Have you ever filled a glass of water from the tap in your home and thought your water tasted funny? This is a common occurrence, especially in Central Ohio and other areas of the country. There are several reasons why your water tastes odd. Some causes are harmless and simple result in an inconvenience, while other issues can make you very sick. Let’s look at some of the causes of bad-tasting water and what you can do to improve the taste and safety of your home’s water.
Hard Water
Hard water refers to high levels of minerals in your water source. If you have a lot of calcium and magnesium present, this can result in your water tasting metallic. If you’ve been drinking from the tap for many years, you may not notice a slightly odd taste. However, hard water can cause gastrointestinal issues and kidney problems. It’s a good idea to have your water tested and install a filtration system to remove some or all of these minerals.
Contamination
Your water can be contaminated with several types of bacteria or microbes. These contaminants can also affect the taste of your water. It’s important to note that even if you have a filtration system, you can still be susceptible to bacterial contamination if you’re not changing your filters. Most filters will need to be swapped with new ones every six months to a year. Other signs of contaminated water include headaches, fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
Many people who complain of bad-tasting water also say that their water smells like rotten eggs. This is hydrogen sulfide, which is the byproduct of certain types of bacteria. This is often a problem that is caused by a worn-out or malfunctioning water heater.
Chemical Composition
There are several types of chemicals that can end up in your water supply. This includes chlorine, which is often used by local water treatment facilities to disinfect water. Chlorine contamination can result in water that tastes like bleach. Nitrogen, microplastics, and prescription medication can be found in local water supplies. Also, pesticides and fertilizers can contaminate your local water table and end up in your drinking water. Over time, exposure to these chemicals can lead to an increase in cancer.
Metal
If your water has a strong metallic taste, this could be due to the hard minerals that we talked about. However, there may be actual metal in your water. This can come from the interior of old metal pipes that are corroding and breaking down over time.
Salty Tasting Water
If your water has a salty taste to it, this may be caused by incorrect settings on your water softener. You can adjust your regeneration cycle to see if that makes a difference. There may also be contamination of your resin beads. You can replace them to see if your water tastes better. Industrial waste may also be to blame.
Methods of Improving Water Quality
If you want to improve the quality of the water in your home and change its taste, there are several ways you can do so. If you are most concerned about the water that you’re drinking, you can install a drinking water system in your home. This system uses a series of filters to remove contaminants from your water. The type of contaminants that are removed will be determined by the type of system you have and the types of filters it utilizes. Drinking water systems are quite affordable and require minimal maintenance aside from periodically changing the filters. A reverse osmosis system is a common method of purifying drinking water. This setup uses pressure to push water through a tight membrane filter. A storage tank is also used for this process, ensuring you have clean water available when you need it.
Whole-House Water Filtration
You can also opt for a whole-house water filtration system. This unit is installed at the point of your plumbing system where water comes into your home. Once the water has passed through several filters, it will move into the other areas of your home. This option provides safe and healthy water throughout your entire plumbing system, all fixtures, and every faucet.
There are several types of filters that you’ll want to consider as part of your filtration setup. A pre-filter will remove a lot of large pieces of particulate matter in your water. An activated carbon filter does a great job of removing things like chemicals from your water source. This is also an ideal filter to use if you want to improve the taste of your water. There are post-filters that will remove any particulate matter that is left behind by the previous filters. The more filters you have, the fewer contaminants you can expect to have in your drinking water. If you have a whole-house filtration setup, this can also ensure that you have clean water for cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, and even filling your swimming pool.
Water Softeners
A water softener uses resin beads and a brine solution to remove contaminants like hard minerals from your water supply. A regeneration cycle will run at a time of day when you’re not using your water, usually at night when you’re asleep. You will need to refill the salt pellets periodically to keep up with routine maintenance of your water softener.
Some people use a standalone water pitcher for the time being until they can have their entire home’s water supply addressed by a professional. These pitches filter some contaminants from the water you’re going to drink. You can also use this water for cooking. However, these pitches only utilize one filter, leaving a lot of contaminants behind.
Routine Water Heater Service
As mentioned, there may be a problem with your water heater that is leading to bad-tasting water. It’s important that you schedule routine maintenance for your water heater at least once per year. This process allows our team to inspect your heater and its various components. We will drain and flush your tank to remove any mineral deposits and sediments that have accumulated. We check your anode rod to see if it is coated in debris. We will also determine the overall condition that your water heater is in. If we notice a lot of signs of corrosion and damage, this may mean that a water heater replacement is in the near future. This can provide you with better-tasting and cleaner water. Not to mention, modern water heaters are designed to be very efficient. A new unit can save you a lot of money on your monthly utility bills.
WaterBird Home Water Solutions can help you assess the condition of your plumbing system, ensuring that you don’t deal with backflow or other contamination issues. Our knowledgeable team can also help you choose and install a whole-house water filtration system or drinking water system.
Reach out to WaterBird Home Water Solutions in Central Ohio today to schedule an appointment for water quality testing.
