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Water Treatment How-To Guides

Step-by-step how-to guides for water treatment maintenance, repair, and installation.

All Water Treatment Guides 4

How to Install a Reverse Osmosis System

moderate

Install an under-sink reverse osmosis system for the cleanest drinking water at home -- feed water connection, filter mounting, storage tank, drain saddle, dedicated faucet, and the critical initial flush.

2 - 4 hours $150 - $500 for RO system
What you need: Drill with appropriate bit (1/2-inch for faucet hole, 1/4-inch for drain saddle) Adjustable wrench (for supply line connections and faucet mounting) Teflon tape (for threaded connections) Tubing cutter (for clean, square cuts on 1/4-inch tubing) Phillips screwdriver (for mounting bracket and drain saddle screws) Bucket and towels (for residual water during installation) TDS meter ($10-15, for testing water quality after installation)

How to Test Your Water Quality

easy

Test your water with DIY strips, reagent kits, or certified lab analysis -- what to test for, how to collect samples, how to read results, and what treatment actually fixes common contaminants.

15 - 30 minutes (home kit); 1 - 2 weeks (lab results) $15 - $30 for home kit; $50 - $200 for lab analysis
What you need: Water test kit -- strips or reagent ($10-40 for home testing) Sterile sample containers (provided by lab for certified testing) TDS meter ($10-15, for ongoing monitoring) Permanent marker and labels (for sample identification) Cooler with ice packs (if shipping samples to a lab -- some parameters require cold transport)

How to Change Water Filter Cartridges

easy

Swap out sediment, carbon, and specialty cartridges in whole-house and under-sink systems -- the right filters, the right schedule, and the correct order for multi-stage setups.

15 - 30 minutes $15 - $60 for replacement cartridges
What you need: Filter wrench (plastic strap wrench, system-specific or universal) Replacement filter cartridges (match exact size and type) Bucket and towels (for catching water from the housing) Food-grade silicone grease (for O-ring lubrication) Replacement O-ring (if the existing one is worn or damaged) Permanent marker (for recording the replacement date)

How to Add Salt to a Water Softener

easy

Pick the right salt, fill the brine tank correctly, break up salt bridges, and keep your water softener running so you get consistent soft water without the scale and spotty dishes.

10 - 15 minutes $5 - $15 per 40-pound bag of salt
What you need: Water softener salt -- evaporated pellets recommended (40-pound bags) Broom handle or long stick (for checking salt bridges) Plastic scoop or container (for removing mush if present) Bucket (for cleaning brine tank during annual maintenance)