Why it’s So Important to Stay Hydrated in Warm Weather

Summer is approaching quickly and that means the weather is about to warm up. While this means we can enjoy more beautiful sunny days outside, it also means we need to be more aware of staying hydrated. The warmer weather typically means we sweat more and get dehydrated much more quickly. Here’s what you need to know to stay hydrated this summer season.

How Much Water Should You Drink?

It’s difficult to know exactly how much water you need to drink in a day. The most common recommendation is eight glasses a day, with each glass being eight ounces of water. However, it’s important to trust your body’s judgment about how much water you need – you may need more if your body processes water very quickly! If you’re feeling thirsty, don’t hesitate to drink water.

What Happens When You Get Dehydrated?

When you’re dehydrated, it can make you feel tired very quickly, particularly when you are exercising or spending time outside. You may feel faint or dizzy, and your breathing and heartbeat could speed up. Dehydration also often leads to very dry hair and skin. It can also make you more prone to urinary tract infections and can even compromise your immune system in other ways as well.

Easy Tips for Staying Hydrated

• Keep a water bottle with you throughout the day. This will make drinking water much more convenient because you won’t have to get up to grab the water.
• Get a clear water bottle with measurements on the outside so you can keep track of how much you are drinking each day.
• If you don’t like the way your tap or well water tastes, make an effort to make it taste more appealing. Reverse osmosis systems and other drinking water solutions can help you get better quality water. You can also add a bit of fresh fruit, like lemons or strawberries, into your water to make it taste a bit fresher and more flavorful.

Drinking more water this summer will help you feel more energetic and prevent you from getting sick. Making water a part of your daily routine is crucial for your health, but it will also help you enjoy the warmer weather more.

What is Reverse Osmosis and How Does It Work

Reverse Osmosis (RO) is a water treatment process that reduces contaminants in water. It helps in providing pure water for both businesses and homes. A filtration system can be installed either at the point of use or entry.

An RO system is preferably used to purify water because it reduces nitrates, pesticides, sulfates, fluoride, pharmaceuticals and arsenic contaminants.

How it Works

A reverse osmosis system uses pressure to force water molecules through a semipermeable membrane. Water impurities are blocked by the membrane ensuring pure water flows from it. There are four stages in the enhanced filtration process.

1. Sediment Filter

This is a pre-filter stage that protects the other delicate parts of the RO system. It reduces sediment, dirt and silt in the water.

2. Carbon Filter

This is designed to reduce chlorine and other impurities that interfere with the performance of the RO membrane. The taste and odor of water is also improved at this stage.

3. Reverse Osmosis Membrane

At this stage, the impurities listed above are filtered out.

4. Polishing Filter

In the fourth stage, a final post filter polishes off the water by removing any remaining taste and odor from the water.

Service and Maintenance

Generally, maintaining and servicing a reverse osmosis system is easy and relatively inexpensive. The filters are supposed to be replaced once every year and membranes every 3-5 years depending on the filter type, water quality and water usage volume.

Less electricity is used in commercial ROs, while home ROs don’t use electricity at all. This is because they solely depend on water pressure for their functionality. For a long life span, an annual sanitation and filter change is strongly recommended.

Health Benefits of Drinking RO Water

Reverse osmosis water is the best for drinking because it has very few impurities and tastes better than regular tap water. The best part is we need to drink water daily to help flush out toxins, boost our immune system and increase our energy.

To get the best water solutions, such as water softeners, drinking water and filtration systems, for both homes and businesses, please contact a Hellenbrand Authorized Dealer today.

Benefits of a Drinking Water System

Clean drinking water is essential for our health, yet most people don’t often stop to think about the quality of their water. Ideally, you should be drinking water that is free of contaminants and tastes fresh. While a great option is to buy purified bottled water, another more efficient way to get clean water at home is to install a drinking water system. These systems reduce the number of contaminants in your water through reverse osmosis systems, resulting in delicious, clean water for your family to drink. Here are the benefits of installing a drinking water system.

Reduced Exposure to Contaminants

A water purifying system will reduce your exposure to a huge variety of contaminants that are present in tap water. These systems will not only significantly reduce the number of chemicals in your water, but also dirt and sediment, organic impurities, and chlorine, all of which can be potentially harmful when they build up in your body. A drinking water system with a UV filtration component, such as a Sterilight VH410, may even be able to neutralize viruses and bacteria that can potentially cause illness.

