Category: Reynolds Water - page 11

How Do Water Softeners and Conditioners Really Work?

Posted on by Creative Programs and Systems

Do you notice a build-up of scum in your shower or dishwasher? Is your home’s shower not supplying you with water that feels “right” as you rinse off the day? If you are encountering issues or experiencing a change in your water supply, it may be so to hard water or that the treatment option that you are currently using for your homes water is not the right one.

One of the most common solutions to treat a hard water supply is with a water softener or conditioner. In this installment, we shall briefly discuss the problem of hard water, how water softener systems and water conditioner work, and the difference between both.

Problems with Hard Water

Hard water is caused by the presence of too many metals or minerals in the water, such as magnesium, calcium, and others. These minerals dissolve into your household water through the dissolution of the surrounding soil and rock. Water hardness is calculated in milligrams per liter (mg/L) or grains per gallon (GPG). If your water tests 1 GPG or less, then you have soft water.

Hard water does not flow easily through because of the build-up of scale which accumulates inside your water pipes, heater or other appliances. In extreme cases, hard water can clog up water pipes and stop the flow of water all together. Hard water also influences household appliances and everyday activities. For instance, hard water reduces soap lathering, causing the water to become sticky and scum-like inside of lather.

How Water Softening Works

If you have a problem with hard water in your home, one of the best solutions is to install a water softener. Of course, it is important to speak with a professional who will test your homes water to see if this is the right option for your family.  A water softener reacts with the calcium and magnesium ions and replaces them with sodium ion which results in a softer water. The added sodium is well below the FDA standard which makes the water fit for life.

The ion replacement is done in a tank filled with resin. The beads are negatively charged and attract the sodium ions which are positively charged. Once water flows across these beads, magnesium, and calcium ions are replaced with sodium ions.

Once the softening is completed, there is a need to recycle the beads in sodium chloride solution (water softening salt). This solution will remove the magnesium and calcium ions attracted to the beads and replace them with sodium. This bead can then be used for further softening session.

Choosing a Water Softener or Conditioner?

The term water softener and water conditioner are often used interchangeably. However, there is a huge difference between the two appliances.

Water conditioners remove chlorine, sediments, chemicals, and other foreign materials while treating water hardness while water softener system does not treat water for any other reason other than hardness. Of course, both appliances are used to treat water hardness, but the results are always different.

Water conditioner system processes water through a process that prevents scales. This causes a slight drop in the water pressure and causes the hardness-causing minerals to be suspended for three days. Usually, a catalyst in form of a magnetic field is used to enhance the process. In the end, the system displaces bad tastes, minerals, and prevents bacterial growth. Although the water is not technically soft, it still possesses the properties of a soft water. This means that the water will not precipitate and will lather easily with soap.

At Reynolds Water Conditioning Company, we are here to help make sure our clients don’t buy water treatment systems that they don’t need.  We are here to make sure you find a water softening system that gives you the results you are looking for, whether it is to remove iron or odor from you water; we have a solution that will help!  For more information contact our experts at 800.572.9575 or at our website https://reynoldswater.com.

 

Reynolds Water

, , , ,

Understanding Reverse Osmosis Solutions

Posted on by Creative Programs and Systems

Nothing says freshness the same way a glass of clear glass of tap water does.  Many homeowners seek a solution to bring clean, fresh water to their homes drinking water and with the right water filtration system it is possible.  Every single drop of water that exits the faucets throughout your home can be used as pure quality drinking water when the right water treatment system for your homes water is used.

Choosing a water treatment system is not something most homeowners know enough about to make an educated purchase.  It is crucial to meet with a water quality expert, such as the ones that can be found at Reynolds Water Conditioning who can test a sample of your homes water.  This will allow them to do an analysis on the quality of the water coming from each faucet and find the perfect combination of water treatment solutions to ensure a clean, clear glass of quality tap water each time. One popular option that offers high quality drinking water from your sinks tap is a reverse osmosis water treatment system.

How does reverse osmosis work?

The reverse osmosis water treatment systems operate by forcing water through a filter and eliminating impurities within the water.

How is reverse osmosis water treatment different?

