acid water

[beastmaster99]

We just moved into a house in Promontory, UT. We're originally from Northern California so the water here is very different it is super hard, nothing lathers and we have spots on everything. Our neighbors were told that they have acidic water & that they need a "pH neutralizer" to protect their pipes. Our builder says that's nonsense and the water is fine. The water seems ok(except the hardness), but I don't want to have corrosion problems later. Also, what is the best type of water softener for our area -thanks !

[greg-cws]

The best thing to do is have the water tested for at least the following:-

Hardness, Iron, pH, Total Alkalinity, TDS.

Even though 7.0 is considered "neutral" If your pH is below 7.5 there is a high potential for corrosion to occur.

I have heard of pH issues in the Promontory development near Park City. Are you in the Park City Promontory or are you on the north end of the Great Salt Lake ?

[beastmaster99]

Park City Promontory.
Had the plumber over today to fix some minor fit&finish issues.
He tested the water and found-hardness=280mg/l, Iron=<.5mg/l,Total alkalinity=150mg/l,pH 7.0- He didn't know what TDS was.

Plumber had no clue about the tests except that we should use a softener for our appliances and w/heater.

Any help ?

[greg-cws]

I'm quite surprised that the plumber wasn't sure how to handle it. Most of the plumbers I work with in Utah are pretty clued-in.

Analysis of your results:-

Hardness - Very hard, you do definitely need a softener
Iron - No big deal, a good quality softener, conditioner or ion exchange filtration system will do fine.
pH - You're definitely too low. Get a good pH neutralizing filter.

Look at the WQA webiste (wqa.org) for certified professionals in you area and give one of them a call to get the job done right.