What causes blue green staining on my bathroom and hot water fixtures?

The reason why high and low PH values are important in water supplies is due the corrosive effect an extreme of either can cause to you hot water tanks, bathroom fixtures and hot water appliances.

You may notice this as a green staining on bathroom fixtures, corrosion of copper pipes, brass fittings and fixtures in your home and workplace. Very high PH can cause pitting of aluminium fittings.

The best way of determining whether or not your water supply is corrosive is to test your water for PH levels. You can then determine if your water is aggressive or acid in nature, resulting in the corrosion problems above.
Neutral water is water with a PH of 7 while acidic water has a PH reading of below 7 and alkaline water has a PH read of above  7.

What causes my water to become corrosive/acidic?

The main reason for low PH in water supplies is the presence of Carbon dioxide.  Well water supplies pick carbon dioxide from decaying vegetation. Mains or town water supplies like lakes and streams pick up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
When the carbon dioxide mixes with water it creates a weak acid called Carbonic Acid which in turn reacts with the copper, brass and aluminium causing these materials to corrode over time.

When Iron pyrite is oxidised in water sulphuric acid is formed which can be another reason for low PH levels in your water.

How do I treat low pH water?

EW Technologies recommend firstly that you test your water for PH levels before deciding on what method of treatment to install in your home or office. There are two common methods for removing low ph:

1.       By adding a chemical solution
2.       By passing the water through a filter bed.

EW Technologies recommend the installation of a CALCITE MEDIA VESSEL.  This media does not over correct the PH value of your water and will raise it evenly to a level of approximately 7.2 PH under proper operating conditions when temperatures and pressure flow rates are sufficient.

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