Home Search

About Water
 

 

Home

 

Member of The Institute of Plumbing & Heating Engineers

 

Our bodies are around two-thirds water, so it is hardly surprising that water is crucial to our health and general well-being.

It forms a major part of our blood, lubricates our joints and eyes, aids digestion, flushes out waste and toxins and helps us look better by keeping skin smooth and elastic. Drinking too little water can lead to dehydration and, in turn tiredness, lethargy, headaches, inability to concentrate, dry or cracked skin and even reduced blood pressure.

Today, drinking water is taken for granted in the majority of the developed countries. Still, it is one of our most precious resources. Most of our tap water comes from reservoirs or rivers, the rest being taken from underground sources.

The 'raw' water goes through an intensive treatment process to make it safe for human consumption, although ground water, because it goes through a process of natural purification, needs little treatment (apart from some disinfectant to keep it safe during transportation).
 

Tap vs. Filtered

Tap Water

Tap water is perfectly safe. But it does not always taste, look or smell as good as many of us would like. Impurities that affect your tap water's taste, odour, and colour include:

bulletChlorine: Chlorine can be used in water supply as a safe disinfectant. It has a bad taste and odour.
bulletSediment: This is inorganic matter or natural vegetation. Sediment can cause build up in household pipes and bad tastes and odours.
bulletWater Hardness: Hard water contains dissolved minerals such as magnesium and calcium. These two elements in time cause limescale to build up in kettles, hot water appliances.
bulletMetals and Heavy metals such as lead, copper and aluminium are often present, depending on the age of your homes plumbing.


Filtered Water

Filtered water will provide you and your family with clean, clear, and fresh tasting drinking water and:

bulletMakes great tasting coffee and tea.
bulletReduces limescale build up in kettles and coffeemakers.
bulletMay improve the colour and texture of foods cooked with water and can reduce the amount of scum produced during cooking.
bulletCosts much less than bottled water.
bulletHelps cut flowers to last longer and household plants thrive.

Hard vs. Soft?

Confusingly there are two different kinds of water hardness, both caused by calcium and magnesium salts. The first, found in most water, is known as permanent hardness and is caused by the calcium and magnesium salts of chloride and sulphate. They give water its characteristic taste but do not cause scale deposits when the water is heated.

The second type of hardness is called temporary hardness and is caused by calcium and magnesium bicarbonate. Calcium and magnesium bicarbonate are destroyed by boiling and therefore this is sometimes referred to as "temporary hardness". Boiling changes it to insoluble carbonate, which is the deposit we know as scale. This fixes to surfaces such as heating elements and boiler walls. It also causes that murky, scummy appearance in tea and coffee.

Softened Water

Softened water saves time - independent studies have shown that considerable cleaning time is saved by using softened water. It can also save some 50% of washing powder and toilet soap consumption and similarly cut the use of shampoos, conditioners and cleaning products.

Softened water makes washing the car easier and will reduce streaking and spotting. Water softeners are installed in nearly all commercial laundries, kitchens and car washes in hard water areas.

 


 

 

[ Home ]

Copyright © 2008 NK Plumbing & Heating