Boiled Water Report-The Villages Florida

Have you ever gotten a letter from the city in the mail and when you first looked at the envelope you see that it is from the city and wonder "Now what?"  Then you open it and are thinking that you have done something wrong and they want you to move something, mow something remove something etc.  However as you begin to read the letter enclosed you find that on the very top it says in big bold letters "Boil Water Report"   You think to yourself what in the world is this?  As you read it you now seeing clearly what they are talking about.  They have discovered that the purification process the city uses was not working and you now need to boil your water in order to make sure that the water is safe to drink. Great, how in the world does that happen?  What's worse is how long has this gone on before they found out about the problem?  How much water did I cook with, how much water did we use from the faucet to make our tea or lemonade or wash vegetables or worse yet either drink ourselves or give to our grand kids to drink?  Who wants to even have to worry about something like this to happen?  No one does but if you do not have the correct safeguards in place then you will have to have this worry.  Here are some safeguards to help give you peace of mind.  You can buy from amazon this reverse osmosis system that will give you purified water every time you get water from it for pennies on the dollar and it usually pays for itself within a year.

5 Stage Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water System

Now if you want to protect all the water that comes into your home then you will want to get a Whole House Carbon Filtration System.  This system will stop the chlorine and other bacteria that is in the water, not to mention the dead bacteria bodies that the chlorine kills.  That's right, chlorine kills the bacteria in the water but the dead bodies of the bacteria don't go away so you end up drinking them.  This carbon filter along with the reverse osmosis system will take care of all that for you.



You can purchase these items online which is much cheaper and then if you live in The Villages Florida you can go HERE to get a plumber to put them in for you and then you will be a Happy Villager

Drinking Water-The Villages Florida

Have you ever smelled your water?  Can you smell your water?  Should you be able to smell your water?  These may seem like silly questions but in reality if you can smell your water and I'm not talking about the actual act of lifting your glass of water to your nose but the act of just turning on your water and being able to smell your water.  The next question is what does it smell like if in fact you are able to smell it?  Does it smell like Chlorine or does it have an earthy smell, kind of like freshly turned soil?  If it smells like chlorine then you definitely don't want to drink it and you may ask why does my water smell like chlorine?  The answer for that is simple, chlorine is used to disinfect the public drinking water so it is potable and safe to drink.  Well at least there are no LIVE bacteria in the water.  The chlorine kills them but the bodies are still there.  Yes you are drinking dead bacteria bodies in your water.  If the thought of that is more that you can stand then your need a reverse osmosis drinking water system that will give you purified water at your sink and for pennies on the dollar with no plastic bottles to throw back into our environment and no need to buy and tote those heavy cases of water into the house.  You simply lift your lever and get healthy clean purified water into your glass.

Now if your water has the earthy smell that is called Geosmin. Is Geosmin toxic?  What is Geosmin? In short this is what Geosmin is; Geosmin is produced by the gram-positive bacteria Streptomyces, a genus of Actinobacteria in the order Actinomycetales, and released when these microorganisms die. Communities whose water supplies depend on surface water can periodically experience episodes of unpleasant-tasting water when a sharp drop in the population of these bacteria releases geosmin into the local water supply.  So in other words you are drinking dead bacteria once again and this is another reason to get a reverse osmosis drinking water system that fits under your sink and provides clean, healthy purified water at your sink.

Now if you don't want the odor of chlorine or Geosmin coming into your home then you will want to buy a whole house carbon filter, which will remove the odor and chlorine as well as the dead bodies of bacteria and prevent them from coming into your home.

Now that you have purchased these items to keep your water safe and clean how are you going to put it in?  Well you can go to HERE and get a plumber to install them for you so you can have save and odor free water in your home and you can be a Happy Villager

Use Less Soap with a Water Softener

When high-efficiency (HE) laundry washers were introduced a few years back, many consumers suddenly began paying more attention to the laundry soap they were buying. High efficiency machine manufacturers warned that using “regular” laundry soap rather than an “HE detergent” could void the machine’s warranty.
So what about a water softener system? Does it matter what type of soap is used after a water softener or conditioner is installed?