Convenience

With a drinking water system installed in your home or business, you never have to worry about the quality of your water from your faucets. It’s much more convenient to be able to drink water without any concerns about its quality, without having to go out and look for water from another source.

Healthier Pets and Plants

Filtered water is not only great for your family, but it’s also great for your pets and your plants. Pets love the taste of filtered water, and they’ll keep coming back to drink it, which will help them stay hydrated in the long run. Plants will also thrive with filtered water because they can use the water more efficiently without any contaminants.

Better Taste

One of the reasons many people love drinking water systems is purely because they make water taste better. If you have trouble remembering to drink water, having fresh, tasty water available to you can increase your motivation. Fresh water also makes for better tasting tea, coffee, and anything else you make with water.

Celebrate Water This Earth Day!

Earth Day is coming up, and that means it’s the perfect time to stop and appreciate all the things that make our planet such an incredible place to live. One of the most important of these things is water – it not only keeps us hydrated, but it keeps the animals and plants around us healthy as well. Here are some ways you can celebrate water this Earth Day.

Stay Hydrated with Quality Water

Water makes up a large percentage of our body, which means that we need to drink water frequently to stay healthy. In fact, it’s recommended that you drink at least eight glasses of water per day. One of the best ways to ensure that you do this is to carry a reusable water bottle with you. If your city water isn’t clean enough to drink, consider investing in a drinking water system for your home so that you can always count on clean water for yourself and your family.

Appreciate Water in Nature

Bodies of water add so much beauty to our planet, and Earth Day is the perfect time to get outside and appreciate them. If you enjoy water sports, take some time to go swimming, boating, or surfing. If you don’t, just spending some time at your nearest beach or by a lake is a great way to relax, soak up the sun, and appreciate the world around you.

Conserve Water at Home

We don’t often think about the water we waste when we are at home, but Earth Day is the perfect opportunity to stop and consider how we can do better at reducing water waste. For example, you can start thinking about how long your showers are and how you can cut back, and get in the habit of turning faucets off when they aren’t in use. If you live with others, try getting them to join in with your water conservation efforts.

Water isn’t something we should ever take for granted – it’s one of our most valuable resources. This Earth Day, take some time with your loved ones to appreciate the water around you and think about how you can conserve it as well.

Effects of April Showers on Well Water

With April just beginning, many people are excited about blooming flowers and warming temperatures. However, in many parts of the country, this also means some April rain showers. If you use well water, this may have the potential to be problematic, as rainwater can contaminate your well. This problem gets even worse if your area experiences flooding, as groundwater is much more likely to have picked up contaminants than rainwater.

Keeping Your Water Clean

Having your own private water source can be incredibly beneficial, particularly if you live in an area where the water quality leaves something to be desired. However, this also means that you have much more responsibility for keeping your water clean. Even the best-constructed wells are vulnerable to surface contaminants, but this risk can be compounded if your well is not properly constructed. If you are thinking about building a well, it’s important that you take the necessary steps to make sure that the well casing is durable, with no cracks or joints where contaminants can seep in. It’s also important that your well isn’t built too close to a septic tank or other potential source of contamination. If you already have an old well that uses stone or brick as a lining, or uses an old stove pipe casing, you may want to consider doing some repairs on the well before the rainy season begins. The safest way to address any well concerns is to have a plumber who specializes in wells take a look at your current well.

Drinking Water Solutions

If you do use well water in your home, consider investing in a drinking water solution like a Millennium Reverse Osmosis System. A purification system uses technology like reverse osmosis and UV filtration to help you get cleaner drinking water every time, thanks to a reduction in contaminants. Reverse osmosis removes things like dirt, chemicals, and other contaminants like chlorine, which can give your water an unpleasant taste. UV filtration kills bacteria and viruses that can be carried through groundwater, increasing your risk of illness. Make the investment in your family’s water quality and begin to reap the benefits knowing that your family has clean and tasty drinking water for years to come. You’ll also feel extra pride knowing that this water comes from your own well.

Explore the Waters Journey

Ever wonder what’s in your water? Curious as to the journey your water takes to get to you?
Watch the Hellenbrand Waters Journey video to see how water travels to your home.

How Does a Water Softener Work?

Over 89% of homes in the United States have hard water, so it’s likely that your home already has a water softener or could benefit from one. If you have questions about water softeners, we have answers.

What does a water softener do?

