Water is an essential but scarce resource, so its conservation is critical. It is used for virtually all aspects of our lives, from cooking, bathing, showering, draining away waste, and irrigation to flushing. Without water, your home could be in for various inconveniences and discomforts. The water comes in through the water line part of the plumbing system and leaves via a drainage part. Hence, you must ensure that your plumbing system is in shape through regular maintenance by a professional plumber.
However, the water might be contaminated when it travels through the plumbing system from the water utility provider. Hence, ensuring that the water is of excellent quality is critical. Ingesting contaminated or poor-quality water could result in health issues, including nausea, stomach illnesses, and cramping. To ensure that your home doesn’t have poor-quality water, watching out for the signs below is critical.
Murky Water
Does the water at your Coral Springs, FL, home appear murky or cloudy? That is a sign that the water has high mineral content. Having some organic minerals in the water is expected. However, these minerals should be kept within a specific range. If the water is cloudy whenever you turn on the faucets, leave it running for several minutes. If the water doesn’t clear up, you should have a plumber inspect the purity of the water. Although ingesting water with lots of dissolved minerals doesn’t impact your health, there are other shortcomings. You will be forced to use more detergent while washing; it might affect your skin and result in accumulated sediments in your plumbing fixtures.
Chlorine Smell
Chlorine is a prevalent additive to pool water. It helps in killing germs and bacteria and keeping the water sanitized. Your water utility provider is highly likely to add small doses of chlorine into the water before releasing or distributing it for the same reason of killing bacteria. The volume of chlorine added to the tap water will dissipate quickly in the supply. However, you shouldn’t notice the chlorine smell. If the odor is present, that water isn’t safe for consumption.
You also might notice the presence of excessive chlorine within the water because of skin and eye irritation whenever you bathe in it. The high levels of chlorine in water used for laundry could damage and fade the linen and clothes during the cleaning. Hence, talk to a plumber to see how they can help you reduce chlorine levels.
Smell of Sulfur
The other contaminant likely to be found in tap water is sulfur. Have you noticed a rotten egg smell whenever you run the water? Then that is a sign that your water has sulfur contamination. Drinking or cooking with sulfur-contaminated water is highly dangerous to your health. Hence, whenever you notice this sign or even suspect that your water has any sulfur content, immediately contact your reliable plumber for an inspection and testing.
Tinted Water
Water should always be clear and colorless, especially after it runs from your taps for several minutes. When you notice discoloration or a tint when you pour water into a glass or a cup, that is a sign of contamination. Hence, the water isn’t safe to drink. The tint might be caused by an increased level of manganese or iron. It also could be because of rust from the water pipes where the particles dislodge from the pipe. The discoloration may further be caused by dust and dirt in the water. If the corrosion causes the discoloration, it might be time to have a plumber replace the corroded, old pipes or water heater. The discoloration may be further caused by upstream pollutants from the chemicals washed by rain, including pesticides, agricultural runoff, and oils.
Oily Water
The other clear and surefire sign that the water is of poor quality is an oily film standing on top of the water like in the toilet or whenever you are running a bath. This is a clear sign or an indication that oil or grease might have made its way into the plumbing system. Because the water and oil won’t mix, you will likely notice the film forming at the top. Whenever you see this, have a plumber inspect your plumbing to determine where the oil might be entering the plumbing system and patch it.
Blue-Green Stains
It’s frequently a sign that your water supply contains excessive amounts of copper when blue-green stains are left in your tubs, sinks, or showers. High levels of copper consumption can cause anemia, digestive issues, and even probable kidney and liver damage. Have a plumber install a water filtration system in your Coral Springs, FL, home to purify the water to make it safe for consumption. The last thing you want is exposure to such contaminants that could make you sick. During the installation, the professional might inspect other parts of the plumbing system to ensure that the pipes or fixtures aren’t corroding.
Detergent Smell
Have you noticed a detergent smell in your water? That is a sign of disease-causing germs or microorganisms in your home water supply. This may be because of a specific discharge that seeps into your water supply. You are at risk of contracting severe water-borne diseases whenever you ingest such water. Contact a plumber for an in-depth inspection of the plumbing system.
Low Water Pressure
Your pipes may be rusted and clogged if you notice your taps are running slowly or that there is less water pressure from your showerhead. This obstruction is frequently brought on by sediment and scale buildup in your pipework over time. The water quality may decline if this sediment starts to break off and enter the water.
There are many measures that a plumber might take to prevent the contamination of water. Whenever you notice either of the signs above in your Coral Springs, FL, home’s water, contact us at MainLine Plumbing immediately.