There are so many benefits to living in San Diego; unfortunately, our water quality is not one of them. San Diego actually has some of the hardest water in the nation, and most of the homes throughout the county are dealing with hard water issues. Of course, many people don’t know what hard water is and why San Diego water filtration processes can be so important. Learning a bit about hard water is going to give you a better understanding of what it is and why you’d want to make some changes at home to prevent inefficiencies and increased utility costs caused by hard water.
What is Hard Water?
Did you know that in 2012, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) ranked San Diego 92nd in water quality out of 100 U.S. cities? The rankings were based on 3 factors:
- Total number of chemicals detected since 2004
- Percentage of chemicals found of those tested
- Highest average level for each pollutant compared with legal limits or national averages
Most of the water that we use in San Diego comes from other areas simply because we don’t have the natural resources needed for our own water. Mainly, we just don’t have the precipitation. When we import water, it can travel through rock and soil, where it picks up magnesium and calcium. These minerals create what people refer to as hardness in the water.
What does this mean for your home though? When the minerals flow through the pipes and finally into your home, your water pressure and the water temperature are going to change. When this occurs, the minerals can fall out of the water and create unsightly limescale. Homeowners have been searching for methods to combat this problem for many years. In some cases, they use commercial water softeners, but many areas are trying to ban the usage of them, as it pushed the minerals into the sewer lines. This makes it difficult for the sanitation department to clean and reuse sewage. In an area like Southern California where recycling of water is critical, this can be a problem.
Finding the Solution
Fortunately, you can find some solutions for water filtration that will help you deal with your hard water issues. Some of the best options are new technology from Flow-Tech. They offer some of the best products on the market, and they will stop the limescale buildup in your home. Even better, it can help to remove any of the limescale buildups already in your home. The technology is able to treat the water whether it is moving or still. It’s a better option than using the harsh chemicals that some people use.
Water filtration should be able to remove or at least reduce the impurities that come into your home’s water supply. It’s possible to filter the water as soon as it enters the home or to use filters at different faucets and spouts. It is important to remember that filtration is different from treatment. With treatment, it’s possible to remove limescale buildup. Filtration helps to remove the minerals before you use the water, but it doesn’t get rid of the limescale. You will find that the whole house filters as well as the point of use filters can be quite beneficial. Water treatment can make a big difference in your life. Talk with a San Diego water filtration expert from Anderson Plumbing, Heating and Air today to figure out what the right option is going to be for your home.
Water Treatment Filtration vs Water Softeners
Water treatment refers to water filtration or water softening. Water softening is sometimes referred to as water conditioning. These are different solutions for different issues. Water filters remove contaminants such as chloride, copper, bacteria, and parasites from the water supply. Water filters use a variety of methods to filter out impurities, including carbon filters, distillers, reverse osmosis and ultraviolet light. Water softeners, on the other hand, specifically remove the minerals magnesium and calcium that can build up and cause scaling in systems like your water heater. Water softeners use ion exchange to remove calcium and magnesium from water.
Whole-Home vs Point-of-Use Water Treatment
Point-of-use water treatment refers to treatment at the point of consumption rather than at a centralized point. They treat water in batches and deliver water to a single tap. An example of this would be a water filter mounted on a kitchen faucet. Whole-home or point-of-entry systems treat most of the water entering the home and are usually installed after the water meter. Water softeners typically fall into this category.
Green Water Filtration
Several companies use reverse osmosis to treat water. This might make the water more pleasant to taste, but this method is definitely not green. Approximately three to four gallons of water go unused and down the drain for every gallon of usable water it produces. Water is expensive in San Diego and level of the type of waste is as financially silly as it is environmentally irresponsible.
San Diego Green Water Treatment Options:
InLine Whole House Water Filters—
This system is optimal for chlorine or chloramine treated municipal water customers.
Always Fresh® Water Filtration—
This is a five stage point-of-use drinking water system that ties directly into your kitchen faucet.
FLOW-TECH HOME® Water Softener—
This whole-home softener descales and prevents new scale build-up for improved efficiency for water-using appliances.
FLOW-TECH HOME® Plus Water Softener—
This is the greenest option for municipal water customers with hard water. It combines a carbon system with the ultimate descaler.
InLine Ion Exchange Water Softener—
This softener also removes the calcium and magnesium in hard water and is especially recommended if heavy metals are present.
InLine Filter/Softener Duo System—
This double whammy whole-home system filters through a carbon system and softener with traditional ion exchange. This is the recommended system for municipal water customers that not only want to filter, but also condition their water.
Get Started with a Water Quality Test
The first step in determining the right water treatment system for your home is to test your incoming water supply. We can come out and do a quick water test to see what levels of hardness and chlorine are in your water. With that information, we can recommend a system that best fits your needs.
Call us today or request an appointment online.