Why Hard Water Requires More Soap

Prior to the installation of a water softener, hard water probably made it difficult for you to get much of a suds. Hard water is known to complicate soap and detergent dissolving in water.
In fact, you may remember dumping a big scoop of laundry detergent into a top-loading washer and waiting…only to see very few suds form. That’s because nearly twice the amount of soap must be used with hard water to achieve the same results as when operating with softened water.
The minerals that make water “hard” (calcium and magnesium) interfere with the cleaning action of soap. Soap is attracted to these hardness minerals and that is why soap produces fewer suds and is less effective in hard water.
Hard water also makes it difficult to rinse soap from clothing. You may have noticed some of your clothes coming out of the laundry process feeling stiff or looking dingy. Yes, hard water limescale is clinging or adhering to that favorite pair of jeans!  Washing clothes in soft water means you’ll not only need less soap to get your clothes clean, but also will be able to completely rinse the soap out of your clothing.

What Type of Soap Should I Use with a Water Softener?

If you’ve recently installed a water softener (by the way, you’ve made a great choice—congratulations), you should try to use as pure a soap as possible. Softened water actually maximizes the effectiveness of soaps and detergents. We recommend you use clear liquid soaps that are free of perfumes and dyes.
Many soap manufacturers assume their products are being used with hard water and add water softening agents and fillers to soaps, shampoos and detergents. This means that you’re paying for a filler or additive that you don’t need–and you’ll get a lot more for your money by purchasing pure soaps. A variety of online sites sell pure soaps and detergents, or there are many soap making do-it-yourself sites, if you’re feeling ambitious.

Softened water has the ability to remedy “hard water” problems.

Claims such as “softened water can save you money” were put to the test in an independent study funded by the Water Quality Research Council.* The study found that consumers can cut back on laundry detergents by 50 percent and reduce dishwashing soap by 70 percent when washing with soft water.
And when it comes to laundry stain removal, the study showed significant cost savings in energy expenses as washing machine temperatures were lowered from hot to cold and still maintained the same stain removal efficacy–when washing with softened water.
You’ll also find that with softened water, you can use less shampoo to create even greater lather and there’s no longer a need to buy “rinsing agents” for spot-free glasses and dishes!

*The Detergent Savings Study was conducted in 2010 in conjunction with Scientific Services S/D, Inc. and funded by the Water Quality Research Foundation.
Article written by Brice Linton, Water Tech

Do I Need Special Soap With a Water Softener

A few years ago when the high efficiency washing machines became available a lot of people started paying more attention to the amount of laundry soap they were buying because these HE washing machines use less soap and that using regular laundry detergent may void the manufactures warranty. 

So does it make a difference what kind of soap do you use when you have a water softener or water conditioner.  With a HE washing machine you use less soap and with a water softener you will use less soap as well.  So if you have both then you may want to pay attention to how much soap you use and if there are a lot of suds left over or if your HE washing machine is taking longer to finish its cycle.

Let's talk a moment about why hard water uses more soap.  Before you had your water softener hard water probably stained your whites and you probably used more soap in order to get more suds and if you poured a lot of laundry detergent in your top loading washing machine you probably didn't see many suds at all.  The reason for this is that it takes twice the amount of soap to achieve the same result as when you have soft water because the minerals that make hard water hard interfere with the cleansing action of the soap.  The soap is attracted to these hardness minerals and you have less suds and it is less effective in hard water.  If you did a test you would find that with hard water it is difficult to rinse the soap from clothing and the clothes will also seem more stiff and dingy looking.  What has happened is that the limescale is clinging to your favorite pair of skinny jeans.  When you have a water softener you will find that it is much easier to rinse the soap out of the laundry because of the soft water.

Okay let's talk type of soap.  If you have a water softener you should try to use soap in its purest form because soft water maximizes the effectiveness of soaps and laundry detergents that should be as clear as possible with as little perfumes and dyes in it as possible.  Most soap manufacturers take in account that most people will have hard water and so they will add water softening agents and fillers to soap.  So what happens is that you pay more because there are additives in your soaps shampoos and conditioners however on the other hand you can make your own soap if you have the DIY energy.

You may have heard that soft water can save you money, and to tell the truth this is correct.  The water quality research council conducted the test with different levels of hard and soft water to determine its effectiveness.  The best news for moms is that when you have laundry stains the study showed that with soft water you use less water and soap and lower temperatures which help in the lowering of utility bills.  IE instead of using hot water you can use cold water in its place. 

