Have you ever wondered why water from your kitchen faucet smells funny, changes color, and has an unappealing taste? No, the local authorities are not trying to poison you. The culprit here is your faulty water installation. Several substances slowly build-up, and eventually contaminate the water in various ways. For starters, the funky water smell is due to multiple metals and bacterial contamination that can be avoided by following adequate interventions. Here is why your home water system negatively affects the water you use daily.
Hard Water
When the water runs through pipes, the in-home installation contains loads of calcium and magnesium; it’s called hard water. This happens when the water source passes through limestone, gypsum, or chalk deposits, collecting these minerals along the way. While hard water is not a health hazard, it does come with other problems, leaving adverse effects on the quality of life. Here’s a list of the impact that you might encounter when you have hard water in your home water installation:
- Over time, mineral deposits can turn into flakes and start showing up in your faucets or showerheads. These excess minerals also deposit inside your cooking utensils and appliances when exposed to such water daily.
- Due to the high mineral content, the PH of the water changes making the skin and hair dry. Excessive dryness can result in the skin getting infected.
- The color of your clothes fades away over time when hard water is used. The softness of the fabric also decreases, leaving a rough and flaky feel on clothes.
- Frequent plumbing repairs are often required as the composition of hard water damages them. These repairs just add up, leading to unwanted bills.
- The skins and bathtubs get stained very quickly and require more cleaning than usual.
- Hard water used to wash dishes and other kitchen utensils leaves a layer of slime that gives off an unclean feeling.
Dealing with the hard water problem is undoubtedly a nuisance that can be resolved by adding a water softener to your home water installation. However, suppose there is too much buildup of minerals within the pipes. In that case, it might be an excellent option to hire professionals that will make your home water installation squeaky clean.
Iron and Hydrogen Sulfide in Water
Groundwater sources often contain high amounts of iron, giving the water a cloudy appearance. This excess iron can also influence the buildup of rust stains on your kitchenware and clothes. The pipes slowly start building rust, damaging the water installation over time. Water softeners, specifically for iron, are available to use for a minor issue. Moreover, using specialized oxidizing filters ensure that all the excess iron gets removed.
Hydrogen sulfide buildup in water pipes is the reason why water smells like rotten food. This corrosive chemical buildup in water pipes will result in leakage. Suppose you are having frequent problems with leakage. In that case, there might be a need to use a sophisticated home-filtration system to pre-filter most of the unwanted substances out. Another option is to study the water damage restoration process offered by companies that claim to restore almost all sorts of water damage. However, for damages beyond restoration, a repair or replacement might be the only choice for you.
Sediment
Water drawn from sources such as a lake, pond, or river carries the most sediment. This mixture of sand, clay, rust, glass, and organic materials makes the water turbid and unusable. One way to get rid of sediment is by using sediment filters or slow-sand filters. These filters block most of the particles, making the water cleaner than it was earlier.
Arsenic
Shockingly, arsenic is a carcinogen found in our regular household water. The massive use of agricultural pesticides and mining operations have increased the levels of arsenic in groundwater. Long-term exposure to arsenic can lead to severe health conditions and even prove life-threatening if not addressed timeously. Get the levels of arsenic checked to ensure safety. For a water supply with high levels of arsenic, filtration systems with a reverse osmosis unit will do the job for you. Water tests are a simple way to check for harmful chemicals like arsenic before buying an RO filtration unit for your kitchen faucet.
Hopefully, you now have a pretty good idea of what might be the cause behind your smelly water or its cloudy appearance. It is always best to fix any noticeable issues in your water installation system before things get out of hand. Remember, your health and that of your family should be your number one priority. So, use these tips for clean and healthy water!
