Here's 3 reasons to get water filtration in Albuquerque

You’ve seen the headlines. Every month, there’s a news story somewhere in the United States about drinking water that’s fallen below federal standards. In fact, millions of Americans are drinking and showering in tap water that’s considered deficient by the government. Even worse, many researchers believe that those same federal standards are far too relaxed, letting cities and utilities get by with less-than-stellar water.With this state of things, it’s up to homeowners to purify their tap water at the house. The solution? A reverse-osmosis water filtration system. Wagner is ready to help you improve your Albuquerque drinking water.Our team is all about helping Albuquerque’s homeowners live more safely and comfortably. After all, we’re your home’s best friend! That’s why we offer free water testing. Just give us a call or contact us online, and we’ll send one of our plumbing and water quality experts out to your home to professionally test your drinking water and determine what, if anything, is in it.

What’s in my water?

Your home relies on water either from the municipal system or from an underground well. In both cases, you may want to think about getting a water filtration system in Albuquerque. That’s because unwanted substances—such as chemicals, sediment, chlorine, or other contaminants—can be lurking in your tap water.Just because our municipal drinking water meets state and federal safety guidelines doesn’t mean it’s the best it could be. Many water quality experts argue, in fact, that state and federal standards are out-of-date and still allow for too many contaminants. Until such standards are updated, homeowners are left to do what’s best for their individual homes.Here in New Mexico, our drinking water contains trace levels of chlorine, nitrates, arsenic, and lead. Those last two matter, since many researchers note there is no safe level of exposure to either. Nitrates are also problematic. Agricultural runoff into surface water sources means many homeowners end up drinking agribusiness chemicals, fertilizer runoff, and pesticides. As is the case with indoor air quality, Albuquerque homeowners can and should take proactive steps to improve the quality of their home’s drinking water.

What are the benefits of adding a whole-home filter?

At Wagner, we install high-quality reverse-osmosis systems. You’ve no doubt heard of reverse-osmosis, more commonly known as just “RO.” This process purifies and softens water, killing two proverbial birds with one stone: water contamination and hardness. We’ll review what you need to know about hard water in a section below.Here are just some of the benefits of having a water filter installed in your home:

• Better-tasting water: Homeowners agree that water purified by an RO filter just tastes better than either standard tap water or even bottled water.
• Convenience: RO is a proven technology installed in millions of homes across the United States. RO filters are reliable, easy to maintain, and provide lasting value.
• Peace of mind: With a reverse-osmosis filter protecting your home, you don’t have to think about what might be in your water.

How does reverse-osmosis work?

Reverse-osmosis systems start by adding salt to the tap water coming into your home. This might sound counterintuitive, but it’s all part of the process. This saline water is then pumped through a specialized membrane filter, which separates the salt and contaminants into one stream, with purified (and non-salty) water going into another. As you probably would expect, this purified water is then sent into your home as great-tasting drinking water.At Wagner, we proudly installome of the best reverse-osmosis systems available today. Thanks to the use of a carbon filter, they do not require maintenance or filter cartridges.

Say goodbye to bottled water

Instead of installing a whole-home water filter, many families end up buying countless cases of bottled water. It’s arguably the worst-available option. Here’s why you should ditch bottled water and have our team install a water filtration system instead:

Cost

Bottled water is expensive. Add up the cost of the bottled water you buy with every grocery trip, and you’ll be stunned by just how much you’ve been spending on water—something that really should be free. By having our team install a water filtration system, you’ll start saving hundreds every year. In time, it’ll end up paying for itself!

Limited Impact

Even if you’re drinking bottled water, you’re probably not using it to wash your clothes, run the dishwasher, or shower. This means that any contaminants in your tap water are still present in your home. If your home has hard water, the bottled water approach does nothing to protect your home’s pipes, faucets, and fixtures.

Sustainability

Plastic water bottles are a major contributor to oceanic pollution and landfill waste. There are few things more environmentally damaging than plastic waste. As cities and counties cut back on expensive plastic recycling programs, more and more of the plastic we use once and then throw away is finding its way into our oceans. Even the bottling process itself is considered relatively unsustainable, as it often puts ecological pressure on water-starved communities. Plus, if the water is bottled in a place that has its own water quality issues, you might just be paying for the privilege of inheriting another city’s water problems.

Home Value

The more people become more conscious about their purchase of single-use plastics, the more homebuyers will value homes with a built-in water filtration system. A whole-home water filter is a great investment in not just your drinking water, but your home itself.

Soften your water to protect your home

Hard water is water that contains a greater proportion of minerals than standard surface water. This typically happens when drinking water is retrieved from underground aquifers—as the water moves between rock for years in massive underground lakes, it scrapes off minerals and sediment, making it harder.Here in Albuquerque, we get our drinking water from a mix of underground and surface water sources. Different parts of the city get water from different places. As such, different zones in the city have different water sources, and, therefore, different water hardness levels. However, in total, the Albuquerque Water Utility Authority states that most of the water in the metro area is considered between “moderately hard” and “hard.”Hard water causes the following problems in your home:

Long-Term Scale Buildup

Over time, hard water can cause damage to your appliances and start to clog your home’s plumbing, choking out water and leading to leaking pipes or the need for major repiping work. This problem is known as “scaling,” and it’s a major problem for many Albuquerque homeowners.If your home is more than 20 years old, there’s a risk that years of hard water moving through your pipes has started the process of scale buildup. As the minerals leech out of hard water, some of them stick to the interior walls of your pipe. Over days, weeks, months, years, and decades, this builds up into a layer of buildup that clogs the pipe.

Appliance Damage

Of course, hard water’s negative impact isn’t just limited to your pipes. Any fixture, faucet, or appliance—including your dishwasher, water heater, and washing machine—can be negatively impacted by hard water moving through it and scaling building up inside feeder lines and internal pipes.Outside of damage to the appliance itself, it’s also worth noting that hard water is rough on your laundry and your dishes. Its high mineral content can sap the color and texture out of your clothes after repeat washes. It will also leave rough-looking water spots on your plates, glasses, bowls, and silverware.By softening your water, you can prevent the addition of more minerals to any existing scale buildup. Wagner offers whole-home water treatment services right here in Albuquerque that can do just that. Our expert plumbers can install a water softener that will remove “hardness” from your water, thereby protecting your pipes and appliances and preventing you from needing plumbing repairs.

Now’s the best time to make the switch

These days, families are spending more time at home than ever before. That also means you’re drinking more water at home than ever. If you’ve been putting off getting your water tested, now’s the perfect time to get a professional’s opinion on the state of your water.At Wagner, we offer free professional water testing in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Schedule your water test by giving us a call or contacting us online. We’ll send one of our water quality experts out to your home to take a sample of your water and test it for several of the common water contaminants found in our municipal water sources.Invest in your family’s health by investing in clean, great-tasting water that comes right out of the tap. It’s worth the time it takes to do a free water test. As Albuquerque water filtration experts, the team here at Wagner can help transform the water in your home.