There are many ways to make hard water soft and pure. Water softeners do a great job of removing harsh minerals that can damage large appliances, but they usually don’t purify drinking water. Thanks to technology, ways to whole-house purify water include:
- Dual ionization and oxygen electrodes to remove chemicals
- Electrical impulses to break minerals into CO2
- Reverse osmosis
- Water ionizers
Is Your Drinking Water Safe?
Some of the complaints received about Houston drinking water include:
- Algae/mold traces
- Cloudy
- Smelly
- Visible worms
Yes, worms. Yeech! Some of these complaints could be related to old or bad plumbing pipes and not the water source.
Drinking water has long been suspect in cancer causes, and studies are conducted often. Conscientious homeowners have decided not to wait to be told their drinking water is risky; they’re doing something about it now.
Reverse Osmosis Benefits
In addition to affordability, a good RO (reverse osmosis) system may remove sodium, carcinogens, pesticides (when a carbon block filter is used), and other unwanted contaminants:
- arsenic
- barium
- chromium
- copper
- cyst (cryptosporidium)
- fluoride
- lead
- nitrates and nitrites (hexavalent & trivalent)
- radium
- selenium
- total dissolved solids (TDS)
The bad news is, RO may remove good minerals, too. Most homeowners and many water professionals agree: The value of reverse osmosis in removing carcinogens and contaminants far exceeds the risk of losing magnesium or calcium.
Yes, a plumber can install a reverse osmosis system.
It might seem like a good idea to hire a handyman to install a water filtration system in order to avoid paying the higher hourly plumber rate, which typically ranges from $45 to $200 per hour. However, if your handyperson lacks knowledge of piping layouts or has experience cutting and soldering pipes, it could result in serious issues. While many handy people are capable of replacing or tightening plumbing components, they frequently lack the skills needed to set up a water filtration system.
No reverse osmosis is not the same as soft water.
Reverse osmosis water systems filter the water while water softeners “soften” it. Many impurities will still be in your water if all you have is a water softener. Your hard water will not significantly improve if you only have a reverse osmosis system.
Depending on the system, installation costs can range from $100 to $800 or more.
However, installation costs vary depending on the system. Installing a complex whole house could be even more expensive, and any cost is likely to vary depending on the location and other aspects.
Additional pumps are a common addition that can help boost pressure and improve the system’s effectiveness and flow rate. These are particularly prevalent in tank systems that must pump water back out of tanks at the proper pressure. A remineralization process, which helps add essential minerals for humans that the reverse osmosis process removes, is another frequent addition.
Reverse Osmosis for Your Home
The EPA says the watershed quality in The Woodlands is 61 on a scale of 0-100. This is only an indicator of your tap water; not a complete analysis. Tap or pitcher filters are very good, but they fail to purify your shower or bath water.
When rated among the best types of water filtration systems, whole-house RO gets a big thumbs-up for 2018. Do you need a reverse osmosis filtration system this year?
Your Bradbury Brothers – Cooling | Heating | Plumbing professionals vote “Yes.” It costs nothing to schedule a free, onsite plumbing assessment, and you stand to gain so much! An RO system will not only improve your quality of life, it can increase the resale value of your property. Call 281-661-4283 or 936-756-5472 to find out more about whole-house water wellness.
