Protecting Your Home from Your Summer Time Sprinklers

Summer is right around the corner and although we are all looking forward to more heat and longer days, having to deal with brown landscaping is not one of them. A subdivision in Layton UT is dealing with just that. The brown is not coming from the dead grass however but from water stains that cover fences, sidewalks, and homes siding. Problems started to occur when a secondary water source from an irrigation company that was contracted to the neighborhood.  The culprit of the problem is the iron manganese found in the pond water that is being transferred to the homes water supply. One option that is effective in these types of situations is installing an Irrigation Stain Control System. Reynolds Water Conditioning Company specializes in these products with more than 25 years experience. To read more on this new article https://kutv.com/news/get-gephardt/sprinkler-water-staining-properties-in-layton

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Maintaining Your Home’s Property With Rust Control

One thing that people look for when purchasing a new home or condo is that the property has been well maintained.  Properties with siding and landscape materials covered in rust have a significant decrease in curb appeal then those without the unsightly stains.  Check out this article for proof of the lack of appeal rusty siding has on condo owners…

The difference between properties with stains and those without is the water treatment system used to “fuel” their irrigation system.  When sprinklers pull straight from the a well that contains high levels of iron the mineral residue will cause staining.  The only way that homeowners and property maintenance companies can prevent this occurrence is with the installation of an irrigation stain control system.

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Solutions for Rust and Iron Prevention In Well Water

Throughout the year we spend a lot of time thinking about the water quality in our home.  We all desire high quality water in our homes which is why many of us will install a system to treat our water.  There are several different water treatment solutions available including water softeners, water conditioners, reverse osmosis filtration, iron filters, and water purification systems. Each available system serves a different purpose and meets the needs of homeowners differently.  Testing and analyzing the water from your home will determine what system or systems best fits your needs.

When warmer weather starts to move in, we quickly shift gears from the water in our home to the water outside of our homes.  Let’s face it, water is essential to create and maintain a healthy landscape.  When Mother Nature isn’t producing the water, we need for this to happen we turn to our irritation systems.  For many of us this is when we start to notice the unsightly effects of rust and iron within our irrigation systems.

There isn’t a whole lot treating your water will do for existing rust and iron stains however installing an irrigation stain control system can prevent further damage.  Rust and iron prevention and remover are two different aspects in preparing your home and irrigation system for the spring and summer seasons.  In order to remove existing stains on landscaping, siding, sidewalks, and more there are many safe, biodegradable options available to homeowners.  For irrigation rust and iron prevention, the experts at Reynolds Water Conditioning Company can help! 

There are three different water treatment systems that work well in irrigation applications.  The results of your well water analysis will better help to determine which system will best suit your specific need.  The most common option for irrigation systems using well water with a high density of rust elements is the installation of a system that combines specialized equipment and chemicals. 

The Reynolds Irrigation Stain Control System is a combination of the best equipment and chemicals available on the market today.  It is a system that has over 25 years of results to prove it is effective in preventing the rust stains that can be found on the outdoor surfaces around your home. This specific system works to prevent red water stains and rust from forming on patio furniture, siding, and more without the use of harmful chemical solutions. 

The specialized RC solution used in the Reynolds Irrigation Stain Control System is not only safe for plants and animals it protects against corrosion and pitting as well as being 100% bio-degradable and safe for the environment. This solution is added to a tank that includes a flow switch and an injection pump.  The solution is introduced to the water stream as it enters the irrigation system which prevents staining. 

Other options that are available to improve the quality of the water running through your irrigation system include the Reynolds ClearStream Iron-Rust-Odor Filter and Reynolds Chlorinator.  Both systems treat the amount of iron in well water.  When iron is removed for the water before it enters the irrigation system, outdoor staining can be prevented.  

.  Both systems treat the amount of iron in well water.  When iron is removed for the water before it enters the irrigation system, outdoor staining can be prevented.  

