You have many reasons to need a plumber in Houston. Just one of them is water heater repair, and it may be the most important. When your water heater stops working, you may be introduced to this fact during your morning shower. To prevent that from happening, you can call a Houston plumbing company to ensure that your water heater is always functioning properly.
Your plumber will let you know if the water heater can be repaired. In the event that it needs to be replaced, your plumber can perform this service for you. If neither of those actions is required, you may only need maintenance, and your plumber will be able to take care of this as well.
Making Your Water Taste Better
Sometimes, people are dissatisfied with the way their water tastes. In this situation, homeowners should consider purchasing a home water filtration system that removes impurities that make water disagreeable to the taste buds. A plumber can be instrumental in this area as well and they will correctly install the system of your choice. The next question is which water filtration system should you choose?
Your Area’s Water Quality Report
Before you can choose the right home water filtration system, you will need to know what you want to avoid. Different water sources contain specific contaminants, and this is the information you will need before you can select the appropriate filter. After you read your location’s water quality report on the Environmental Protection Agency’s website, you will be ready to choose.
The Whole-House System
You may discover that your water contains scale, rust or sediment. In that case, a whole-house filtration system will be your best bet. The advantage of the whole-house system is that it will purify everything within the water system, including the bathrooms, the kitchen faucets, and the water that goes to the washing machine and the toilets. Filters for your kitchen faucets will not be necessary to make your water taste better.
Reverse Osmosis or Carbon Filtration
If you choose a whole-house filtration system, you will have several options, but most homes have either reverse osmosis or carbon filtration. As was mentioned above, the type that is right for you will depend on the contaminants that you are removing. For example, the reverse osmosis system will be the correct choice if your water contains arsenic, lead or fluoride. Carbon filtration, on the other hand, can remove antifreeze, bleach and detergents.
Removable or Self-Cleaning Filters
Reverse osmosis and carbon filtration both require that you use a filter. However, you may be able to purchase a system that has a self-cleaning filter. The reverse osmosis system uses a membrane that leaves the contaminants on one side of the membrane and newly cleansed water on the other side. The carbon filter attracts unwanted contaminants and holds them like a magnet. When it is full, the filter will need to be replaced.
The Cost of Whole-House Filtration Systems
Whole-house filtration systems are available in different sizes, and there are, of course, different brands. For this reason, there can be a significant difference in price. Typically, these systems range from $1,500 to $3,000. The type of system that your plumber installs underneath the sink will only service one faucet, and it will be less expensive than the one that treats the entire house.
To save money, you may consider the under-the-sink system. These systems range in price from $300 to $500, and they are more efficient than the whole-house variety because they filter only the specific areas that you wish to filter. In contrast, a whole-house system will filter your kitchen and bathroom faucets, but it will also filter water used for the toilet and the washing machine which may or may not be important to you.