A new development has been made with the creation of plastic membranes that could be the solution to more effective and affordable options for water purification. These membranes are created by polymers that produce a shape like a fusilli pasta that has microscopic hydrophilic pores that attract water. The pores can capture the water molecules and ions of a specific size. This new finding shows that this membrane can catch the water particles that are unsuitable for drinking and can also catch lithium from the water that can then be reused for batteries. Developing countries can most definitely find this new research very valuable since nearly half of the world is having issues with water scarcity so these membranes can be very promising for creating new freshwater options and for large scale renewable energy storage. More information on this new development in membranes can be read here
Hard Water Impacts More Than Just Our Homes
When dealing with hard water, many homeowners know that hard water will affect the taste of their water, leave orange stains on many hard surfaces, create a more difficult time cleaning, and can cause damage to our appliances with time as hard water leaves behind mineral deposits. When looking at the effects hard water has on the environment, it is less known. In this article, many of the environmental elements that can be effected by hard water are discussed further. Some of the impacts can be positive, such as hard water playing an important role in pH regulation in water bodies that will make a difference for fish and other aquatic animals. Another positive point of view is for industrial building to create the ability to make concrete. On the other hand, there are many disadvantages of hard water such as with the pharmaceutical and textile industries with more waste created causing even larger problems. One thing is for sure that hard water should be treated in order to prevent the disadvantages from occurring in o outside our homes. It is recommended to have your water tested by local water experts and solutions such as a water softener can be put into place.
Why You Should Test for Lead in Your Water
Over the past several years lead in water has become a hot issue amongst homeowners, especially after the events and discovery of lead in Flint, MI water systems. Lead in your water can be a very big issue for not only you and your family but your home as well. No matter how old or new your house is, no home is truly immune to the effects of lead in water, although older homes with older plumbing systems are more susceptible than newer, more modern homes. The effects of lead in the water are the same across all instances, however, and having a proper understanding of them can help you and your family better prepare yourselves if you find yourself experiencing this troubling issue.
Your Home
As mentioned, homes with older plumbing systems can be more susceptible to having lead contaminates in the water. This is because the pipes themselves experience natural corrosion over time, and thus experience a higher probability of contaminates getting through as these pipes age and deteriorate. It benefits both your home and your family to consistently replace the piping of a home over the course of your life to ensure the pipes you don’t see aren’t causing health issues for your family. This is also beneficial to ensure the pipes don’t deteriorate too much to a point where damage is caused in your home by water leakage, which can cause even more damage that can get very expensive to fix.
You and Your Family
Lead in your water can be an invisible issue that may go unnoticed for years until very visible damage is caused to your family’s health. While every member of a family can be negatively affected, infants, young children, and pregnant women are the highest risk for visible health damage. According to a HealthyChildren article, infants drinking formula prepared with lead-contaminated water can be at an even higher risk due to the large amount of water consumed relative to body size.
Concerned parents can have their local pediatrician test their children for lead deposits in their blood so parents can be on top of their children’s health. Because lead in water cannot be seen, tasted, or smelled, having your child tested is the only way to confirm lead in your water. Once that is done you can take the necessary steps to replace the piping in your home or install the proper equipment to better the quality of your water.
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The experts at Reynolds Water Conditioning have a solution to your homes unique water quality needs including: arsenic, bacteria, chlorine, rotten egg smell, fluoride, hard water, iron, lead, acid, tannins, radon, and more. More information on our water treatment solutions including water softeners and conditioners, water filtration and purification, reverse osmosis drinking water, and iron & odor removal can be found online at https://reynoldswater.com.
Creating Fresh Water from Salt Water with Desalination Process
A solution to increasing problems of water quantity and quality that continues to worsen as the global population grows along with climate change is being explored more in-depth with the process of water desalination. The process of desalination uses the technology of reverse osmosis with large tanks full of sand filter impurities from seawater along with several hundred steel tubes with special membranes. The industry is expected to grow more in plant sizing in the next 5 to 10 years but there are several obstacles that are still standing in the way such as costs and the brine remains and what will be most environmentally friendly options. More details on this topic can be read in this New York Times article. Reverse Osmosis is a great option for water filtration and can be a product used in your homes as well. If this system is something you would like to learn more about, contact Reynolds Water and a specialist would be happy to answer all of your questions.
