Water treatment questions, answered.
Nine questions people ask before they buy, answered for homes across Summit, Portage, Geauga, Medina, Lake and Cuyahoga counties.
Your water
Why does my tap water smell like sulfur or rotten eggs?
It’s usually a gas in the water, or a reaction inside your water heater. If only the hot tap smells, the heater is the likely cause. If the cold tap smells too, the gas is in the water itself. That’s common on wells here. A filter that mixes air into the water takes it out, and the free test tells us which one you have.
How do I test my home water quality for contaminants?
Book a free test and we measure your water at the tap. You keep the written numbers. Some things need a lab to measure properly: lead, arsenic, bacteria and nitrate. For those we take a sample to an outside lab, and the report comes back in your name. On a well, test once a year even when nothing seems wrong.
Is hard water actually bad for my hair, skin, and home appliances?
It’s hard on your home, not your health. The minerals leave a white crust on faucets and inside your water heater, and that crust shortens its life. Soap is harder to rinse off, so some people notice dry skin and dull hair. A softener fixes the crust and the soap. How hard your water is depends on your town, and the test measures yours.
Choosing a system
What is the difference between a water softener and a whole-house water filter?
A softener takes out the minerals that leave white crust. A whole-house filter takes out taste and smell, like the chlorine in city water. They fix different problems. Some homes need one, some need both, and plenty need neither. The test tells you which.
Do I need a reverse osmosis system or is standard carbon filtration enough?
For taste and smell, carbon is often enough. Reverse osmosis goes further. It takes out much more of what is in the water, at one tap in your kitchen. Pick it for water close to bottled, or when a lab finds something carbon doesn’t take out, like nitrate or arsenic. If carbon does the job, we’ll tell you so.
What size water softener do I need for my family size?
It depends on two things: how hard your water is, and how much water your house uses. More people use more water, so a bigger family usually needs a bigger softener. We size it from your test and your household, never from a chart. Too big costs more than it should. Too small runs out of soft water.
Cost and upkeep
How much does a whole-house water treatment system cost to install?
It depends on your water and your house, so we don’t guess from a chart. The free test comes first. Your firm price is confirmed in writing after the free water test and site check, before any work is scheduled. The price includes free installation, and nothing is added to it later.
How often do I need to change filter cartridges or add salt to my system?
It depends on the system. A reverse osmosis unit needs new filters every six to twelve months, and a new membrane every few years. A whole-house carbon tank lasts years, not months. A softener needs salt: look in the tank once a month and top it up when it runs low. Bedrock Care can keep track of all of it for you.
Is the water test really free?
Yes. We come to your house, test at your taps and leave the numbers with you. You don’t have to buy anything. If your water is fine, we’ll say so.
Where to go next
Water softeners
Sized from your test and your household, on a valve anyone can service.
Water softenersBefore you get a quote
Questions to ask any water company before it comes to your house.
Before you get a quoteBedrock Care plan
Filter changes and salt checks on a schedule, so you don’t have to remember.
Bedrock Care plan
Every answer above starts the same way: a free test at your tap.