There are thousands of people in the United States that have to rely on well water instead of a city water system for the water that they both bathe and drink in. While there are some filters that you can have installed onto your well to rid the water supply of rust, soil, or other particle debris, there are not really any filters currently that disinfect your water and rid it of bacteria that may be growing in it, such as E. coli. Cleaning the water yourself manually, though, is always an option by simply using unscented chlorine bleach.
Most people chlorinate their well water to disinfect it after some kind of repair has been done, after the well has not been utilized in a long time (like with a summer or winter home), to get rid of bacteria living in it, or to remove hydrogen sulfide buildup.
Before you start the process of cleaning your well water, you need to get enough water put back in jugs or buckets in your house to last the occupants of it for at least the next 24 hours. The water system in your home should not be used during this 24 hours period at all.
You need to use an unscented bleach for this job. This will have around 3 to 5 percent of sodium chlorite. You will need to use a different amount in your well depending on how deep and how wide your well is. If the well is under 50 feet in depth and about 6 inches in diameter, you will need to use between 3 and 4 liters of bleach.
Your water supply should not smell like chlorine after the 24 hours is up. If it does, you will need to wait longer for the chlorine to be flushed from the system. You should not drink the water until it no longer smells like bleach.
If you notice a significant change for the better in the quality of your water supply after you finish this process, but the issue returns in the next couple of weeks or longer, the process will need to be repeated and you should probably add a bit more bleach to the water. Repeat the process until the results last or seek help from a professional. It will be worth it in the long run when you do not have to worry about the safety of your home’s water supply.
Showing posts with label water. Show all posts
Showing posts with label water. Show all posts
Saturday, January 26, 2008
The Water Junctions of Your Bathroom
The prevention of water damage in most areas of your home is fairly easy, it just usually takes a bit of diligence on your part to make sure that the rest of your household helps you in this task. Preventing this damage from occurring is typically much, much easier to accomplish and cheaper than having to repair the damage after it has happened. Whether it is the discoloration of drywall from steam, damaged floorboards due to cracked tiles, or replacing vanities because of leaks under the sink, the cost of actually preventing this damage from happening usually hovers around zero. Since the bathroom is one of the most valuable areas of your home, you should do what you can to safeguard it.
Keeping an eye on the water junctions in your bathroom is something you will definitely want to do to protect the investment that is your bathroom. These junctions are the shower, bath tub, sink, and the toilet.
The steam that comes off of the bath tub and shower can cause damage to the upper walls and ceiling, so installing an exhaust fan to get rid of this excess moisture buildup is a pretty good idea. Any room in your home that has moisture buildup like this should have an exhaust vent so the vapor does not become absorbed by the ceiling.
Tile that has missing grout or tile that is cracked should be replaced as soon as possible, because this allows water underneath it and will cause damage to the floor boards. This can eventually become so bad that the floor underneath has to be replaced, so replacing a few individual tiles or filling in missing areas of grout is much easier than doing that level of repair.
Look for signs of moisture on the walls of your bathroom, since this could mean that there is a leak in the plumbing in the wall.
Even though you may not see these every day, keep a watch on the plumbing that is underneath your bathroom sink. Having leaks in these pipes can cause the bottom of a vanity to rot and need replacing or if the pipes are not hidden by a cabinet, you will have visible standing water on the bathroom floor.
You should also do what you can to make sure that the toilet does not get stopped up with excess toilet paper, feminine napkins, or other things that do not belong there. Toddlers are notorious for putting items in the toilet like toy cars, so purchasing a lid lock may be a good idea if you have any of these in your home on a regular basis.
Keeping an eye on the water junctions in your bathroom is something you will definitely want to do to protect the investment that is your bathroom. These junctions are the shower, bath tub, sink, and the toilet.
The steam that comes off of the bath tub and shower can cause damage to the upper walls and ceiling, so installing an exhaust fan to get rid of this excess moisture buildup is a pretty good idea. Any room in your home that has moisture buildup like this should have an exhaust vent so the vapor does not become absorbed by the ceiling.
