Tweet
A couple of months ago, disaster struck. OK, a little melodramatic since it wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been. Low water pressure led to a call to the well company which resulted in a new well pump and pressure tank. After the work was done, we had to contend with the bleach smell and taste for a short time but that has since subsided. Unfortunately, the water taste has never completely recovered. Pre-disaster we had perfect water with no taste at all. Today, it still retains a bit of taste, of which I can't really describe. It is not at a point where we do not drink the water. I just don't enjoy it as much as I used to.
Part two of my question concerns a water test we had done recently. It was not an all inclusive test, but rather a "free" test we picked up a the local hardware store. In reality, it was a sales opportunity for an air & water quality firm. Their limited results were Iron and dissolved solids were within acceptable ranges. pH was 6.0 which was below the 6.5 to 8.5 range they quoted (however, my research found that the acceptable range for "groundwater" systems is 6.0 to 8.5) and hardness was 5 grains per gallon, above the 3 grains per gallon threshold.
I am assuming that our water has always been in these ranges, and has not changed due to the well pump replacement. Thus, I am not concerned with their levels per se. We do not experience much "staining" or other ill affects from hard water and we do not find an abundance of corrosion in the plumbing - with one possible exception.
We are preparing to undergo boiler surgery in the spring. Our domestic hot water is supplied by an on demand hot water exchanger on a Burnham boiler. The heat exchanger leaked at one point, but is not currently. The exterior has a fair amount of corrosion flaking off but the HVAC technician is hopeful that he will be able to remove the old exchanger, grind down the flange and install a new one (the alternative being a new boiler $$$). At the time of the inspection, this question was not one on my mind but now I wonder, is hard water and/or a slightly low pH level contributing to this in a significant way?
I know that in industrial settings, sophisticated water softeners and filtration units are used to keep water entering the boiler systems in very strict tolerances to avoid any degradation of the boilers. Would I, as a homeowner benefit from installing some sort of system, perhaps confined only to the water supplying the boiler and not the drinking water?
It is my understanding that a water softener is often more problematic for drinking water than it is helpful, but would a filter system or "injection system" to alter the pH be helpful in bringing back (or rather eliminating) the taste to our water and saving future repairs on the boiler? Although I haven't noticed much, if any change in the last few weeks, I am still hopeful that the well water is still finding its balance and that it will be as good as it was before the pump replacement.
Part two of my question concerns a water test we had done recently. It was not an all inclusive test, but rather a "free" test we picked up a the local hardware store. In reality, it was a sales opportunity for an air & water quality firm. Their limited results were Iron and dissolved solids were within acceptable ranges. pH was 6.0 which was below the 6.5 to 8.5 range they quoted (however, my research found that the acceptable range for "groundwater" systems is 6.0 to 8.5) and hardness was 5 grains per gallon, above the 3 grains per gallon threshold.
I am assuming that our water has always been in these ranges, and has not changed due to the well pump replacement. Thus, I am not concerned with their levels per se. We do not experience much "staining" or other ill affects from hard water and we do not find an abundance of corrosion in the plumbing - with one possible exception.
We are preparing to undergo boiler surgery in the spring. Our domestic hot water is supplied by an on demand hot water exchanger on a Burnham boiler. The heat exchanger leaked at one point, but is not currently. The exterior has a fair amount of corrosion flaking off but the HVAC technician is hopeful that he will be able to remove the old exchanger, grind down the flange and install a new one (the alternative being a new boiler $$$). At the time of the inspection, this question was not one on my mind but now I wonder, is hard water and/or a slightly low pH level contributing to this in a significant way?
I know that in industrial settings, sophisticated water softeners and filtration units are used to keep water entering the boiler systems in very strict tolerances to avoid any degradation of the boilers. Would I, as a homeowner benefit from installing some sort of system, perhaps confined only to the water supplying the boiler and not the drinking water?
It is my understanding that a water softener is often more problematic for drinking water than it is helpful, but would a filter system or "injection system" to alter the pH be helpful in bringing back (or rather eliminating) the taste to our water and saving future repairs on the boiler? Although I haven't noticed much, if any change in the last few weeks, I am still hopeful that the well water is still finding its balance and that it will be as good as it was before the pump replacement.
Comment