Standard reverse osmosis water treatment systems work by filtering water through one of three or more filters to remove impurities such as chlorine, contaminants like metal and nitrates, and another to eliminate compounds that often result in foul odors and tastes.  Additional filters can be found on RO water treatment solutions with the water in your home requires further filtration.  These additional filters can include filtration of arsenic, pesticides, organic compounds, and percolates.  Filters can even be added to put important minerals back in to the homes water that aren’t necessarily good for your homes plumbing.  This again depends on the original quality of your homes water.

What are the benefits of treating water through reverse osmosis?

The smell and taste of a homes water is what usually is what triggers homeowners to have the water tested.  However, there are quite a few other containments that can be hiding in your water that would be better for you not to consume.  RO systems offer you a certain comfort in your homes drinking water, free of contaminants unseen with the naked eye.  Reverse osmosis water treatment solutions save homeowners money overtime by allowing them to adequality use the water within their homes rather than purchasing bottled water.

At Reynolds Water Conditioning Company, we are here to help make sure our clients don’t buy water treatment systems that they don’t need.  We are here to make sure you find a water softening system that gives you the results you are looking for, whether it is to remove iron or odor from you water; we have a solution that will help!  For more information contact our experts at 800.572.9575 or at our website https://reynoldswater.com.

Reynolds Water

, , , ,

3 Things You Should Know About Well Water in Your Home

Posted on by Creative Programs and Systems

Does your home have a well?  Here are some things you may want to consider when it comes to the quality of the water that is flowing throughout your home.

What is the difference between a well check vs comprehensive water testing?

Many homeowners are under a misconception that having their private wells checked will expose issues with the quality of the water as well.  This however is not the way it works.  There are major differences between what testing is required by mortgage companies in order to obtain a home loan verse the actual health aspect of the water.  Most mortgage providers are only looking to ensure that the well water system to the home isn’t faulty not the content of the actual water.  In a comprehensive water test the actual water from the well is tested for chemicals such as lead, arsenic, chromium 6, mercury, and VOCs.  As a homeowner it is up to you to have a comprehensive water analysis done on your homes water as well as the waters source.  Many companies that sell water treatment systems, such as Reynolds Water Conditioning, offer free water analysis before recommending a solution for treating your homes well water.

Where does well water contamination come from? 

It is often news to homeowners to find out that contamination from water is often from natural sources verse human contamination.  Owners of homes with private wells often are shocked to find out that their water has become contaminated.  Most often there are no obvious signs of sources that could contaminate the water nearby, so homeowners do not suspect anything.  The truth of the matter is that many contaminants within water such as arsenic occur naturally in groundwater at levels that are not safe for drinking.

Why does well water often contain more lead? 

Well water is corrosive.  Corrosive water often leak lead from pipes, soldered joints and plumbing fixtures.  Many homeowners are unaware of this fact.  If a homes plumbing predates 2014, which is when lead-free standards in home plumbing components were put in place, the potential exists that lead will seep into the tap water within the home.

It is important that homeowners with private wells understand that their water source is not regulated by the EPA or State Regulators.  Homeowners are responsible for the quality of their water.  It is important that proper water treatment systems are put in place to ensure that their homes have high quality water running throughout the home.  For a more comprehensive look at your homes water it is important to have a comprehensive water test done.  The next crucial step after the results of water testing are done is to put a system, or a number of systems, in place to ensure that the water your family is ingesting and using on a regular basis is free of harmful bacteria and containments.

At Reynolds Water Conditioning Company, we are here to help make sure our clients don’t buy water treatment systems that they don’t need.  We are here to make sure you find a water softening system that gives you the results you are looking for, whether it is to remove iron or odor from you water; we have a solution that will help!  For more information contact our experts at 800.572.9575 or at our website https://reynoldswater.com.

Reynolds Water

, , , ,

Complete Guide to Iron Filters

Posted on by Creative Programs and Systems

Due to recent news reports of tainted water passing into the drinking system of major cities around the world, there has been a renewed interest in the quality of water that people drink. After all, not all water is the same. There has also been an increase in demand for iron water filters and water treatment systems that help supplement the naturally-occurring minerals in most of the water we drink. Communities that live far from the city typically rely on well water for their needs. While this water is generally safe, it needs to be treated with iron filters or water treatment systems to ensure it has the right properties at the proper concentrations.

