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3 Things Your Body Will Benefit From With Treated Water

Wed, 24 Apr 2019 02:51:13 GMT

1. Smooth Hair

For naturally soft and conditioned hair, treating your water is important. The right water treatment system can leave you with soft water and smooth, manageable hair. Treated water requires minimal soap and rinses to achieve optimal results, meaning your hair will maintain its color and condition for much longer. Treated water also balances your hair’s pH level , so you’re left with silky smooth hair after every wash.

What Hard Water is Doing to Your Hair

Does your hair feel filmy or straw-like? Is your head always dry or itchy? This could be caused by hard water. Excess minerals in hard water combine with shampoo forming a layer of scum that could stick to your hair. Your initial reaction may be to wash your hair more frequently to remove the soapy residue from your hair; however, the more often you shampoo your hair in hard water, the less moisture can effectively enter the hair strands. This results in dry, coarse, and frizzy hair, and also dries out your scalp, causing dandruff.

You also may notice your hair has a harder time retaining color. The minerals in hard water deposit on the hair shaft, often causes colored hair to turn a brassy tone. Frequent washing may also cause the color to fade quickly as well.

Water treatment systems, like an Evolve Series® softener, works to remove calcium and magnesium in your home’s water supply, leaving you soft water and smooth hair.

2. Soft Skin

With soft water comes soft skin. When a water softener works to remove hardness minerals like calcium and magnesium, you’ll be less likely to clog your pores and dry out your skin. You won’t be as itchy and irritated, and you’ll be more likely to have the beautiful, clear skin you want. Soft water makes it easy to form a sudsy lather, and it makes it easy to rinse the soap away. That means your soap works efficiently and you aren’t left with pore-clogging soap scum residue all over your body.

What Hard Water Does To Your Skin

Hard water is hard on your skin. Hard water's dissolved minerals make it harder for water to form a solution with soap, and it leaves behind a scummy residue that can build up on your skin. Instead of getting a nice lather, you’re leaving behind a residue that clogs your pores. Clogged pores can lead to breakouts and worsen skin conditions like acne or eczema. The natural oils your body produces are distributed through the pores of your skin. When those pores are clogged, the oil gets trapped and blemishes like pimples and zits form as well.

Hard water makes it difficult to get completely clean. Because of the fact you don’t get a good lather with hard water, you’ll find yourself using more soap to get clean, which only exacerbates the problem more.

Hard water may also be making your skin age faster. The scum in untreated water, like iron and magnesium, can cause damage to healthy skin cells and a breakdown of collagen, a structural protein that helps your skin look and feel firm and healthy. This accelerates the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Treating your home's hard water can give you the soft skin benefit of having soft water.

3. Worry-Free Drinking Water

Drink more water! You've heard it or said it before. You and your family need to drink water in order to stay healthy. Perhaps you are achieving water intake goals by buying bottled water. What if you could stop buying bottled water and get even better water right from the tap?

Reverse osmosis drinking water systems are the ideal treatment to your family's drinking water. They provide you with clean, refreshing water right in your home. There is no need to be concerned about what it is in your water when it has the right treatment. Here are 11 things to be less worried about when you treat your drinking water with a Reverse Osmosis system. The UltroWater® systems are tested and certified for the reduction of the following contaminants:

lead
arsenic
copper
nitrates and nitrites (hexavalent & trivalent)
chromium
selenium
fluoride
radium
barium
cyst (cryptosporidium)
total dissolved solids (TDS)

Contact your us today to find out more on how you can take care of your body with treated water.

WHAT’S THAT SMELL? COMMON REASONS WHY YOUR WATER MAY STINK

Wed, 24 Apr 2019 02:42:07 GMT

Mar 03, 2017 | Water Problems

It doesn’t matter if you have city water or well water, turning on the tap only to be greeted by a strong, foul-smelling odor can be alarming for all homeowners. Your initial reaction may be to think your water supply has been contaminated, but there are a multitude of reasons why your household water may suddenly possess a pungent odor.

Although bacterial activity is often the cause of stinky water, this is not the only reason water may smell and taste off. Chemical reactions, elevated traces of minerals, and decaying organic material can all cause changes in your water. Below we take a look at some of the most common water smells, what causes them, and how to rid your water of unwanted odors for good.

Odor: Rotten Eggs

Cause: If there’s a rotten egg smell coming from your faucet, the most common culprit is sulfur bacteria that have found its way into your water supply. The foul smell usually comes from a lack of oxygen in a well, which produces hydrogen sulfide gas. It can also occur as a result of sulfur-containing chemical reactions in the groundwater.

If you only experience the smell when running hot water from the faucet or in the shower, it may be a chemical reaction occurring inside your water heater, not your water supply.

Solution: Since sulfur is a gas caused by an absence of oxygen in the well, the most effective way to eliminate the smell is to install an aeration system that combines dissolved oxygen and catalytic carbon. Catalytic carbon converts the gas to a solid by precipitating the gas and filtering it out. What doesn’t convert to a solid gets absorbed onto the carbon surface.

In order to successfully get rid of the odor, you must completely kill the sulfur bacteria using an oxidant, such as chlorine or ozone injection. Water filters, like the Impression Plus Series® Air Sulfur Water Filter , WaterCare® Ion Pro® Air Sulfur , and Evolve® EVS use air-injection technology to oxidize sulfur for easy filtration and removal. The system uses air and water to eliminate chemicals and other contaminants found in well water.

