Water problems & testing
What is your water telling you?
Most water problems show up in small ways first: a crust on the showerhead, glasses that never look quite clean, a smell when you fill the kettle. They’re easy to live with for a while, and easy to blame on the dishwasher or the shampoo. Here’s what those signs usually mean, and what helps. If you’d rather we took a look, ask for a water check.
Scale, spots and crusty fixtures
What causes it. As water moves through the ground, it picks up dissolved minerals, mostly calcium and magnesium. Water with a lot of them is called “hard.” The minerals are invisible in the glass, but they’re left behind wherever water dries or gets heated.
Signs you might notice:
- White or chalky crust on faucets, showerheads and glass shower doors
- Spots and a cloudy film on glasses and dishes, even after the dishwasher
- Soap and shampoo that are hard to lather and leave a film
- Scale inside your kettle, coffee maker or around the base of fixtures
- Laundry that feels stiff, and skin and hair that feel less soft after a shower
What helps. A water softener. It exchanges the hardness minerals as water passes through, so softened water goes to every tap in the house. When the softener has done enough work, it cleans and recharges itself using salt from a brine tank. That’s why softeners need salt topped up from time to time.
Both VK Water systems include whole-house softening. The Whole House System uses a 64,000-grain softener with a digital metered control valve. The Reserve System is built to order around a commercial-grade control valve, with tanks sized to your home.
Softening and filtering: what’s the difference?
People often use the two words to mean the same thing, but they do different jobs.
- A softener deals with hardness minerals. It’s the part that tackles scale and spots.
- A filter catches or reduces other things. A sediment filter catches particles; a carbon filter reduces chlorine taste and smell.
Plenty of homes need both, which is why the VK Water Whole House System pairs a softener with a sediment pre-filter and carbon filtration. If you’re not sure which your home needs, the signs above are a good guide, and a water check settles it.
Tap water that smells like a pool
What causes it. Many water utilities add chlorine, or a related disinfectant, to keep water clean on its long trip through the pipes to your home. That’s normal and expected. Some people barely notice it. Others find the taste or smell strong, especially in drinking water, coffee and tea, or in a hot shower.
Signs you might notice:
- A swimming-pool smell when you run the tap or shower
- Water that tastes “off” on its own, or in coffee and tea
- A smell that’s stronger at some times of year than others
What helps. Carbon filtration. Water passes through a bed of carbon that’s designed to reduce chlorine taste and smell. A whole-house carbon filter treats the water for every tap and shower, not just the kitchen.
The VK Water Whole House System includes whole-house carbon filtration rated to 1,500,000 gallons. For the Reserve System, filtration is part of the custom configuration.
Grit, sand and discolored water
What causes it. Small particles of sand, silt or rust can travel with your water. They can come from the supply itself, from work on the water mains, or from older pipes.
Signs you might notice:
- Grit collecting in faucet aerators and showerheads
- Water that looks slightly cloudy or tinted when you first run it
- Particles at the bottom of a glass that’s been left to stand
What helps. A sediment pre-filter. It sits first in line and is designed to catch particles before they reach the rest of the system. That helps protect the carbon and softener that come after it. The pre-filter cartridge is replaced on a schedule.
The VK Water Whole House System includes a large pleated sediment pre-filter.
Better-tasting drinking water at the sink
Even with softening and carbon filtration for the whole house, many people want one more step for the water they drink and cook with. That’s what reverse osmosis (RO) is for.
How RO works. An RO system sits under your kitchen sink. Water passes through a series of filters and a very fine membrane, then goes into a small storage tank, ready at its own faucet. As part of how it works, an RO system sends some water to the drain.
What people notice. Clean, crisp-tasting water for drinking, coffee, ice and cooking, without carrying cases of bottled water home.
The VK Water Whole House System includes a 4-stage RO system (75 GPD) with a 3-gallon tank at the kitchen sink.
Your local water
Every public water utility in the US publishes a yearly water quality report, often called a Consumer Confidence Report. It lists where your water comes from and what the utility tested for. It’s a good place to start if you’re curious about your own water.
If you’re on a private well, there’s no utility report, so a check of your own water is the place to start.
How we check your water
Before we recommend a system, we want to know what your water is actually like, and how your home is plumbed. Guessing leads to systems that are too small, too large or aimed at the wrong problem, so we’d rather check first.
What we look at:
- Your water, and the signs you’ve noticed at home
- How many people live there and how many bathrooms you have
- Your plumbing: where water enters, where the system can go, and what’s nearby for drains and power
Then we recommend a system and give you a clear installed price.
FAQ
Do I need a water softener?
If you see scale on fixtures, spots on dishes and soap that won’t lather, your water is probably hard, and a softener is the usual answer. If your main concern is taste or smell, carbon filtration matters more. Not sure? We can check your water and tell you honestly.
Ready for better water?
Tell us what you’re noticing, and we’ll recommend the system that fits your home.