Tile that has missing grout or tile that is cracked should be replaced as soon as possible, because this allows water underneath it and will cause damage to the floor boards. This can eventually become so bad that the floor underneath has to be replaced, so replacing a few individual tiles or filling in missing areas of grout is much easier than doing that level of repair.
Look for signs of moisture on the walls of your bathroom, since this could mean that there is a leak in the plumbing in the wall.
Even though you may not see these every day, keep a watch on the plumbing that is underneath your bathroom sink. Having leaks in these pipes can cause the bottom of a vanity to rot and need replacing or if the pipes are not hidden by a cabinet, you will have visible standing water on the bathroom floor.
You should also do what you can to make sure that the toilet does not get stopped up with excess toilet paper, feminine napkins, or other things that do not belong there. Toddlers are notorious for putting items in the toilet like toy cars, so purchasing a lid lock may be a good idea if you have any of these in your home on a regular basis.
Standing Water in the Yard
The only thing more unsightly than a yard with no grass is a yard that is covered in patches of standing water. Having standing water in your yard or around the foundation of your home can be a pretty aggravating thing, but there is something that you can do to remedy this situation and will probably not cost you an arm and a leg.
Most of the time, problems with standing water in the yard can be attributed to the yard having uneven elevation all over it. Some parts may be lower than others and will retain water after a heavy or even sometimes a light rain. The simple solution to this is to fill in these lower areas with soil and plant grass over them to hold the new soil in place. Planting grass over it is not only necessary to look good, but also serves the practical purpose of making sure the soil does not just wash away over time.
The other option is to have a drainage system installed in the yard. Call your local building commission first and make sure that you have permission to take on such a project, even if you do own your house and the land it is on. Obtaining a building permit may not be easy and it might take you a few weeks to get one, but it just depends on where you are living at the time.
Dig a ditch in your yard starting at the point you want to drain water from and end the ditch where you want the excess water to be deposited. Slant this ditch downhill about 6 inches for every 100 feet so that water does not simply collect in the pipe and stand there. Lay a small amount of gravel throughout the length of this ditch and put a PVC pipe over it. Cover this with more gravel and cover it again with soil. The gravel will help direct ground water toward the drain’s end. Put some wire mesh or a sink strainer over the highest end of the pipe to keep debris from getting into it. You do not need a strainer at the other end.
If you have somewhat of a sense of humor and like the idea of a small pond in your yard, consider putting a goldfish pond in one of the spots where water likes to collect. Digging it out and keeping it aerated for some fish might add a pleasing effect as long as it is located in the right place.
Most of the time, problems with standing water in the yard can be attributed to the yard having uneven elevation all over it. Some parts may be lower than others and will retain water after a heavy or even sometimes a light rain. The simple solution to this is to fill in these lower areas with soil and plant grass over them to hold the new soil in place. Planting grass over it is not only necessary to look good, but also serves the practical purpose of making sure the soil does not just wash away over time.
The other option is to have a drainage system installed in the yard. Call your local building commission first and make sure that you have permission to take on such a project, even if you do own your house and the land it is on. Obtaining a building permit may not be easy and it might take you a few weeks to get one, but it just depends on where you are living at the time.
Dig a ditch in your yard starting at the point you want to drain water from and end the ditch where you want the excess water to be deposited. Slant this ditch downhill about 6 inches for every 100 feet so that water does not simply collect in the pipe and stand there. Lay a small amount of gravel throughout the length of this ditch and put a PVC pipe over it. Cover this with more gravel and cover it again with soil. The gravel will help direct ground water toward the drain’s end. Put some wire mesh or a sink strainer over the highest end of the pipe to keep debris from getting into it. You do not need a strainer at the other end.
If you have somewhat of a sense of humor and like the idea of a small pond in your yard, consider putting a goldfish pond in one of the spots where water likes to collect. Digging it out and keeping it aerated for some fish might add a pleasing effect as long as it is located in the right place.
Sanitizing Your Well Water
If you live outside the city limits, you may be among the thousands of people that have to rely on well water to drink and to bathe in. There are filters that can be put on your well to get rid of any mineral deposits, rust, or soil that may get into your water, but actually disinfecting your water if it is contaminated with bacteria is a somewhat different matter. You can clean your well water out by chlorinating it and this process is fairly simple.
