Which Water Treatment System Is Best For Your Home?

Having a water softener installed in your home makes most homeowners feel good about the quality of their drinking water. However, depending on your homes water a softener may not be enough to remove the contaminants that are still in the water that you drink, use to wash food, cook with, and more. A reverse osmosis system can eliminate the contaminants from your softened water including a solid percentage of the sodium left in the water after the softening process.

There are a number of reason that a water softener and reverse osmosis system work well together. A water softener protects a reverse osmosis unit. A reverse osmosis system is not as efficient at removing or reducing calcium and magnesium, the contents of hard water, as a water softening unit. Installing a water softener in combination with a RO system reduces the hardness level in the water acting as a protective level for the reverse osmosis unit keeping it from layer containments within the system and in turn extending the life of the system.

Another reason the two systems work well together is because they improve the quality of the families drinking water. Many people that install a whole house water softener also desire the installation of an under the sink reverse osmosis system in the kitchen. This type of system can be installed to service the kitchen tap, the refrigerator lines, or both.

A reverse osmosis unit takes your water softener to the next level helping to make sure the quality of your drinking water better. A water softener and reverse osmosis system work together. The softener gives you soft water throughout the house by eliminating minerals in the hard water while a RO unit increases the purity of the drinking water by removing impurities.

Once a water softener has been installed homeowners will notice a savings in energy expenses, increased appliance lifecycle, and a decrease in the usage of soaps and detergents. In fact, a water softener quickly pays for itself quickly. Reverse Osmosis owners find the same to be true as well. Once a RO unit has been installed the need for bottled water is non-existent. A water softener and a reverse osmosis system work together to reduce expenses and provide high quality drinking water.

If you already have a water softener installed call a water professional to help you choose the best reverse osmosis system to install. You want the RO unit to work in conjunction with one another and not compromise or interfere with the water softener. A little research will tell you what type of warranty the system has as well as the how filter maintenance exists.

Having a whole house water softener installed in conjunction with a reverse osmosis system allows you to give your family high quality drinking water. RO systems remove impurities that are still found in tap water after it has been run through a water softener.

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.

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In The News… Such Sad News For California

Wildfire intensity impacts water quality and its treatment in forested watersheds

The recent Thomas Fire in California was the largest wildfire in the state’s modern history. It scorched nearly 282,000 acres between December 2017 and January 2018, and serves as a reminder of how devastating such events can be. Now, researchers report that wildfires in forested watersheds can have a variable but predictable impact on the substances that are released from soils and flow into drinking water sources. The new research provides important insights for water utilities evaluating treatment options after severe wildfires.

The researchers will present their work today at the 255th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

“Wildfires can have dramatic effects on watersheds, in addition to destroying personal property,” Fernando L. Rosario-Ortiz, Ph.D., says. “But perhaps less obvious are their potential effects on drinking water sources, caused by altering soils and the fundamental processes of forested watersheds. We find that these fires can cause many substances to be released from soil into drinking water sources, leading to contamination. The nature and amount of the substances depend on the severity of the fire.”

Forested watersheds supply nearly two-thirds of U.S. drinking water sources and billions of consumers worldwide, according to the National Research Council. Healthy urban and rural forested watersheds absorb rainfall and snow melt, slow storm runoff, filter pollutants and provide critical habitats for fish and wildlife. In addition, forested watersheds provide recreational opportunities and help support local economies.

Following a wildfire, significant changes can occur in source water quality, which can impact water treatment processes. These changes include enhanced mobilization of nutrients, sediments and dissolved organic carbon (DOC), which can impact the ability of drinking water utilities to produce water that meets Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards. Utilities need accurate information regarding these impacts and how to respond to them.

Rosario-Ortiz and his team at the University of Colorado, Boulder have been studying the relationship between soil transformation and wildfires since 2012, when two wildfires burned the Upper Cache la Poudre River watershed in northern Colorado. The team simulated wildfires of different severities in the laboratory by heating soils to different temperatures and then analyzed the results.

“Up to a point, the warmer the soil gets, the more carbon- and nitrogen-containing compounds are released from soils,” Rosario-Ortiz says. “These compounds, which are generally characterized as DOC, can react with chemicals used to purify water and be transformed into disinfection byproducts, or DBPs, which you don’t want in drinking water.” In fact, the level of permissible DPBs is regulated by EPA. “But we were surprised to find that as a wildfire increases in severity, the amount of DOC released by the soil decreases, and instead you could end up with more sediments in the source waters,” Rosario-Ortiz says.

