Some home buyers put the water quality of their prospective homes into consideration when making a buying decision. Water is essential, and having quality water is one of the marks of a good home. Home buyers know this, and as a real estate agent, you want to be able to foster the best relationships with your clients when they ask about a home’s water quality.
To appear convincing and play the part of an expert, you need to know what the ideal water quality should be in the homes you are selling. Knowledge and expertise is a vital ingredient in building relationships with your clients.
As a real estate agent trying to sell a property to your customers, here’s what you should know about water quality and water treatment options available to achieve the best water quality.
The Water Quality Your Clients Need
Good water is clear and has a refreshing taste. It has no smell or debris, and it’s free from chemicals, heavy metals, and microbes. This is the kind of water your client is looking forward to having in their homes.
This is why you should consider inspecting a home’s water quality before selling or even pitching it to your clients. Ideally, you can test the water quality using a test kit or by sending water samples to a lab. The results let you know the state of the home’s water and exactly what to tell your client. If the water quality is lacking somehow, it doesn’t mean the sale is off. Depending on the water test results, there are several water treatment systems you can suggest to your clients.
Water Treatment Systems
Water is always in contact with pipes, valves, taps, and tanks, and these can be a source of contamination.
Water treatment systems are installed in homes to remove specific contaminants and improve the aesthetic characteristics of the water.
Water treatment systems vary from whole house systems to POU (point of use) filters. Some are designed to remove a narrow range of contaminants, while others are designed to remove as many contaminants as possible. The main water treatment options to suggest to your client include:
Whole House Filtration Systems
Whole house systems work using a point-of-entry mechanism, which means that water is treated as soon as it enters the house before being distributed to various outlets. Whole house filtration systems are installed at a point in the plumbing system that ensures that only treated water flows to the outlets in the home. Common whole house filtration systems available are:
- Whole house carbon filters: Carbon filters are used to effectively get rid of harmful chemicals such as chlorine, and are also used to remove foul odor and taste from water. Carbon filters work by adhering to the contaminants present in the water. Like most whole house filtration systems, it’s necessary to first determine the contaminant present in the water before getting any type of filter.
- Whole house sediment filters: As the name implies, sediment filters remove visible contaminants suspended in the water. Contaminants that have been dissolved in water cannot be removed using a sediment filter. It’s best to use other systems to handle dissolved contaminants like pesticides.
Water Softeners
A water softener works using an ion-exchange mechanism. Water softeners treat water hardness by removing minerals like calcium and magnesium, the major contaminants responsible for water hardness. They exchange the ions of calcium and magnesium with sodium.
When in excess, calcium and magnesium form scale which clog pipes, water heaters, and other household appliances. Scale inhibitors can sometimes be used, but they only prevent scale formation and do not remove the minerals. To handle the problem from the source, you need a water softener. Water softeners are often used alongside water filters for highest water quality.
Acid Neutralizers
The ideal pH for drinking water is neutral or alkaline. But when contaminants get into a water supply, they often reduce the water’s pH causing it to turn acidic. Acidic water may not be harmful to health, but they cause water pipes and appliances to corrode. This corrosion can lead to leaks or leave greenish stains on surfaces of sinks and faucets that dull their appearance over time. Acid neutralizers can be used to reduce the acidity of the water. Some of them include calcite media and Flomag. These neutralizing media increase the pH of the water but may, in turn, cause hardness as calcium and magnesium contents can increase.
UV Disinfection Systems
Ultraviolet disinfection systems purify water by inhibiting the growth of bacteria and viruses that may be present in the water. A UV disinfection system uses ultraviolet light to destroy harmful organisms. However, a sediment filter must be used in the process as well, so that the debris or dirt present in the water does not block the light from reaching said organisms.
Point-Of-Use Drinking Water Filters
Unlike a whole house filtration system, a point-of-use filter is designed to remove contaminants at a specific point in the home. It is usually installed at the end of the water supply system just before a faucet or a shower. Pathogens and other contaminants are trapped into this filter as water passes, leaving users with clean H2O. Point-of-use filters available include countertop water filters and filtration pitchers.
When potential home buyers ask questions about a property’s water quality and the best water treatment methods, you can recommend any of these systems depending on the conditioners and nature of contaminants in the water supply.
