Should you have your water tested?
We’ve been doing this for a long time. And we’ve seen a lot of people waste both time and money going about selecting their water treatment solution the wrong way. So we want to make sure this doesn’t happen to you.
A big mistake we often see is with people looking for a treatment system is to skip the testing phase. Many will see it as an extra hassle and attempt to diagnose their water themselves, without necessary facts. And while we’re all about DIY – water testing is not one of those cases.
First, why bother testing your water?
- To find the right treatment system, one that will be successful (there are many options, some better than others). Avoid repeating the mistakes of others.
- To make sure you get the most out of your treatment system (testing reveals important factors that cause treatment failure).
- To verify the source quality (depending on if you’re on city or well water).
Let’s look at each of these in turn.
Finding the right system
There are hundreds if not thousands of variables in your water. Some of these are hard to spot. Others are easy to confuse and misdiagnose. And, to make it worse, some factors combine to make entirely new factors.
We’ve been doing this for a long time, and we’ve found a good testing lab is very important. The EPA has an excellent resource for finding a certified water tester. You can contact the EPA here.
Once you’ve tested your water and have your results you are on your way to finding the best solution for you. If you have any questions, we’re just an email or phone call away.
Getting the most of your system
It’s possible for you to do almost everything right (have the right size system, know what’s in your water, etc.) but STILL… the treatment doesn’t work. Or, the treatment is not as effective as it should be.
Why? Because you’ve got other agents in the water counteracting the treatment.
These are what we call “treatment enemies".
Unfortunately, if you’re diagnosing your water problems on your own, these are easy to miss. That’s because they’re often more subtle, or even completely undetectable without the right test.
But the good news is, a good water test will reveal them. And doing this kind of test will ensure you buy the right system.
Verifying the source quality of your water
Knowing where your water comes from is vital. For most people, you’ve got one of two options: city water or private well water.
City water
If you get a water bill, you likely fall into the category of city water. The EPA regulates water quality delivered by public or city water systems. For example the water can’t contain harmful bacteria, lead, arsenic and so on. Given regulation we can assume certain minimum water quality without testing.
For many on city water, testing isn’t a matter of health, but of convenience – to easily diagnose your water problems and find the best treatment.
Private well water
If, on the other hand, your water comes from a private well, then we recommend you test before getting a water system. The reason for this is that well water isn’t often regulated by the EPA like city water is.
We recommend have your water tested by a certified lab. (For a list of certified water testing facilities compiled by the EPA, click here.) And if you’re going to have your water tested, make sure you request tests for the following (in addition to all the normal tests for drinking water):
- Turbidity
- Tannin/Lignin
- ORP (Oxidation/Reduction Potential)
- pH
- Hardness
- Iron,
- Manganese and
- TDS (Total Dissolved Solids)
Once you get the results back, review the “Conditions for Operation,” found on your system’s product page at CascadianWater.com website for the system you want to purchase, to ensure your system will work for your situation.
And lastly, when it comes to well water, don’t forget to look for H2S (hydrogen sulfide). Lab tests are not reliable for spotting H2S. But the good news is, it’s easy to check on your own. Simply smell for a rotten egg odor. If you smell rotten eggs, then you probably have H2S in your water. Treatment for H2S is highly specialized and our ICS-H water treatment system is up to the task.
3 steps to getting good water
1. Know all the problems you need to fix.
At Cascadian, we’ve helped countless home and small business owners diagnose their water problems and find the best solution. And we can help you too. It’s easy, don’t worry, get your water tested, send us the results and we’ll do the heavy lifting and recommend the best treatment for your water.
2. Get the right treatment system
We don’t just focus on fixing water problems – though we definitely do that. We work on the whole process. By creating smaller systems that are quieter and don’t require the waste-water and hassle of salt bags, to systems with filters that last a whole year.
3. Install your new treatment.
Our systems aren’t hard to install. But that doesn’t mean everyone is up to the task. For instance, if you’re not comfortable with plumbing, then we don’t recommend you do it yourself. In this case, we built InstallMyFilter.com just for you. It is a curated a network of professional plumbers with great track records.
Now What?
You've got the results, what do yo do with them. Here are some typical uses;
- Look for and immediately deal with anything health related and over the EPA limit.
- Compare against the operating conditions of any treatment you have and adjust, if necessary, for changes.
- Send them to Cascadian Water for review and treatment recommendation
- Use them to find treatment via the Filter Finder Quiz.
With Cascadian Water you can have hassle free, great tasting, clean water, at a fraction of the price of conventional treatments.