Watts NM16-W100F - Manual (Page 2)

Whole house water quality problems.
Hardness
Iron
Manganese
Arsenic
Tannin
Bad tastes
Foul odors
Chlorine and
harmful chlorine
by-products
Turbidity
Acidic water
The continuous water cycle . . .
Nature intended us to have high quality water. This is why we have the continuous water
cycle, whereby water from our oceans, rivers, lakes and streams falls to the ground as
rain or snow and becomes filtered as it seeps through the earth's surface. As the water
works its way through the ground, however, it picks up minerals by dissolving limestone,
causing water hardness. Water may also come into contact with iron, manganese,
Arsenic and other contaminants, which cause additional water treatment problems.
The chart below lists typical whole house water quality problems and indicates which
equipment effectively corrects any problems you may have in your home.
Water Quality
Problems
Symptoms Recommended
Equipment
Hardness Mineral deposits on dishes and glassware; stiff, dingy Water Softener.
laundry; high soap usage and need for fabric softeners; dry,
itchy skin and scalp; unmanageable hair; extra work to remove
soap curd on bathtubs and shower stalls; high energy costs
due to scale build-up in pipes and on appliances.
Chlorine, foul Chlorine taste; foul odors; damage to hair; itchy skin. Backwashing
odors and tastes filter using
activated carbon.
Iron & Unpleasant metallic tastes; rust particles; staining on Iron filter.
Manganese plumbing fixtures; red water; odors.
Turbidity Cloudy water; sediment, sand, silt and rust particles. Media filter.
Acidic water Green stains on bathroom sinks and other porcelain Acid neutralizer
(low pH) surfaces; blue green water. (Acidic water may cause using Calcite.
corrosion of pipes & plumbing fixtures.)
Tannin Brownish, tea colored water; musty odors. Tannin filter.
Arsenic A naturally occurring element found in ground water, Arsenic Arsenic
is a carcinogen at high concentrations, and the EPA reports Reduction
Arsenic may cause adverse health effects in low System.
concentrations. Testing for Arsenic is highly recommended.
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