The experts at Reynolds Water Conditioning have a solution to your homes unique water quality needs including: arsenic, bacteria, chlorine, rotten egg smell, fluoride, hard water, iron, lead, acid, tannins, radon, and more.  More information on our water treatment solutions including water softeners and conditioners, water filtration and purification, reverse osmosis drinking water, and iron & odor removal can be found online at https://www.reynoldswater.com/irrigation-iron-removal.

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How Should I Prepare My Irrigation System?

Irrigation system
Ensure a long life for your irrigation system with regular maintenance. Dreamstime

If you’ve installed an automatic irrigation system in your lawn, you already know you’ve made a significant investment in your lawn’s health. Protect that investment by taking the proper steps to turning it on for the first time in the season. Irrigation systems involve many small moving parts and a constant water flow, and these elements require frequent maintenance. You should perform an inspection at least twice a year — when you start up for spring and when you close up for winter.

START UP AFTER FREEZING ENDS

You can handle many elements of preparation yourself with a little know-how and care. If you properly winterized your system last fall, you’ve already drained and blown out all the excess water, so the pipes are clear. Check the weather report before turning on your system for the first time. Frozen water is an irrigation system’s greatest nemesis. Make sure you’ve passed the season’s last frost before turning things on.

If you activate your system yourself, make sure you check all zones to make sure the heads are working properly and rotors and sprayers are doing what they should be doing. Look closely for water bubbling up around the heads. That could indicate a crack or a leak that will need to be repaired. In any case, it’s a good idea to hire an irrigation professional to perform a thorough inspection, which can help pinpoint leaks or other potential problems. This service usually costs between $65 and $100. This inspection helps catch problems early. For minor problems, early repair will prevent your system from wasting water. And for bigger problems, you could prolong your system’s life by repairing them before they cause major damage. A technician can also offer advice about the best way to set up each sprinkler head to allocate water use.

An irrigation inspector will check for leaks, check for wiring issues, verify that the timer is working properly, slowly pressurize the main line, check the rain sensor, check all the zones for proper function and spray patterns, straighten crooked heads, and perhaps most importantly, test the backflow preventer.

CHECK THE BACKFLOW

Your backflow preventer is a crucial component of the irrigation system, and often you can’t check it yourself. Outdoor water can easily become tainted by fertilizers, pesticides and animal waste. If that material flows back into the potable water system, your family could easily become sick by drinking the tainted water. A backflow preventer makes sure the flow of irrigation water goes only one way: out!

In fact, this is so important that many municipalities require irrigation system owners to hire a certified professional to perform a test and verify it works, even if you aren’t performing separate maintenance. In most cases, a pro will include this service as part of the overall system inspection. Check your local regulations for details, and even if it’s not required, strongly consider a backflow inspection anyway.

Original Source: https://www.wvnews.com/ask-angie-s-list-how-should-i-prepare-my-irrigation/article_8fcba7e2-6d70-58bd-856b-1196ed820e10.html

Original Date: April 7 2019

Written By: Paul F.P. Pogue

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Steps Involved In Cleaning Your Water Softeners Brine Tank

Part of owning a water softener is maintaining it.  One aspect of water softener maintenance involves cleaning the tank which holds the brine.  Cleaning a water softener tank should be done every five to ten years.  It is time to clean the tank when your water turns hard and the basic tank maintenance doesn’t fix the issue. Older water softening units can benefit from annual cleanings especially electric water softeners. 

The first step in cleaning the water softener tank involves emptying the tank.  This is done by locating the bypass valve and shutting off the water intake.  Water can be siphoned out of the tank.  After this process is completed you will want to remove the leftover salt and safely throw it away.  Water softener salt must be disposed of away from plants.  Water softener salt will kill plants and other landscaping plants and shrubs. Another way to get rid of large blocks of salt or bridges is to dissolve it in hot water. 

Once the water and salt have been removed from the tank homeowners should remove the brine grid that sits at the base of the tank.  Some water softening units have a mesh platform instead.  Set this grid to the side before cleaning the tank.

Once the water softener tank is empty and the brine grid or mesh has been removed it is time to clean the tank with a good amount of soap and water.  This mixture should be scrubbed all around the interior of the tank with a long-handled scrub brush.  After the tanks has been thoroughly cleansed the soapy water can be dumped out and rinsed with clean water.

