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Three Common Household Water Issues You Should Understand

19 September 2016 by Kyle Brown

Water that is truly clean and pure will have no color, flavor, odor, or any other distinguishable feature. If the water in your home has any odor, color or unusual flavor to it, that's often a sign that there's some form of contamination in it. Even water that looks perfectly clear may need to be filtered to eliminate other contaminants. Here are a few common problems you might experience with your home's water and some tips to deal with them.

Subtle Taste Of Metal

Water that has any kind of metallic flavor to it likely has a high metal or other mineral concentration. You may have excess manganese, copper, zinc, or iron in the water supply. Both iron and manganese are naturally found in groundwater, making them likely culprits. However, if your plumbing system is made from copper or zinc pipes, that can contribute those minerals through seeping. If the inside of the pipe starts to deteriorate, particles will dissolve into the water due to corrosion.

The key to dealing with any kind of metal buildup in your water is knowing what kind of metal you're dealing with. You can have a water filtration specialist test your home's water supply to determine exactly what causes the metallic flavor. If the problem is zinc or manganese, you can often minimize it with filtration. If it's zinc or copper, on the other hand, you'll need to replace your plumbing pipes.

Earthy or Musty Flavors and Odors

Any hint of musty odors or taste in your water is typically caused by some organic compound in the water supply. Whether there's algae in the water or some kind of decaying vegetation, either can cause this problem. In most cases, the culprit isn't something that could be harmful, but it could leave the water seeming unappetizing. Activated carbon filters installed in your home's main water line can help you combat this.

Foul Sulfur Odor

Sulfur is a hard smell to miss. It usually resembles that of a rotten egg. In most cases, this kind of odor coming from your water supply indicates the presence of hydrogen sulfide. It's a colorless gas that is highly corrosive. It's usually caused by sulfate-killing bacteria in your water supply. You'll want to have your water tested and treated to minimize the bacteria, then add a triple-stage filter or something similar to help you keep any residual odor at bay. In most cases, treatment is done with chlorine before the filtration system is put in place. Put the filter on your main incoming line to combat the problem at every fixture.

Contact a company like Bay Lakes Ecowater Systems  for more information.

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