testing for it usually
has to be performed onsite.
Metallic taste:
As the name implies, a metallic taste to your water indicates
the presence of metals such as iron, copper, manganese or zinc.
Iron and manganese are often naturally occurring and are predominantly
found in groundwater. Copper and zinc can come from an aging water
distribution system or the corrosion of copper plumbing and brass
fittings.
Staining
Water is a natural solvent, and given the needed time and conditions,
it will dissolve anything it comes in contact with. That’s
why, depending on where you live, your water can contain iron or
manganese, which can cause rusty-orange or black staining. It can
even alter hair color. Or if you have water that has a low pH, you
can see the telltale, blue-green stains. You’ll see the stains
on clothes, fixtures, sinks, tubs, water-using appliances and toilets.
Quite frankly, the stains can appear on anything the water comes
in regular contact with. These stains are very difficult to remove,
if you can get rid of them at all.
We will be happy to perform a free, in-home water analysis to see
what’s causing stains in your home. From there, we will suggest
options for treatment if needed.
Bacteria and Viruses
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there
could be as many as 12 million cases of waterborne acute gastrointestinal
illness annually in the United States alone. These illnesses are
frequently caused by bacteria, viruses and protozoa that make their
way into the water supply. And unfortunately, these contaminants
can survive in the environment for months. Even well operated, state-of-the-art
treatment plants cannot ensure that drinking water is entirely free
of microbial pathogens. System failures do occur, and not all systems
are functioning at the levels they should. And bottled water, which
is unregulated and varies considerably, may not offer any more safeguards
against pathogens than tap water.
If you’re concerned about the safety of your water supply,
contact us for a free water test and in-home plumbing audit. We'll
get you reliable facts you can act on with confidence, and give
you dependable options if your water needs treatment.
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