Water Treatment for Homeowners with Bad Tasting Drinking Water
You’ve had your water tested and you know the water is free of harmful contamination, yet you wish the water tasted better. There are a number of water treatment systems aimed at addressing taste, that are reasonable affordable and easy to install.
Skillings & Sons has extensive experience with water treatment and filtration systems and can offer advice on which water treatment system is right for the home. If you’d like to install a treatment system to improve water quality, but haven’t had your water tested, we recommend you do so before buying. It is impossible to determine the right type of system without comprehensive water testing, and no one wants to buy a product only to find out a month later it doesn’t address all your needs. If you’d like to conduct testing, Skillings & Sons can also help.
Want better tasting water? Try a point-of-use filter.
There are two types of treatment systems for home water consumption; point-of-entry and point-of-use. Point-of-entry filters are installed where the water comes into the home and treats the water used for drinking, bathing and washing clothes. Water softeners are common point-of-entry systems in New England homes.
Point-of-use filters are installed where the water comes from the faucet and are usually for filtering water only for consumption. While drinking water is arguably the most important use of water coming into the home, it accounts for about 1 percent of the average homeowner’s water usage and installing a point-of-use filter may be all you need.
Types of filtration systems
An inline filter is a general term for a water treatment system that filters the water through a cartridge packed with a filtration medium or filtering membrane. These systems can be installed under a sink and include a separate faucet for drinking and cooking water. They can also be part of a point-of-entry system, such as a water softener.
Granulated activated carbon
Granulated activated carbon treatment can be found on faucets and are similar to the treatment methods used in water pitcher systems. Activated carbon removes substances that give water a disagreeable taste, like chlorine, as well as hazardous substances like radon. They are not a good choice, however, if your home water supply has high levels of dissolved minerals, such as hard water. Activated carbon works by passing water through the carbon to remove the contaminant. This method is less expensive to purchase and install, but you will need to regularly replace the carbon filters.
Reverse Osmosis
A reverse osmosis filtration system is another point-of-use system that uses a filtration medium to remove contaminants. the most effective method for removing harmful contaminants such as arsenic, beryllium, nitrate, nitrite, organic compounds, sodium, chlorine and bacteria. Water is filtered through a membrane and the contaminants, as well as some water, are flushed into your home’s wastewater system. Clean water is stored in a small storage tank for use when needed.
Distillers are also effective at reducing the levels of most chemicals except organic chemicals. A distiller system simply boils water and then condenses the steam, removing contaminants in the process. This is less expensive to purchase than a reverse-osmosis system but more expensive to operate since it uses more energy.
If you want to remove minerals from your home water for drinking, there are some point-of-use water softeners on the market. However, if you have hard water, you will likely be better off installing a whole-house treatment system. Hard water can cause minerals to build up on faucets and pipes, causing plumbing problems over time.
Contact us to learn more about the services provided by Skillings & Sons and start drinking better tasting water. It's a step towards a better quality of life you'll be happy you took.
