In New Hampshire we have a lot of Granite bedrock. Our Granite is both a source of Natural Beauty and Natural Contaminants. Many of the laboratories around our State offer a package of Standard and Comprehensive Water Tests for your consideration. It is not unusual for a Homeowner to choose one of these tests when buying or building a new home, because of the bundled discount that is received.

In our State there are 3 tests that should also be performed, that may not show up on a Standard or Comprehensive test unless they are asked for specifically. I am talking about Radon in Water, Uranium , and Arsenic. I started calling them the BIG 3 about 10 years ago. So this is not anything new, On average one of the BIG 3 will show up high on a test in Southern New Hampshire about 50% of the time. Of course it will depend on the type and age of the Granite in your area as to what contaminants might be found there. In some towns the number is dramatically higher than 50%, and in some its lower.

Radon in Water, Uranium, and Arsenic are all long term health concerns. They are not the type of contaminant that will instantly make you sick. If you are living on a well, it would make sense to have your water tested for these contaminants just for the peace of mind if nothing else.

There are many different Water Treatment Systems available to solve for these contaminants. Most of them have been working reliably in homes for decades.

If you should test and find your levels high, call Secondwind for a free phone consultation on your Water.

Go ahead, test for the BIG 3, and enjoy your great water!

Many of our new customers have asked this question. Why does my Soft Water feel so silky? As always when it comes to water quality the final answer may depend on the local water characteristics within your specific region, and the type of Water Treatment Equipment that you have chosen. However, the answer here in New Hampshire has to a lot do with the exchange of Sodium for Calcium taking place within the Water Softener. Calcium is one of the most common Ions in our local Water. It makes up over 90% of the Total Hardness in New England. Calcium makes things like clothing and skin feel rough, and dried out. It is usually found naturally occurring in the form of Calcium Bi-Carbonate. When the Water travels through a Water Softening System the Softener Resin attracts and holds the Calcium from the water. For every single Hardness Ion removed from the Water, about a 1/2 of a Sodium Ion will be introduced into the water. What you end up with is a slight increase in the Sodium level in the form of Sodium Bi-Carbonate, in the Softened Water. Most people are familiar with Baking Soda but not aware that it can make skin feel slippery.

Another factor is the Skin itself. Over prolonged exposure to Hard Water the pores of your skin become blocked with Calcium. By not allowing natural skin oils to exit through the pores, your skin can become dry and rough. Once the Water Is Softened the pores clear out and the skin oil becomes present. This can cause a slippery skin feeling also.

Soap is the final culprit. Once you remove Hardness from the Water, it is important to cut down on the amount of soap that you use by over 1/2. Soft water makes more suds which can feel slippery.

Once customers become accustomed to Soft Water they learn to expect that slippery/silky feel and won’t settle for less. It is a constant reminder that their Water Treatment System is working properly and that they are showering in the best water for their skin.

Until next time treat yourself to a nice warm silky bath, and enjoy your great water!

Last time, we discussed substituting Potassium Chloride Salt for regular Sodium Chloride Salt, and that if you are thinking of swapping for health reasons that you should check with your Doctor, before doing so. Potassium can be just as bad for your individual high blood pressure situation as Sodium.

In addition to just changing the Salt in your Brine Tank over to Potassium Chloride there are Mechanical changes that need to occur in your Water Treatment System as well. Potassium Chloride is not as efficient as Sodium Chloride. This means that the Salt setting on your Water Softener will need to be adjusted up for Potassium. We suggest increasing the Salt setting by 25%.

Cost is also a factor to consider, due to the higher cost of Potassium Chloride over Sodium, the increased dosage necessary, and hiring a technician to adjust your Softener. In the end most customers with Potassium Chloride systems usually pay over twice as much as customers on Sodium Systems.

According to the E.P.A. recommendations if someone is on a Doctor prescribed Sodium free diet they should have less than 25 mg/l of Sodium in their Water. Interesting though that skim milk has 125 mg of Sodium in an 8 oz. glass, that’s approx 480 mg/l. (You just can’t trust cows, lol)

In General if someone is trying to improve their health I would recommend a nice Kinetico K5 Reverse Osmosis (RO) Drinking Water System. The water tastes great, and people tend to drink more RO water than just plain tap water. Drinking more water can have great health benefits also. You just take the money you saved by not switching over to Potassium and invest it in a quality RO that removes over 90% of the dissolved solids from the water, and enjoy!

So don’t add to the tension of everyday life by worrying over Salt versus Potassium, and enjoy your great water!