Soften Your Home’s Hard Water With A Water Conditioning System

Chromium-6, and other metals in our Roseville drinking water, is no longer front page news—it’s been an acknowledged problem in our region since research into the groundwater near the former McClellan Air Force Base turned up high levels in 2015.

Many homeowners are concerned about this carcinogen, which affects the taste of water, leaves soap scum on shower doors, and clogs up water filters. But there are solutions—and once I installed a water conditioning system in my own home, I saw an immediate improvement in my water quality.

Why You Need a Water Conditioning System

Measured in parts-per-million (ppm), it’s not uncommon for areas of our region to test high in water hardness. Anything over 60 ppm is considered “hard.” On average, groundwater sources in the Valley are much higher than that. We’ve talked before about chromium-6 and its effects on your health. We’re not the only ones—this carcinogenic metal can be very bad, especially when consumed long-term. Chromium-6 is known to cause the following health concerns:

• Skin rashes and irritation
• Runny nose, sneezing, and coughing
• Many types of cancer, including lung cancer

Even if your water is “just” hard, without the presence of chromium-6, there are many possible problems.

• Pipe Scaling: When sent through piping, minerals from hard water coat the interior. Over time, build-up will occur. This is called “scaling.” It will create a reduction in water flow and eventually destroy your plumbing.

• Ruined Appliances: Hard water will also hurt any appliance that uses water, like countertop water filtration systems or coffeemakers—and it doesn’t take too many uses to clog a coffee maker and render it useless.

• Clogged Water Filter: One client in Roseville ignored a very common warning sign of hard water scaling: her constantly clogged water filter. We ended up doing thousands of dollars in plumbing repairs.

Treating Hard Water and Chromium-6 in Roseville

The good news is that both hard water and chromium-6 are very easy to check for. Any good plumber will come out and do a quick water-quality test. They can then determine the type of water conditioning system that’s right for your home:

• Reverse Osmosis: A reverse osmosis filter uses the natural principles of hydrostatic pressure to grab bad substances, like heavy metals, before they enter the drinking water supply.

• Water Softening: This method uses salt to snag those heavy minerals, including chromium-6, replacing them with sodium ions.

• Magnetic Water Conditioning: Instead of grabbing the minerals as they pass, this method uses big magnets to neutralize the heavy minerals when they enter the house. These neutralized minerals no longer cling to pipes, so water scaling isn’t a problem.

Hard water and chromium-6 are worrisome, but they don’t have to be a headache. We recommend contacting a good plumber if you’re having concerns or problems with hard water, clogged water filters or decreased water flow. What you shouldn’t do is wait—even if your water doesn’t test positive for chromium-6, the right water conditioning system can save your pipes and kitchen appliances from expensive repairs, replacements, or plumbing emergencies.

If you want to know how your water stacks up, or to discuss treatment options, contact Bell Brothers. We’ll give you great service at a great price.