Your home water supply is a vital component of day-to-day life. The quality of said water is contingent on many factors, like the home’s location, and the state of the pipe’s infrastructure. Dealing with poor water quality will mean being able to identify any issues and recognize if a water filter is needed. Certain signs are more obvious than others so it’s essential to watch out for any harmful element in drinking water and choose the right filter. Here are some clear signs you may need a water filter at home.
Visible sediment in your water
A clearer sign of contamination could not be more evident than visible particles in your water. Either sand, colored or milky sediment, these types of contaminants will require some form of water filtration. Luckily, sediment is very easy to spot and thus will not have enough time to do any real damage.
The right water filter for this could be a mechanical filter that takes out rust, sand, or any other large suspended materials. There will be circumstances where a whole house water filter system would be the best fit to tackle water with consistent sedimentation. When exactly? Read here: https://www.best-osmosis-systems.com/whole-house-water-filter-reviews/
Your water smells and or tastes bad
A little harder to notice would be the smell and taste of otherwise clear-looking water. For many households, it will be quite easy to detect a foul smell or taste in their water so this again will depend on location and water source. In any case, this would most definitely require water filtration to improve water quality.
A few components present in drinking water will cause odd tastes and smells, among them we can count chlorine and sulfur. Usually, tap water is the most common source with traces of these components which are not enough to make it dangerous, only to affect taste and smell.
For this, a carbon block filter will work nicely in filtering and providing better-tasting water and reducing unpleasant odors. Since it’s the most common reason why households choose to install a water filter, the options are numerous and varied.
Limescale deposits
Water sometimes leaves white deposits on crockery, especially on glass, which is more commonly known as limescale or hard water. This can be another clear sign that a water filter is needed for the home. While not especially hazardous to one’s health, limescale is nevertheless a pesky element that can affect other areas in the home.
For one, limescale deposits accumulated over time can have negative effects on water-using appliances such as coffee or washing machines. Thus limescale turns from an unappealing stain on glassware to a serious problem. To eliminate or at least reduce limescale, an ion-exchange or reverse osmosis system can most efficiently tackle limescale.
Clothes look dull or stained after washing
Hard water cannot only be responsible for damaging a washing machine but also renders laundry looking dingy. Iron present in the water will also impair the washing process and cause light discolorations or rust-tainted clothes.
A whole house water filter would most likely be needed in this case, both because of its more powerful ability to filter water but also as a way of cleaning all the water that enters the home. This is how a washing machine can receive filtered water and provide brighter clean clothes.
Soap deposits
Another aspect of hard water can be seen on the surface of the tub or sink in the form of soap deposits. The magnesium and calcium concentration of hard water compromise soap’s ability to work well and makes it harder to rinse away. This results in those frustrating soap deposits, that need a lot of scrubbing to get rid of. At the same time, soap and detergents also will not lather as much and produce very little foam.
Your water source is a private well
This one is a given, as all well water owners need to subject their water to specific treatment so that it can be safe to drink. Water from a private well can be contaminated with all manner of substances, from bacteria and sediment to insecticides and viruses. What is more, since it’s a private water source, the city does not have any responsibility to assure its safety.
A carbon filter in this case will not be enough, and in fact, a well might need multiple stages of filtration. A UV filter, in combination with a reverse osmosis system, could be a pairing that provides safe well water.
The house is older than 1986
The age of a house is a piece of important information to have not just to get a better picture of how its building blocks and layout is, but also to figure out if a water filter is necessary. Lead is the reason why this is important, or more specifically lead pipes.
1986 is the year in which lead pipes were banned. This, however, did not include replacing old lead piping, and this means they are still in use in houses older than 1986. Lead is highly toxic as many studies have concluded, and damaged lead water pipes will be dangerous. The bright side to this is that lead can be fairly easy to remove with an under-sink activated carbon filter.
In conclusion
There are many signs that point to poor water quality and the need for water filtration. Home water safety is a goal in this day and age we all wish to achieve, and it has never been more achievable, with so many options for water filtration.