Odor: Dirty or Earthy

Cause: If you notice a burst of musty, earthy smelling water when using your hot tap, you may be dealing with iron bacteria in your water supply. Though this type of bacteria is not harmful, it can be a nuisance as it often imparts a bad taste. Iron bacteria are found in well water with high levels of iron. In addition to a pungent odor, you may also notice slime in your toilet’s tank or other plumbing fixtures in your home.

Iron bacteria forms when iron and oxygen mix. The bacteria feed on the iron and create a slime to protect itself. When the bacteria die, it gives off an earthy odor.

Because of its warm temperature, your home’s water heater is often the perfect breeding ground for iron bacteria. Bacteria in a water heater may produce a longer-lasting smell when you turn on your faucet.

Solution: One way you can effectively treat iron bacteria is with a chlorine chemical feed system. Chlorination systems in conjunction with a water-holding tank for proper “bacteria kill time” will effectively reduce the bacteria and help oxidize the iron for proper filtration. Following up with an automatic iron filter like the Impression Plus Series® Air Iron Filter , WaterCare® Ion Pro® Air Iron , and Evolve® EVFE will provide additional oxidation and precipitation of iron for easy filtration and removal of the iron particle.

Odor: Fishy Drinking Water

Cause: The most likely cause of a fishy smell in your drinking water comes from naturally occurring organic material that has made its way into your water source. This smell is often an indicator that you may be dealing with elevated levels of chloramines, barium, or cadmium.

Chloramines are a compound of chlorine and ammonia and are used to disinfect public water. While necessary to remove harmful contaminants, it can create a strong odor in your water. Barium and cadmium are naturally occurring metals found in natural deposits that can make their way into your water as a result of fertilizer contamination or deteriorating pipes and plumbing. Though the smell is off-putting, it rarely signifies the presence of harmful bacteria or contaminants.

Solution: Removing contaminants from your water supply is most effective with the help of reverse osmosis (R.O.) water filters like the Eclipse® and Impression® R.O. system. These drinking water systems effectively filter common contaminants like barium and cadmium, along with other organic chemicals that may be contributing to a fishy smell in your drinking water. Carbon filters also help to improve the odor and taste, leaving you with clean, refreshing water whenever you want.

Odor: Bleach, Swimming Pool Smell

Cause: Complaints of water with a bleach smell most commonly come from homeowners with city water, because chlorine is manually added to public water to disinfect it. Homes located close to a distribution plant may have higher levels of chlorine in the water. Chlorine is necessary for municipal water treatment, however, once the chlorine reaches your home’s water supply, it’s essentially doing nothing more than drying out your skin and giving your water a funky smell and taste.

Solution: You can easily remove chlorine from your drinking water with the help of a water filter. The Impression Series Backwashing Carbon Filter , WaterCare® CareClear Pro® , and Evolve® EVBF eliminates the taste and smell of chlorine commonly found in municipal water.

You can also eliminate the smell of chlorine from your water with an R.O. drinking water system. R.O. systems, like Eclipse® , Impression® , Clear Flo® , and UltroWater® run your tap water through a carbon filter to give you that sparkling, crisp, “bottled water” taste straight from your tap.

Give Your Home Quality Drinking Water with Treatment from Water-Right

It’s important to remember that although odorous water can be a nuisance, it’s typically not a health concern. To be certain of your water’s odor source, contact a Water-Right dealer for a free water analysis.

If you’re ready to eliminate that pesky smell from your water source once and for all, contact our specialists for more information on the best water treatment options for your needs and budget.

Save yourself time and money with the help of a water filtration system. Learn more about our various products below that help to treat your water and remove minerals for good.

Impression Series® & Sanitizer Plus® Products

WaterCare® Products

Evolve® Products

Click the links above to visit the websites of our trusted brands . You can use the ‘Find a Dealer’ tool to locate a professional near you. For those who have serious concerns about water quality or potential contamination, you can use our Clean Water Testing service to get the answers you need.

HARD WATER VS. SOFT WATER – THE EFFECTS ON YOUR SKIN

Wed, 24 Apr 2019 02:36:33 GMT

Feb 19, 2016 | Water & Health

How does your skin feel when you step out of the shower? Would you call it silky smooth or squeaky clean?

Do you feel dry and itchy after bathing? Do you have to lotion up every day to avoid itchiness and skin irritation?

The water in your home can have significant effects on the condition of your skin, and it may all come down to whether you have hard water or soft water.

What Hard Water Can Do to Your Skin

Hard water contains dissolved minerals like calcium and magnesium. Those minerals make it harder for water to form a solution with soap, and it leaves behind a scummy residue.

If you have hard water in your home, you’ll notice that white soap scum all over your bathroom fixtures. Hard water can also clog up your plumbing and your shower head, reducing pressure.

But what you may not realize is that same soap scum builds up on your skin. Instead of getting a nice lather, you’re leaving behind a residue that clogs your pores the same way it clogs your pipes. Clogged pores can lead to breakouts and worsen skin conditions like acne or eczema.