Chlorinating well water is usually done to get rid of bacteria, to disinfect after you make some kind of repair to it, to disinfect after it has not been used in a while, such as the well of a vacation home, or the removal of hydrogen sulphide.
The first thing that you need to do is to get enough water saved up in your house by using milk jugs or whatever else you have to put water in to last your home’s needs for at least the next 24 hours.
Depending on how deep your well is, you will want to put a different amount of bleach into the water. The bleach that you will want to use is a simple, unscented household bleach. This should contain about 3 to 5 percent sodium chlorite. As far as just how much bleach you need to use, it varies. If your well is less than 50 feet deep and is 6 inches in diameter, you will want to use 3.5 liters of bleach in it. A well that is 100 feet deep and 6 inches in diameter will require 7.
You should not use the water system of your home for at least 8 hours after doing this. 24 hours is usually the recommended time, but this might not be practical for you if you have a large family.
By the time the process is over, your water should not smell like chlorine. The water may look similar to a tea color, but this will go away after a bit of use. Do not drink the water until the chlorine smell is gone.
If the process helps your water’s quality, but the problem comes back in a few weeks, you will need to repeat this process and possibly add more bleach per application. This should result in a water supply quality that is much better than it was before.
Chlorinating well water is usually done to get rid of bacteria, to disinfect after you make some kind of repair to it, to disinfect after it has not been used in a while, such as the well of a vacation home, or the removal of hydrogen sulphide.
The first thing that you need to do is to get enough water saved up in your house by using milk jugs or whatever else you have to put water in to last your home’s needs for at least the next 24 hours.
Depending on how deep your well is, you will want to put a different amount of bleach into the water. The bleach that you will want to use is a simple, unscented household bleach. This should contain about 3 to 5 percent sodium chlorite. As far as just how much bleach you need to use, it varies. If your well is less than 50 feet deep and is 6 inches in diameter, you will want to use 3.5 liters of bleach in it. A well that is 100 feet deep and 6 inches in diameter will require 7.
You should not use the water system of your home for at least 8 hours after doing this. 24 hours is usually the recommended time, but this might not be practical for you if you have a large family.
By the time the process is over, your water should not smell like chlorine. The water may look similar to a tea color, but this will go away after a bit of use. Do not drink the water until the chlorine smell is gone.
If the process helps your water’s quality, but the problem comes back in a few weeks, you will need to repeat this process and possibly add more bleach per application. This should result in a water supply quality that is much better than it was before.
Invest in a Water and Fireproof Safe
We all have valuables that we need to have protected, whether it is from a burglar, nosy child, fire, or floods. Documents, jewelry, or anything else that may be valuable to you can be put inside and safe and be almost completely protected from anything that might have happened to them outside of it. Making an investment in a safe can possibly save you thousands of dollars, simply depending on what you choose to keep inside it.
Depending on your situation, there are a few different kinds of safes that you can consider. Do you need a waterproof safe because you live in an area prone to floods or hurricanes? Or an area prone to wildfires? Or do you want a combination of the two? Both kinds of protection are good to have, since water damaged documents can be a hassle to deal with and a fire can do away with them completely.
Safes that are fireproof have the feature of having a positive pressure inside them that will keep water from getting inside, but unfortunately if there is not a fire present to create this pressure, water can get inside these and cause damage to your items. If possible, try to purchase a safe that is both waterproof and fireproof.
There is also the choice of where you want your safe to be located. Portable safes are good if you do a lot of traveling and want a thief to have a hard time getting to your valuables, even if they can pick it up and take it out of your room. It will take them a while to get your belongings out of the safe, to be sure, and it is very possible that the police will catch them before they have a chance.
A floor safe is just what the name implies: a safe that you install directly into the floor. You can cover this with a rug or a piece of furniture to make sure that no one sees it. A safe installed into the floor should be waterproof, since the floor is the first thing that flood waters will reach.
A wall safe offers the same kind of concealment that a floor safe offers and you can cover these with tapestries, mirrors, or photographs. Make sure you choose the correct depth for it, however, so you get the right one for your wall.
