How a Water Softener Can Prevent Water Damage

9/5/2023 (Permalink)

Having hard water in your home can be a problem that becomes costly over time. Hard water is mainly groundwater that contains dissolved minerals. When this water is combined with heat as it flows through the piping system of your home, it can leave behind residue and buildup which can damage the pipes in the long run.

Hard water is simply water that has collected calcium and magnesium from the surface of the earth before it flows through your pipes. While it is not exactly harmful to your skin or health, it can be a contributing factor towards water damage in your home.

What is a Water Softener?

To find a solution to your hard water problems, it is recommended to invest in a water softener. This simple device processes the hard water and removes the void of minerals present in the water through an ion-exchange process. The ion-exchange process replaces the mineral ions in the water with sodium and potassium ions – thus converting the hard water into soft water.

A water softener can be especially useful for homeowners who have prominent water damage in their homes that is caused by hard water.

Signs That You Have Hard Water

Since a majority of the US has hard water flowing through the pipes, it is difficult to determine whether or not your home actually needs a water softener. Below are the few signs of water damage caused by hard water:

• Water marks on faucets despite cleaning them
• Lime and chalk buildup in the sinks and shower heads
• Smelly water
• Low water pressure caused by damaged pipes
• Damaged water appliances and fixtures

Benefits of a Home Water Softener System

1. Saving Money

The biggest benefit of installing a water softener in your home is that it can prevent you from spending hundreds of dollars on water damage repair. Soft water will not allow for any mineral buildup in your pipes, resulting in a smooth flow of water with regular pump pressure. By replacing hard water with soft water, you can prevent havoc on your appliances such as dishwashers or laundry machines and save costs on frequent repairs or replacement.

2. Less Cleaning Required

If you have hard water running through your home, you may constantly find yourself cleaning the sinks and showers because there is mineral buildup visible around the edges. The dishes and the laundry may never appear fully clean because of all the mineral ions present in the water. Installing a water softener system at home will allow you to prevent all of this problems since soft water will not allow for any mineral or soap buildup around your faucets and sinks. This means that you will spend less time cleaning and have a cleaner house as well.

3. Preventing Water Damage

Water damage can be a huge problem in your house if the pipes start leaking internally or externally. Since the repair cost and time of water damage can be extensive, it is important to avoid the instance of any water-related damage in your home. By opting for a water softener system in your home, you can keep your pipes and fixtures working effectively without incurring a risk of water damage.

How Big Of A Health Problem Can Mold Be

9/5/2023 (Permalink)

Mold, a layman term used to identify a variety of fungi, which can easily be classified as unappealing and disliked. Mold can exist both indoors as well as outdoors in the form of variously colored, smelly, and unsightly fuzzy patches. However, the sight and smell of mold are the least of your worries as the effect on your health has been far worse. 

How Does Mold Spread Health Problems

While mold exists on surfaces, it does produce a variety of spores, which then spread throughout the air in your property. In fact, if a patch of mold exists on your property, there isn't much that you can do that will prevent it from spreading these spores, which will only allow for the health issues to persist. Certain types of molds are even known to digest the surface that they are growing on. This is why you need to remove the mold itself. 

Health Issues Caused By Molds

There are a variety of health issues inflicted on people who are exposed to mold. In fact, mold can affect different people with different health issues. So to show you how big of an issue mold can be on your health, here is a list of health issues caused by exposure to mold. 

Respiratory Issues

The spores from mold that float in the air can produce a variety of irritants, mycotoxins, and allergens. Some of them have toxic nature and can greatly affect those who might be sensitive to them. So these toxic elements can then cause irritation within your throat, nose, and even lungs, which can cause you to become asthmatic or develop a chronic lung problem.

Allergies

Mold can also cause you to develop symptoms that overlap with different types of allergies, which can include seasonal allergies and even hay fever. So, symptoms, such as an itchy, blocked, or runny nose, excessive sneezing, and even watery eyes could persist as it affects your upper respiratory tract. People who are already asthmatic could begin to have asthma attacks due to the mold. 

Aspergillosis

Aspergillosis is a variation of mold that can cause a variety of different types of health issues in different types of people. The health issues can include issues with lung function, headaches, coughing so severe that it could cause you to cough up blood, respiratory issues, and weight loss. 

Other Health-Related Issues

Apart from toxins and irritants, mold also can produce bacteria and microbes. If one is exposed to such productions, then it could trigger their body to have an inflammatory response. It can also cause infections, such as a fungal or bronchial infection. In fact, for some, mold can even cause issues, such as hypersensitivity pneumonitis, bronchitis, and insomnia. 

All in all, the growth of any variation of mold can and should be treated like the plague as it is quite a significant threat to your health. This means that all of the necessary precautions should be taken in order to ensure that it does not damage you or your loved one's health.

Things That Should Be Present In an Emergency Kit

9/5/2023 (Permalink)

A situation in which human health and security are in jeopardy is typically known as an emergency. In such events, the authorities of the state fail to cope up with the chaos, and the only option left is to evacuate people from their house. Hence an emergency can either be a natural calamity, for instance, tsunami, and earthquake or can be due to the turbulent condition of the state. So, whatever the reason is behind an unanticipated eviction, you should have an emergency kit prepared in your house. 

 The survival kit should be kept at somewhere noticeable, to refrain from getting all worked up. Here are a few things that should be present in an emergency kit:

A Compact Flashlight:

In case of a natural casualty, for example, urban flooding, the very first outcome of such circumstances is the complete power outage. Therefore, it is mandatory to keep a durable and a handy torch or lantern along with other survival equipment.

 It is safe and convenient to use LED lights since they operate without any batteries and give out bright light. These portable devices usually hang at the front or side pockets of the bag to be more accessible.

A First Aid Box:

When travelling overseas or within the domestic region, packing a first aid kit is considered a necessity along with other essentials. Generally, people do keep band-aids in their pants pocket or purses, hence stowing something similar for an emergency shouldn't seem strange.

 Any multipurpose pouch would be suitable to fill in as a handy medical kit. It should contain lots of bandages, medical tapes, alcohol swabs, and medications like anti-inflammatory, antibiotic or antiviral. 

Adequate Quantity of Non-perishables:

To accomplish tasks as basic as walking or writing requires energy. This energy comes only from food that has to be delivered to our body. An emergency kit lacking food supplies is nothing but futile.

 There have been situations where people have starved to death due to no food availability. So, to avoid such dreadful situation, one should always keep non-perishables in adequate amount. The non-perishables supplies include dry fruits, parched and canned foodstuff. They are safe to consume even after 30 years due to their extended shelf life.

Potable Water Supply:

An individual may survive for months without consuming any solid foodstuff, but it is very difficult to spend a day without water. Deficiency of water content in the body causes dehydration followed by fatigue and finally death. Therefore, packing drinkable water should not be forgotten during emergency preparation. Since water usually doesn't last for a prolonged time thus, it is wise, packing a handy water filter device in your emergency kit.

Backup Thermal Coverlets:

These thermal blankets are manufactured exclusively for uncertain predicaments. Since it is not known what kind of emergency one will be facing, therefore, these are made highly durable. Most of these thermal blankets can also be transformed into emergency tents.

When preparing an emergency kit, you need to be precise and think of only those items that will help you survive. Matchboxes, masks, power batteries and  a multipurpose knife are some other survival articles that should not be left behind.