The natural oils your body produces are distributed through the pores of your skin. When those pores are clogged, the oil gets trapped and blemishes like pimples and zits form.

Not only can soap scum from hard water clog your pores, many people find it also causes them to feel dry, itchy, and irritated. The minerals in hard water can actually strip moisture from your skin while preventing the natural oils your body produces from doing their job, which is to lubricate your skin and hold in moisture.

Hard water may also be making your skin age faster. That means it could cause you to look older than you really are!

Dermatologist, Dr. Dennis Gross, told YouBeauty.com that many of the impurities in hard water, like iron and magnesium, can form free radicals that damage healthy skin cells. That can lead to fine lines and wrinkles. Free radical damage can even cause a breakdown of collagen, which is a structural protein that helps your skin look and feel firm and healthy.

If you are experiencing the negative effects of hard water; don’t worry – there’s a solution.

Why Soft Water is Better for Maintaining Healthy-looking Skin

One of the biggest advantages to having a water softener installed in our home is the fact that soft water is better for cleaning. That goes for your clothes and dishes as well as your skin.

Soft water makes it easier to form a sudsy lather, and it makes it easier to rinse the soap away. That means your soap works more efficiently and you aren’t left with that pore-clogging soap scum residue all over your body.

Because of the fact you don’t get a good lather with hard water, you’ll find yourself using more soap to get clean, which only exacerbates the problem more. But with soft water, you will be able to use less soap product to get clean. In fact, after installing a water softener, you may not need to purchase the expensive body wash and lotion you thought you needed.

It’s really quite simple to understand…

Hard water is hard on your skin. Soft water is gentler on your skin. Hard water makes it difficult to get completely clean. Soft water is better for getting your body completely clean.

Squeaky Clean vs. Your Natural Sheen

Some people get used to the feeling of washing their bodies in hard water. They incorrectly assume that the “squeaky clean feeling” we get after showering means the soap did its job.

However, what you’re really experiencing is the sticky soap scum all over you – not to mention dead skin and dirt that didn’t get washed away.

On the other hand, when some people first have a water softener installed in their home, they notice a slick or slippery feeling to their skin. It’s easy to assume you are not getting completely clean and blame it on the soft water, but that’s not the case.

The slippery feeling is how your clean skin is actually supposed to feel. Since the natural oils from your own body haven’t been stripped from your skin, it feels different. Don’t forget, those natural oils serve an important purpose.

The truth is, the idea of “squeaky clean skin” is more of a marketing tactic than anything else. That squeak comes from mineral deposits and soap scum.

Water Quality and Skin Conditions

Softening your water is not a cure for any sort of skin disease or chronic condition. However, it can be a helpful step towards avoiding irritation and improving certain health problems.

There has been a significant amount of research examining how hard water may impact the common skin condition, eczema. This is something that experts say affects 20% of kids 11 and under, as well as 8% of teenagers and adults.

One study that took place in the U.K. found schoolchildren who lived in areas with hard water were 50% more likely to suffer from eczema. Other agencies have identified hard water as an environmental trigger for eczema.

Hard water may not be the cause of skin conditions, but there is a lot of evidence indicating it can aggravate things further. With soft water, you’ll be less likely to clog your pores and dry out your skin, you won’t be as itchy and irritated, and you’ll be more likely to have the beautiful, clear skin you want.

So Should You Get a Water Softener?

Skin and hair issues may not be the only problem hard water is causing you and your family. Check out our article on 8 Major Hard Water Problems for even more signs. And see how hard water effects your appliances .

If you’re sick and tired of dealing with hard water in your home, a water softener is the most effective and most permanent solution to hard water challenges. Water-Right makes some of the most innovative residential water treatment products on the market.

All Water-Right dealers are equipped to help you with your problem water needs.
Impression Series® & Sanitizer Plus® Products
WaterCare® Products
Evolve® Products

Click the links above to visit the websites of these trusted brands.

Why does my water softener need salt?

Tue, 12 Mar 2019 01:44:33 GMT

What does salt do for my water softener and why is it necessary? Find out the cool science behind how it works to provide your home with quality water.

Link: http://www.water-rightgroup.com/blog/why-does-my-water-softener-need-salt/

What's the best type of salt?

Tue, 12 Mar 2019 01:40:55 GMT

If you find yourself needing salt for your softener without knowing what type to purchase, here is a basic explanation of what you should know before your trip to the store.

Link: http://www.water-rightgroup.com/blog/best-type-softener-salt/

6 Warning Signs of Hard Water in the Home

Tue, 12 Mar 2019 01:39:26 GMT

You may be living with some common symptoms of hard water and just not realize it! Check out this blog to learn more about what to keep an eye out for throughout your home.

Link: https://www.evolveseries.com/about-us/blog/33049-6-warning-signs-of-hard-water-in-the-home.html

HARD WATER AFFECTS THE WAY YOU LOOK

Thu, 13 Sep 2018 01:15:02 GMT

Top 5 Signs You have Hard Water in Your Home

Fri, 07 Sep 2018 19:52:53 GMT

HARD WATER SPOTS AND STAINS | GET RID OF THEM FOR GOOD

jinky.cantal@thryv.com (Jinky E. CANTAL) — Fri, 29 Jun 2018 05:55:09 GMT

Hard Water, Water Problems, Water Softeners

Friday, January 26, 2018 12:00 AM

We all realize that keeping your home looking fresh and clean takes a lot of hard work. Unfortunately, hard water makes that job much more difficult.

