Noticed a cloudy appearance in your tap water? Well, this is nothing out of the ordinary. There are a variety of issues that come with this cloudy appearance. Not all cloudy tap water requires to be treated with chemicals.
Once you notice the cloudy appearance, take your time, and analyze the situation. Do not rush into chemical treatment without a prior investigation of the same.
While water quality may be a problem, it is not always the case. The approach you employ should match the origin of the cloudy effects.
Below are three simple ways to fix cloudy tap water.
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Remove Air Bubbles
The cloudy appearance of your tap water may be due to the presence of air bubbles. Sometimes, water pipes are filled with air bubbles, which is due to the lack of water flowing from the source. In typical cases, air bubbles do not affect anything apart from the appearance of the water.
These same bubbles will disappear with time. You, however, cannot be sure if this is the case until you carry out some tests. The simplest test of all is pouring the water into an empty clear glass.
Let the glass stand for a few minutes before making an observation and conclusion. If the water in the glass becomes clear after some time, then air bubbles were the culprits of the appearance. In the case of no improvement, then the cloudy effect may be down to a bigger problem.
After establishing that your problem is bubbles, it is time now to act on a larger scale. Air bubbles in tap water may be originating from the high temperatures of the pipes. Warm pipes heat the water, thereby creating the bubbles that cause cloudiness in the water.
Leave the tap running for some time as a way of dealing with the problem. This way, the pipe will lower its temperatures to match that of the water; thus, no instances of bubbling. However, do not let this water go to waste. Instead, have a pot under the tap and harvest that water for other domestic uses.
The above is only but a knee jerk reaction. You should thus go a step ahead and do something for the long-term. In this case, come up with a way of insulating your water pipes to prevent instances of temperature fluctuations.
The interactions between cold water and warm pipes can only be arrested when there is some insulation. Either fiberglass or pipe sleeves will be effective insulators for your pipes. If all these approaches don’t help, then no need to panic. Instead, try this next trick.
Soften Your Water
This will apply if you are dealing with hard water. Water hardness, in this case, refers to the levels of minerals dissolved in that water. In typical cases, hard water is known to have no effects when used for drinking.
Although this water is safe for drinking, it can affect other parameters of your home. Among the hardest hit are your dishes and clothes as the hard water stains them. Hard water is sometimes cloudy, but then you cannot blame every other cloudy appearance on water hardness.
You cannot be sure if hardness is the culprit until you carry out some random tests. Just like in the first case, leave it in a clear glass and let it settle. If the cloudiness does not disappear after a short time, then hardness may be the problem.
There are also testing kits available in local stores for those who can’t trust their eyes. If anything, the kits have no meaning when there are stains on your sink, which is a sign of water hardness.
On ascertaining that you are dealing with hard water, take the bold step to install water softeners under your sink. This is a unique way to be sure of eliminating the hardness. However, take note of the fact that softeners do not get rid of germs.
One thing with softeners is that they leave a high concentration of sodium in your water. If you are under a low-sodium diet, then you will have to opt for other water softening approaches such as boiling water.
The under-the-sink installation is never enough for the whole house. You will thus need a full-house water softening unit to keep all water systems in your home safe. This way, you will be sure of clean water pipes with clean water; thus, no instances of cloudiness.
Stay Away from Contaminated Water
This is the third and the safest way of dealing with cloudy tap water. The cloudy look may be an indication of the levels of contamination in that water. However, this conclusion is reached after the other approaches have failed.
If this is the situation, contact your water provider. In usual circumstances, these people will take some time before they respond. The best thing you can do for yourself as you wait for communication is to rely on bottled water.
As all these issues unfold, take your time and inspect the water. You will be surprised to find out that the water smells like sewage. Tasting should at no point be part of the testing phase as doing so may subject your body to lethal water-borne diseases.
In the case of sewage contamination, you need to call for help immediately. This way, you have saved the rest of society from drinking and consuming contaminated water. Making such distressing calls will force the relevant authorities to fix the system immediately.
If there is no sign of sewage contamination, take your time, and survey the surroundings. There could be some ongoing construction work that has led to the said contamination. Whether the construction is authorized or not, let the concerned parties know the situation of your water.
The appearance of water is a great way to determine whether it is contaminated or not. If you are dealing with cloudy tap water, take your time to examine it before rushing into the conclusion that it is contaminated. However, none of the examination processes should involve tasting.
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