Signs You Have Poor Water Quality in Your Home and How to Improve It

Not all water quality is the same. There are some homes that have pristine water quality while others have poor water quality. What kind do you have? Before you go ahead and look up “water filtration system installation,” it’s a good idea to look up the signs that you have poor water quality and ways that you can improve it.

There Are Unusual Colors

When you look at your water after your fill your glass, it should always be clear. But you should take an extra step and hold it up to the light and use a wall with a white background. If it’s orange, it can mean that there’s rust in your pipes. If it’s gray, then you might have bacteria in your water supply.

It Tastes Unpleasant

Water’s not supposed to have any taste. That’s one complaint some people have about drinking any water in general, but if it tastes bitter, then something’s going on with your water supply. A bad taste can mean anything from lead or even pesticides or other contaminants. If your water tastes bad, then you need to have it tested immediately, otherwise you put yourself and your family at risk.

There Are Strange Textures to the Water

When you’re taking a shower, see how the water feels against your skin. Does it leave a greasy film on your hands when you wash them? That can mean oil runoff is in your water. Does it feel slimy? That can mean hard water has built up. As a result, your skin can feel smooth and slippery due to the magnesium and calcium.

There Are Odd Smells

Like many other instances, anything that smells bad is bound to be contaminated. If your water smells like something bad, like rotten eggs, that can mean sulfur is in your water supply. Small amounts won’t do much, but if there is a lot of it in the water, you can have stomach issues.

The Water is Cloudy

If you run your water and notice that there is some kind of cloudy mix to it, there is usually a mineral buildup in your water. Your pipes might also have limescale in them, or even dirt. If the cloudiness rapidly clears up, though, it can just mean that small bubbles are getting trapped in your water. Not sure? Fill up a cup of water and leave it for a couple of hours and then see if any sediment has made its way to the bottom.

Your Fixtures Are Stained

Take a look at your sink or shower drain. Is there buildup there? That means that you have poor water quality. There can be different-colored stains. If the stain is red, it means there’s iron in the water. If it’s blue, it means copper. If they are white, yellow, or brown, then that means you have hard water.

What To Do?

It depends on what is causing the problem. If there is rust in your pipes, especially if they are old, then the pipes can be replaced. If there is a lot of hard water, then water softeners can help. Then there are times when the aforementioned water filtration system can benefit you greatly. There are also water pitchers that have filtration systems so that you can have clean drinking water in the fridge.

As you can see, with a little bit of effort, you can greatly improve your home’s water quality. As a result, you and your family can feel a lot more healthy and not be worried about any contaminants. That can save you a lot of money in the long run, since you won’t have to pay for more doctor visits than you might have if you had poor water quality. That makes it a great investment.