Why We’re Likely to See More Water Alerts for Lead
In the wake of the Flint water crisis, former Governor Snyder and Governor Whitmer of Michigan put into place the strictest regulations for lead in drinking water across the nation. While the state has until 2040 to replace underground lead service lines that connect water lines to homes and buildings – the goal to reduce lead “action levels” from 15 parts per billion to 12, the federal limit takes time. Previously, Michigan only required testing on the first liter drawn. Now, our regulations require testing the fifth liter as well, which will expectedly detect more lead in our water.
To read more on this original news article click here
Get Ready for the Holidays with Exceptional Water Quality
Have you recently woken up and found that your shower faucet is making strange noises? Or maybe your sink is spewing brownish, grey material? When is the last time your water system was replaced? Now may be the time!
Beat the rush of holiday happenings! With Thanksgiving and Christmas around the corner, now is the time to get your house in order before the houseguests arrive. Reynolds Water Conditioning Company has been providing quality water treatment solutions, system repairs, and tune-ups for over 85 years. Let us help you improve your water quality.
Reynolds’s Soft Stream High-Efficiency Water Softener is a great system in being an efficient iron removal softener with many unique features. It is fully automatic and programmable for any water quality and has no wearing parts in water to assure a long, dependable life as well as a non-prorated 10-year guarantee. After installation and setup, the SoftStream HE softener will alert you when you’re running low on salt/potassium chloride in the storage tank. Another benefit is the self-programming microprocessor that can help you monitor your water intake and help you save money. The Reynolds SoftStream HE Water system automatically monitors how much water you use each day over a period of four weeks and averages it out. For example, if you use more water on the weekends and on “laundry day”, the waterflow will be maximized while pressure loss minimized. It’s an easy way to be environmentally conscious and lower your water costs for your home or business.
Reynolds Water Conditioning Co. provides exceptional water solutions you so desire. Check out their website to view all the products and services they offer.
Why You Should Have A Water Filtration System
Without water, we could not live so it’s easy to see why choosing the best source for the cleanest water is an important decision to be made. Industrial chemicals, heavy metals, and pesticides are found in water supplies all over the world and it is up to us to protect ourselves and our families from the pollution we can potentially put into our bodies. The good news is there are many affordable options that are available to produce and improve water quality.
Knowing You Water
The first step to improve your water quality is to know exactly what type of water you are currently dealing with. There are several ways that water testing can be performed some more accurate than others. The most simplistic form of testing is by using your senses of sight, smell, and taste. With sight, you may notice cloudiness or particles that float or if the coloring of red, brown, or orange it could indicate rust from corroded pipes. As for the smell, certain aromas will inform you of chemicals that are in the water such as bleach type which could be chlorine from the local facility. Or perhaps you smell rotten eggs, and this may indicate somewhere through the water’s course there is bacteria growth. Lastly with taste, if the water instantly doesn’t taste normal it is best to never swallow it. The next option for water testing is to have a professional water treatment company to test your water supply or purchase an at-home water test kit. These tests can determine if the water contains harmful materials and reveal the water’s pH and hardness. If your water source is from a private well, it is advised to have the water tested twice a year.
Water Filter Options
Water filters come in a variety of shapes and sizes and each one has unique features that will benefit a home differently depending on your water quality needs. The first question to ask yourself is what impurities are you wanting to remove from your water? After reviewing your water quality report or speaking to your professional water treatment company, you can decide what type of filter you are needing to use.
- Pitcher filter- The simplest water filters to use that fit inside a pitcher that can be kept inside the refrigerator. This style is inexpensive and easy to use but the lifetime is short and typically only removing few contaminants such as chlorine from the water.
- Faucet mount filter- this style is exactly as its name implies and is located directly under your faucet. They require little installation with easy replacements and are an inexpensive option. These filters can remove a decent number of contaminants but be sure to research what exactly it can remove to be safe.
- Countertop filters- These filters will not take up space under your sink but can however clutter your countertops. They work best for filtering large amounts of water without having to modify any plumbing. Installation can be done hooking to your faucet or be freestanding as well. An advantage is they do not clog as often as a faucet-mounted system but are not compatible with all types of faucets either.
