Say No To Poor H2O Management At Home

0
87
H2O Management pipes misaligned

 

Water leak

Water is life. Water is purity. Water is refreshing. There is no denying that without water, there would not be any life on Earth. Nor would there be any delicious pasta dish – have you tried cooking your pasta without water? Crispy lasagna, anyone? – or even any relaxing warm bath at the end of the long day – the kind of bath that needs a glass of wine and a scented candle to erase all your worries. Yet, as much as you remember how important water is in everyday life, you probably easily forget how problematic it can be too. Without looking at the obvious water-related natural catastrophes, from tsunamis to floods, as those are exceptional situations, your everyday life at home is filled with water. From brushing your teeth in the morning to drinking a glass of water before bed, water accompanies your every move. Have you ever stopped to consider everything that could go wrong with the water you use at home? No? Time to look at your H2O home management for real!

The Nasty Leak That Ruins The Wallpaper

Everyone fears the wet stains on the wallpaper or the ceiling when it’s raining outside. There is no clearer sign of a water leak, and it’s certainly not a pleasant one. However, you could also experience a variety of leak situations. While burst pipe jumps to mind, it’s actually not the most common leaking case. You are more likely to experience issues with your washer, especially if the overflow valve is leaking. This can cause serious leaking every time you use the washer. A leaking radiator is also common in older houses and can remain unnoticed for a while until the strains appear on the walls and the floor. Additionally, it can cause serious central heating leaks, so it’s something to be aware of. Last, but not least on the list of common household leaks, is the water leaking from under the shower or the bath. If the bathroom is upstairs, it is something that you will notice only later, once a wet stain has built up on the ceiling, or worse when it starts coming through the ceiling.

The Green And Black You’ve Never Invited

Do we need to spell it out for you? Give me an M, give me an O, give me an L, give me an L, give me some strong cleaning products too. Mold is the nightmare of every homeowner. Unfortunately, it is pretty common in old houses and houses that may be suffering from a water damage – think along the lines of an invisible leak in the house structure that creates a suitably moist terrain for mold growth. Mold bacteria thrive in a damp environment, which means that preventing water damage is a priority if you want to avoid mold growth. However, prevention is sometimes not sufficient. Most commonly, you will have to get down to the removal phase. This begins by clearing the moldy areas thoroughly. You need to invest in a mold-aggressive cleaning product – bleach is a good example if you can’t find anything else, but there are some mold specific products too – and put your best cleaning gloves on. What matters with mold is to kill the bacteria consequently aggressive chemicals are always a helpful choice. Do make sure not to inhale either the product or the moldy patch as you clean.

The Unexpected Foundation Issue

You may not have considered structural issues as a result of water damages, but one of the most common results is a weakening of your foundations. In others words, it means that the foundation is failing to do its job, which is supporting the weight of the home. Oops, indeed. Don’t worry though; it doesn’t mean that the house is doomed to fall at the center of the Earth. In truth, it is a relatively simple repair, as you can see on www.bluechipdallas.com/pier-beam-foundation-repair/, except that it isn’t one for the DIY enthusiast. You need to have the right gear and the right knowledge. In short, if you find that your house is sinking or if you see gaps between the floor and the interior walls – one of the common signs of a pier beam failure – you should get in touch with a specialist. Commonly, foundation failures are caused by the excess of moisture that weakens the piers. Whether this comes from a plumbing issue or a mold infestation, the results will be the same.  

The Contaminated Puddle You Don’t Want To Touch

It;s time now to talk dirt, and more specifically sewer water. While it is a topic that nobody wants to talk about – why should you? – it’s important to know that the waste products, when you are using the bathroom, are automatically flushed into a septic tank that is nearby. Then a sewage network transports the content of the tank to the treatment plan. However, if a sewer line breaks along the way, the dirty water is at risk of contaminating different water sources and areas. It could even come back to your home – some homeowners have had a bad surprise as they discovered their basement flooded with sewer water. The thing is, sewer water is not only dirty, but it also contains germs and parasites that could affect you whether you drink it or touch it.  

H2O Management pipe

Sewer outlet

The Water That Dries You Out

You hate it on the tiles of the shower wall or around the taps in the kitchen: Limescale is the enemy of a clean and fresh home. However, it’s not only about keeping everything sparklingly clean. Limescale can also have a devastating effect on your household and your health. Limescale can build up mineral obstruction in your pipes and cause them to burst. The presence of limescale in your washing cycle can gradually weaken glassware and cause them to become brittle. Additionally, it doesn’t need saying: The excess of limescale can damage water-related appliances such as kettle, washing machine, or even fridge if you have a model that makes ice cubes. While there is no health issue per se when you consume hard water, limescale being the presence of calcium and magnesium, there are still a few things to be aware of. Hard water can dry up your skin and your hair, causing irritations, redness and dull hair the more you consume and use it.

The Water You Really Shouldn’t Drink

Even though the Environmental Protection Agency has set standards for the quality of the water that you use at home, it doesn’t mean that the water is entirely safe for consumption. Cities like Flint or Michigan are renowned for their toxic water, for instance. While the water you use may not have a high level of toxicity, it is nevertheless important to stay on the safe side and test its quality, using kits as recommended by http://www.liveinthenow.com/article/the-dirty-truth-about-tap-water. The Drinking Water Test kit from First Alert will cost about $11 and requires no lab testing. It can inform you about the lead, pesticides, hardness, nitrates, chlorine, pH and EPA bacteria standards in your water. If you want something a little easier to handle, you can pick a Water Test Meter from Digital Aid for $24. All you need to do is to drop it in a glass of water and wait for the results.

The Bill That Costs An Arm

If you’ve ever received a high water bill, you certainly know how it feels. Most homeowners who have to pay high water bills have not been careless with their water. The bill is an indication that you are wasting water somewhere inside your home. It may just be the cat flushing the toilet when you are at work, but there are more logical causes for the problem. As a general rule of the thumb, a high water bill means that you might have a water leak. It could be self-contained, such as having runny toilets for example, which means that the leak doesn’t damage your home structure. Some leaks occur outdoors, such as with your irrigation system or your irrigation timing. If any of these is faulty, you may be using the lot more water for the garden than you had planned to do. Nevertheless, do check your house thoroughly for water leaks!

H2O Management water meter

Water meter

When You Overkill Your Hydration Goal

You know the science: You have to drink water to stay hydrated. But what you may not know, as WedMD explains http://www.webmd.com, is that too much water can be bad for you. Indeed, the consumption of an excessive amount of water is called water intoxication, but don’t worry, we’re talking gallons of water here. Drinking more water than your kidneys can handle – your kidneys can expel 500 mL in 30min – will cause hyponatremia. This is due to your body being unable to balance the fluids in and around your cells. As a result, your cells begin to swell and can cause serious issues such as seizures and coma.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here