Water Quality and Problems

Water Quality, it is such a critical element of life. In America we are really blessed with safe potable water to drink and seldom worry or think of it as a source of contamination or being unsafe for use.

By Federal standards safe drinking water does not mean the water will not have a strange or even offensive taste or order. Dead microbes may pose no threat regarding safe water but they sure can make water, tea, coffee, ice and other beverages we drink be less desirable. City water can also be safe but fall outside the preferred operating parameters of most of our home appliances. A certain excess of minerals or metals in our city water will shorten the life of all home appliances that come in contact with it. Most effected are our ice makers, dishwashers, hot water heaters, shower nozzles and sink fixtures. Even small things like our steam or curling irons will be effected from conditions of the water. The single biggest culprit is CALCIUM.
I bet most of us can go home and find evidence of calcium in our homes, just start by inspecting the appliances. Oh and if you have a pool, go look at your tile, plaster and any water feature. The whitish, grayish crusty stuff is calcium.

If taste and oder of the drinking water or scaling appliances, spotting dishes, glasses, or shower walls is a problem the common solution is Reverse Osmosis for the drinking water and a softener for the home.

Significant growth to the R/O (reverse osmosis) industry has occurred due to a desire for making sure our water is safe but especially a desire for great tasting water without having to haul 5 gallon water bottles. R/O is amazing technology that takes city water to a level of purity and safety that no city can ever hope to match. There are many brands and types of R/O being sold in the Valley. Even the big box stores have begun to stock some. The buyer must really be careful because R/O technology is complicated. The unit that works properly in our valley water must have the proper combinations of membrane, filters, and PSI to achieve low TDS and contaminant removal. Sadly I have walked into stores and looked at the components and found units using membranes that are not compatible with city water. A buyer will never know they just bought a short life piece of junk. They will know that that saved a few hundred dollars purchasing that junk, if they priced a unit from a professional water treatment specialist. Reverse Osmosis units should only be bought from a trained professional.

Almost every one is familiar with Softeners. There is hardy a restaurant or Hotel that does not have softeners installed in their business. The life extension to their equipment is tremendous. The same commercial savings principals apply to home appliances. Softeners are also a great benefit to an R/O unit. Calcium is very hard on the membrane of an R/O. The Softener removes the calcium in an ion exchange process and that significantly extends the life of the membrane.

If you love great tasting water that every chef knows is also critical to good food and you like that soft clean feel and lower appliance repairs then the combination of R/O and Softener are something you should get today.

Hamlin Pools started in the water treatment business over 60 years ago. We have handled a quality line of softeners and R/O for home use for many years. If you have any questions, we would love for you to give us a call.