The more you learn about the types contaminants that are commonly found in tap water, the more you’ll realize that water quality isn’t just about your health. In fact, there are some water contaminants that have virtually no health consequences when you consume them, but they can cause all kinds of other annoying problems. One such problem is when your tap water creates stains of various colors around your home. Today we’re going to focus on this issue by talking about which water contaminants create stains and what you can do to prevent your tap water from staining your home!
Where can you notice tap water stains?
Tap water stains can show up on anything that comes into frequent or prolonged contact with your home’s water, including:
- Plumbing surfaces like toilet bowls, sinks and bathtub floors.
- Plumbing fixtures like faucets, showerheads and handles.
- Clothes, sheets and towels that are washed in your washing machine.
- Dishes that are sent through your dishwasher.
Which tap water contaminants cause stains around your house?
- Iron. Iron is a contaminant that is commonly found in well water. The stains caused by iron are typically orange, red or brown in color. Although iron stains can show up anywhere, they are typically most prominent in toilet bowls and sinks.
- Manganese. Manganese is often found in conjunction with iron. It creates stains in the same places as iron, but the colors of the stains tend to be brown or black in color.
- Sulfur. Sulfur is the contaminant that causes the rotten egg smell in water. It often causes black stains to show up on clothes and plumbing fixtures and is also known to darken the color of your silverware.
- Hardness minerals. If your home has hard water, it causes limescale to grow on your plumbing fixtures and surfaces. Limescale is a white crusty substance that shows up most often in bathrooms and kitchens.
- Low pH levels. If your home’s water is acidic, it can cause blue-green stains to show up on your clothes and plumbing fixtures.
How can you prevent your tap water from causing stains in your New Hampshire home?
The best way to prevent your tap water from causing stains in your home is to install a residential water treatment system. The type of system that you need will depend on which contaminants are causing the stains in your home. Contact McBride’s Water Advantage to schedule a water test so we can determine what is in your home’s tap water and help you choose which solution is right for you.
If you have any questions about the stains that can be caused by unfiltered tap water, or if you’d like a water system serviced or installed in your home, contact McBride’s Water Advantage, your water softener and water filtration system dealer in Epsom, NH. We provide service all over New Hampshire, including towns like Rochester, Gilford and Laconia, NH.
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