Depending on your situation, there are a few different kinds of safes that you can consider. Do you need a waterproof safe because you live in an area prone to floods or hurricanes? Or an area prone to wildfires? Or do you want a combination of the two? Both kinds of protection are good to have, since water damaged documents can be a hassle to deal with and a fire can do away with them completely.
Safes that are fireproof have the feature of having a positive pressure inside them that will keep water from getting inside, but unfortunately if there is not a fire present to create this pressure, water can get inside these and cause damage to your items. If possible, try to purchase a safe that is both waterproof and fireproof.
There is also the choice of where you want your safe to be located. Portable safes are good if you do a lot of traveling and want a thief to have a hard time getting to your valuables, even if they can pick it up and take it out of your room. It will take them a while to get your belongings out of the safe, to be sure, and it is very possible that the police will catch them before they have a chance.
A floor safe is just what the name implies: a safe that you install directly into the floor. You can cover this with a rug or a piece of furniture to make sure that no one sees it. A safe installed into the floor should be waterproof, since the floor is the first thing that flood waters will reach.
A wall safe offers the same kind of concealment that a floor safe offers and you can cover these with tapestries, mirrors, or photographs. Make sure you choose the correct depth for it, however, so you get the right one for your wall.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Replacing Molded, Wet Carpet
For a homeowner there is nothing more unsightly then mold. Even worse, still, is mold growing on your carpet. The first thing one usually decides to do upon discovering mold is to have it thoroughly cleaned. However, this can be far more difficult than it actually sounds. One of the biggest problems you can face may be that the mold isn’t simply on your carpet. It may also be on the padding beneath the carpet, and this could just cause even more damage than the original carpet. And if this is the case, the whole carpet should be removed. The padding should also be removed and thrown away.
Fortunately, removing carpet is a relatively simple task that can be achieved by someone who has never worked with carpet in their life. All the process takes is a little bit of common sense, and perhaps some patience.
The first thing you should do when removing the carpet is to take up the moldings that go all around the floor and to begin to take the doors from off of the hinges. The only real purpose behind taking the doors off of the hinges is to create more space for you to work with as you take the old carpet out of the floor and put the new carpet in its place. It is probably a good idea to employ the use of a utility knife to cut the carpet up into strips. Cutting the carpet will make the task of taking the carpet out much easier. However, when using the knife, it is very important to be careful, as you might have a hardwood floor underneath and it would be a tragedy to cut it.
You should always start at one end of the room and to pull the carpet from off of the tackless strips and to roll it up neatly. You can install new tackless strips later on if you make the decision to put a new carpet in later. You should install them around the perimeter of the room you’re working in, but make sure that you do not put them in front of any doorways. There needs to also be at least one half inch of space between the stips and the wall. The tack points should be facing the wall.
You should check the floor underneath for mold damage. It may be refinished if damage is found.
You won’t have to reinstall carpet where the old carpet had been, but only depending on the condition of the floor.
Fortunately, removing carpet is a relatively simple task that can be achieved by someone who has never worked with carpet in their life. All the process takes is a little bit of common sense, and perhaps some patience.
The first thing you should do when removing the carpet is to take up the moldings that go all around the floor and to begin to take the doors from off of the hinges. The only real purpose behind taking the doors off of the hinges is to create more space for you to work with as you take the old carpet out of the floor and put the new carpet in its place. It is probably a good idea to employ the use of a utility knife to cut the carpet up into strips. Cutting the carpet will make the task of taking the carpet out much easier. However, when using the knife, it is very important to be careful, as you might have a hardwood floor underneath and it would be a tragedy to cut it.
You should always start at one end of the room and to pull the carpet from off of the tackless strips and to roll it up neatly. You can install new tackless strips later on if you make the decision to put a new carpet in later. You should install them around the perimeter of the room you’re working in, but make sure that you do not put them in front of any doorways. There needs to also be at least one half inch of space between the stips and the wall. The tack points should be facing the wall.
You should check the floor underneath for mold damage. It may be refinished if damage is found.
You won’t have to reinstall carpet where the old carpet had been, but only depending on the condition of the floor.
