You indicated that it is a municipal water supply--they are required by law to regularly test the water. The water supplier should be able to provide you with a water analysis if you contact them. Many municipalities with a web site post their data online. Generally the analysis provided by municipal suppliers will cover all items of interest.
Let me post the municipal analysis
here.
I'm not certain if that helps much.
As Bob Mentioned, the analytical will most likely be on your water companies website.
Have you checked to see if this is happening in water from a non softened line like a hose bib? Since this started after the new softener was installed has the problem been consistant coming from every fixture? do you have a tankless water heater by chance? Can you collect some of this floating material, filter it out in something like a paper coffee filter, does it remain a hard particle to the touch or melt way in your hand? Any possibility this could be flux?
If it floats and then sinks it almost sounds like sodium hydroxide (lye) that can form if a DC current (anode and cathode) is present in the water.
Water analysis posted above.
I am pretty certain most places in the house are connected to the softener. Even the outdoor hose is, because I remember the pressure being lower when the rest of the how was experiencing lower pressure.
When the house was on a period of bypass of the old water softener prior to installing the new one, the water had similar issues, except it actually not as bad as it is with this softener. I suppose my parents figured having the higher water pressure back was better than having good water, but it doesn't do a good job washing.
Yes, it comes out of every fixture the same. Kitchen, bathrooms, hoses, washer, dishwasher, even the chilled water from the fridge leaves white streaks everywhere. It does not matter whether it is hot or cold.
We have a tank water heater. It, itself, needs to be replaced in the near future, as it is about 6 years old.
It remains a hard, grainy particle. I looked at the pyrex tea kettle today and saw that the water was basically evaporated off. On the sides, the white residue seemed to form small dried granules. On the bottom of the kettle, it was still slightly wet, but it looked almost oily, with a sort of white granule precipitate. It stays solid to the touch.
It may be flux, but it does not seem to fully dissolve, so I'm not certain. It's possible it could be supersaturated, but it looks like the white is separate.
Lye is a possibility. I might look into that...thanks.
Anyone servicing a softener for a customer should be doing their own tests on site unless it is a test like Coliform bacteria etc. that can not be done on site. And if they don't find a better service guy.
Yeah. The last guy just ripped them off a few hundred dollars and left them with no answers. I'll have to ask around.
Run a hardness test again and see what you get. I wonder if there is something screwy with the installation or the softener itself. Perhaps a problem with the valve assembly. Make sure it's piped correctly though if it's in backwards you will usually get resin beads in the piping.
I'll go take a look at it, although, I'm pretty sure my dad did it correctly. It was just two basic valves in the back attached with clips, if I'm not mistaken. He had to solder a couple small pieces of pipe onto the pipes that went into the previous assembly to extend the length of the water pipes. Other than that, not much was changed and the softeners were essentially very close to the same assembly-wise.
This color in the water, is it in both Hot and Cold ? or is it just one? If it is in just one, which one?
Both hot and cold are the same.
Peter Griffin; said:
Probably, I'm just wondering if there may be an issue with the equipment. He was pretty adamant that there isn't air in the system and since he's still getting residue on stuff I'm inclined to believe him.
It could be, if it is not getting the rinse time and water that it is needed in that time frame.
I'll have to go take a look at it. I know the salt inside is being used. I have no idea whether the rinse time is off. Is there a way this can be changed or could it just be an equipment defect?