Now his team is studying how the release of organic compounds from soil into water changes during wildfires. “We found that there is an enhanced release of compounds with a lower average molecular weight, containing both more oxygen and nitrogen functionalities, compared with typical conditions,” Rosario-Ortiz reports. “The results from this work will help us better understand the overall effects that wildfires have on water quality and ultimately on the production of potable water.”

Rosario-Ortiz expects his research to find increasing application as the number and severity of wildfires increases due to climate change, extreme droughts, land disturbances and increased fuel loads.

Original Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/03/180320084403.htm

Date:March 20, 2018

Story Source:

Materials provided by American Chemical Society. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

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One More Reason To Consider A Water Filtration System

Major bottled water brands found to be contaminated with microplastics

Bottled water rose to popularity several decades ago thanks to a number of factors including its perceived superiority to tap water. It is often marketed as pure, clean, natural water thanks to the idea that it doesn’t have to travel through ancient buried pipes before it lands in your cup. It’s as good as it gets, right? Not so fast. A new study of 11 different bottled water brands from around the globe reveals that the crystal clear water we know and love is actually filled with tiny bits of plastic that often go completely unnoticed.

The study, which was conducted by researchers at the State University of New York at Fredonia, hunted for tiny, almost invisible pieces of plastic left over from the manufacturing process. The team looked at several popular brands, including Aquafina, Nestle Pure Life, Evian, Dasani, and San Pelligerino, and the results are rather interesting.

None of the brands that were tested were completely free of microplastics, and some had microplastic densities as high as 10,000 per liter. That’s a whole lot of itty bitty plastic bits that consumers are swallowing, and the verdict is still out on just how damaging they could be over the long term. Studies have shown that many microplastics pass through our bodies with little issue, but a significant percentage might be sticking around for a good while longer.

“Some particles might lodge in the intestinal wall,” Orb Media, a nonprofit organization which performed the research, explains. “Others might be taken up by intestinal tissue to travel through the body’s lymphatic system. Particles around 110 microns in size (0.11 millimeters) can be taken into the body’s hepatic portal vein, which carries blood from the intestines, gallbladder, pancreas and spleen to the liver.”

The tiny plastic pieces are thought to be leftovers from when the bottles and caps are manufactured. The materials were most often found to be polypropylene and nylon, but polyethylene was also detected in the samples. The incredibly wide range of contamination levels — from zero to over 10,000 per liter — suggests that some manufacturers are simply better at cleaning their products before filling them with drinking water, though none of the brands in the tests have made any public declarations of how they intend to use the findings to better their product.

Author: Mike Wehner

@MikeWehner

March 15th, 2018 at 9:18 AM

Original Source: http://bgr.com/2018/03/15/bottled-water-plastics-contamination-study/

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Picking A Suitable Well Water Iron Filter

Using a water softener system has been shown to extend the life expectancy of plumbing because it eliminates scale build-up in pipes and fittings. Not only does hard water clog your plumbing but it also reduces the efficiency of your water heater and other household appliances.

You know that the water you are using is hard if soaps and detergent do not dissolve or lather easily and you have probably noticed that your once shiny silverware now appear dull and do not have that sparkle after washing them. Hard water is also known to dry the skin and hair and leave white mineral deposits on your surfaces.

Some homeowners don’t mind using hard water, aside from the annoying scale buildup in the plumbing system. However, if increasing the efficiency of your appliances, plumbing, and heating is your goal installing a whole house water softener with a special filter for iron will get the job done.

The whole house water softener with a special iron filter, is a chemical and maintenance-free process designed to remove water hardness including iron that causes the red staining and rust in your toilet bowls, sinks, and appliances. The system eliminates that iron-tasting and rotten egg odor which originates from well and city water that has high amounts of iron and manganese.

A water softener with an iron water filter unit is economical, it requires much less space and it’s easy to operate because it replenishes itself on demand in a process that washes the stored iron out of the filter bed and down the drain. Every home needs something unique to their water needs and therefore only after a water analysis is performed should a water treatment system be purchased.

A reverse osmosis water softener is a home water filtration system that uses pressure to force water through a semi-permeable membrane that allows it to pass through while blocking up to 99% of impurities and contaminants. In addition to producing safe, clean, and the purest quality of water, the reverse osmosis water softener is convenient to use. It is easy to clean and only requires a periodic replacement of disposable filters.

