Water Treatment for Your Tacoma Home

In some Tacoma homes water treatment is a necessity. Not every home has access to good, clean water. This is especially true for those living in rural areas and those living in cities with older city water systems. Without home water treatment, tap water can contain an overabundance of minerals, bacteria, or even parasites. Water purification can both soften water for washing or bathing and make it 100 percent safe for drinking. Two forms of water treatment include water softeners and ultraviolet disinfection.

Water softeners are fixtures that filter water, removing hard minerals that can be the cause of several problems. Hard water is not only bad for the hair and skin, but it also makes everyday chores like washing dishes and doing laundry almost impossible. In addition, there are several financial costs involved in having hard water. It is estimated that a family of four can save over $90 each month with a water softener system.

One of the ways water softening will save you money is in soap costs. Soap and detergents fail to create suds and do their job as cleaners in water that is too hard. A water softener can end up saving you up to 70 percent on your current expenditures for soap.

Another way home water softening saves money is in water heating costs. Hard water takes much more energy to heat and it eventually corrodes water heaters, so they have to be replaced much sooner than their average lifespan indicates. Heating costs can be reduced by 20 percent after installing a water softener.   Discuss water softener installation with your Tacoma plumbing contractor.

 

An ultraviolet disinfection water treatment system is a chemical-free way to kill bacteria and other micro organisms that may be contaminating your groundwater. These machines irradiate water with UV-C radiation with wavelengths of 240-280 nano-meters. This radiation is deadly to micro organisms as it destroys their DNA. It is also very effective against parasites, even those that are very resistant to chemical disinfectants.

UV water treatment, known as photolysis, is not only effective; it is also very affordable when compared to the cost of other types of treatments. The best part is that you don’t need to do anything. The UV system does all the labor for you.

Getting to Grips With Tacoma Hard Water

People who already enjoy the benefits of soft water often forget how lucky they are. They take for granted frothy soap lathers, smooth clothing, and ultra soft towels.

Perhaps people who live in hard water areas have got used to the disadvantages and are not aware of what they are missing. Hard water means scale building up around taps, in sinks, chrome pipes and shiny surfaces. Meaning additional washing powder or soap is needed to clean properly. Hard water is tougher on the skin, hair and clothing. It may form a scum deposit on your hot beverages and ugly bath rings!

Most of the damage caused by hard water however is unseen. Limescale deposits will form on elements, pipes and boilers. These deposits reduce the efficiency of heating elements as more power is needed to heat through the scale. This will mean higher electricity bills. The damage caused to the element means that it will need replacing if not de-calcified regularly further adding to parts and maintenance costs.

Untreated water will cause problems to dishwashers, washing machines, espresso machines and other equipment. It will clog up pipes in plumbing and central heating systems, again reducing efficiency and adding to costs and attract expensive repair bills.

Soft water however, means luxurious soapy lather using only a small quantity of soap or detergent. It ensures softer sheets, smoother feeling clothing and fluffy bath towels. Soft water is kinder to the skin and hair too. It means no ugly smear marks on glass and chrome surfaces. It also limits damage to heating elements and stops shower heads and taps scaling up.

Surprisingly, very few people that have a new bathroom fitted will also fit a water softener. A costly bathroom suite will only look good for a month or so before hard water has its evil way. Soon after, areas of scale will start appearing on once shiny surfaces, water flow in shower heads will reduce and taps will fur up.

To sum up, a water softener will save on cleaning materials, soap and detergents. It will ensure surfaces remain clean and shiny. It will protect electrical appliances (using water) from damage and maintain their efficiency. A water softener will also protect plumbing and central heating systems and make clothing, hair and skin feel softer.