- Reverse osmosis– A process where water is forced through a membrane that filters molecules that’s are physically larger than the water molecules. This type of filter is very well at removing minerals however it cannot remove chlorine or volatile organic compounds which are more of a cause for concern so many ROS systems combine prefilters and carbon filters to help this issue.
- Whole-house filters- This type of filter is installed directly in the water main and filter all water coming into the home. An advantage is they have a long lifetime and are an inexpensive option for removing sediment, rust, and sometimes even chlorine. Unfortunately, they can not remove most other contaminants, so it is important to pair this with another drinking water filter. They are on the pricier side in relation and must be installed by a professional water treatment company.
The experts at Reynolds Water Conditioning have a solution to your homes unique water quality needs including: arsenic, bacteria, chlorine, rotten egg smell, fluoride, hard water, iron, lead, acid, tannins, radon, and more. More information on our water treatment solutions including water softeners and conditioners, water filtration and purification, reverse osmosis drinking water, and iron & odor removal can be found online at https://reynoldswater.com.
Choosing A Reverse Osmosis System
Reverse Osmosis systems are a great option for water filtration when your tap water is not optimal to consume. These systems are easily installed under your sink and are attached to your faucet for water use that filters tap water to remove any contaminants missed by standard filters. Once you have deiced that this type of system will be a perfect fit for your home or business, there are a few considerations that should be additionally thought about provided in this article, certain factors such as size, replacement filters, output, pricing
Tips to Maintain Your Well Water Systems
Homeowners that have well water save money by not having a water bill each month, but it comes with a catch. Well-water systems need proper care and maintenance but with regular inspections and at-home tests, your well can live a happy life span of about 10 years. Following 5 other advice tips in this article will allow your well water system to operate efficiently. These tips include paying attention to your water for any changes, taking an annual water test to look for any contaminants, check your water softener, and keeping a clean water house. Lastly, it is always great advice to consult a professional well water specialist to insect your system routinely. Older systems should be checked yearly while the newer ones can be done every 5 years. Following these time lengths will help any negligence that could create larger issues from occurring.
Salt Vs Salt Free Water Softeners
A recent debate that is brought up often after water softeners are which systems are better, the salt based or salt free softeners? Several factors will need to be considered when answering this question. In this installment we will look at how both systems work and what advantages/ disadvantages of each to understand which system is best suited in a certain situation.
Salt Based Water Softeners
Taking a closer look at how these products work, these systems are designed to remove hard water minerals like calcium and magnesium from your water which than provided soft water. This process of hard water removal is done through “ion exchange”. Salt based softeners require the use of salt pellets and regeneration periods or a recharge cycle. As a result, these systems will prevent scale buildup, reduce future staining on appliances and laundry, and personal hair and skin softness. They will ultimately save you money by prolonging the life of your water base appliances and use less soap/ detergent when cleaning. If your home has high levels of hard water, this type of softener will be your best choice for your concerns.
Salt Free Water Softeners
Despite their name, salt free water softeners do not soften hard water. They work by crystallizing calcium but does not remove it. Salt free water softeners are more specifically a water conditioner that prevent the hard water from adhering to the surface of an object such as the inside of your water pipes. An advantage of using this type of water softener/ water conditioner is that they do not waste water the same way as traditional softeners. They are also less expensive to operate and require less maintenance. This method of hard water treatment is not as effective as a salt-based system and will not be able to remove high levels of hard water.
Choosing Potassium Chloride
A third option that can be done to remove your hard water issues but will remain on the healthier side would be soften water by using the alternative of potassium instead of sodium. Potassium is an essential mineral that provides good health to people and to the environment. Water conditioning units at Reynolds Water are designed to use potassium just as well as the use of sodium. Simply change the product by changing to a different bag option and your set.
The experts at Reynolds Water Conditioning have a solution to your homes unique water quality needs including: arsenic, bacteria, chlorine, rotten egg smell, fluoride, hard water, iron, lead, acid, tannins, radon, and more. More information on our water treatment solutions including water softeners and conditioners, water filtration and purification, reverse osmosis drinking water, and iron & odor removal can be found online at https://reynoldswater.com.