A reputable water conditioning company will be able to assess your family’s needs and install a water treatment solution that is designed specifically for your water and usage. Quality drinking water is a need for all homes. A proper water softener can not only improve your homes water quality.

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.

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How do Water Softeners Work?

A water softener is a special type of filter that eliminates calcium and magnesium in hard water and replaces them with sodium through the ion exchange system. Since calcium and magnesium interfere with the action of soaps and detergents while sodium does not, a water softening system is important to ensure detergents are able to eliminate dirt and oil stains more effectively. It also provides a slippery feel to the skin when you wash.

Components Of A Water Softener

A water softener is made up of three major components –a resin or mineral tank, a control valve, and a salt-water tank. The mineral tank is the area where water softening takes place and incoming water passes through plastic-like beads also known as resin and made of polystyrene. These beads have a charge that is negative, attracting calcium and magnesium from the water since they are positively charged.

The attraction ensures calcium and magnesium adheres to the plastic beads as water flows through the tank. As the water gets to the bottom area of the tank, “softening” would have taken place. The “softened” or conditioned water now passes through a riser tube and outlet manifold, before it is distributed through a cold-water pipe to the house.

Over time, the resin droplets become caked with calcium and magnesium and must be “recharged” or cleaned to be as efficient as it should be. The control valve exerts some form of control in the system since the recharge process is designed to take place based on the amount of water processed. Each cubic foot of resin can efficiently eliminate calcium and magnesium minerals from about 3,200 gallons of hard water. By contrast, about 750mg of sodium is in turn added each water gallon. This sodium content is considered as low range. However, for people who are concerned about sodium intake in general, resins that release potassium is the best option – although it is expensive.

A Process Of A Brine Tank

In association with the mineral tank, a brine tank helps with the regeneration process. During the “brine cycle”, salty or brine water is pumped out from the brine tank into the mineral tank. As water passes through the plastic beads, sodium is exchanged with the ions in the hard water, regenerating the attraction of the plastic beads in the process. When the brine tank is empty, a “slow rinse process” begins, which is followed by a more forceful rinse. These two cycles allow fresh water to rinse excess salts from the mineral tank, expelling it down the drain before the brine tank is refilled.

After the washing away of the hard water ions and any excess sodium, the brine tank is refilled, returning the system back to service cycle to begin the water softening process again. Since the regeneration process allows for the dissolution of salt in the brine tank, it is important that salt is replenished from time to time.

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Reasons to Purchase a Whole House Water Filter

One of the most vital elements that homeowners need to think about is the water in their home. Is the water safe? Can you drink water from the tap? Is the water hard? Does it leave stains on clothes or landscape? The water in your home is important and its importance increases every day because our water supply can be severely impacted due to several different elements. Contaminants can find their way into a homes water supply either by accident or by incident. Unfortunately, this keeps happening and at quiet an alarming rate. It is important for homeowners to be more aware of what is in the water coming from their homes.

In order to keep your homes water, it is essential to remove what is lurking in your homes water. One of the best ways that this can be accomplished is by installing a water softener, purification, arsenic removal, or filtration system. These water treatment solutions help keep your homes water safe for drinking, cooking, bathing, laundry, and a host of other activities.

Water treatment systems including a whole house water filtering system are important for a variety of reasons including:

First Line of Defense

A whole house water filter is important when it comes to the drinking water quality in your home. The water treatment systems that are in place within the house are the first line of defense in eliminating contaminants within your homes water supply.

High Mineral Content

If your homes water has high levels of minerals it can result in hard water throughout the home with can be a real problem for homeowners. Hard water allows plaque to build up in your homes plumbing equipment, is unhealthy to drink, wears out clothing quickly, reduces the later in soap, and causes stains to clothe and landscape. Having a whole house water filter and water treatment system is a good investment not only for your home but for your health and wardrobe as well.

Convenience

Water treatment systems removes the stress of having individual point of use products. Having a different filter for the shower, the garden, the bath, the water pitcher, and so on can be quite exhausting. A water treatment system for the whole house, at the point of entry to your home is the best way to go.

Everyone understands the importance of having a quality water supply throughout the house. The risk of an unhealthy water supply is completely eliminated by having a whole house water treatment and filtration system.

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How It Works: Water Softener

While water is in the ground, it picks up soluble bits of whatever it passes through. While this can mean contamination that makes the water unfit to drink, in many cases it simply means that the water contains minerals found in the earth. Of these, calcium and magnesium are of particular importance because they affect the water’s ability to function in our homes. These minerals make our water hard.

