water filtration Archives - Bert Norman's Plumbing

Most of us take it for granted that our household water is safe to drink. But what if it isn’t? What if contaminants lurking in your taps and pipes could harm you, your family, or your pets? It’s important to understand what might be found in your water and how to protect yourself from potential health risks. This article will discuss common water contaminants and the potential risks they pose.

Hydrogen Sulfide

Water tainted with hydrogen sulfide is effortless to notice as it smells like rotten eggs as soon as you turn your faucet on. The smell comes from a chemical reaction that happens when there is sulfur in the water. If the odor is only present when you use hot water, there could be an issue with the anode rod in the water heater. When the anode rod is damaged, it reacts with the water’s sulfur content and creates a hydrogen sulfide smell. In this case, you will need a professional plumber to replace the rod so the smell can ease.

However, if the smell occurs when you use cold water, that is a more significant issue. This usually occurs in homes that use private wells. The smell could be from water that has picked up sulfur from rocks and soil. When your water is contaminated with hydrogen sulfide, your copper pipes are at higher risk of corroding. The best way to deal with hydrogen sulfide is to hire a plumber to do comprehensive water treatment or install a water treatment system.

Arsenic

Arsenic is a known carcinogen more common in private water supplies than municipal systems. The widespread application of pesticides or mining activities triggers this contaminant. Long-term exposure to arsenic in drinking water can lead to skin lesions and various cancers. To know if there is arsenic in your water, call a plumbing company to test your water. If your plumber finds the contaminant present, they will advise you to install a water filter under the sink of every faucet used for drinking water. This will help reduce the contaminant in your water and make your water safe for drinking.

Chlorine

Chlorine is used to disinfect public drinking water systems from bacteria and other pathogens. While chlorine itself isn’t necessarily harmful, it can react with organic compounds found in natural sources to form carcinogenic byproducts known as trihalomethanes (THMs). Installing a carbon filter will help minimize chlorine exposure while reducing THM levels in your drinking water supply. Hire a professional plumber in Callahan, FL to test your water’s chlorine levels and suggest the right filter.

Lead

Lead is one of the more serious water contaminants because it can cause developmental issues in children and other long-term health problems. Lead contamination usually occurs when lead pipes are used in plumbing systems or when lead-based solder is used to join copper pipes. The best way to get rid of lead from your water is to install a reverse osmosis system. These systems use specialized filters to remove harmful contaminants from your drinking water, including lead. Therefore, if you think your water might be contaminated with lead, call a plumber to test it and provide the best solution.

Nitrates/Nitrites

Nitrates and nitrites are naturally found in soil but can also enter drinking water due to runoff from fertilizer or animal waste products. High nitrate levels can cause serious health problems for infants and pregnant women, so it’s important to ensure that a plumber regularly tests your home’s water for these contaminants if you have any concerns about their presence. If needed, a reverse osmosis or distillation system will help reduce nitrate/nitrite levels.

Hardness Minerals

Hardness minerals—such as magnesium and calcium—are responsible for making tap water “hard,” meaning that it has high concentrations of dissolved minerals, which give it a noticeable taste and texture. While hardness minerals aren’t harmful on their own, they contribute to mineral build-up on fixtures and appliances over time, which can significantly affect performance and efficiency if left untreated. Installing a whole-house softening system will help reduce hardness mineral content drastically without affecting the treated water supply’s taste or texture. Therefore, if you have hard water, it’s best to contact a plumber to install a softening system and ensure that your home receives quality drinking water.

Microbes

Microbes are tiny organisms like bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa that can contaminate drinking water sources if they come into contact with organic material like sewage or animal waste products near the source of the water supply line. These can cause illnesses like dysentery or typhoid fever if ingested through contaminated drinking water. If you suspect your drinking water might be contaminated with microbes, contact a plumber in Callahan, FL to test your water and install the right filtration system to remove these contaminants.

Radon

Radon is an invisible gas released from underground rocks containing uranium deposits; this gas often finds its way into groundwater sources due to natural seepage from the ground into aquifers beneath the surface of the earth where our drinking supplies are drawn from. Long-term exposure to radon through drinking contaminated tap water has been linked with an increased risk of developing lung cancer later in life. You should have your home’s water tested to ensure there are no radon traces. If any is found, you should immediately contact a plumber to install the right filtration system to remove it from your drinking water.

Want to Improve the Water Quality in Your Home? Give Us a Call!

While you may not control the activities that bring contaminants into your water, there are helpful measures you can take to ensure your water is contamination-free. One of the steps you can take is hiring Bert Norman’s Plumbing in Callahan, FL to install a water filtration system to help reduce contamination. Besides installing water filters in your home, we can handle other plumbing needs. Contact us today, and we will ensure your water is safe.