A water softener removes the excess amounts of calcium and magnesium in your home’s water. These minerals in hard water can cause buildup on your water-using appliances, fixtures and even your dishes and laundry. By softening your water, you’ll extend the life of your appliances, remove soap scum and scale buildup, have stain-free fixtures, spot-free dishes and softer clothing.

What is the process of softening hard water?

A water softener consists of two tanks; the first tank is the resin tank, which holds resin beads covered in sodium particles. A water softener works by moving hard water over the resin. The calcium and magnesium replace the sodium particles by clinging to the resin beads, so the leftover soft water is able to continue on to your home’s faucets and appliances.

The second tank is the brine tank. This is the tank to which you add salt. Eventually, the resin in the softener tank will collect so much calcium and magnesium that it is no longer able to soften water. The water softener will need to regenerate, meaning the resin will be rinsed with a salt solution from the brine tank. After this, your water softener will be ready to remove minerals from your hard water once again.

What should I know about water softener salt?

Salt for a water softener is like gasoline for a car. Not only must a softener have salt, but it should be the right kind of salt for your unit to ensure the softener can properly regenerate. Ask your dealer which type of salt is right for your water softener and be sure to buy the best clean salt available for your system. Block salt should not be used, as it does not dissolve quickly enough for effective regeneration. Always have a supply of water softener salt on hand and check your brine tank every couple of weeks to determine how much salt you use. The more water your home uses, the more salt you’ll need.

How do I choose the right water softener for my home?

Choosing the right water softener for your home depends on how much water your home will use. A local water expert can test your home’s water to determine its level of hardness. This, plus the number of people living in your home, will help determine which water softener will work best for your family.

If you’re wondering whether your home needs a water softening system or which water softener is right for your family, contact your local Hellenbrand dealer for more information or for a free in-home water analysis.

5 Water Quality Questions for New Homeowners

New home? House-hunting? Here are five questions to ask about your home’s water.

Water Softeners: Safe for the Environment & Families

Each winter, cities throughout the Midwest scramble to salt sidewalks, driveways and roads. That quick fix, coupled with the wide use of inefficient water softening systems, creates a huge impact “downstream” on the water in our communities: excessive levels of chloride (a component of salt) in our lakes, streams and, ultimately, your home’s water.

So, what does that mean for you and how can you help soften the impact on your family? Here’s the scoop on chloride reduction and how more efficient water softeners can help lower excessive levels of chloride in water throughout your home and community.

What Is Chloride Reduction?

At its core, chloride reduction is the process of reducing salt levels in our water.

As we spend winters salting our streets and all year adding salt to water softeners, we create excessive levels of salt in our local water. The salt eventually makes its way back into our homes, impacting our families and, essentially, our daily lives.

Impact on the Environment

Each year, cities across the United States get millions of pounds of salt in their water systems from road salt, water softeners and other sources. For context, the wastewater treatment plant in our backyard of Madison, Wisconsin, receives 80 million pounds of salt annually! Wastewater treatment plants are not designed to remove chloride, so all the chloride that goes down the drain ends up in local fresh water bodies.

A study conducted by the treatment plant found that if residents enhanced their water softeners to be as efficient as possible, an estimated 27 percent of chloride levels could be reduced. Additionally, water softener salt use could be reduced by 48 percent by simply replacing old or inefficient softeners with more efficient softeners.

Solutions to Help

Hellenbrand offers two core products that address chloride reduction, helping you achieve healthier water for both your family and the surrounding community.

The ProMate EcoMax

Hellenbrand’s ProMate EcoMax helps address the environmental impact of excessive chloride by providing more than 5,000 grains of capacity per pound of salt used, making it over 40 percent more efficient than most systems on the market.

In other words, it gives you many more miles per gallon of water. And by using less salt, the ProMate EcoMax reduces chloride levels in your water and community, helping you be environmentally friendly while saving money on maintenance.

… and the ProMate EcoMax Duo

Our most efficient water softener, the ProMate EcoMax Duo twin tank system uses smart technology to seamlessly regenerate softening cycles. By using 100 percent of the available capacity before switching to its second tank, the softener saves an additional 17 percent of water and salt.

Basically, the Duo offers the greatest efficiency for bigger households. Think, the bigger the home, the more water you use (and water capacity you need).

A Family of Experts

The Hellenbrand family has been dedicated to answering family water problems for over 50 years.

We spend our time focused on creating innovative water systems, which are backed by a national network of dealers to help you understand exactly what’s in your water.