After this has been done the homeowner should clean the tank with a combination of bleach and water. Stir the bleach/water combination in the tank and let it sit for fifteen minutes to completely disinfect the tank.  Organisms have a difficult time to grow in the concentrated brine however the bleach and water mixture makes sure.

Once this process has been completed and the bleach/water combination has been rinsed out it is time to replenish the tank with water and salt.  First replace the grid into the bottom of the tank.  Add water softener salt and water back into the tank when it is back in place.  Give the tank a couple of hours before you regenerate the water softener as this time is needed in order to dissolve the salt within the tank. 

The experts at Reynolds Water Conditioning have a solution to your homes unique water quality needs including: arsenic, bacteria, chlorine, rotten egg smell, fluoride, hard water, iron, lead, acid, tannins, radon, and more.  More information on our water treatment solutions including water softeners and conditioners, water filtration and purification, reverse osmosis drinking water, and iron & odor removal can be found online at https://reynoldswater.com.

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Improving Water Quality Through Filtration

Take a minute to look inside the tank of your toilet, what do you see?  Do you see a collection of rust, sediment, and/or sand? That same collection of debris is accumulating inside your plumbing and water heater.  It is pretty standard to assume that when any mechanical system in your home becomes saturated with gunk build up the quality of the system and the products of the system are compromised.  The goal for homeowners is to avoid situations where this occurs.  One way this happens is with the installation of a whole house water filter.

When a whole house water filter is installed it can act as a barrier that quietly protects your home.  A filter will prevent crud from settling into the systems throughout your home such as the toilet, water softener, and hot water tanks. 

Benefits of Installing a Water Filter System for Your Home

Layered Protection

With the installation of a whole house water filter system you are layering the protection to your appliances.  You are preventing the sediment from reaching your appliances, plumbing, water softeners, toilets, and such.  Many appliances have small plastic and rubber pieces that are used in the use of different household appliances.  Small amounts of debris will damage seals in appliances over time.  When a seal becomes damaged it will leak and as we all know this ends up costing us time and money.  A filter removes the gunk such as sediments, debris, dirt, and gunk in general.  For homeowners there is an increase in appliance longevity and a piece of mind that your equipment will be reliable for longer. 

Eliminate Unexpected Water Surprises

Both city and well water sources can become compromised from unexpected elements in the system.  When this occurs homeowners can receive quite the surprise at the tap. 

City Water Issues

  • Water Main Break
  • Hydrant Flush
  • New Construction and New Water Connections

All of these events will knock iron and sediment buildup into the water supply.  This in turn creates sludge, orange water, and dirt from coming into your home.

Well water quality is affected by outside sources as well.  The quality of the water can change from season to season. 

A whole house water filter helps to remove the iron that exists in some water sources.  When a water filter is installed the iron in the water is filtered out.  This helps to prevent the staining that occurs on laundry, appliances, faucets, and more.

Filter Operation and Maintenance

Filtration systems function without electricity, without salt, and without waste.  There are no controllers to worry about, batteries to change, or clocks to reset.  In fact, whole house water filtration systems are simple to install and can be added to any water treatment system.  In order to properly maintain a filtration system for your home you will be required to change the filter periodically.  The number of times a filter needs to be changed depends on the quality of the filter, use, and the filters rating.

When choosing a filter consider the following: the physical size of the filter, the Micron rating, flow rate, and filter life.  Larger filters naturally have more surface area which often means that they last longer, increase the quality of the water and water pressure. Larger filtration systems are needed in homes with more than two family members.

The experts at Reynolds Water Conditioning have a solution to your homes unique water quality needs including: arsenic, bacteria, chlorine, rotten egg smell, fluoride, hard water, iron, lead, acid, tannins, radon, and more.  More information on our water treatment solutions including water softeners and conditioners, water filtration and purification, reverse osmosis drinking water, and iron & odor removal can be found online at https://reynoldswater.com.

