Discolored water is always a major headache for any plumbing system. It leads to sink and shower discoloration, pipe corrosion, and internal fixture corrosion. All this leads to costly repairs later on if not dealt with immediately. Knowing your enemy is the first step in winning the war, and by becoming informed, you can win the battle. We can help you with this battle with our plumbing services.
What Causes Discolored Water
Discolored water is caused by dissolved minerals. Water, by nature, “pulls” solid minerals into it and forms a solution. Discolored water is also called hard water. Some dissolved minerals include iron, manganese, calcium, and a variety of others. If you have a rotten egg smell in the water, dissolved sulfur is present.
How It Can Be Fixed
A very effective fix is to have a qualified plumbing professional install a water softener. A water softener uses various salts and filters to remove most, if not all of the dissolved minerals. The softener should be installed as close to the water source as possible such as right at your well head. If the water is municipal supplied, the softener should be installed at the water entrance to the building. A qualified plumber will discuss all aspects of the installation with you, such as drawing the permits, location of the softener, etc.
How it Can be Prevented
Unfortunately, discolored, or hard, water cannot be prevented. If you have a well, the dissolving action of water occurs deep underground, right at the water table. If the supply is municipal, the dissolving action occurs right at the treatment plant. Another area where water picks up minerals is old iron pipes. The piping from the source supply to the building entrance may be iron, or in many older buildings and homes plumbing was iron.
Discolored water poses a real problem to plumbing. Every year, thousands of dollars are spent replacing and restoring fixtures due to the corrosive nature of hard water. You cannot prevent discolored water at the source, but you can catch it early before it enters your building. The only true way to prevent hard water from entering your building is by having a qualified plumbing professional install a water softener, as close to the source supply as possible.
Bring in a plumber into your Westfield home to look over your plumbing system and make the necessary corrections. Call L.E. Isley at (317) 420-4006today!