Water Treatment FAQ
Which Water Conditioning Company Should I Call?
Terrytown Plumbing carries a full line of water treatment systems. Just bring us a sample of your water to test and we will recommend the system that is right for you and your family.
What Should I Look For in a Water Conditioner?
Make sure the unit has enough resin to treat all the water you and your family will use. Terrytown's professionals will be able to size a unit to suit your needs.
Another important feature is the way in which the softener is "told" to regenerate. The most common way that a water softener begins a regeneration is by using a meter. These units have a meter installed in the head of the unit and simply measure how many gallons of water you actually used. The unit is set according to your water hardness, size of family etc. and will recharge when the gallons used approach exhaustion of the resin bed, saving you a high percentage of your recharge salt and water.
Softener Series TTP Uses Brochure
I Have a Water Conditioner, Now My Skin Feels "Slimy"
When the hardness minerals are removed, soap no longer forms a soap curd on your skin, plugging your pores and clinging to every strand of hair. You are now truly clean. That slick, slimy feeling you feel is your natural body oils -- without the soap scum. The old saying that you get "squeaky clean" is a myth; that feeling was caused by the soap scum on your skin. By the way, that soap scum provided an excellent place for bacteria to hide and grow, causing numerous minor skin ailments.
My Water Stinks! What can I Do?
Many smells are not in the raw water at all, they are introduced into the water inside the house. Go to a cold, treated water faucet inside the house, turn it on and let it run a minute; then smell. Now go outside and turn on the outside faucet (which should not be treated water.) If the inside water smells, and the outside, untreated water didn't -- you must have a device (cartridge filter, water softener, etc.) in the water line that needs to be looked at.
If the cold, treated water inside didn't smell, turn on the hot water and let it run a few minutes -- does it smell? If it does, chances are you have a sacrificial anode inside your water heater that is deteriorating and throwing off a "rotten egg" odor. This obnoxious smell will drive you right out of your shower! Contact Terrytown Plumbing to get recommendations on how to treat this situation.
OK, It's My Raw Water That Smells -- Now What?
First, you must determine what is causing the smell, and how strong it is.
Minor, Musty Smell
If it is a minor, or low-level smell, you MIGHT be able to solve it with a small, point-of-use carbon filter. You can place these types of filters on the water line going to the cold water where you draw you drinking water. Or, you might solve it with a whole-house filter on your incoming water line to filter all of the water inside your home.
Strong, Rotten-egg Smell
Strong, rotten-egg odors in the raw water is usually the result of the decomposition of decaying underground organic deposits. As water is drawn to the surface, hydrogen sulfide gas can be released to the atmosphere. In strong concentrations, this gas is flammable and poisonous. It rapidly tarnishes silver, turning it black. It is toxic to aquarium fish in sufficient quantities. As little as 0.5 ppm hydrogen sulfide can be tasted in your drinking water.
I Have Red Stains in My Sinks and Other Fixtures -- Help!
Red stains are normally caused by iron in the water. You must test to determine the amount and the type of iron you have. It only takes 0.3 ppm to stain clothes, fixtures, etc.
I Have Blue or Green Stains on My Fixtures -- Help!
You either have copper in your water supply, or you have copper pipes and corrosive water. Test for copper in your water. Test the pH, total dissolved solids content and the oxygen content of your water.
Copper
Copper can be removed by ion exchange, i.e., a water softener. The removal rate is about the same as it is for iron.
Copper Pipes and Corrosive Water
If your pH is from 5 to 7, you may raise it by passing the water through a sacrificial media. By sacrificing calcium carbonate into the water, the corrosively will be reduced. If the pH is below 5 Terrytown Plumbing has the right equipment to correct the problem.
If the corrosivity is caused by excess oxygen, the hot water will be much more corrosive than the cold. Treatment is by feeding polyphosphate or silicates to coat and protect the plumbing, or to aerate the water to release the excess oxygen.
Some water may contain many of the above issues. The water may be hard, it may have iron and it may have pH issues. Terrytown Plumbing carries a unit that will treat several issues at once which is limiting the amount of equipment the homeowner is required to buy and maintain.