Why iron filters?

Naturally-occurring water may contain iron, hydrogen sulfide, and manganese among others. While these metals do occur in the human body in minuet quantities, they can be more concentrated in water thus becoming contaminants. High dosages of undissolved ferric or ferrous iron can also be present. This is responsible for the characteristic “orange-brown” water that sometimes comes out of the faucet the first time its turned on. If your water has iron in concentrations of 3 to 4 parts-per-million, then an iron filtration system is necessary. In a nutshell, how can you tell you need to purchase and install an iron filter?

  • When the water coming out of your faucet is orange-brown
  • When the water has a distinctive “metallic” taste
  • When the water pressure seems low
  • When the water-based beverages made from that water taste different
  • When the clothes washed in that water transform into a dull color

How does an iron filter work?

The best iron filters will begin the process by pre-treating the water via oxidation. This is achieved using an oxidant such as ozone, chlorine or hydrogen peroxide. This pre-treatment serves to enlarge the iron particles making them easier to remove.

Next comes the actual filtration process. This is the mechanism whereby the enlarged iron particles are removed. The best iron filters in the market are those that are able to do the best job when it comes to pretreatment.

Filtration is not a complicated science. Once the iron particles are enlarged, they are unable to pass through the chemical filter which only allows clean water. This process also continues into backwashing where the iron particles are completely forced out and eliminated by the filter.

Iron filtration achieves the following:

  • It completely removes ferric iron from the water. The result is clean, sparkling water which looks and tastes great
  • It eliminates the metallic taste in making water taste awesome
  • It eliminates any odor which is common in unfiltered water

At Reynolds Water Conditioning Company, we are here to help make sure our clients don’t buy water treatment systems that they don’t need.  We are here to make sure you find a water softening system that gives you the results you are looking for, whether it is to remove iron or odor from you water; we have a solution that will help!  For more information contact our experts at 800.572.9575 or at our website https://reynoldswater.com.

 

Reynolds Water

, , , ,

The Reality of Hard Water In Your Home

Posted on by Creative Programs and Systems

The water supply in your household can arguably be stated to be the single most important within your home.  Next, in order of importance for the comfort of its occupants being waste drain and electrical systems.  The water in your home is of absolute importance in order to live comfortably within your home.  Running water is not only convenient it is crucial.  The quality of the water in your home is extremely important as it not only affects the appliances and plumbing systems, it can affect the health of your family.

 

Undesirable Effects of Hard Water

Water supplies throughout the United States are not all created equally which is why it is of the utmost importance that your household water is evaluated prior to use.  There are however, some tell-tale signs that can be seen throughout your home that are dead giveaways on whether your home has or does not have hard water or water that has arsenic or other adverse elements within it.

 

Many homeowners may not even be aware of the damage that hard water can actually create physical damage to their home.  Often times hard water can cause serious damage to your homes plumbing while also doing damage to appliances such as your dishwasher and washer and families clothing.

 

One tell-tale sign that you have hard water is finding a film on dishes after running a load of dishes through the dishwasher, staining on the faucets and fixtures within the home or landscaping, or a smaller than normal lather when working with soaps and shampoos.

 

How Water Softener Systems Work to Combat the Undesirable Effects of Hard Water

Many residential water systems work in the same manner, they hook up to your homes water inlet from the city or well system.   In order for water to be softened the outside source of water must be hooked up to a water treatment system.  There are many different options in water treatment systems that can be installed in your home to treat your homes hard water, the most common being a water softener system using salt or potassium chloride.

 

The typical process of water softening uses a typical Ion Exchange which uses salt or potassium chloride to replace the minerals in the water that makes it hard.  This ion exchange system consists of using more than one tank and a flow control system that first removes all of the minerals and mixes the salt back into the water before discharging it into the household’s water system.

How Safe Is Softener Water?

According to most health experts, softened water is safe to use a s a source of usable water and quality drinking water although an excess can be harmful as we can see in the excess consumption of anything. An excess of sodium or a reduction in naturally occurring minerals within a water supply can be unhealthy however when used normally as is seen within household water usage the health benefits of soft water our weigh the possible harmful effects.

