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If your water has a sour taste there may be a problem with the pH of your water. The normal pH range for drinking water is from 6.5 to 8.5. The pH can be effected by the natural balance of acid and alkalinity in the water or by the presence of high levels of Carbon Dioxide. This type of water can also be highly corrosive. For help with this problem call us at 512-756-7710 or email us at [email protected]

If your water has a metallic taste it may be contaminated with Aluminum, Copper, Iron, Manganese, Zinc, or Corrosivity. All the metals can be found in natural deposits in the earth and can also leech into your water from the plumbing. Corrosivity can be the result of Very Low or Very High Total Dissolved Solids in the water, Low pH. Dissolved gases such as Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide, and Hydrogen Sulfide may also be the culprit. For help with this problem call us at 512-756-7710 or email us at [email protected]  

If your water tastes salty you may have an elevated level of Chloride in your water or if you have a water softener it may malfunctioning and in need of service. Chloride is found in natural deposits in the earth and finds its way into the water supply causing a salty taste. A water softener can malfunction in the recharge cycle and leave some salt behind that can be tasted in the water. For help with this problem call us at 512-756-7710 or email us at [email protected]

Bitter tasting water can be the result of an improper level of Alkalinity (measured as Calcium Carbonate, CaCO3) or the presence of Sulfate. Low Alkalinity water tends to dissolve minerals and metals while High Alkalinity water tends to precipitate minerals and metals. There is no Federal limit for Alkalinity but Low is considered <30 mg/L and High is considered >300 mg/L. Sulfate is found in natural deposits in the earth and finds its way into underground water supplies. The proposed Maximum Contaminant Level is 500 mg/L. The potential health effects from ingestion is Diarrhea. For help with this problem call us at 512-756-7710 or email us at [email protected]  

If your water smells like a sweet solvent, your water may be contaminated with chemicals such as MTBE or Xylenes. MTBE (Methyl Tretiary- Butyl Ether) is a gasoline additive that will cause a sweet solvent odor in water at concentrations above 0.020 mg/L and is a possible carcinogen. Xylenes are a by-product of gasoline refining, paints, inks, and detergents. The Maximum Contaminant Level is 10 mg/L. Possible health effects from drinking water with this type contaminant are Liver, Kidney, and Nervous System effects. For help with this problem call us at 512-756-7710 or email us at [email protected]  

Drinking Water Filter Maintenance Whether your drinking water filter is one single sediment or carbon filter, a specialized product like our clean&clear system, a reverse osmosis unit, or electronic DI unit, you need to change the filters to keep it making clean water. Most manufacturers recommend you change the filter every 6 months to a year. Well here is how it works. The filter catches “stuff” (a technical term I like to use) of a certain micron size or larger as the water runs through it. As the filter is used it builds up more and more stuff and the stuff gets further imbedded in the filter material in most cases. Eventually the filter becomes nasty and restricts the flow causing a higher pressure on the input side than the outlet side and eventually driving the stuff through the filter or causing it to collapse and send all the stuff behind it into your drinking water. The same happens to a carbon block filter but the usefulness of the carbon would normally be long gone before this would ever happen. The carbon can only catch so much stuff before it is worn completely out. Changing Filters Most  people didn’t buy a drinking water system so they can have pure, clean drinking water most of the time. If you are one of the rare people who bought the thing but don’t really care if the water is as pure as it should be or not you can change the filter or have it changed at any interval you choose. For the rest of you, we recommend you have a Filter Change every 6 months because that is the best way to be sure the filter you are drinking from is doing its job to the best of its ability. These filters are critical to the operation and life of the membrane they are protecting as well as being the final barrier between you and many chemical compounds, volatile organic compounds, and heavy metal contaminants. Changing Membranes Reverse Osmosis Membranes will eventually clog and need to be replaced but not nearly as often as the other filters. These membranes filter to around the 0.0001 micron level and are continuously rinsed off during drinking water production to help keep them from clogging prematurely. Some companies recommend 1 yr, some 5 yrs, some 8, and some even 10, but the best way to know when the membrane needs to be changed is to check the TDS (total dissolved solids) of the product water and see if the water quality is dropping any. By doing this you know for sure if the new one is needed or not. Our technicians check the water quality on each filter change visit and log the findings, so we know when a customer needs a membrane replacement. By doing that we insure our customers have the best quality water on a continuous basis. Ultra Filtration Membranes are becoming more popular for filtering the drinking water in homes because they filter the water to 0.01 micron but don’t waste any, or very little, water depending on the style of unit. Some small under sink units should be changed once a year to insure consistent flow of drinking water between filter changes. Other larger units will backwash and clean themselves out and therefore last much longer. The small ones that are replaced regularly would just stop up if left too long and you wouldn’t get any water. The larger back-washing ones could however become damaged in the repeated back-washing process and the water should be checked for proper quality by a licensed technician on a regular basis to insure membrane integrity.