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Preserving Your Water Softener Brine Tank

Hard water is known to contain higher than normal levels of calcium and magnesium.  This causes issues with lime scale build up that interferes with household and daily functions.  Issues range from clogged plumbing to soap’s ability to clean properly.  For most homeowners the installation of a water softener system is vital in bringing higher quality water to the household.  Most water softening units will continue to function for years with little maintenance.  Regular check ups and cleaning does help to improve their lifespan.

One important aspect in maintaining your water softening equipment is caring for the systems brine tank.  In order to properly maintain the tank, the salt levels should be checked and if low replaced on a monthly basis. Salt is essential in the ion exchange process that takes place in water softeners.  As the system regenerates the hard water will flow through resin in the softener and the hard ions trade place with the soft ions on the resin beads.  This creates soft water.

Your specific softener should come with a manual that instructs you on the perfect level for the salt in your brine tank.  Generally, the tank should be kept half way full and three inches above the water level.  High levels of salt can improve the overall efficiency however should be reduced is the salt sticks to the sides of the unit.  If salt is allowed to build up in the brine tank users should carefully separate the salt to avoid thick bridges from forming. 

It is also important that you put the proper water softener salt into the brine tank.  The manual should explain if your system best operates using granular, tablet, or block salt.  Granular is the most common as it easily dissolves.  On top of different types of salt there are grade variances as well.

  • Water Softener Rock Salt: This is a cheaper source of softener salt and therefore contains more impurities.  These impurities often decrease the efficiency of the softener, dirties the tank, and requires more regular cleaning and maintenance than other salt grades.
  • Water Softener Solar Salt: This option is purer than rock salt.  For most water softeners this salt option is chosen by homeowners
  • Water Softener Evaporated Salt: This option is the highest quality grade of water softener salt that can be purchased.  It is also the most expensive.

If a salt bridge occurs, it is important that it is broken up and not allowed to “build up”.  A solid layer of brine known as a bridge occurs when the salt in the brine tank binds together preventing loose salt on top from mixing with the water below the bridge. This of course prevents the softener from properly functioning.  These bridges can be broken up using a large broom handle and tapping it around the tank several times. If the layers are not easily broken with a long handle a homeowner can pour hot water over the bridge.  If bridges become a common issue in your water treatment system you can try using less softener salt which would allow the salt to drop between refills.  Cleaning out the brine tank also helps.

Another common issue with salt inside of brine tanks is that the salt can become a mushy pile at the base of the tank.  This causes the water to rise around the salt instead of mixing in with it.  A large broom handle can be used to break up the mush mound.  Mush should be scooped out, dissolved in a bucket of hot water, and then poured back into the water softener tank. 

The experts at Reynolds Water Conditioning have a solution to your homes unique water quality needs including: arsenic, bacteria, chlorine, rotten egg smell, fluoride, hard water, iron, lead, acid, tannins, radon, and more.  More information on our water treatment solutions including water softeners and conditioners, water filtration and purification, reverse osmosis drinking water, and iron & odor removal can be found online at https://reynoldswater.com.

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Man Turns Rain Collected Into ‘insanely Pure’ Drinking Water

ANN ARBOR, MI – With a twist of a tap tucked away in a corner of his basement, Matt Grocoff fills a glass of water from a purple pipe.

It’s rainwater collected from his rooftop and channeled through gutters, but it has just passed through three stages of micro-filtration, plus carbon and UV filters.

“It’s literally hyper-filtered and incredibly clear, and while it’s legally not potable, technically,” he says, pausing to take a swig, “it is very potable. So yeah, I would let my family drink that. Anybody.”

The Ann Arbor homeowner has been drinking the water that falls on his roof since installing an elaborate rainwater harvesting system several months ago.

It’s complete with a 5,000-gallon storage tank under his lawn, collecting rain from his spouts before feeding into a five-stage filter system that makes a wall in his basement look a bit like a science lab, with a series of tubes, tanks, gauges and a digital display.

The water is “insanely pure,” Grocoff said, arguing it’s cleaner than the city’s municipal water.

“I’ve had it tested,” he said. “By any scientific standard, it’s potable water. The legal standard is different.”

