I Can't Do a Thing With My Water!
Have You Ever.....
Turned on
the faucet to get a glass of water and had: “floaties, cloudiness, a horrible
rotten-egg smell or gray, black or red particles?
Filled up a bathtub and when you drain it there are black particles clinging to the side of the tub. Did they streak or smear like charcoal?
Noticed
that you are cleaning the toilet bowl more often?
Turned
your white clothes orange or had black spots on them?
Taken
glassware out of the dishwasher and had a white film that won’t wash or scrape
off?
Had your
water tested and still have it come back safe to drink?
If you answered,
“YES” to any of the questions, DON’T PANIC! You’ve just got “STUFF” in your
water. These problems are a nuisance, but they are not harmful....
In most cases, the problems you are having can be
fixed. Here are some simple solutions:
1. You need a water softener when you feel the soap or
shampoo doesn’t lather without using twice as much, or the clothes come out of
the washer looking dingy. It is also necessary to keep the while film off the
glassware after they go through a dishwasher. An “ON-DEMAND” system is more
cost effective than a unit with a set timer. Why soften the water when you’re
on vacation and not around to use it?
2.
You need to consider an iron removal system when your water is yellow,
turns yellow upon standing in a glass, clothes turn yellow in the wash or you
have a bitter taste to the water. Don’t rely on older style water softeners to
remove iron. They were designed to remove the “hardness” in the water, not the
iron.
3.
Simple problems with taste or a slight smell can easily be remedied with
a CHEAP charcoal filter. In Jackson County, we’ve found that no matter what the
instructions tell you, the filter
needs to be changed every 2-4 weeks if you want to keep the problem under
control. You want a filter that can be replaced often without costing you a
fortune. These can be found in department stores, hardware stores, lumber yards
and some supermarket chains. They usually go on sale every three weeks or so.
Shop around for the best deal.
4.
If your water smells like “rotten-eggs”, you need to determine if you
only smell it when you take a shower, do laundry or dishes with the hot water
mostly. If this is the case, the problem is probably the magnesium rod in your
water heater. Before you remove the rod, check with the store you bought the
water heater from and ask if it can be removed completely or replaced with an
aluminum rod. If the smell is in the cold water or both, it’s probably
naturally occurring. You will notice the smell a couple of weeks after a lot
rain or after the snow starts to melt. In time, the smell will start to go away
or become less offensive. If not, you can use a charcoal filter or put water in
a glass container, put it in the refrigerator and the drinking water will be
“odor-free”. Don’t put this water in plastic
containers or the plastic will
absorb the smell and you will never get rid of it.
5. On older wells, especially steel
casings, iron or sulfur bacteria (not harmful) will attach itself to the side
of the casing. Every time you turn on the water it pulls this black, slimy
stuff through the pipes and ends up on your clothes, in the toilet bowl, on the
sides of the tub or in your glass of water. In the early stages, it might only
be noticed as a red “jello-like” mass in the back of the toilet tank, or the
water is “gray” first thing in the morning. If nothing is done to treat the
problem, the black particles start showing up. On the sides of the tub, they
may streak or smear like charcoal when you try to clean them off. The toilet
bowl may require cleaning every day due to the “blackness”. Try placing a
chlorine bowl product in the toilet tank and it will help keep the bowl from
turning black quite so often. To treat the well you should contact a licensed
well driller to come out and “super-chlorinate” the well. This is not just
putting a gallon of bleach down the well. The bleach should sit in the well for
about 24 hours. Do not bring this bleach water into the house! After the 24
hours, run it outside through a hose to get rid of all of the gunk that will
come out. After it starts running clear, you can chlorinate and bring that
water into the plumbing in the house. Be sure to disconnect or by-pass the
water softener and filters and to remove the aerators from all faucets. After
letting this set overnight, run the water outside through the hose again. Once
the water is “bleach-free” you should have it tested for bacteria. Only after
the test comes back good should you drink the water. While you’re waiting for
the test to come back you can use the water for dishes, showers and laundry
just don’t drink it until the test results come back
6. “Floaties”
or particles of all colors are usually the minerals that have settled in the
pipes. White floaties are usually calcium or magnesium (the hardness), red is
iron and black is iron, sulfur or manganese. All of the previously mentioned
corrections will help with this problem.
7. With the increased news
about lead in drinking water, hear are a couple of tips:
Don’t drink the water that has
been standing in the pipes overnight. Get in the habit of flushing the toilet,
taking a shower or letting the water run for a few minutes before you drink it
in the morning.
Put water in the refrigerator for
anyone who gets up in the middle of the night for a drink.
Words To The Wise:
You wouldn’t buy a car, house, furnace, or
well from someone who just called you up on the phone at random and told you
“this is what you need”, so why would you buy a treatment system that way?
When
you shop for a filter or treatment system, a good rule to remember is to BUY LOCAL. Several companies in Jackson County have been in
business for many years and are familiar with all the problems you might face.
More important.....they will also be there if you have problems with their
systems in the future.
Drinking water should be tested
once a year for bacteria to make sure that it’s still safe to drink. This can
be done by stopping by our office and picking up a bottle.
For more information, call: (517)
783-3883 or email us at: water@daenvironmental.com
ADM Environmental,
L.L.C.
402 S. Brown
Jackson, MI 49203