At Wisler Plumbing, Heating, Cooling and Electric, we understand the importance of providing you with comprehensive information to ensure you make the best decision for your needs. Before installing any system, we test the water flowing through your pipes.
To help you make an informed decision, we continuously compile our most recent water quality test data, and make it available to you.
These are the average results of water tests conducted in homes across our service area. This information will guide you in determining the best course of action for your water quality needs. You can also request a free water test from us at any time.
Measured in grains per gallon (GPG), the lower the number, the softer the water.
0-3 gpg = Soft Water
3-6 gpg = Moderately Hard Water
6-9 gpg = Hard Water
9+ gpg = Extremely Hard Water
Hard water causes scum buildup and leaves the foggy film on your glassware. It’ll also cause your appliances to lose their longevity and your skin to dry out faster than it should.
Measured in parts per million (PPM), you want as little iron as possible.
You want this number to be as close to 7.0 – or neutral – as possible. The lower the reported number, the more acidic the water is. The higher the number, the more alkaline your water is. With more acidic water, you:
May have pipes corroding a leaching unhealthy metals into your water
Start experiencing a metallic or sour taste from the water
Start seeing unexplainable stains on your laundry
Your sinks and other fixtures will have a blue-green stain on them
With more alkaline water, you:
Have scale buildup on your plumbing
Pay more to heat your water due to inefficiency (due to scale buildup)
Experience a bitter taste in your coffee
Make this decision at your own pace. If you have a spouse, discuss it with them. Schedule a free, no-obligation water test to determine if you need a system (we won’t sell you one if you don’t).
– Schedule your water test
– Learn about city and well water
– Discover what the Water Quality Association says about better water
– Read about how to choose a water softener
City water has contaminants removed but may taste different from bottled water. Well water, depending on its setup, may also contain contaminants. To determine if your water has contaminants, collect a sample and have it tested. Here are the most common contaminants found in your water:
“…the most dangerous contaminants are those that consumers cannot see, smell, or taste,”
— Stew Thornley, NC State University.
Bottled water is regulated by the Food, and Drug Administration (FDA). City water is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Both of them set standards for water purification, however, in some instances, standards for bottled water are different than those for city water. Lead is an example. Here are the main differences between city water and well water:
Lead can leach from pipes as water travels from utilities to home faucets. The EPA set an action level of 15 parts per billion (ppb) in city water. This means that when lead levels are above 15 ppb in city water that reaches home faucets, water utilities must treat the water to reduce the lead levels to below 15 ppb. In bottled water, the lead limit is set at 5 ppb. FDA survey information shows that bottlers easily produce water products with lead levels below 5 ppb. The reason for the lower level was the FDA goal of reducing consumers’ exposure to lead in drinking water.
Like bottled water, your city water is also tested and treated. However, in 2001, one out of every four community water systems did not conduct testing or report the results for all of the monitoring required to verify the safety. [source: EPA]. Although failure to monitor does not necessarily suggest safety problems, conducting the required reporting is crucial to ensure that problems will be detected.
For more information about our water quality services, contact us today! We can conduct a water test, discuss costs, options, and answer any questions you may have. We will also inform you if you don’t need a system. You won’t receive continuous sales calls from us; we’ll follow up only if you ask or have more questions. Contact us today!