Home inspector screws up another water test!

Why is this such a difficult concept for home inspectors? Don't touch what you don't know about!!! A customer who is selling his home called worried when the building inspector's water test results showed problems with the water. These were the same problems that the customer had paid me several thousand dollars to fix. I could understand the customer's frustration with me, because when I spend money, I want to see results too.

I visited the home and tested the water, finding no problems. Checking the almost new water filtration equipment, I found no reason to suspect an intermittent problem. It was then that I called the home inspector and asked about his test procedure. He told me the first step was to by-pass the filters and proceeded to tell me the rest, but I cut him off and ended the conversation. I was confidently able to tell my customer that there was no problem with the filtration system, there was a problem with the home inspector.

Here is the deal. IF THE CURRENT HOME OWNER SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON A WATER FILTRATION SYSTEM, WHY WOULD YOU BY-PASS THAT SYSTEM AND THEN TEST THE WATER? TEST THE TREATED WATER TO MAKE SURE THE SYSTEM IS WORKING. Do building inspectors turn off the heat in the winter to see how cold the home gets? No, they check that the heating system is working. That is what they should do with water systems, test the treated water to make sure the treatment is working.

Selling a home? Watch the home inspector. See my next post to find out how a botched bacteria test made one home sale fall through.

Ted Mullen is a licensed water treatment expert in Connecticut. If you have questions about water issues, email him at tedmullen@hotmail.com

Why was this water treatment system so complicated and expensive?

Today I consulted at an amazing job. It was for a water system that feeds a large home, guest house, lawn irrigation, and a barn. This was the most impressive home water system I have ever seen, consisting of two wells, a 10,000 gallon storage tank, an industrial size 300,000 grain water softener, an industrial sediment filter, an industrial 50 gallon per minute UV light, and two 300 gallon pressure tanks with industrial re-pressurization pumps.

The most amazing part of the installation is that it is at least 10 times more than what was needed. There are small towns in third world countries that could never utilize the full capacity of this system, but here was this Leviathan of a system. This was a colossal, world class, diamond studded oversold job, so I started asking the property manager some questions, the most important being, what water treatment company sold and installed this system. The answer amazed me. No water treatment company was consulted on the design of the system, it was designed by an engineer.

I proceeded to describe to the property manager why there were so many problems with the system, starting with the fact that the irrigation system was fed by soft water, and that is why such a gigantic softener had been utilized and why the homeowner now had to foot the bill for much more (and much more expensive) potassium chloride, since irrigating with salt softened water could potentially kill grass. Then I pointed out that the $10,000.00 control panel (which has already been knocked out of commission by lightning twice) could have been replaced with a few hundred dollars worth of float valves and off the shelf pressure switches (these are just two of a dozen problems). I then asked what consulting fee the engineer had been paid to design the system, and the answer to why this system was so complicated became apparent: the engineer was paid a percentage of the total cost of the job.

Wow. All I can say is that if you are getting an engineer to design something, you may consider a flat fee, and also, you may consider that an expert contractor in whatever field that project is in should be consulted from day one of the design through the start of contracted maintenance. This wealthy customer was suckered and will continue to pay much higher service fees on this water equipment for years to come.

Ted Mullen is a licensed water treatment contractor. If you have any questions about water quality, or if you are in the greater Danbury area and would like to have Ted speak to your group about water quality issues, please email at tedmullen@hotmail.com

Water Softeners - Don't forget this hidden cost!

I got a new customers today. They were upset with their previous water treatment company after only two years of service. Why? The cost of doing business with them was excessive and was not part of what was explained when they bought the filter system two years ago.

I am in the northeast, and it is an expensive place to do business, but it is also an expensive place to live. I feel my service call rate ($95.00 per hour) is actually a little high when compared to other areas in the nation. But what my new customer was paying to the old company was obscene. $149.00 just for the first 1/2 hour, then $40.00 for every 15 minutes after that. The customer has a neutralizer, and the dealer sells the calcite refill for $90.00 for a 1/2 cubic foot bag. The labor and materials added to over $400.00 plus tax. Whoa! That is a yearly cost. My charge for the same job is $225.00 plus tax, which isn't cheap, but is obviously more reasonable.