Whether its soap scum in your shower, streaks on your mirror, crusty white residue on your fixtures, or stains in your toilet, getting rid of those unsightly spots is a major chore. If you’re looking for DIY home cleaning advice, we’ve got some for you.

But … if you’re looking for a way to check the task of scrubbing away hard water stains off your list once and for all, we’ll explain what you need to do.

What Causes Hard Water Spots?

Calcium and magnesium are what cause water to become “hard.” These minerals are dissolved in your home’s water from rocks beneath the earth’s surface. When the water evaporates, it leaves mineral deposits behind.

Some people assume that only homes with private wells have hard water problems . The truth is, at least 85 percent of U.S. households have water that’s considered hard. That includes many people with city water, because municipal water treatment does not address hardness.

Hard water is the reason for clogged shower heads and dirty faucets covered in chalky white residue. Calcium and magnesium also create soap scum in your shower or bathtub. When these dissolved minerals combine with soap, they form a bound that creates the thick residue.

According to home living blog The Spruce , if soap scum is left uncleaned for too long, it can lead to mold and mildew. Soap scum on vinyl shower curtains can leave behind a microbial film that harbors nasty bacteria. At this point, you’re probably in the mood to grab some rubber gloves and start cleaning.

Hard Water Spot and Stain Removal Hacks

There are certain cleaning products formulated to help remove soap scum and hard water spots. These products essentially soften your water for you as you clean. Yet, many homeowners prefer not to use harsh chemicals if possible. Here are a few DIY tips for folks who’d rather use typical household products to attack soap scum. The common ingredients include: white vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, and Borax.

1. Clean Soap Scum with a Spray Bottle

To get rid of widespread soap scum in your shower, try mixing together half white distilled vinegar and half water in a spray bottle. Let the solution sit for a few minutes before wiping down the shower. The acidity of the vinegar helps to combat the alkaline minerals in the hard water deposits. You may want to use a squeegee on glass shower doors and mirrors.

2. Stained Fixtures

If the area around your sinks or other fixtures contains a lot of chalky residue, soak some paper towels in white vinegar and wrap them around the base of the fixture. Leave the wet towels in place for about an hour. Then, rinse it with water and wipe away the remaining scum.

3. Toilet Hard Water Stains

For toilets with ugly hard water spots, try pouring a mixture of either vinegar and baking soda, or vinegar and Borax in the bowl. As you may already know, these combinations will create a fizzy chemical reaction that could help you clean away stains with your toilet brush.

Use about a cup of baking soda with one cup of white vinegar. Of if you use Borax, mix a quarter cup to one cup of vinegar.

4. Make a Stain-Fighting Paste

For particularly stubborn stains, such as those found on grout and ceramic tile, you can use Borax or baking soda with white vinegar to create a paste. In this case, you’d use less vinegar and more of the powdered ingredient to form a thicker substance, which you can spread on problem areas.

After applying the paste to the stain, wait about 15 minutes before scrubbing it away.

5. Clogged Showerheads

If your shower seems to be gradually losing water pressure, it may be that the showerhead has become calcified with mineral deposits from hard water. To solve this problem, remove the showerhead and let it soak in a container of white vinegar for a few hours before scrubbing it with a brush.

Don’t want to take off the showerhead? Another technique some homeowners use is mixing vinegar and baking soda in a plastic bag and placing the solution over the showerhead with a rubber band to let it soak.

6. Lemon Juice Solution

If you go to your pantry and realize you’ve used all your white vinegar for other household cleaning hacks, you could also try using lemon juice. The cleaning experts at Maid Brigade say spraying lemon juice on faucets and fixtures with hard water stains is an effective alternative to chemical cleaners.

Want a Permanent Solution? Get a Water Softener!

The problem with all the cleaning hacks we’ve listed above is that you’ll have to keep doing them over and over again. Soap scum and hard water stains will keep coming back until you address the real problem … the quality of your home’s water.

When you have a water softener installed in your home, it will remove the calcium and magnesium. Soft water won’t leave the same residue all over your home. Plus, soft water is ideal for cleaning, which means it will make housework a lot easier.

In fact, yet another issue with having hard water is you tend to use excessive amounts of cleaning product to counteract the effects of those minerals. In-depth studies have found a water softener can help you save hundreds of dollars on cleaning products every year.

What You Can’t See Could Cause Even More Damage

For most modern homes, a high-quality water softener is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.

If you notice a lot of soap scum and hard water stains around your home, there’s a good chance hard minerals are causing bigger problems than housecleaning headaches.

Mineral deposits can clog up your plumbing in much the same way cholesterol buildup clogs arteries. Hard water causes certain appliances like washing machines and water heaters to become inefficient and wear out sooner than expected. Because hard water doesn’t work well with most soaps and detergents, residue also gets left behind on your laundry , causing fading and deterioration of fabrics.

Worst of all, that same soap scum in your shower is left behind on your hair and skin. It can cause dryness, irritation, and a not-so-lovely look that’s known as “hard water hair.”