In municipal water districts, plumbing codes in Michigan don’t allow piping filtered rainwater to a drinking water tap such as a kitchen faucet, but Grocoff says his water is clean enough to do so if ever allowed.

He hopes to someday see a shift toward decentralizing municipal water systems, with more homeowners embracing systems like his.

In the meantime, he has the “test tap” in his basement, from which he can drink and still meet code as long as it’s marked non-potable.

“I drink that,” he said.

With his own water system, Grocoff may be the envy of some at a time when Ann Arbor is facing various threats to its municipal water supply, including PFAS chemical contamination in the water the city draws from the Huron River, a diarrhea-causing parasite known as “crypto,” an ever-expanding dioxane plume and lingering lead risks.

“Just by its nature, being rainwater harvested off of a clean metal roof, it’s not going to have PFAS or estrogen or any of the chemicals that you might find in even the cleanest of municipal systems,” he said.

“You’re still going to have biological contaminants, E. coli or anything that comes from animals on the roof, so all of that still has to be filtered out,” he said. “But the source is cleaner. The rain is one of the cleanest source waters you can get.”

Grocoff still has city water running to his house, which he’s required to use for the shower, bathtub and sinks.

But there are legal uses for the filtered rainwater in his house, in addition to outside irrigation.

“The only place that we’re allowed to use it is in our toilets and in the washing machine,” he said, noting code requires purple pipe for lines carrying the filtered rainwater to mark it as non-potable.

A "do not drink" notice on a toilet in Matt Grocoff's house, since the water comes from his rainwater harvesting system. (Courtesy of Matt Grocoff)
A “do not drink” notice on a toilet in Matt Grocoff’s house, since the water comes from his rainwater harvesting system. (Courtesy of Matt Grocoff)

Grocoff hopes the code can be relaxed someday to allow piping it through the whole house.

“We harvest enough water from our roof that we could have all of our water needs met,” he said.

The code the city enforces is adopted by the state, so any changes need to come at the state level, city officials said.

Locally, the city has had no discussions of moving away from a centralized water system anytime in the next century, said city spokesman Robert Kellar.

The city is planning more than $280 million in upgrades to its water system over the next several years, including replacing a large portion of the water treatment plant and aging water mains, and upgrades to handle contaminants such as crypto. Ann Arbor designing new system to remove parasite in city’s water Ann Arbor is moving forward with designing a new UV disinfection system for its water treatment plant to remove a microscopic parasite from the city’s drinking water supply.

The city draws most of its water from the Huron River to a treatment plant on Sunset Road before sending it out through hundreds of miles of pipes to roughly 125,000 water customers.

Grocoff calls that a “fracture critical” system, where contamination at the source or failure at one point can cause a large portion or even the entire system to fail. As he spoke, the city was dealing with a water main break on a nearby street.

“It’s like one of those Rube Goldberg contraptions where you put a ball on one end and it does some simple task at the end, but it goes through this crazy, really fun mechanism to get there,” he said.

“If one part of that fails, if one domino fails to knock over, that task at the end doesn’t happen. The tragedy of that is what happens in a Rube Goldberg-type system like Flint.”

Grocoff argues communities could become more resilient against future threats to drinking water quality by rethinking system design. See where Ann Arbor may spend $14M replacing home water lines due to lead risks Ann Arbor is planning to spend millions replacing residents’ water lines due to lead risks.

Grocoff, a green renovation and sustainability expert, is the founding principal of THRIVE Collaborative, which is behind a solar-powered development on Platt Road, where plans call for creating a mixed-income neighborhood harvesting its own energy and water.

He’s already proving what’s possible with his own historic home on Seventh Street, with rooftop solar panels providing all his energy needs, geothermal heating and now rainwater harvesting.

Grocoff teamed with students from the BLUElab at the University of Michigan to plan, design and implement his rainwater system, with a goal of elevating the conversation about sustainable, equitable and resilient water systems for the next century. Farmington Hills-based Reynolds Water Conditioning Co. donated equipment.

The goal is to demonstrate that 100 percent of his home’s water needs can be met with captured rainwater and by recycling used household water without the use of chemicals.