Before you buy a water treatment system, find out how much the yearly service cost will be. If you have reservations, get the yearly cost in writing. When the company starts jacking up prices, start shopping for a more reasonable company.

The Two Story House.

I just came back from a consultation in a ranch style house, but it had two stories. How can a ranch have two stories? His story and her story. The Mrs. called me in because she had concerns about brown stains the water caused in laundry and on fixtures. I tested the water and found 1/2 a part per million dissolved iron and 1/2 part per million precipitated iron. I discussed with the couple the solutions for the iron problem and that is when the Mr. informed me that there wasn't any problem. He brought me to the well tank and showed me the devices he had mounted on the outside of the plumbing. These devices were keeping the iron from staining anything, he informed me.

I did not argue with the man, I just went back to the kitchen where I had started my presentation, and I asked the Mrs. if she had to clean iron stains. She acknowledged the fact that she cleaned iron stains off of surfaces quite frequently (a couple times a week) and proceeded to make a display of 6 or 7 different products from abrasives to caustics to acids that she uses to get the job done. I read the labels aloud and asked the Mr. if he helped with the cleaning. No. Did he ever read the labels on these products? No. Was he at all concerned about his wife using all these chemicals? No.

I then cut my presentation at that point. There was no use going on since this man had absolutely no concern about his wife and her use of potentially harmful chemicals and he held the purse strings. I left my card and told them to call me if anything changed.

I can tell you that some of my best customers are recently divorced women who always wanted to fix some sort of water issue but had husbands who wouldn't do it. I don't believe that the discrepancy between these two about the water quality will cause a divorce, but I do believe it is a symptom of a man who really doesn't give a hoot about his wife. I never know what kind of problems I will run into when I go out to test someone's water.

Don't Guess At A Fix For Your Water Problems.

Just got back from consulting at a home. The water has petroleum products of some sort in it. Within the last year, a local water treatment company installed a system to deal with the problem. Here are the problems with the $10,000.00 system sold by a bunch of incompetents:

• The water treatment company NEVER tested the water to determine which petroleum products were in the water. They sniffed it and said "oh that smells like oil" and then proposed a $10,000.00 system.
• The BACKWASHING system that the treatment company installed empties the waste water outside the home 10 feet from the home owner's well and 50 feet from the neighbor's well, a potential contamination and recontamination issue.
• The system incorporates a chlorination system. Chlorine mixed with petroleum products can produce many strange and potentially carcinogenic compounds.

After 7 months, the customer decided that they were not confident in what they purchased, since they still smell oil in the water. That is why they called me. This is a home that was built in a 120 year old carriage house, and no one could ever know what has seeped into the well over the years without a thorough water test done by a LAB - not by some fool with a water softener sales test kit and his nose.

I took samples for testing at a state certified lab and will get back to the customer. One thing that will have to change is the discharge of contaminated water so close to the well and neighbor's well. This is a potential huge fine by the EPA if it were to be reported to them. I will keep you posted on the outcome.

Ted Mullen is a licensed water treatment expert. For advice, email questions to tedmullen@hotmail.com

A problem with soft water? Soft water etching.

There is one issue with soft water that you should be aware of if you have or are getting a water softener. It is called soft water etching. Occasionally, soft water will act with phosphate sequestering agents in your dishwasher detergent and etch glassware that you run through the machine.

This is really not a problem. What is happening is since there are no longer hard minerals (calcium and magnesium) in your water, your detergent no longer needs to combat minerals while trying to wash your dishes. The phosphates have no minerals to sequester and they can actually react with glass. There are easy solutions to this problem:

• Cut way back on detergent. I only use 1/4 the recommended amount and the dishes come out clean. Cutting back on detergent usage is one reason to get a water softener in the first place.
• Lower the water temperature to below 140 F. You may need to lower your water heater temperature (which should only be 120 F or lower if you want to prevent scalding) and some fancy brands of dishwashers have heater controls that you will need to lower. I have noticed that heat drying tends to increase this problem, so air dry instead.
• If the first two solutions don't work, get a detergent specially made to combat this problem. Quixtar (formerly Amway) has a great Soft Water Dishwasher Detergent that is low in phosphates.