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A plumber is always right at your fingertips no matter what. From simple, routine repairs to major projects, the professionals at Bert Norman’s Plumbing are here to serve those living in Fernandina, FL and other surrounding regions.

A good plumber can provide a vast array of home plumbing services right at your fingertips, and those services can be anywhere from the smallest problem to any major project for your Fernandina, FL home. It could be something as small as getting your shower pan replaced, or something major, such as a hot water repair or replacement or a sewer line upgrade.

With shower pans, it can be difficult to tell if there is a leak that warrants a repair. In fact, leaks that are the result of a faulty shower pan are so hard to detect that they can slip your eye and cause untold damage to your home and its foundation. The water damage that results from a leaking shower pan can lead to mold or mildew, rotting wood, or possibly termites on down the road as the result of the rotting wood.

There are many types of shower pans in which to choose from, some of which are either tiled or composed from fiberglass. Others are custom-made or are simple base shower pans and nothing too fancy. Sometimes, even an acrylic or stone version can be available to replace your old one, and the plumber will know just what to do when the need arises. If anything, each professional has special knowledge of the many kinds of shower pans that are available and will gladly answer your questions and address your concerns as needed.

One of the newest and most trendy services that is offered by Bert Norman’s Plumbing is reverse osmosis, which is a special type of water filtration system that removes harsh chemicals from your home water supply. Water is applied to one side of the filter to remove all the ions and hard metal elements such as copper or lead, and that makes the water much safer for both drinking and other types of personal use.

Reverse osmosis moves the water molecules from lower to higher concentration, thus allowing much time for filtration prior to the water coming through your taps. In fact, there are several filtration methods that the water must go through, one of which is a sediment filtration, then the next being the actual osmosis filter right before the water hits the final stage of purification, that being the carbon filter. Sometimes, ultra violet lamps are used, but not quite as necessary as the other two methods that get the nasty elements out of the water prior to its use.

Although reverse osmosis sounds like a wonderful service to have, it may not be the one for everybody. Not everyone shares the same priorities when it comes to addressing their plumbing wants and needs, and the professionals at Bert Norman understand that there are so many services for a qualified plumber to perform. Simply put, the list goes on and on, and a good plumber is qualified to do anything to fix your plumbing woes.

Faucet upgrades and fixture makeovers are other services that can be done by a qualified plumber from Bert Norman’s. In fact, it is a commonly known fact that a dripping faucet often wastes around 230 gallons of water per year, and that’s quite a bit that can be used. Most homeowners understand that this can add more weight to the size of their monthly water bill as the expenses continue to add on a month-by-month basis, and that in itself presents a major source of stress and aggravation.

A plumber from Bert Norman’s has knowledge of all of the new types of faucet fixtures on the market and can walk you through the process as you choose the design that is best suited for your bath and kitchen areas. You may want to opt for a polished brass set, or may decide to settle for simpler versions such as a classic stainless steel or brushed nickel. Anything that would suit the theme of your kitchen or bathroom and match well with other colors and plumbing fixtures is definitely worth investing money in.

Whether they are new or not, tub and shower faucets have a quick way of slowly but suddenly coming undone and making it hard on you to enjoy your evening bath or shower. When they don’t work as they should, it’s time to call a plumber. Replacing the tub or shower valve becomes a serious must, as without it, it becomes almost impossible to keep that portion of your plumbing active and functioning for very long.

In fact, valve replacement goes well beyond the shower and tub, as it can be applied to other types of indoor plumbing as well. Good valve service extends to your drains as well as your general plumbing. Drain valves extend beyond plumbing in that they release excess quantities of liquid and gas from your plumbing system, which makes them vital to the general running of your indoor plumbing. Without them, water would neither flow smoothly nor would it be safe or clean for use if gas and other chemicals remained in it.

Plumbing valves serve to regulate the ebb and flow of your water. In fact, they “direct” traffic in that they remain in firm control of the way the water is moved in and out of your plumbing system.

The stop valve is the plumbing valve that completely stops the flow of water to any plumbing outlet or device. Think of your faucets, your toilet, the washing machine, and your dishwasher, just to name a few. If the water ran long after you’ve stopped using those, you’d be looking at a larger than life water bill. Therefore, when the valve breaks, calling a plumber as soon as possible is an absolute must.

Whether it’s your kitchen or bathroom plumbing that’s in need, don’t wait. Call or visit online to schedule an appointment at Bert Norman’s Plumbing for the work you need today.

Category: water filtration

A Plumber Expounds On The Common Contaminants Found In Household Water | Callahan, FL