The good news is, a water softener can solve all these problems for you. If the issues we’ve mentioned in this article sound familiar to you, consider contacting a local Water-Right expert for a free evaluation of your home’s water quality .

All Water-Right® dealers are equipped to help you with your water treatment needs.

Click the links above to visit the websites of our trusted brands . You can use the “Find a Dealer” tool to locate a professional near you and have an expert come to your home to evaluate your situation.

For those who have serious concerns about water quality or potential contamination, you can have your water tested at our Clean Water Testing center to get the answers you need.

Water quality differs throughout the whole country. What are the issues in the Northeastern states and how might they affect you? Find out from this blog article.

jinky.cantal@thryv.com (Jinky E. CANTAL) — Fri, 29 Jun 2018 05:45:34 GMT

Friday, November 3, 2017 11:00 AM

COMMON REGIONAL WATER PROBLEMS: NORTHEASTERN U.S.

Nov 03, 2017 | Regional Water Problems

The Northeastern United States is full of history, from the Statue of Liberty in New York City to the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. The Northeast is a unique American region. However, it also comes with some unique problem water.

We spoke with two Water-Right experts based in the Northeast about the kinds of water problems they regularly encounter in the field. Regional Sales Manager Kevin Osborn works in New England and New York state while Water-Right Vice President Greg Gruett covers the rest of the region. Both help train our network of expert water treatment dealers in the following states:

Connecticut
Delaware
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Vermont

One thing Osborn notes about the difference between the Northeast compared to some other areas of the country is the level of hard minerals (calcium and magnesium) typically found in the water.

“Hardness isn’t always a major issue in New England,” Osborn says. ““Even though when we see hard water, the average hardness ranges from 15 to 20 grains per gallon (gpg) and we do have pockets where it gets much harder, the bigger issues is iron and low pH. Although Western New York is one place where the hardness is a lot higher, but in those cases so is the pH.”

The magnesium and calcium in harder water raise its alkalinity. However, in areas where the water isn’t quite as hard, the acidity of low pH water can cause problems such as corroded plumbing, pinhole leaks in pipes, and blue-green stains.

Although the water in the Northeastern U.S. may not be extremely hard, it’s still hard enough to cause issues, and not just for homeowners with private wells. Gruett says our dealers get plenty of calls from people with city water problems, including hardness. Too often people fail to realize that while city water is treated, it is not softened.

Even lower levels of hardness can cause problems over time. That’s especially true for the damage lime scale can cause to water-using appliances. Plus, hard water makes those appliances less effective, too. More homeowners in Northeastern states are noticing this because of changes made to the ingredients in common household cleaners.

“They took all the phosphates out of soaps and detergents for environmental reasons,” Gruett explains. “Those phosphates were softening the water, which protected the appliance and made soap products clean better. Now, people are complaining that their dishwashers and washing machines don’t work anymore.”

That means dirty dishes, dingy laundry, and appliances that break down sooner than normal. All of this could be solved with the installation of the right water softener , which Gruett says is becoming essential in the modern home.

Another common grievance about city water in the Northeast region stems from chlorination during municipal water treatment.

“A big complaint we get from homeowners is that the water smells or tastes like a swimming pool,” Gruett says. “That’s because municipalities are increasing chlorine content due to federal regulations.”

Of course, there are plenty of people in the Northeast getting their water from private wells, too. Iron and manganese contamination tend to be common problems, even more so than hardness. Stains on sinks and toilets or drinking water with a metallic taste are telltale signs. Osborn says there’s a unique media used for effective filtration of iron and manganese in the Northeast.

“Manganese actually tends to cause more issues in my region and Green Sand Plus tends to be our go-to media, because it’s also better for low pH waters,” Osborn says. “It’s a catalytic media that oxidizes the water and converts iron from ferrous to ferric while going after slight odors such as sulfur as well.”

A particularly unique issue to homes along the East Coast is salt water intrusion which increases chlorides in the water causing high total dissolved solids (TDS). Salt water intrusion occurs along the coast when water from the ocean makes its way into groundwater or other fresh water aquifers.

“In upstate New York, there are salt mines, so you have wells with high TDS from chlorides there as well,” Osborn adds.

While most people complain about the look, smell, or taste of water, there has been increased awareness about potentially dangerous contaminants you can’t detect with your senses. For example, Gruett says people continue to express concerns about lead contamination in the aftermath of what happened in Flint, Michigan.

“Every mom and dad wants to know if their water is safe for the kids and free of lead,” Gruett says. “All of these East Coast towns were built before World War I. So, there are old pipes everywhere and they’re not tearing up the infrastructure to replace them.”

Gruett says positive test results are happening more frequently because lead tests are now being taken using a “first draw” method. That means the water doesn’t run before a sample is drawn, and that makes it more likely that lead will have leached from old plumbing. Learn more about lead contamination here on our blog.

In most cases, Water-Right believes water is safe for human consumption and we don’t want to raise unnecessary alarm. However, for homeowners who want more peace of mind about their water, we recommend installing a reverse osmosis (R.O.) drinking water system.

An R.O. system will also remove other potentially harmful contaminants that may be present in the Northeastern U.S.

“In New England, we definitely deal with arsenic and uranium, and there can be issues with radon in the water as well,” Osborn says. He goes on to say that getting your water tested by experts is the best way to know it is safe.