“And if you can do it on one house, you can do it on the entire system,” Grocoff said.

Grocoff hopes Ann Arbor can begin a conversation about what its water system could look like in 50 or 100 years with a change in thinking. In addition to systems like his, he suggests a series of rainwater harvesting stations around the city could serve neighborhoods around them.

One need only look to nature to find the best system designs, and they’re not linear grids, Grocoff said.

“Nature relies on complex, adaptive ecosystems that are decentralized,” he said.

Though he has concerns about PFAS and he’s noticed sediment in his tap water recently, getting cleaner water wasn’t his motivation for installing a rainwater harvesting system, Grocoff said.

“I certainly drink out of taps all over the city and everything else. Ann Arbor water is generally safe,” he said.

“That said, that doesn’t take into account the future of our water system. It doesn’t take into account the ecology and what we’re doing to our watershed or sustainable systems — real deep resiliency.”

Original Source: https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2019/02/ann-arbor-man-turns-rain-collected-from-rooftop-into-insanely-pure-drinking-water.html?utm_source=facebook&=mlivedotcom_sf&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR2GegkSOOiEfDmZepy_cxeU7vJdh1SLiJVM-9SgqlyriTC1y3MYC32mY40

Original Date: Feb 26 2019

Written By: Ryan Stanton

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Ways To Improve Your Homes Water Quality

Homeowners that are looking to improve the quality of the water in their homes are often confused between the available water treatment options.  There is a big difference in how you treat your homes water based on the issues it has.  Your water may contain containments, be high in harmful minerals, or may just smell and taste off; depending on the exact issue you can determine what type of water treatment system will bring the highest quality water to your family.

A Look into Water Softeners and Reverse Osmosis Water Systems

Reverse osmosis is described simply as a system that provides filtration.  RO water filtration units are extremely popular amongst homeowners as they provide a point of use system that brings better tasting, healthier water.  RO systems are especially popular amongst homeowners with wells.  A reverse osmosis water treatment system removes the contaminants and dissolved minerals in your water by forcing them through a filter.  Benefits of including either a point of use RO or whole home RO include:

  • Flavorless Water: A RO system will remove the funny taste in your homes water by eliminating the source of the taste within the water.
  • Doesn’t Use Chemicals: Reverse osmosis water treatment systems are environmentally friendly as they do not use chemicals to filter water.
  • Soft Water: Minerals cause hard water; reverse osmosis systems filter and remove the minerals in the water that cause hard water.  Whole house reverse osmosis systems can eliminate corrosion in pipes.
  • Odor and Color Removal: Occasionally contaminants and dissolved minerals in the water will cause a strange smell and odor.  RO systems work to filter these pollutants and minerals giving you a higher quality water supply.

The quality of your homes well water is often improved with the installation of a RO filtration systems.  Whether you install a whole house or point of use reverse osmosis unit your homes water will taste and smell better. 

Water softeners are often described as water conditioners.  Unlike a RO in which a filter physically removes contaminants and dissolved minerals from the homes water, a water softener processes water through an ionization process that replaces magnesium and calcium ions with sodium ions. 

Hard water is known to contain increased levels of dissolved minerals such as magnesium and calcium.  The water softening unit softens the water by exchanging these minerals with sodium, a less destructive mineral.  Hard water can cause a great deal of problems in the home and water softeners help to mitigate them.  If you notice plumbing corrosion because of hard water a water softening unit can help.  It is important to note however that a water softener is not a filtration system and does not remove other contaminants.  Benefits of water softened using a water softener include:

  • Natural Tasting Water
  • Stain Free, Brighter Laundry
  • Spot Free Cleaner Dishes
  • Longer Lasting Appliances
  • Fewer Clogged Pipes

The experts at Reynolds Water Conditioning have a solution to your homes unique water quality needs including: arsenic, bacteria, chlorine, rotten egg smell, fluoride, hard water, iron, lead, acid, tannins, radon, and more.  More information on our water treatment solutions including water softeners and conditioners, water filtration and purification, reverse osmosis drinking water, and iron & odor removal can be found online at https://reynoldswater.com.

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