Imagine spending a huge fortune and buying your dream home, in your favorite picture-perfect locality, only to realize that your most basic need of clean and pure water is not met. Now wouldn’t that leave a bad taste in your mouth?! Pun intended!
Hard and Dirty Water
One of the most important things you always want for yourself and your family is good health, and water plays a huge role in that. You are constantly either drinking water, bathing with it, using it for cooking or for washing clothes, utensils and various home appliances. Hence, it’s imperative that the water you use is perfectly purified and filtered, especially in cities where there is hard water or water with a lot of contaminants.
In the United States, only 15 % of people live in soft water zones, while the remaining 85 % face a constant struggle with hard and contaminated water. Limestone rich in calcium and magnesium is present across large parts of the USA. Water becomes hard when it passes through the limestone, picking up the minerals along the way. Water can also contain various impurities such as nitrates, iron, salts, sulfur, lead, pesticides, metals, total dissolved solids (TDS), bacteria, parasites and viruses. There are also radiological contaminants such as uranium, cesium and plutonium.
There are various drawbacks of directly using hard or contaminated water, such as:
- It often has a distinct taste and odor, which makes it unappealing to drink and cook with.
- It can affect the skin adversely, making it dry and itchy. It’s even worse in the winter.
- Hair takes a beating and tends to fall and break more easily, and becomes brittle and dry.
- Hard or dirty water stains your home appliances such as kettles, washing machines, coffee makers, etc.
- Wash glasses or utensils with hard water and you get spotting.
- Showers and tubs generally tend to have a build-up of limescale.
- Hard water clogs pipes, requiring you to constantly keep cleaning and fixing them.
- Garments lose their softness and become rough, stiff and hard.
Fortunately for you, Science and Technology have discovered various ways and methods to purify, filter and distill water, as explained in detail on BOS.
A Plethora of Water Treatment Systems
An individual uses approximately 75 gallons of water each day. That is why purchasing a house which has water treatment in place will hugely benefit you and your family.
There is a plethora of water treatment systems available to property owners to choose from. The best solution depends on feed water condition and the extent to which one wants it purified. The cost of installing and maintaining a water treatment system is another consideration point for a house owner.
Types of Residential Water Treatment
A few different types of residential water treatment are water heating, water softening, general water filtration, and reverse osmosis filtration.
- Water Heating – Water Heaters are appliances that provide a continual supply of hot water. Every home in the USA has a water heater, though there are different types. Some homes have a tank-based water heater, also known as a storage water heater. It consists of a cylindrical container which slowly heats water – once heated the water can be immediately used or stored for later use. Tankless water heaters heat water instantly as it flows through them. There is no scope for storage. Tankless water heaters are also known as on-demand water heaters. The energy source for the heat is either gas or electricity. Choosing the ideal combination of tankless/storage and gas/electricity can lead to huge energy savings.
- Water Softening – In places where there is very hard water, a water softener is a must. It softens water by removing magnesium and calcium, through a process called ion exchange. Hard water is not only harmful to your skin and hair, it also damages fixtures, appliances and the entire plumbing system. A lot of time and energy goes into cleaning and/or replacing the parts affected by hard water, and it’s a complete waste of money – a water softener solves the problem. Having one installed definitely increases property value and makes a great selling point.
- Water Filtration – A water filtration system removes impurities and contaminants from water using a chemical, a biological, or a physical process – or a combination of the three! You get water safe for consumption, and clean water helps to protect pipes and appliances increasing their longevity. Depending on the quality of the water, there are numerous types of filters and filter media, activated charcoal being one of the most popular. You can learn more about the various water filtration systems here.
- Reverse Osmosis – Reverse Osmosis is a water treatment method that removes unwanted contaminants from water by using pressure to force water molecules through a semipermeable membrane. It produces highly purified, refreshing drinking water without any traces of leftover taste or odor. A lot of households across the USA use reverse osmosis to purify their drinking water.
A Great Selling Point
As a buyer, it’s a good idea to look for a property with pre-installed water treatment to ensure safe, healthy, clean, and soft water for you and your family. When these systems use up-to-date technology, the energy efficiency of heating elements increases, thus reducing operating cost. Clean, soft water is also easier on the entire water system for reduced maintenance and no costly repairs.
So from a financial standpoint, it only makes sense to invest in a house that already has water treatment pre-installed. Not selecting a house with a sophisticated water treatment system would be a case of being “penny wise and pound foolish”! Be smart now, than sorry later!
Likewise, pre-installed water treatment is a great selling point which a potential buyer does not have to worry about. Happy selling.