“Honestly, most people only test their water when they have an aesthetic problem. If harmful bacteria like E. coli were purple, then you’d have everybody calling because they could see it. There’s a field test for nearly everything, but testing for some of the more serious contaminants should be done by a state certified lab.”

Water-Right’s network of dealers has access to the state-certified Clean Water Testing laboratory, and our experts can help whenever you have questions about water quality.

“We’re dealing with Mother Nature and she is unpredictable,” Osborn says. “If I could control nature it would be 70 degrees outside all the way until November. Homeowners need to understand that their water quality can change due to the environment as well as because of local construction. Just because you don’t have a problem today doesn’t mean there won’t be a problem tomorrow.”

All Water-Right® dealers are equipped to help you with your needs.

Click the links above to visit the websites of our trusted brands. You can use the ‘Find a Dealer’ tool to locate a professional near you and have an expert come to your home to evaluate your situation.

For those who have serious concerns about water quality or potential contamination, you can have your water tested at our Clean Water Testing center to get the answers and peace of mind you need.

Showering in hard water (Are you really getting clean?)

jinky.cantal@thryv.com (Jinky E. CANTAL) — Fri, 29 Jun 2018 05:40:02 GMT

Wednesday, October 18, 2017 11:50 PM

Jan 18, 2016 | Water & Home Living

For many of us, taking a shower is priceless personal time. You’re alone with your thoughts getting ready for the day, winding down from a workout or hectic daily schedule.

You are supposed to get out feeling clean and refreshed. But if you’re showering in hard water, your showering experience could definitely be better.

In fact, when you bathe or shower in hard water, you may not be getting as clean as you should. Here’s why…

How Minerals in Hard Water Keep You from Getting Clean

Dissolved minerals like calcium and magnesium are what make the water in your home hard. Those minerals also create an undesirable chemical reaction with your soap, shampoo, and body wash as well as shaving cream.

What happens is the calcium and magnesium ions in hard water react with fatty acids in soap to form insoluble lime soaps , which are ineffective at cleaning.

If you were paying attention during Chemistry class, here’s the chemical equation:

2 C17H35COO−Na+ + Ca2+ → (C17H35COO)2Ca + 2 Na+

In this chemical reaction, positively-charged calcium ions replace sodium ions in your shampoo or soap leaving scum and lime scale deposits on your skin and in your hair.

That’s right. If you have hard water, the same disgusting soap scum you’re always scrubbing in the tub is on your body too.

The best way to know if you’re dealing with hard water problems in the shower is to look at how well you’re lathering up. Hard water prevents you from getting a nice soapy lather in the shower. When you have soft water, it’s much easier to produce a foamy lather from your soap and shampoo.

After installing a water softener in their home, some people notice their skin feels slick and even slippery after bathing.

Part of this may be due to the fact you aren’t accustomed to how truly-clean skin feels. What you feel might simply be the real you . But you may also be in the habit of using too much soap. You won’t need to use as much with soft water.

How Hard Water Affects Your Hair

Have you ever noticed how your hair can look and feel different when you shower in different places?

Your hair behaves one way after showering at the gym, turns out another way when you’re vacationing or staying in a hotel, and looks completely different when you wash your hair at home.

That’s most likely because the hardness of the water varies from location to location.

A writer for the beauty website xoVain experienced some hard water showering issues when she vacationed in rural Wisconsin. She provides some great advice for showering in different types of water.

If you have hard water at home, your hair may feel dry all the time and become frizzy making it tangled and difficult to manage. It may also have a dull, lifeless appearance. That’s because those minerals and deposits build up in your hair.

With a water softener in your home, those hard water issues are eliminated. You will find that your hair has a more-attractive shine when you shower in softened water. And soft water will make your hair more manageable, so it’s easier for you to style it the way you want.

Sometimes people with finer hair complain that soft water can make their hair feel flat or even greasy. This is probably because you’re using too much soap and not rinsing it out of the hair completely. Rinsing your hair in the shower for a little longer may solve that problem.

Of all the hard water hair issues, the scariest has to be hair loss. Calcium build up can form around the base of hair follicles causing hair to break off and potentially hindering growth of new hair.

How Hard Water Affects Your Skin

Hard water can give you skin troubles too. Let’s start with the scalp.

The calcium salts that build up in your scalp can cause dryness and flaking, AKA dandruff.

You might assume it’s the shampoo you buy causing dandruff. But hard water may be the real culprit.

Hard water can make the rest of your skin feel dry and itchy as well. That’s thanks to the soapy residue left on your body, which clogs pores. Plus, the minerals in hard water can suck moisture right out of your skin leaving it even more dry and irritated.

In fact, certain studies indicate hard water may cause additional aggravation in people with skin conditions like eczema and dermatitis. According to the dermatology site DermaHarmony.com :

“While hard water itself doesn’t cause dermatitis, it can irritate the condition or even initiate a flare-up. The combination of hard water with a co-existing dermatitis condition can lead to more frequent and severe outbreaks.”

Even washing clothes in hard water can be problematic to those with sensitive skin. Hard water leaves soap residue on your laundry too, and that residue is in contact with your skin all day long. If you have sensitive skin, the soft water a high-quality water softener provides could help you avoid much of the dehydration that occurs.

