Maintaining the quality of your household water is important to be certain your water is safe to drink and to avoid unnecessary damage to appliances. There are several steps you can take to improve the quality of your water.

1. Do Regular Testing

Depending on your water source, you may need to test your water more often. Generally, people with well water are more prone to contaminants from animals, run-off, or simply changes in weather conditions. For people with city water, testing may not need to be done frequently, but it is still important to determine if there are any contaminants. Usually, when problems occur with city water, the problem is not with the water treatment plant, but the contaminants that enter the water through city or household pipes. Based on the information you receive from your water testing, you can determine which, if any, treatments your household water needs. You may find there are pipes that need to be replaced to prevent recurrent issues with contaminants.

2. Consider Water Softening

If it is determined that you have "hard water," you should consider installing a whole-house water conditioning system. One of the major benefits of a whole-house system is you can prevent problems with your water that could eventually damage appliances. Generally, people find that once they install a water conditioning system, their soap lathers easily, which can reduce the amount of money you spend on body care products, laundry detergents, and dish-washing liquids. You also have to be less concerned about mineral build-up that can damage your washing machine and dishwasher. When build-up occurs in your washing machine, it can often lead to staining or damage to your clothing items.

3. Use Water Filtration

Depending on the amount of contaminants in your water, you might also want to invest in a water filtration system. If there are many contaminants, a whole-house system is likely the better investment since you can filter all the water you use throughout your home. For minor issues or if you only want to filter water in a specific area of your home, models that attach to the sink can be effective and more affordable. Although the types that attach to the faucet can be a quick fix to filter water for drinking, the ones that are mounted under the sink typically handle more water, and you may not need to change the filter as often.

Having safe water inside your home requires you to routinely test the water entering your home. Fortunately, there are water conditioning and filtration systems that can help you remove most contaminants.