If you have any questions about your water, email me at tedmullen@hotmail.com .

An Injustice Done To Family Due To Well Contamination!

I am so angry about this issue that I need to tell you about it. I have been advising a family about water issues after the construction of a new home (a very large, multi million dollar home). This was an out of state consultation and I was brought in after the new well had been drilled on the property. This (the drilling of the new well) is where the injustice happened.



Although the property consists of 10 acres, the County Sanitarian insisted that the new well was drilled in one particular spot. The builder and homeowners asked if another spot would be OK since there were 10 acres to choose from, but the Sanitarian was obstinate and would not budge on his brilliant decision.



After the well was finished, the pump was installed, and the water line connected to the home, the Mrs. of the family was sure there was something wrong with the water. A water softener and back washing filter were added, and she still insisted there was something wrong. The Mr. couldn't really detect anything, but did not go with the "she's crazy" notion and called me in. I happen to be hypersensitive, especially with tastes and odors, so, although the water test showed it was fine, with no bacteria present, one sniff and swig told me there was definitely something wrong. The water smelled like urine. I figured a disgruntled contractor urinated in the well, so I decided to do a heavy chlorination of the well to knock out the smell and potential contamination.



This is where it got interesting. Upon inspection of the area around the well, I saw that it was drilled 30 feet from a manure pile, a 150 year old manure pile from cows and horses to be exact. I told the customers that the old pile of manure, that had been added to and subtracted from continuously for the last 150 years was the cause of the problem odor. I was so furious by what I saw that I almost went straight to the county office to have it out with the Sanitarian right then and there. I then was wiser, and figured this is my client's fight and not mine, and I didn't want to make a bad name for myself in the county in question.



I don't know what the outcome is at this point. I do know that this equation (wealthy homeowners screwed by government incompetence equals BIG LAWSUIT) will be part of the outcome.



The lesson from this is don't let anyone force you to drill a well in the wrong place, especially when you have 10 acres of land to choose from, even if the government is around and "here to help".

Softeners: Electronic or Mechanical Timer?

Which type of timer should you use on a water softener? After 10 years working on water softeners, I have seen the least problems with mechanical timers. You still need to weigh the pros and cons of each. Electronic timers seem to be much more efficient than mechanical timers since so many bells and whistles are in the software to eek as much soft water out of each pound of salt.

If there is a good amount of iron in your water (over 1 part per million), you may want to go with a standard non-metering timer to be sure the softener back washes at least twice a week to prevent iron fouling of the resin bed. An electronic timer may be a waste in that situation since a good technician would likely override the metering to make sure the softener regenerated every 3 days.

So what is the softener valve and timer I have had the least problems with? The Fleck 5600 standard or metering valve. Many manufacturers use these valves and put their own name on them. Here is a picture of one:

Not the most efficient, but the most reliable. Add metering for water without a lot of iron, and the efficiency can rival many electronic systems.

Remodeling Your Kitchen? Don't Forget This!

If you are remodeling your kitchen, don't forget to add a reverse osmosis drinking water system to your plans. Once you start using one of these, you won't know how you lived without it. It will save you the back breaking work of lugging cases of water home from the store or lifting 5 gallon containers onto a water cooler. Things to know:

1. Are you getting a fancy faucet? The manufacturer will most likely have a matching reverse osmosis rated dispenser that will be mounted next to the regular faucet. If you choose this route, the sink area will be more stylish when everything matches.


2. Don't forget to tell your counter top supplier that you will also need a hole for the extra reverse osmosis dispenser faucet (unless you are mounting fixtures on the sink, then you should inform your sink supplier).


3. A system with all the bells and whistles will cost a premium. A less expensive reverse osmosis is better than none at all, so shop around. Look for an NSF certified system to be sure of quality.


4. Many brand name systems use proprietary filters, which will force you to go to the dealer who sold you the system for replacement filters. Consider an industry standard system that uses filters you can shop around for.


5. Only get a drinking water system if you will use it, otherwise it is a waste of money and space. If you don't drink water, this is not a purchase for you.

If you have concerns about the quality of your water, contact me at tedmullen@hotmail.com . You may also contact me if you are in the greater Danbury, CT area and would like me to make a presentation about water issues for your group.