As the American Cleaning Institute explains, soap’s “effectiveness is reduced when used in hard water.” That means not only will you fail to get clean in the shower, it will be tougher to keep your house clean as well.

With hard water, you’ll end up using more soap to keep your body clean and more product to clean your home too. Softer water could mean you save significant money and time in the long run.

What Can You Do?

If you have a private well, you’re definitely dealing with hard water. But the majority of municipal water sources have levels of hardness as well. According to the USGS, in the United States, 85% of the water is considered hard.

There are certainly little tips and tricks you can use to try and improve your showering experience. However, there’s really only one permanent solution…that’s a water softener.

Water softeners remove those dissolved minerals from the water in your home. They are an investment that will make life for you and your family more convenient and more enjoyable.

Want to learn more about water conditioning options and what kind of water softener would be ideal for your home? Water-Right’s product lines are among the best residential water treatment options in the industry.

All Water-Right dealers are equipped to help you with your problem water needs. Impression Series® & Sanitizer Plus® Products WaterCare® Products Evolve® Products

WATER QUALITY AWARENESS 10 ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT U S TAP WATER

jinky.cantal@thryv.com (Jinky E. CANTAL) — Fri, 29 Jun 2018 04:08:09 GMT

by Policy Well and Pump Co Inc, Thursday, August 10, 2017 12:14 PM

Water & Health

August is National Water Quality Awareness Month, and it comes at a time when drinking water in America is making headlines again.

Researchers say the water crisis in Flint, Michigan , is nearing an end as tests show significantly fewer homes have water contaminated with lead. The situation there has heightened awareness about drinking water contamination nationwide, which could be more widespread than the public realizes.

Lead is far from the only thing that can contaminate a home’s water, and it’s important to know what your family is drinking. This article is not intended to shock and scare people about water quality. However, you should be aware of possible risks and take steps to keep your family safe and healthy.

Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about water quality in the U.S.

1. How Does U.S. Water Quality Compare to the Rest of the World?

We are very fortunate to live in part of the world in which the water quality is much better than other places. That’s why you’re often warned not to drink tap water when you travel to certain foreign countries.

This infographic , which cites research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), indicates only the U.S. and Canada along with western Europe, Japan, and Australia have tap water that’s considered safe for drinking.

According to the organization WaterAid , more than 650 million people around the world have no access to safe drinking water, and 900 children die every day because of digestive issues from unclean water and poor sanitation.

While it’s true that things could be much worse for Americans, we must continue to be vigilant about water quality.

2. Who Regulates the Water We Drink?

The answer to this question depends on which kind of drinking water you’re talking about. There are multiple agencies responsible for regulating water quality in the U.S., and there are some who are more critical about the way it’s handled.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is in charge of overseeing the water that comes out of your tap. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversees and regulates the quality of bottled water.

Individual states are responsible for regulating water that is bottled and sold within their borders. Finally, your municipality must make sure it is following federal and state standards regarding water quality.

The EPA does not regulate private wells, and rules for testing differ from state to state. In many cases, it is the homeowner’s responsibility to make sure their well water is safe.

3. What are Water Contaminants?

According to the EPA, the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) defines water contaminants quite broadly. A contaminant can be anything that isn’t a water molecule. So if it’s not H2O, it’s technically a contaminant.

This means that not every contaminant is unsafe to consume. For instance, the dissolved minerals found in 80% of the water in the U.S. pose no health risks. However, minerals like calcium and magnesium can cause hard water problems .

There are many other water contaminants that could lead to health problems. The Water Quality Association (WQA) provides a list of common water contaminants and documents their potential health risks.

The EPA says water contaminants can be:

Physical – sediment or organic material that changes water’s physical properties.
Chemical – either naturally-occurring or man-made.
Biological – microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, and parasites.
Radiological – chemical elements that emit radiation such as cesium, plutonium, and uranium.

4. What Contaminants Might be Found in Ground Water?

According to GroundWater.org , more than half of the U.S. depends on groundwater, which can be used for municipal water and as the source of water for people with private wells.

Groundwater is an important resource, but it can become easily contaminated and polluted. As the experts at The Groundwater Foundation explain …

“Groundwater contamination occurs when man-made products such as gasoline, oil, road salts and chemicals get into the groundwater and cause it to become unsafe and unfit for human use. Materials from the land’s surface can move through the soil and end up in the groundwater.”

Those materials also include pesticides, fertilizer, and other agricultural runoff like manure, as well as toxic material from hazardous waste sites and leaky landfills.

The graphic below shows the many ways groundwater becomes contaminated and the sources from which those contaminants may come.

5. What Goes Into Municipal Water?

Municipal water is processed at a water treatment facility before it’s delivered to the public, which should make it safe for residents to use.

Municipalities add chemicals to the water when it is treated. One of the most common chemicals used in water treatment is chlorine, which is used as a disinfectant to kill bacteria and other microbes. Sometimes chloramine, a combination of chlorine and ammonia, is also used.

A small, but potential risk of these chemicals comes from byproducts they create in the water when reacting with organic compounds. Those byproducts are trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs). Some studies indicate THMs and HAAs are linked to increase risk of serious health problems like cancer and heart disease.