One effect of hard water is that soaps and detergents lose some effectiveness. Instead of dissolving completely, soap combines with the minerals to form a coagulated soap curd. Because less soap is dissolved, more is required. And the sticky insoluble curd hangs around–it clings to the skin and may actually inhibit cleansing. Washed hair seems dull and lifeless.

In the laundry, things aren’t much better. The soap curd can work its way into your clothes as they’re being washed in your automatic washing machine. This can keep dirt trapped in the fibers, and it can stiffen and roughen the fabric.

In addition to affecting the actual washing process, insoluble soap deposits leave spots on everything you wash–from your dishes to the family car–and a soap film will build up in your bath and shower.

Another reason to be concerned about hard water is its effect on your plumbing system. Calcium and magnesium deposits can build up in pipes, reducing flow to taps and appliances. In water heaters, these minerals generate a scale buildup that reduces the efficiency and life of the heater.

The Fix

The solution to the problem is to get rid of the calcium and magnesium. While there are chemical treatments that do this, the most popular answer is a water softener.

The typical water softener is a mechanical appliance that’s plumbed into your home’s water supply system. All water softeners use the same operating principle: They trade the minerals for something else, in most cases sodium. The process is called ion exchange.

The heart of a water softener is a mineral tank. It’s filled with small polystyrene beads, also known as resin or zeolite. The beads carry a negative charge.

Calcium and magnesium in water both carry positive charges. This means that these minerals will cling to the beads as the hard water passes through the mineral tank. Sodium ions also have positive charges, albeit not as strong as the charge on the calcium and magnesium. When a very strong brine solution is flushed through a tank that has beads already saturated with calcium and magnesium, the sheer volume of the sodium ions is enough to drive the calcium and magnesium ions off the beads. Water softeners have a separate brine tank that uses common salt to create this brine solution.

In normal operation, hard water moves into the mineral tank and the calcium and magnesium ions move to the beads, replacing sodium ions. The sodium ions go into the water. Once the beads are saturated with calcium and magnesium, the unit enters a 3-phase regenerating cycle. First, the backwash phase reverses water flow to flush dirt out of the tank. In the recharge phase, the concentrated sodium-rich salt solution is carried from the brine tank through the mineral tank. The sodium collects on the beads, replacing the calcium and magnesium, which go down the drain. Once this phase is over, the mineral tank is flushed of excess brine and the brine tank is refilled.

Original Source: http://siouxcityjournal.com/ads/service/plumbing/how-it-works-water-softener/ad_e67e0c36-15ae-11e8-94c2-932b5e9b7c8a.html

Original Author: Popular Mechanics

Original Date: Feb 23 2018

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Say Goodbye to Rust in Your Home’s Water

High concentration of certain minerals such as iron in your water is an indication of either a plumbing problem or an issue causing leakage of sediments from the pipes to the tap. Rust is a common term which refers to the presence of compounds such as iron and oxygen in water and it is usually formed when there is an exposure of free iron to water and oxygen in the air. There are different ways rust sediment can be eliminated. Two of the major water purification methods include the use of a water softener and water filter.

Water Softener

You may have tried different rust elimination options but still cannot get rid of rust stains on your sinks or shower. This is a common problem today and one that people battle with regularly. However, water softeners are just an ideal solution as they do not just reduce the rust stains from the water, they eliminate rust altogether.

An ion exchange water softener contains minerals such as sodium which combines chemically with iron to remove rust. When connected to your water supply, water softeners remove a wide variety of mineral compounds that make water “hard” and difficult to use. However, experts recommend that a water softener should only be used for drinking water with iron concentration below 2ppm.

Water Filtration

Water filtration for the elimination of rust is especially ideal if the iron concentration in your municipal water supply or well water is high. The best water filters are particularly designed to eliminate iron and any other contaminants such as manganese that often accompany it. Although water softening devices may be able to remove iron and even prevent staining, the resin bed can gradually become fouled with iron over time leading to decreased iron elimination efficiency. A better solution would be to install a water filter for iron elimination before water reaches the water softener. You could also install a special water filter to the main water supply line of your home if you prefer not to use a water softener.

Contact The Experts

It is best to avoid wasting money on trying out different iron elimination methods for water purification if you have any ongoing problems. It would be ideal to contact your local water filtration or water softener expert, so they can find the most suitable iron filter according to the water analysis of your home. Getting the right fit will save you costs in the long run as water purification systems that are too big or too small for your water contamination or water usage level will only cause energy wastage. With the best decisions for your home water, you can say goodbye to rust and welcome only clean, fresh water.

