(NAPSI)—Homeowners use water for many purposes, including drinking, cooking, washing, heating, humidifying, flushing (the No. 1 use of water in a home) and their pets. Those are just a few reasons homeowners should make sure they understand what's in their water.
Although water may look clean, there are many things that affect its quality:
• There are naturally occurring substances, such as dissolved limestone, which can lead to water hardness.
• Chemicals like chlorine are added at the local water treatment plant.
• Impurities like arsenic or lead may be found in private wells or in older pipes.
Fortunately, a local water expert, like the Culligan Man, can perform a simple in-home water test for homeowners to find out what's in their water and make recommendations for improvement based on those findings.
Recognizing a water problem
Water enters a home through four primary sources—private and municipal surface water; and private and municipal wells.
Sometimes that water doesn't seem as good as it could be. It could have an unpleasant smell or look, or simply not taste as good as bottled water. In addition, dishes and laundry might be spotted or stained and there might be scale buildup on the shower door or pipes.
Substances such as iron, dissolved minerals, lead, nitrates and sulfates could cause those problems with the water. Some of those substances occur naturally, while others can come from farm runoff or industrial pollution. But more important, while some can be seen, smelled or tasted, others are invisible.
That's why having water tested by a local water expert like the Culligan Man is so important for homeowners. He is fully knowledgeable on local water supplies, and uniquely suited to diagnose a water problem. The first step is a portable in-home test for hardness, iron, copper, pH and alkalinity.
If the results suggest a substantial problem, a sample can be sent to the company's water laboratory, which is accredited by the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (NELAP) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It uses specially calibrated machinery to test for bacteria, dissolved solids, and more than 100 substances.
The Culligan Man will then share the results with the homeowner and recommend the best course of action to correct the problem, like a whole-house water filtration system or a water softener.
From a tall, cool glass on a hot day, to better-tasting coffee, to rinsing vegetables for a big meal, water is essential to the health of every household. The Culligan Man can answer any questions about home water quality and safety, and facilitate tests—even if a homeowner doesn't suspect a problem.
For more information about water testing and how the local Culligan Man can help, visit www.culligan.com/en-us/d/water-test/culligan-water-testing/.