 

Most water softener systems use some sort of process that strips away most of the minerals and replaces them with higher levels of sodium. This means if you have high blood pressure or one of several heart-related conditions your doctor will likely have you on a no or low sodium diet. If this is the case, then you may want to consider the source of your water before choosing a water softening treatment system for your home.

 

Sodium is not the only health concern, trace minerals and other nutrients that you may not be aware that are in found in your typical “hard water” are actually extremely good for you.  Without them you would need to resort to other sources, such as supplementation or altering your daily diet to increase the amount of the important minerals.  Water softening does not eliminate minerals it does however, decrease the amount that can be found to a healthy amount to ingest.

At Reynolds Water Conditioning Company, we are here to help make sure our clients don’t buy water treatment systems that they don’t need.  We are here to make sure you find a water softening system that gives you the results you are looking for, whether it is to remove iron or odor from you water; we have a solution that will help!  For more information contact our experts at 800.572.9575 or at our website https://reynoldswater.com.

 

Reynolds Water

, , , ,

Removing Hard Water With A Water Softener

Posted on by Creative Programs and Systems

Before we discuss water softeners, it’s essential that one gains an understanding of what hard water is and how it affects you and your family. Hard water refers to water with a higher-than-usual mineral content. This is typically the case with water that is extracted from areas with large deposits of calcium and magnesium carbonates (naturally occurring in areas with limestone and chalk). While it can be argued that hard water does have some health benefits for humans, it can also pose some serious problems to homes and industry found in these areas.

Recognizing Hard Water

Here are a few ways you can recognize the presence of hard water:

  1. If your water fails to foam or lather up when exposed to soap, you most likely have hard water.
  2. Hard water is also responsible for corroding metal. This will show in faucets and sinks that are not covered with an anti-corrosive coating. Other equipment exposed to this water may also begin to corrode over time.
  3. If used to fill a swimming pool, it manifests a “milky” cloud in the water. This occurs when the calcium in the water reacts with the carbon dioxide present in the air.

Softening Hard Water

Hard water can be “softened” using a water softener. Water softening is the chemical process of removing calcium and magnesium (among other metals) from the water. The end result is water that responds well to soap and which has little or no corrosive effect on metals. Water softening is thus a good idea especially in residential and business buildings because there will be less corrosion in the plumbing system and other critical equipment.

If you suspect you have hard water, then you may want to consider purchasing and installing a water softening system. A quick search online will yield high-quality, local, water softener installation and repair companies. Some are costlier than others depending on the features and capacity. Sometimes they’re known as water purification systems, water conditioners, or water filtration.

For residential homes, water softeners can be installed as a complete system costing thousands of dollars or a point of use filter which has a lower capacity and can be more affordable.

At Reynolds Water Conditioning Company, we are here to help make sure our clients don’t buy water treatment systems that they don’t need.  We are here to make sure you find a water softening system that gives you the results you are looking for, whether it is to remove iron or odor from you water; we have a solution that will help!  For more information contact our experts at 800.572.9575 or at our website https://reynoldswater.com.

Reynolds Water

, , , ,

Common Mistakes When Selecting a Water Treatment Option for Well Water

Posted on by Creative Programs and Systems

It is a known fact that water obtained from a well is not the best option when used for drinking or cooking purposes. It includes certain minerals and particles that can adversely affect your health, how your skin feels, staining on your fixtures, and more.  Many professionals recommend water treatment options that purify your homes well water.  The water analysis will help tell professionals which of the available water treatment options are best for your homes water.  Water treatment options include the use of a water softener, iron filters, reverse osmosis, water purifiers, and water conditioning systems.

There are many of the different well water treatment options. However, selecting the right one can should be left up to professionals after an analysis of your water. Many people make some common mistakes when selecting a water treatment options for well water especially when they do not listen to the advice of water treatment professionals. These mistakes affects your homes water quality.  Many common issues DIY homeowners forget to consider are:

Not Taking Impurities into Consideration

A very common mistake people make is that they do not take water impurities into consideration when selecting the water treatment option. There are different types of impurities in well water; hence, an appropriate treatment option must be selected considering those impurities. For example, if you are using an iron filter as a well water treatment, it won’t perform efficiently if the water is acidic in nature, which, generally, well water is.