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New Setting for Water Softeners

Infrastructure & Services

With the Village of Yellow Springs’ new $7.2 million water plant now online, residents should adjust their water softeners to a new setting — 15 grains per gallon.

Because the new plant partially softens the water, which is naturally high in dissolved minerals or “hardness,” residents and businesses no longer have to soften their water as much, according to Village Water and Wastewater Superintendent Brad Ault this week. Before the new plant, the Village recommended a water softener setting of 30 grains per gallon.

High levels of dissolved calcium and magnesium from the underground limestone and dolomite formations that are the groundwater source of municipal wells are the culprits behind local water hardness. There is some evidence drinking hard water may be healthier, according to a 2014 News article.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, 85 percent of the country has hard water at its taps. But Yellow Springs water may be among the hardest water in the country. Locally, water hardness is measured at 471 milligrams per liter, twice as high as the U.S. average and more than twice what the USGS considers “very hard” (180 mg/l), according to a 2012 News series on water.

From the USGS: Hardness is a property of water that is not a health concern, but it can be a nuisance. Hard water can cause mineral buildup in plumbing, fixtures, and water heaters, and poor performance of soaps and detergents. Hard water was prevalent in the east-central and western United States, reflecting the distribution of carbonate aquifers and aquifers with relatively high concentrations of dissolved solids. (Photo from https://water.usgs.gov/edu/hardness.html)

In a 2011 News survey on local water, two-thirds of respondents said they fight local hard water with a water softener, which they must maintain by constantly adding salt. When not treated with a home softener, local water can clog pipes, cake in hot water heaters, dishwashers, washing machines, cloud dishes and form scum on bathtubs and showers. Adjusted to the new setting, locals will not have to add as much salt to their water softeners as they used to.

Original Source: http://ysnews.com/news/2018/01/new-setting-for-water-softeners

Original Date: Jan 26 2018

Original Author: Megan Bachman

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How Does Water Softener Work?

There are two types of water, hard and soft. Hard water is the most natural type of water that hasn’t been tainted by any chemical process. It becomes hard because before it reaches your taps at home, it seeps through the ground where it’s filtered by stones and mineral deposits containing all of the natural minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, etc. Drinking hard water is not harmful and could be a major contributor to cardiovascular disease mortality as well as that of calcium and magnesium to our diet.

Difficulties Of Cleaning With Hard Water

Hard water does, however, make cleaning task from laundering, dishwashing to bathing, and personal hygiene challenging. It makes soaps and detergents lose some effectiveness, and instead of lathering or dissolving completely, soaps tend to combine with the hard minerals to form a soapy mess.

This effect is evident because it leaves insoluble soap scum in your bathtub, washing basins, your shower, dishes, laundry machines, and roughens clothes too. Water softening is the process through which calcium and magnesium ions are eliminated from the water by using a mechanical appliance that is plumbed into your home’s water supply system.

Ion Exchange Method

There are different technologies including water filtration, and water purification methods that can be used to make hard water soft. Some water softeners use a process called ion exchange, which is the most popular and commonly used methods of removing the calcium and magnesium ions from water in your water to exchange it with two sodium ions.

The ion exchange system uses a mineral tank containing zeolite beads that carry a negative charge to attract and cling to the positive charge carried by calcium and magnesium ions. This means that these minerals will adhere to the beads as the hard water passes through the tank.

A very powerful solution of sodium ion is then flushed through a tank that has beads already soaked with calcium and magnesium so as to drive the calcium and magnesium ions off, the unit then enters a 3-phase regenerating cycle to produce soft water:

The backwash phase flashes out dirt from the tank
The sodium-rich salt solution replaces the calcium and magnesium in the recharge phase
The final phase flushes off the excess brine then refills the brine tank

This process is very effective, but it increases the salt content in the water, which might not be favorable to everyone.

Distillation is another water purification method of effectively softening and removing impurities for small quantities of water. It entails boiling the water to produce vapor, then condensing it back into pure water.

Where To Get Started

Before installing a water softener, use a water testing kit that measures hardness from 0-1000 ppm or 0-59 grains of hardness. Values of more than 1 GPG are usually considered to be hard water. Use a water softener that either has an automatic regenerating system that flushes and recharges the system on a regular basis or the type that uses a mechanical water meter to measure water usage and initiate recharging only when necessary.

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