House wives will be happy to know that with soft water they will use less shampoo and conditioner and will not longer need to buy rinsing agents for the dishwasher to have spot free dishes and the need to use chemical agents to clean the bathtub and shower walls is over when you have soft water.  There are many places to get your water tested to determine how hard your water is which is what you will need to do if you need to buy a water softener

How to Remove Iron From Your Water

Most people who live on city water never really have to deal with red iron in their water and the only iron they encounter is the iron or metal from the inside of the pipes that may be old.  Those people who have never had an iron problem who move into  home with a water well that has iron in it feel so frustrated because they have never had this problem and now with a new home they are faced with this terrible dilemma.

What dilemma you say, well the fact that the clothes that used to be white are not longer white but dingy brown, the toilet bowl has red stains on it and the beautiful home you have has red marks where the water from the sprinkler system hits it.  No one wants to drive into their driveway and have to see this unsightly red stain day after day.  So they venture to the internet to find out how to get rid of iron in the water.
There are a couple of different ways to remove iron from the water, one of which is not my favorite but is effective.  It's the use of chlorine, you do not need lots of chlorine to remove the iron but the reasons it is not my favorite is because it is a chemical and I really don't like putting chemicals in the water even though it can be removed.  You would need a chemical feed pump or chlorinator then you would need something to catch the iron in, I prefer another tank of filterag plus but you can use the small household filters though they may get clogged fast and the other filter I speak of is self back washing and removes the iron for you then you would need another filter of granular activated carbon or you could buy the household filters if you like to remove the chlorine.  You cannot save money and try and use the carbon filter for both because the iron will overwhelm your filter much sooner and you will have to change them more often which may lead to other problems like breaking pipes, leaks at the seals etc.  A self back washing is more money but worth it because of the time it saves.
Another way is to use air.  There are systems that use air injection which is okay but you still have to deal with an injector or another piece of equipment.  It injects air into the water and then you have a precipitation tank to get rid of the air and then another media tank to catch the iron that has been oxidized, once again filterag plus.
The third way is to use a similar set up but it has only one tank that does it all.  Some companies will sell it as an iron breaker.  The two types of valves I know of at the moment are the Fleck valve and the Clack valve that draws in air into the tank and traps it there and when the water enters the tank it mixes with air and then is oxidized and caught in the media in the tank.  A one stop shop system and my favorite because it is all natural.
A fourth way is to use potassium permanganate which is another chemical and not really toxic but kind of expensive and must be added to another tank that washes the main media tank with the potassium permanganate and cleans the iron off the media.  It is another mess to deal with because whatever is wet when it makes contact it stains purple to include the hands.

For me air is the best, its not a chemical and I always recommend the iron breaker any day of the week.
If you need filtration you can get some HERE or you can go HERE 

How to winterize your water well

I know that the blog name is low cost water softeners but I am also a licensed pump installer and owned a water well company before I sold it. So i will be posting things on water wells here and giving you videos as well that I made when I owned my company. So if you live near wise county Texas we can be of help to you. You will want to take a look at this video in order to be familiar with your well house. Now that you are familiar you are ready to go

The things that are most important to winterize are the nipple just below the pressure switch and any metal parts on you equipment.  the metal parts will get cold and freeze much sooner that PVC parts.  You can use heat tape, insulation, or even a heat lamp.  Now I have seen things like blanket, rugs, hay, dirt and other objects used as well so if it works then I guess it is okay.

It is not necessary to insulate your pressure tank because it is so big around that the water in it will not be able to freeze.  So there is no reason to spend the money and have to deal with the fiberglass in the insulation.

Now if you have a water softener you will want to insulate the tank and any metal parts that may be on or near the water softener as well.  It would also be a good idea to put a heat lamp in the well house or near your water softener if it is in the garage since it is possible for the water softener to freeze up in the garage.

Most importantly is to just keep it warm in your well house or garage in order to prevent damage and incurring other costs because you really cannot go overboard unless you you insulate your water well tank or commonly known as a pressure tank.

MORE WATER SOFTENERS AND WATER FILTERS

A variety of water softeners and water filters of all kinds to include a refrigerator filter