Not Taking the Location of Well into Consideration

Many people opt for tried and tested water treatment options for well water without taking the location into consideration. This is an absolutely wrong approach as a well that is located in an area that has high pollution rate requires a different treatment method than that of an area with low pollution rate. Similarly, more chemicals, toxins, and impurities are found in the water that is obtained from wells located in an industrial area.

Not Having Ample Understanding of Pressure & Pump Flow Rate

It is another common mistake made by homeowners. They do not understand two important aspects of water system i.e. pressure and pump flow rate. As a result, they are unable to select the right treatment method for removing contaminations from the water. Therefore, it is recommended to have a deep understanding of these aspects along with others vital factors of the well water system so that you can select the most appropriate well water treatment option.

Wrongly Identifying or Not Identifying Well Water Problems

Some people go for a well water treatment simply because it is known to produce effective results. They make this mistake of not identifying the problems before selecting the solution. Similarly, some people wrongly identify the well water problem. The result, in such situations, is impure water that still contains harmful chemicals or toxins. Using this water for drinking or cooking purposes can lead to fatal health conditions.

At Reynolds Water Conditioning Company, we are here to help make sure our clients don’t buy water treatment systems that they don’t need.  We are here to make sure you find a water softening system that gives you the results you are looking for, whether it is to remove iron or odor from you water; we have a solution that will help!  For more information contact our experts at 800.572.9575 or at our website https://reynoldswater.com.

 

Reynolds Water

, , , ,

Whole House Vs Point of Use Water Filtration

Posted on by Creative Programs and Systems

Everyone wants water that tastes good in their home, but it can be tricky to determine what type of water filtration system to install to make it happen.  After all, having great tasting water is not going to mean anything to you if the water in the rest of your house is cloudy and stains your clothing or other items that you are trying to keep clean.

Point of use home water filter systems will help you achieve fresh and crisp tasting water and these systems are installed underneath a sink or countertop.  While point of use home water filter systems will deliver purified water for drinking and cooking, the amount of water that is purified each day might be less than you actually need.

Whole house water filtration systems will treat all the water that enters your home, which means that you will be using treated water for bathing, washing dishes, cleaning, and doing your laundry.  These whole house water filtration systems can deliver thousands of gallons of water each day and the system would need to be placed where your water first enters your home.  This could be in your garage or your basement, and since these systems are a little larger, you will need to make room for them.  You would never need to worry about running out of clean water when you use a whole house water filtration system, but you should know that the quality of the water will not be as pure for drinking as it would be if you installed point of use home water filter systems in the rooms where you drink the water.

While either one of these options will give you better water, you may want to consider installing both inside your home.  The whole house water filtration system will treat the water for your entire home, while additional treatment will be done to your water with the point of use home water filter system.  This additional system will ensure that you have the best purified water for drinking and cooking purposes.

You may decide to install one or more of these systems due to personal preference of how water should taste, or you may choose to have them installed out of necessity.  Red iron stains are one of the first clues that you need to seriously consider a whole house water filtration system, while an off taste might simply suggest a point of use home water filter system.  If you are not sure if you need to install a water filtration system inside your home, you may want to have your water tested and talk to a professional of how these systems can make your water better.

At Reynolds Water Conditioning Company, we are here to help make sure our clients don’t buy water treatment systems that they don’t need.  We are here to make sure you find a water softening system that gives you the results you are looking for, whether it is to remove iron or odor from you water; we have a solution that will help!  For more information contact our experts at 800.572.9575 or at our website https://reynoldswater.com.

Reynolds Water

, , , ,

The Best System For Your Home Drinking Water

Posted on by Creative Programs and Systems

There are different ways you can improve the quality of water in your home to make it safe for drinking and cooking as well as for other household applications such as cleaning, swimming, and more.  Before you invest in a filtration system, conditioning system, water softener, or filtration system it’s important to have your water tested and checked for any harmful chemicals, heavy metals, volatile organic compounds, fluoride, or bacteria and also to determine the pH balance of your water.

