Kinetico SWVA FAQ’s
How does soil affect city water quality in Virginia?
Surface waters, like lakes, rivers and streams, provide drinking water for about 170 million people in the United States. Some of these waters are impaired or affected by excessive amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, pesticides and herbicides. Ground water is water that soaks into the soil and into the water table, and close to 90 million people rely on ground water as a drinking water supply. As ground water works its way through the soil, it can pick up different chemicals and transport them to the water table. This polluted water then can reach public drinking water systems and private wells, where it can pose serious public health threats.
How do I improve my well water quality in Southwest Virginia?
The most effective way to improve your quality of water is to contact us at Kinetico SWVA. We provide a Free In-Home Water Analysis to determine what minerals are detected in your water, whether or not your water’s pH is at an acceptable level, and provide different solutions for your home. If we need more elaborate testing, we have a certified lab that we use for more extensive tests.
How do nitrates affect water quality?
Nitrogen is the nutrient applied in the largest quantities for lawn and garden care and crop production. In the soil, bacteria convert various forms of nitrogen to nitrate. This is desirable as the majority of the nitrogen used by plants is absorbed in the nitrate form. However, nitrate is highly leachable and readily moves with water through the soil profile. If there is excessive rainfall or over-irrigation, nitrate will be leached below the plant’s root zone and may eventually reach groundwater.
The primary health hazard from drinking water with nitrate-nitrogen occurs when nitrate is transformed into nitrite in the digestive system. The nitrite oxidizes the iron in the hemoglobin of the red blood cells to form methemoglobin, which lacks the oxygen-carrying ability of hemoglobin. This creates the condition known as methemoglobinemia (sometimes referred to as “blue baby syndrome”), in which blood lacks the ability to carry sufficient oxygen to the individual body cells causing the veins and skin to appear blue.
What indicates good water quality?
The quality of your tap water varies depending on your location, water source, and how often the water is tested. Indicators of water quality include physical characteristics, such as odor and taste, while other factors can’t be seen by the naked eye. There is a range of contaminants that enter the original water source due to pollution and can make their way to your tap without being fully filtered out. Signs of water contamination to look out for include:
- Cloudy water or water with floating particles
- Unpleasant odors like chlorine or sulfur
- Unusual metallic or fishy taste
- Odd staining or discoloration of toilets, tubs, and even clothing
If you notice any of these signs, you’ll want to know what’s in your tap water. Consider getting your water tested at home, and find alternative ways to get your daily hydration.
How reliable is the Kinetico K5 drinking water station?
Thanks to EverClean® Rinse, the K5 uses high-quality water to clean itself which keeps the system in top working order and extends the membrane’s life to an average of 12 to 15 years when combined with a Kinetico Water Softener
What is a dechlorinator?
Kinetico Dechlorinators provide chlorine-free water to every faucet in your home, while protecting your water softener from the harsh effects of chlorine.
How long does a dechlorinator last?
The average length of time before a dechlorinator needs to be serviced is between 3 to 5 years depending on how much chlorine is in your city’s supply or how much water is consumed in your home.
What is a Kinetico sulfur guard?
Kinetico’s Sulfur Guard™ Backwashing Filter is an effective and easy solution for removing hydrogen sulfide (aka, sulfur) from water.
I currently own a Kinetico system now, can I get a copy of the owner’s manual or more information from your website?
We can provide all owner’s manuals upon request and have them sent via email or mail. Email us today for a manual!
Do Kinetico water softeners add sodium or salt to the water I will drink?
All of our water softeners utilize the process of “ion exchange,” – which is where hardness minerals ions (like calcium and magnesium) are replaced with soft sodium ions. The sodium ions in question are taken from the water softener salt which is held in a reservoir with the softener system. A lot of people worry that the softener will add extra and unwanted sodium to their diets, however, that is not the case.
The level of sodium added to the water during the softening process solely depends upon how hard the water being treated is. However, even in situations where the water is extremely hard, the level of sodium added during the softening is not significant as the majority of the salt is rinsed down a drain line along with the hardness minerals.
Doesn’t my city already treat and test my water?
Don’t worry, if your water is coming from a public or municipal water system, it is regularly tested for contaminants regulated by federal standards. That includes:
- Microbial pathogens
- Radioactive elements
- Organic/inorganic toxic chemicals
It’s important to note though, that these tests are being conducted at the source of the water. That means the quality of water can certainly change by the time it reaches your home. This is due to the fact that over time, pipes age and erode and that can certainly have an impact on the quality of the water before it reaches your home.