Moldy Fabric Cleaning Methods Revealed
There is hardly a person in the world that hasn’t gone through their wardrobe and discovered that one favorite shirt of theirs from their younger days. And then the moment is ruined upon the discovery of a fuzzy substance on the shirt. If you found this shirt in the back of your closet, then you should go wash your hands, because the shirt has been infected with mold and touching mold spores with your bare hands can be very hazardous for your health. There are several medical problems that could arise from contact with mold. Some of these problems are skin rashes, allergic reactions, runny noses, and the like.
If you do have articles of clothing which contain mold, don’t worry because most molded clothing can be cleaned as good as new. However, the mold can end up leaving stains. Bleach can be a very effective form of mold removal. However, this usually works best when cleaning white clothing. Other effective cleaning methods include using a scrub brush, which can remove a good deal of the mold and then place a pre-wash spray on it. Allow this spray to soak for roughly forty five minutes and then put it into the washing machine. It is very important that you allow these clothes to dry naturally in the sun. If you were to use some artificial source of heat, then the stain could set in even deeper in the fabric, and the sun can help further the bleaching process white clothing.
While regular clothing is easy to have mold removed from, you may have no such luck with genuine leather or cowhide. These types of items are easily susceptible to being discolored beyond repair. Most of these items are incapable of being restored, and they are probably better left in the garbage.
However, upholstery and curtains that have come in contact with mold can be cleaned using the same aforementioned methods as described above. It is important that you also purchase a vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA filter in it in order to accommodate a mold free home. If you use this vacuum and its brush attachments to gather up all of the mold and its consequential spores, the filter will prevent these spores from being re-released. This will prevent from having to repeat this process or, perhaps even worse, have to throw out more clothing.
If you do have articles of clothing which contain mold, don’t worry because most molded clothing can be cleaned as good as new. However, the mold can end up leaving stains. Bleach can be a very effective form of mold removal. However, this usually works best when cleaning white clothing. Other effective cleaning methods include using a scrub brush, which can remove a good deal of the mold and then place a pre-wash spray on it. Allow this spray to soak for roughly forty five minutes and then put it into the washing machine. It is very important that you allow these clothes to dry naturally in the sun. If you were to use some artificial source of heat, then the stain could set in even deeper in the fabric, and the sun can help further the bleaching process white clothing.
While regular clothing is easy to have mold removed from, you may have no such luck with genuine leather or cowhide. These types of items are easily susceptible to being discolored beyond repair. Most of these items are incapable of being restored, and they are probably better left in the garbage.
However, upholstery and curtains that have come in contact with mold can be cleaned using the same aforementioned methods as described above. It is important that you also purchase a vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA filter in it in order to accommodate a mold free home. If you use this vacuum and its brush attachments to gather up all of the mold and its consequential spores, the filter will prevent these spores from being re-released. This will prevent from having to repeat this process or, perhaps even worse, have to throw out more clothing.
Mold Can Destroy Citrus Crops Quickly
Anyone who works with citrus crops knows that they can take a very long time to grow and cultivate. But, perhaps even more frustrating than waiting on the crops to have to grow and ripen are the various molds and fungi that could afflict the crops. The two most prominent molds that affect a citrus crop post-harvest are blue mold, and green mold. These two are caused by the single mold Penicillium digitatum. All citrus fruit growing regions have this mold and it is most certainly a serious threat to the crops.
Citrus fruit is made into an easy target for mold by way of being bruised or by being punctured while it is being packed or harvested. The mold is attracted to the juice that comes out of the damaged fruit on account of the fact that mold likes to grow in wet and humid environments. And since most citrus is grown in temperate zones, there is no lack of these two qualities. If the fruit is in, say, a large shipping truck with a lot of other fruits, the mold could spread far into the shipment and cause a good portion of it to be riddled with mold infection. And if the mold makes to the grocery store and the mold, by some miracle, goes unnoticed it could affect other items in the store. If the fruit is left on the tree and mold has spread to it then other fruit on the tree could be affected and the crop could be rendered useless.
