Water Testing
Ensuring your health and safety is our top priority, just as it is yours.
The quality of the water entering your home can have a significant impact on your overall well-being. That's why we now include a comprehensive Water Testing Service as an optional addition to your home inspection. This service covers four crucial aspects of your water: Chlorine, Hard Water, pH Balance, and Total Dissolved Solids.
Chlorine
Chlorine is used to keep our water clean by disinfecting it and killing germs. And it does a marvelous job at eliminating most pathogens from the water we drink.
But the use of this powerful chemical has a downside. According to a report from the U.S. Council of Environmental Quality, the cancer risk for people who drink chlorinated water is up to 93% higher than for those whose water does not contain chlorine.
Hard Water
Hard water typically contains relatively high levels of magnesium and calcium, along with other natural minerals and metals. Hard water is not a health concern, but it can lead to excessive scale buildup in water pipes, boilers, hot-water heating systems, and other equipment that uses water. An even bigger nuisance to most homeowners is the fact the hard water does not clean laundry or dishes as well as soft water, and it requires more soap or shampoo to create suds.
pH Balance
The pH balance plays an important role in the chemical makeup of the human body. The term "pH" refers to whether a substance is an acid, an alkaline (also known as basic), or neutral.
In the human body, the pH of bodily fluids, organs, and other components can have an influence on the biochemical reactions that support various functions, such as digestion, metabolism, and hormonal production. Keeping the body's pH balanced allows the body to function in a state of equilibrium.
Total Dissolved Solids
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) represents the total concentration of dissolved substances in water. TDS is made up of inorganic salts, as well as a small amount of organic matter.
Most people think of TDS as being an aesthetic factor. A very low concentration of TDS has been found to give water a flat taste, which is undesirable to many people. Increased concentrations of dissolved solids can produce hard water. The United States guideline for TDS is 500 parts per million.
