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Hello all, I've lurked on this forum prior to my move here in January and gleaned valuable advice for which I want to thank you all. After spending the winter in Hampton, I bought a house in Barrington and am moving family up from Florida. It's beautiful here! Being a city slicker, however, I feel very ignorant when it comes to rural living. I plan on seeking the sage advice of the regulars here from time to time in the months and years to come if you will indulge me, but I wanted to start with water. Having never dealt with well water, my question is: what should I be testing for, and who in this area is reputable to analyze it? Should I contract for regular maintenance? Another concern is hard water. I've heard some horror stories of what they can do to appliances. If my water turns out to be hard, what options do I have? Thanks in advance!
The state will test your water for potability. It should have been tested when you purchased your home.
It's a good idea to have it tested every 5 years or so. Some people also test for radon as NH is the granite state and some homes below ground level test higher than recommended.
I've always had good well water. However, I built my current home in 2004 and the water is hard with iron. I had pink stained appliances and toilets within 3 days. I installed a water softener and the water has been clear since. Neighbors on both sides do not have the iron, but the house across the st. does. It seems to be hit or miss.
Yeah it is all hit and miss. There is no way to guess. I don't bother much about it well water, but you could get it tested from a number of places that do such work, Just choose one and do a little home work on them.
In Tamworth where I am there is a little iron and some copper in the water. There appears to be trace amounts of calcium too.
All sorts of things matter like how deep the hole is, what water enters it and from where.
around were I live, the pure well water comes out a deep iron red. It takes a few
thousand $$$ of water filtration equipment in the basement to make it fine. Sounds like a hassle but once it is up and running, not much of a problem (except no water during the filter/recharge cycle that happens in the middle of the night a few times a week).
On my other place, a simple inline charcoal filter is used and replaced as needed.
around were I live, the pure well water comes out a deep iron red. It takes a few
thousand $$$ of water filtration equipment in the basement to make it fine. Sounds like a hassle but once it is up and running, not much of a problem (except no water during the filter/recharge cycle that happens in the middle of the night a few times a week).
On my other place, a simple inline charcoal filter is used and replaced as needed.
Gone are the days when you worried about hard water damaging appliances. Cheap Chinese parts. They simply don't last that long any more. We test every couple of years - but the only thing I do that for is to ensure there is no bacterial contamination (which can be caused by a bad septic or drainage issue). I personally cannot stand soft water - I don't like the slightly salty taste and it's no good at getting the soap off. It also comes with its own set of "health hazards".
question I have is this - does hard water leave the toilet bowls yellow? or is that JUST the rust in the tank? I have a new toilet (replaced a year ago or so) and the tank already "rusted" and so I have to use the expensive "rust out" to get the bowl white again. any solutions? don't want to do the "soft water" crap although my whites won't be so dingy in the laundry - but looking for a cheap solution!
question I have is this - does hard water leave the toilet bowls yellow? or is that JUST the rust in the tank? I have a new toilet (replaced a year ago or so) and the tank already "rusted" and so I have to use the expensive "rust out" to get the bowl white again. any solutions? don't want to do the "soft water" crap although my whites won't be so dingy in the laundry - but looking for a cheap solution!
It may not be a rusty tank, but rather iron in the water, which can be filtered out. The filters for this type of thing look like rolls of string. This would be added after the pump and pressure tank if that is the system you have.
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