Water that doesn’t fall within the safe pH range of 6.5 to 8.5 can be a sign of chemical or heavy metal pollution. You may want to test your water and install one of the following filtration systems, especially if your faucets and pipes have taken on a rusty red, white, or blue color.  A professional water analysis is deemed to be the most important step in making sure that the correct water system is installed to bring your family quality water throughout your home.

Water Softener

Water softeners remove excess minerals or metals, such as calcium, magnesium, and iron found in hard water. By installing a water softener, you will not only notice a marked improvement in the way of minimal scale build-up in your sinks and bathtubs, but softening your water will also extend the life of your washing machine, dishwasher, water heater and various household appliances.

You also benefit from a cleaner plumbing system, and as a result, reduced energy consumption and utility bills. Whole-house water softeners are available in both reverse osmosis and ion-exchange options, however, there are also smaller systems that you can install only for your cooking and drinking purposes.

Ion Filter

There are several different kinds of ion filters, however, the best would definitely be one that has a double filtration system that can effectively adjust the ionization to the mineral content of the water. When you install an ion filter, your hard water goes through a process known as electrolysis, which separates it’s alkaline and acid content to make water safe for use. Although installed ion filters can be costly, they can be used with any water source, and most of them come with a lifespan of up to 30-years.

Reverse Osmosis

A reverse osmosis unit allows only the passage of water molecules, but not those of contaminants found in water. While it may not remove all contaminants, a reverse osmosis system provides several stages of removing impurities to make water safe for use. RO systems are also easy to maintain, and different varieties of these units can be tailored to fit your everyday usage.

At Reynolds Water Conditioning Company, we are here to help make sure our clients don’t buy water treatment systems that they don’t need.  We are here to make sure you find a water softening system that gives you the results you are looking for, whether it is to remove iron or odor from you water; we have a solution that will help!  For more information contact our experts at 800.572.9575 or at our website https://reynoldswater.com.

Reynolds Water

, , , ,

Maintaining Your Salt-Free Water Softener

Posted on by Creative Programs and Systems

A salt-free water softener uses potassium chloride instead of salt, so you will not experience salty water, or the salt build up that can occur inside the tank of your water softener.  There are many other positive benefits of using a potassium chloride water softener, but you will only see them if you maintain it properly.

One of the things that you will need to keep track of is how much potassium chloride you have inside your brine tank.  The potassium chloride should be at least three inches above the water line at all times, although you may find that you can keep less in there if you find a residue on the sides.  It is a good idea to check your levels every couple of weeks at first, until you know how much potassium chloride you are using.

Your valves are a necessary component of your potassium chloride water softener, and you will want to turn them from one position to the other and back again once a month.  This will ensure that they will turn easily when you need to cut off the water supply to your softener.  This is also the time to clean the valve between the brine tank and the resin tank.  To clean that valve, you will need to disassemble it first, but make sure that you relieve the water pressure before taking anything apart.  If you notice that any of these valves are leaking, this would be the best time to replace the washers or seals.

The resin in your potassium chloride water softener is what helps soften your water, and you will want to keep it functioning properly.  A water softener cleaner can be added every few months prior to a regeneration to keep the resin in optimal form.

New potassium chloride softeners do not need to be cleaned often, but they can benefit from an annual cleaning and so can your homes water.  To clean your potassium chloride water softener, you will need to close off the water intake and take all the water out of the tank.  Then you will remove all the potassium chloride and scrub the inside of the brine tank with hot soapy water.  After the tank has been thoroughly rinsed out, you should sanitize the tank with a mixture of water and bleach.

Keeping this maintenance schedule will allow your potassium chloride water softener to continue working for many years, as it provides you with softer water.

At Reynolds Water Conditioning Company, we are here to help make sure our clients don’t buy water treatment systems that they don’t need.  We are here to make sure you find a water softening system that gives you the results you are looking for, whether it is to remove iron or odor from you water; we have a solution that will help!  For more information contact our experts at 800.572.9575 or at our website https://reynoldswater.com.

Reynolds Water

, , , ,