To prevent bacterial growth, cities, and municipalities address this problem by treating the water with chlorine. Chlorine is often used to kill organic material in water in an attempt to protect the public from diseases such as typhoid, cholera, and dysentery. With all that being said, recent studies have shown that byproducts of chlorine can cause serious health problems.
By taking charge of your own water with a Kinetico product, you are eliminating the risk of dependence on third-party providers – take your water health into your own hands today with a Kinetico Home Water Solution.
Isn’t bottled water better for you than tap water?
Bottled water is generally of good quality, however, federal standards for bottled water are no-stricter than standards for tap water. This means that federal regulations only require bottled water manufacturers to test for a handful of the hundreds of known chemical contaminants that could possibly be lurking in the water. There are also more studies showing microplastics leaching from the bottles themselves into the water.
Besides the factor of safety, there’s also cost, convenience, and usability to consider. It is far less expensive to have your own personal Kinetico K5 Drinking Water Station when you consider the costs associated with bottled water.
Do water filters remove important minerals from my water?
Studies show that minerals in your drinking water make no essential contribution to your health and may even be present in forms your body can’t entirely absorb. When minerals are in an inorganic state, they flow through our systems versus the minerals that are in an organic state that are readily absorbed into our bodies. Therefore, it’s safe to say consuming important minerals through a well-balanced diet is the best way to get the minerals you need.
What are the effects of chlorine on our drinking water?
Water supplies have been chlorinated for over 100 years, and it’s because of this treatment that we have been able to practically wipe out water-borne diseases like cholera and typhoid fever.
That being said, debates have circled around the safety of chlorine in regards to its potential as a carcinogen.
When chlorine breaks down organic material, it creates byproducts that can damage the heart, kidneys, nervous system, and lungs. Data showing these results prompted the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States to respond with safe limits to the number of chlorine byproducts allowed in drinking water. Kinetico Water Systems can remove these byproducts from your home’s water.
How can I protect myself and my family from lead in drinking water?
Drinking water can sometimes carry lead from plumbing that has been connected with lead solder or from outdated water distribution lines, but there are several things you can do to reduce the risk of lead in your drinking water. Some people suggest running your tap water for a couple of minutes before filling up a glass – this can help flush any lead that has accumulated from the waterline. However, this isn’t a permanent, foolproof solution because there is no real way of knowing whether all of the lead has been removed or not.
One important tip to note is that you should never use hot tap water to prepare drinks or meals. This is because hot water attracts more lead than cold water does. If you need hot water, heat up cold tap water.
All that being said, it’s highly recommended to have your water regularly tested for lead to find out what course of action you should truly take. Luckily, the water experts at Kinetico SWVA can help you out with that!
Get in touch with us today for a free water test and we can help you figure out the right water treatment solution to help protect your drinking water from lead.
What exactly is soft water?
It’s not uncommon for water to contain elements of hardness like magnesium and calcium. That being said, soft water is water that has been stripped of ‘hard’ minerals through the process of ion exchange. One of the tell-tale signs that you have hard water is that you may see staining or scaling build-up on your sinks, tubs, showers, and glassware. Hard water could potentially damage your pipes and water appliances due to this build-up of scale – you may even notice your clothes ruined by hard water too.
Another major sign of hard water is dry hair and skin. If you notice less lather from your shampoos and soaps compared to the water you’ve had in the past, and a filmy dryness feeling on your skin, you may likely have hard water.
How do I know if my water is hard?
Here at Kinetico SWVA, we can perform a free water analysis to determine the levels of iron, hardness, pH, and total dissolved solids in your water. Depending on what we find, we can help you find the right water treatment solution to help you get an abundance of soft water flowing throughout your home or business.
What are the benefits of a Kinetico Water Softener?
As strange as this may sound, the use of soap and detergent can be lowered dramatically with the implementation of softened water. When water is softened, cleaning agents work much easier and do not have to work against hard water. Because of this, cleaning agents can lather easily and clean more effectively.
Since soft water doesn’t contain minerals that form scale, it leaves the inside of your plumbing and water-using appliances free of solidified rock or excessive build-up of scale. Your water-using appliances will operate longer and more efficiently when using soft water.
Overall, having an abundance of soft water flowing through your home offers many benefits. Get in touch with us today to hear about our water-softening solutions.