The only actual difference between blue mold and green mold is color. There are virtually no differences in the effects the two molds have on fruit. The two molds also have very similar growing environments and necessities and have basically the same needs. They must both grow in a temperature of around seventy five degrees Fahrenheit. Raising or lowering the temperature can slow the growth of these molds. As such, freezing the citrus fruits can stop the molds growth before any serious damage can be done. This is why most shipment trucks are equipped with a freezer, but many still do not have this feature. Taking extra care of the citrus fruits is another way to prevent the spread of mold. Caring for the fruit helps to ensure that there is no puncturing or bruising. Fungicides are also a very popular, and a highly recommended, way of dealing with mold.
Citrus fruit is made into an easy target for mold by way of being bruised or by being punctured while it is being packed or harvested. The mold is attracted to the juice that comes out of the damaged fruit on account of the fact that mold likes to grow in wet and humid environments. And since most citrus is grown in temperate zones, there is no lack of these two qualities. If the fruit is in, say, a large shipping truck with a lot of other fruits, the mold could spread far into the shipment and cause a good portion of it to be riddled with mold infection. And if the mold makes to the grocery store and the mold, by some miracle, goes unnoticed it could affect other items in the store. If the fruit is left on the tree and mold has spread to it then other fruit on the tree could be affected and the crop could be rendered useless.
The only actual difference between blue mold and green mold is color. There are virtually no differences in the effects the two molds have on fruit. The two molds also have very similar growing environments and necessities and have basically the same needs. They must both grow in a temperature of around seventy five degrees Fahrenheit. Raising or lowering the temperature can slow the growth of these molds. As such, freezing the citrus fruits can stop the molds growth before any serious damage can be done. This is why most shipment trucks are equipped with a freezer, but many still do not have this feature. Taking extra care of the citrus fruits is another way to prevent the spread of mold. Caring for the fruit helps to ensure that there is no puncturing or bruising. Fungicides are also a very popular, and a highly recommended, way of dealing with mold.
Hurricanes And Water Safety Made Simple And Easy
If there is a hurricane heading to your area, then it is most important that you make preparations, incase you decide to simply wait the hurricane out. Arguably the most important thing that you can do is to make sure that you have a sizeable bottled water supply in your home. It is important that you make sure that the water supply is proportionate to the number of people dwelling at your house, as there must be enough water for the duration of the storm. It is critical that you have clean drinking water during the storm. The water from the sea and sewer system may have affected the water in your tap, so you should never assume that the water coming out of your faucet is clean. You should not drink anything but bottled water during a hurricane. This contaminated water could sicken your family or guests and even cause death in the worst case. You should make sure that there is at least one gallon of water for one person to drink a day. Water purification tablets and chlorinated bleach come highly recommended, as they can be used to clean water in most situations. It is important that you let the treated water set for at least 30 minutes before you drink it.
It is important that you, under no circumstances whatsoever, do not drink water that may be contaminated. Damage to your body caused by contaminated water is devastating and if you have drank any contaminated water and are afflicted with the symptoms of it, it is very unlikely that you will be able to make it to a hospital during the hurricane and death could very well result. If you receive any cuts or wounds, do not try and wash it off with faucet water. This could make the contamination’s job that much easier. You should instead wash the cut or cuts with soap and chlorine bleach treated water. This will help keep serious harm from happening.
You should at no point allow children to play in flood waters, no matter how hot it may get in your building. If there are toys that have come into contact with water that you so much as suspect as being contaminated, you should have the toys disinfected before allowing the children to play with them again. You should also board up your windows and doors with plywood, as it keeps glass from being blown into your home and causing cuts.
It is important that you, under no circumstances whatsoever, do not drink water that may be contaminated. Damage to your body caused by contaminated water is devastating and if you have drank any contaminated water and are afflicted with the symptoms of it, it is very unlikely that you will be able to make it to a hospital during the hurricane and death could very well result. If you receive any cuts or wounds, do not try and wash it off with faucet water. This could make the contamination’s job that much easier. You should instead wash the cut or cuts with soap and chlorine bleach treated water. This will help keep serious harm from happening.
You should at no point allow children to play in flood waters, no matter how hot it may get in your building. If there are toys that have come into contact with water that you so much as suspect as being contaminated, you should have the toys disinfected before allowing the children to play with them again. You should also board up your windows and doors with plywood, as it keeps glass from being blown into your home and causing cuts.
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