In the perfect world, water would come out of the tap perfectly clean, safe, and ready to drink. But while municipal water treatment centers do remove most bacteria and leave water relatively safe, there are still some contaminants and unwanted substances in tap water. Sometimes, your home's own pipes may introduce contaminants, too! When this is the case, you should really install a water treatment unit in your own home. Here are five signs you need your own water treatment system.

Mineral Deposits Around Faucets

Take a look at the faucets and the area around them. Do you see some mineral deposits building up? These deposits are usually comprised of minerals like calcium and magnesium, which tend to settle out of the water supply over time. This occurs when you have hard water. Although hard water is not dangerous, continuing to let this mineral-rich water flow through your pipes untreated can leave your hair and skin dry; it can also clog appliances with mineral deposits.

In this case, you can choose between installing a general water treatment system, which removes minerals and other contaminants, or just a water softener -- which is a device that will replace the minerals with something else using a process known as ion exchange.

Reduced Water Pressure

Has the water pressure in your shower or at some of your taps seemed to be decreasing? This can be another sign of hard water. The minerals in the water clog the pipes, causing the pipes to narrow. Water cannot flow very quickly through partially clogged pipes. Luckily, installing a water softener, as referenced above, will help keep the problem from getting worse. If the pressure is really low, you might need to have some of the pipes replaced.

Strange Odors in the Water

The water in some areas is really high in sulfur compounds, which gives it a slight smell of rotten eggs. This won't hurt you to drink, but it is rather unappealing. You may also notice other noxious odors in your water. These could be due to bacteria being introduced to your water as it enters your home's pipes or by other compounds that are naturally found in the groundwater in your area and not effectively removed by the public treatment facility. Luckily, an at-home filter will remove sulfur, bacteria, and other contaminants.

A Chlorine Scent

Chlorine is added to water at the water treatment plant in order to kill contaminants and make the water safe. Sadly, sometimes a lot of chlorine stays dissolved in the water, giving it a lingering chlorine scent. It won't really hurt you to drink this water -- the levels of chlorine are still safe. However, the water may irritate you if you bathe in it, and the vapors from a hot shower may even irritate your respiratory tract. So it's always best to install a treatment system that removes chlorine, not only from your drinking water, but from the water that you bathe in.

Discolored Water

If your water is not crystal clear, then some contaminant is being introduced to it along the way. Water that has a slight yellow or orange tint means your pipes have begun to rust. Old copper pipes may give your water a slightly blue tint. Install a water treatment system at each tap, and it will remove these contaminants. In the long run, however, you may need to have your pipes replaced to keep the water safe.

If you think you may need a water treatment system for your home, reach out to a plumber in your area or visit a site like http://www.waterman911.com.

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