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!

In January of 2006 the USEPA lowered the maximum contaminant level for Arsenic to 0.01 mg/l. Many homeowners have taken action since then by installing Water Treatment Equipment to remove the Arsenic from their Water supply. There are many different systems and medias available to solve the issue. No matter what approach you chose to use, one thing seems to be consistent. You aren’t done yet!!!

Regardless of the Treatment design you have chosen for your specific water characteristics and budget, you need to be performing regular, on going, Arsenic retests to be certain that your system is still working properly. Arsenic is colorless tasteless, and odorless. You won’t know if it has returned.

For Reverse Osmosis, Single Tank Adsorption or Anion Conditioners you should consider testing the Raw and Treated water. This will allow you to watch your percentage of reduction through the treatment system over time. If you see the reduction percentage start to drop, you can address it right away.

If you have installed a system with redundant adsorber tanks, it is very important to test the Raw, Mid Point and Fully treated Water for Arsenic. This will tell you when to have your lead tank rebedded, long before you ever get to the point of breakthrough at the lag tank, or your faucet.

A properly sized and applied Water Treatment System for Arsenic can bring you many many years of quality drinking water. Just don’t think that it can then be ignored like a refrigerator or washing machine. Have your Water Treatment Dealer service your system at all recommended intervals and have the Arsenic retested regularly.

Thanks for reading, until next time enjoy your great water!

That’s right I’m talking directly to you Blog readers we’ve been counting the hits to our blog and have seen a steady increase in interest every single month. With that in mind we want to announce the creation of the new Secondwind Water Systems Facebook Fan Page. Please take the time to log into Facebook and become a fan of Secondwind Water Systems. We will be offering you opportunities to get involved in discussions on water quality issues and events. You will also find the Secondwind Water Blog and postings of the different things we are doing here at Secondwind.

We’re excited about it and hope that you will be joining us at the Secondwind Water Systems fan page and click on “Become a Fan”.

Until next time, enjoy your great water!!!

Applying water treatment to a dug well can be very tricky. Dug wells pull their source from the surface. Seasonal fluctuations in rainfall will cause the water table to rise and fall. The contaminants within the well will often change with the water level. Water Treatment Systems should be oversized to allow for changes in the water quality. It is a lot more practical to plan ahead and be able to adjust for a swing in water quality than it is to be forced to replace existing equipment in hind sight.

Another issue with surface water is tannins. Tannins and Organics come from decaying vegetation on the surface area around the well. They can cause a smell and taste if the levels are very high, and even at levels will often cause water treatment system to fail. The reason for this is that the Tannins will sequester Metals within the water, allowing them to pass through a Water Treatment System. Once the sequestered metals pass through an oxidizer like air in the back of a toilet tank, shower nozzle,bleach in laundry, or heat from a water heater the Tannins/Organics will break down allowing the Metals to precipitate in to a solid that leaves a stain.

So keep the Vegetation surrounding your dug well to a minimum, and think worst case when designing a treatment system for your home. Most importantly enjoy your great water.