No matter where you live or how clean you think your water supply is, you should always make an effort to test your system and take measures to ensure that nothing harmful is entering it. Many people think that plumbing-related matters are only fit for professionals, but this isn’t necessarily true. The most important regular maintenance steps are ones that everyone can take. You simply need to learn the basics.
If you do have a serious problem, then of course you should call the experts. If you need water softener repair, you should find someone that will come in, thoroughly analyze the problem, and fix it professionally. But to prevent the need for this as much as possible, you should first learn the essential rules of testing, filter installation, and pipe maintenance.
Testing your water
Every home owner should be educated on the risks of contaminated water and what needs to be done to ward it off. Make a point of going through the following steps on an annual basis:
- Read your local water reports. Public utility companies are required by law to report the state of local water in annual reports. These reports are available to the public, so it would be to your advantage to find and review them so that you can determine whether there are issues with contaminants in your area.
- Examine your water quality yourself. This is something you should do every day. If you notice sediment building up in your water or any changes in color, smell, or taste, you should immediately stop drinking it and take steps to determine whether you might have a serious problem.
- Conduct an annual test. At least once a year, you should test the state of your water, especially if you have a private well. There are a couple of ways that you can do this: you can buy a certified home test kit, or you can collect samples of the water and send them to a laboratory. Certified labs can test for things like heavy metal contamination, bacteria, and pesticides.
Find and maintain the right filters
The next thing you should do is find the right kind of filter. Depending on your home and the threat levels that you determine through your testing, you might opt for either a kitchen-only filter (on the refrigerator or the sink faucet) or a whole-home filter.
The precise type of filter that you choose also depends on your individual circumstances. Some are better at warding off chemical contaminants, some are created for heavy metal filtering, etc. You need to figure out what your potential problems are before you choose.
After you have selected a filter type, keep the following points in mind:
- Be sure that the filter you choose is certified. In Canada, you should look for certification from NSF International “C” (NSF International is the certification body, and “C” indicates Canada).
- Schedule filter replacement into your calendar. This is something that can easily be forgotten for months, but filters need to be replaced frequently to work properly. The precise amount of time that any given filter works depends on the type, but sediment filters usually need replacing every three to six months, and carbon ones every six to 12 months. Figure out what your particular needs are and create automatic reminders for yourself.
Plumbing maintenance
As a homeowner, it is important to inspect and clean your system on a regular basis. One basic thing to keep in mind is that your water heater should be kept at a minimum of 49 degrees. This helps to prevent the growth of Ligionella bacteria.
Also keep in mind the following maintenance tips for your plumbing system:
- Every six months, you should remove and clean out your faucet aerators. These are the screens at the ends of your faucets. Over time, sediment can accumulate in them and bacteria can start to grow.
- Flush your water heater on an annual basis. Your water heater also needs to be flushed out regularly as sediment, rust, and calcium carbonate can accumulate over time. This can both cause contamination issues and prevent the heater from running properly.
- If you live in an older home (one that was built before 1980), you should replace your old pipes. Older pipes are more likely to have problems and become the source of contaminants than newer ones.
Things to keep in mind
Overall, there are several things that you should keep in mind to maintain clean water. These include:
- Flushing your faucets out if they haven’t been used in a while. Allow cold water to run for a couple of minutes to make sure that nothing has built up inside your pipes.
- Only using cold water for cooking or drinking. Cold water is better at eliminating contaminants, so even if you need to heat it you should first run it cold.
- Making a regular effort to clean water pitchers. Like filters, pitchers can easily accumulate contaminants. Cleaning them out regularly can ensure that nothing has built up inside them.
- Not pouring anything potentially harmful down the drain. You should never pour chemicals or medicines down the train as they can contaminate the overall water supply. Make an effort to dispose of these things properly.
Make it a habit
Taking care of your plumbing might seem like a burden, but you can easily make it into a habit if you are diligent about learning the steps and setting reminders for yourself. Learning the basics of plumbing might seem like a chore for many non-experts, but it doesn’t have to be. Remember that we are living in the information age, so anything that you might have a question about, you should be able to find an answer to relatively easily.
If you do discover that you have a serious water problem, then of course you should call a professional. Major systemic problems are not ones you should try to fix yourself.