Why
is my water so hard?
Whenever we receive precipitation in the form of rain,
it must first fall thru our atmosphere, which contains carbon dioxide and hydro carbons.
These chemicals alter the pH of the water and it is transformed into what is known as 'carbonic acid'.
As the carbon acid falls to the earth, it then easily breaks down the limestone (calcium and magnesium) in our soil and carries this 'liquid rock' into our underground wells and aquifers, thus making the water 'hard'.
The answer to that question has to do with water usage types and the costs associated with treating water on such a large scale. M.U.D.'s have the technology to produce limestone-free, high quality water for everyone. However, the reason it is not mandated is because of all the water a M.U.D. produces per year, nearly 70% of this water is not used inside our homes, nor is it consumed by humans. Where does it go? Instead, it's used primarily for irrigation, new construction, swimming pools, fire suppression and industrial applications. We only drink about ½ of 1% of this water. It would be far too costly for our M.U.D.'s to produce high quality water and we as consumers would wind up paying for it as long as we used water. Simply put, it does not make financial sense for a M.U.D. to produce such vast quantities of high quality water when so little is used and consumed inside our homes. Why does treated water feel silky and smooth on my skin?
Every person produces a certain amount of acid mantle on the surface of their skin. This acidic natural defense mechanism is there to protect us from bacteria and germs that we come in contact with everyday. When hard water is applied to the skin, our acid mantle is stripped away immediately, leaving our skin de-hydrated, rough and unprotected. When bathing in treated water that is free of limestone, acid mantle and other natural body oils are retained, which results in very smooth and silky skin. In addition, dry skin conditions are aggravated by alkaline soap scum, which is a result of combining soap products and hard water. This soap scum coats the skin and hair, making it difficult to rinse away while bathing. Will treated water help de-tangle my hair?
Many of our customers report much more manageable hair after treating their water. When using hard water, soap scum (left over after rinsing shampoo from the hair) winds up coating each individual hair strand. This commonly results in a tangled mess and makes hair dull, lifeless and difficult to manage. Treated water creates no soap scum so your hair is left feeling very smooth and much easier to manage. Should I treat the entire plumbing system or only part of it?
We recommend treating the entire plumbing system. That way, all of your plumbing system components are protected from lime scale build-up. We connect our whole-home treatment systems to the single main water supply line that feeds into your home. How will treated water affect my in-ground sprinkler system?
We do not recommend treating the irrigation system, because it's really a waste of good water. We will by-pass your in-ground irrigation system so that untreated water is used. Treated water neither helps nor harms plant growth. How will treated water affect my pool?
We recommend filling your pool with untreated water. Many of today's pools use gunite or similar products to line the pool's surface. These materials require hard water elements to be present for a longer life. We always provide you with a hard water hose bib so that you are not forced to use treated water when filling or re-filling your pool. Is it really true that I need to reduce my soap usage when using treated water?
Yes! Hard water breaks down many soap products and makes them much less effective for cleaning. Limestone free water does not break down soap products and therefore you can use much less soap and achieve even better cleaning results. We recommend cutting ALL of your family's normal soap usage back, by at least 50%, when using a whole-home water treatment system. Why do many women in my area experience dry skin?
One would think it would be the opposite with as much humidity we have here! Dry skin conditions are aggravated by the water hardness elements and by the often high chlorine levels found in most of our municipal utility districts. How long will my installation take?
Most of our complete installations (drinking water system and a whole-home treatment system) will last from 3-5 hours. If you need to leave your home while we are installing your equipment, ask our technicians to complete the inside work first and then they will finish up with the outside work while you are gone. The inside work normally takes from 45 minutes to one hour to complete. How will treated water affect my gas water heaters?
Treated water dramatically prolongs the life of your entire plumbing system, especially your water heater tanks. When heated, hard water precipitates the hardness elements out of the water and it collects along the insides and bottom of your water heaters' tank. The build-up on the bottom of the tank is most severe and can accumulate very quickly. This creates a reverse insulation condition and forces your water heater's gas burner to heat the water much longer than normal, wasting both gas energy and money. Can I expect cleaner shower glass, sinks and fixtures with treated water?
Absolutely! Treated water greatly reduces the amount of spotting and soap scum build-up on all water using fixtures and appliances. How often should I change my reverse osmosis filters?
If you are using a whole home treatment system, your reverse osmosis filters should be changed once every 12 months. If you are only using a reverse osmosis system alone, then they should be changed once every 6 months. How often should I add sodium to my whole home conditioner?
That really depends upon usage. Typically though, a family of four will need to replenish the tank once every 6 months. Should I use sodium or potassium in my conditioner?
For most applications, using sodium chloride is the best and most economical choice. However, if you experience extreme high blood pressure and have been medically advised to eliminate all sodium chloride from your diet, then we recommend potassium chloride as an alternative. If you are using a Pure Blue reverse osmosis system, then your drinking water will be completely sodium free. How much sodium can I expect in my drinking water after it has been treated?
Actually, a lot less then you might think. To help explain this in easier terms, if you drink one gallon of 10 grain treated water, you will have consumed the same amount of sodium found in two slices of white bread. Use of sodium does not make the water noticeably salty, nor does it significantly increase a person's sodium intake. For example, a person who drinks eight 12-ounce glasses of 10 grain treated water per day takes in less than 5% percent of their typical dietary sodium intake. In fact, the F.D.A. defines 100 grain treated water as a "low sodium" beverage. Is it safe to water my plants with treated water?
Yes, you can water your plants with treated water. In areas where the water quality is extremely poor (example: West Texas), treated water can't harm plant growth in most areas. Treated water poses no problems at all. Should I ever have to by-pass my whole-home water treatment system?
The only time you should by-pass the water system would be to force raw, untreated water to a particular hose bib on your home. Maybe you need to fill up your pool with the hard water, and the nearest hose bib to the pool is on the opposite side of the house from your system, but it's treated water. Each system has a raw water (untreated) hose bib attached to the back of the unit. We recommend attaching a hose to this bib to use untreated water for washing out your garage, spraying down a dirty driveway or for filling your pool. When washing your cars however, be sure to use only treated water (from one of your outside hose bibs) to better protect your automobile's finish. Do I need to protect my outside water conditioning system from freezing?
Generally speaking, Southern winters are very mild and typically pose no threat to our equipment being outdoors. However, the best form of severe freeze protection is to ensure that a slow and steady flow of water is going thru the unit during overnight sustained temperatures below 28 degrees Fahrenheit. This can be accomplished by opening up a sink faucet (very slightly) during the late night hours, and then turning it off in the morning. We do insulate all exposed plumbing pipes during the installation and when the unit is positioned on the ground, we will bury it (about 1 foot) so that the tank is stabilized and secure. Burying the unit also serves to further insulate it from freezing.