However, it’s important to note that water quality would be much worse if municipalities did not use these chemicals to eliminate what could be harmful. The World Health Organization (WHO) says health risks from chlorine are small compared to the dangers of failing to properly disinfect public water.

6. How Does Lead Get in Drinking Water?

Due to the media attention Flint, Michigan, received over its water crisis, a lot of people have questions about lead in public water systems around the U.S.

Lead (as well as copper) typically enters the public supply by leaching into water from corroded fixtures and outdated plumbing. Homes built before 1986 will likely have plumbing with copper pipes using solder that may contain lead.

Lead can cause serious negative health effects, especially in children. The challenge is that it is undetectable by human senses. You can check with your local water authority for information about lead levels, but it’s important to note that the CDC and EPA say there’s no level of lead recognized as safe for consumption.

If you have concerns about the presence of lead in your water, you can have it tested in a state-certified laboratory. You can also read more in our article on lead in drinking water .

7. What if My Water Tastes, Smells, or Looks Strange?

Certain things can affect the flavor, odor, and appearance of your tap water, not all of them are necessarily harmful.

Many people with public water can taste the chlorine, although the most noticeable problems tend to come from private wells. Contaminants like sulfur can impact the smell, while iron will cause discoloration and staining.

The overall amount of total dissolved solids (TDS) in your tap water will definitely affect the taste, smell, and appearance. While many of these issues are not serious concerns, they can certainly be a nuisance. Water filtration systems, including a high-efficiency water softener to reduce hardness, can provide solutions.

You can contact a residential water treatment expert to come to your home and evaluate things like mineral content and TDS. Check out our pictorial about in-home water quality consultations to see what you can expect during a visit from one of our trained experts.

8. Is Bottled Water Safer and Cleaner than Tap Water?’

You might think the safest bet is to purchase bottled water at the store if you want to avoid contaminants in the water you drink. In the past 10 to 15 years, regulations surrounding the quality of bottled water have improved, and bottlers need to back up their claims concerning how their product is marketed. However, bottled water may not be the most cost-effective or environmentally-friendly way to get quality drinking water.

In many cases, bottled water is nothing more than tap water that has usually been treated. This means you could be wasting your money and creating unnecessary waste by drinking bottled water when other filtration options can give you the same quality in your home.

Learn more about why you should stop buying bottled water here on our blog.

9. How Can I be Sure My Water is Safe to Drink?

The most trustworthy way to find out what’s in your water and its safety is to send samples to a state-certified lab and have it tested.

You can also do some of your own initial research into water quality. For example, the EPA requires your local water utility to provide a Consumer Confidence Report on water quality every year. It should have details on contaminants that may be in your water and the health risks. Use this online tool to find out how to get your report.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) also provides an online database to help people find reports from their area.

For homeowners with a private well, the Groundwater Foundation recommends having your water tested at a state-certified lab, like Water-Right’s Clean Water Testing, at least once every year.

Water samples for testing should be taken from the source as well as the tap. For bacterial concerns, it’s best for homeowners to contact a local lab because the bacteria could die before an out-of-state lab can test for contamination. For instance, e-coli only lives in water for 48 hours, so testing must be done as soon as possible.

10. Are There Residential Water Treatment Products that Can Help?

If you want complete peace of mind concerning what’s in your water, there are various in-home water filtration options.

One of the best ways to reduce contaminants and get safe water from the tap is to install a reverse osmosis (R.O.) system. Find out more about how R.O. systems work as well as the benefits of reverse osmosis water here on our blog.

Yet another option for improving water quality is a UV light purification system .

All Water-Right dealers are equipped to help you with your water needs.

INFOGRAPHIC | WHAT IS YOUR HOME’S WATER PROBLEM?

jinky.cantal@thryv.com (Jinky E. CANTAL) — Fri, 29 Jun 2018 04:08:07 GMT

by Policy Well & Pump Co Inc, Thursday, August 10, 2017 12:11 PM

Water Problems

Access to quality water is easy to take for granted, but when something’s not right with your home’s water, you want it fixed as soon as possible.

Figuring out what’s wrong can be tricky. That’s why we created this infographic listing some of the most common symptoms of household water problems and some likely causes.

Do any of these issues look familiar to you?

Hard Water – Why Your Appliances Don’t Stand the Test of Time

jinky.cantal@thryv.com (Jinky E. CANTAL) — Fri, 29 Jun 2018 03:52:00 GMT

Thursday, June 1, 2017 7:47 PM

They just don’t make things like they used to.

You’ve probably muttered a statement like that when replacing a washing machine that kicked the bucket, calling a service tech to repair your dishwasher, or had a water heater leak all over the floor.

Link: http://www.water-rightgroup.com/blog/hard-water-appliances/

Hard Water - 8 Major Signs You Have Problems in Your Home

jinky.cantal@thryv.com (Jinky E. CANTAL) — Fri, 29 Jun 2018 03:50:15 GMT

Tuesday, April 4, 2017 1:17 PM

Like 85% of the nations' population, your are likely among the many individuals dealing with one or more of the common problems caused by hard water. Learn more about why your water may be causing strange stains, funky smells, and other complications in this blog post from Water-right.

Link: http://www.water-rightgroup.com/blog/8-hard-water-...