Water is fundamental to life. In modern civilization, we tend to take this vital substance for granted. Every time we run the sink to wash our hands, enjoy a warm shower, and even flush the toilet, we’re putting faith in the fact that our water is clean and safe to use.

Yet even if your water looks perfectly fine, well, it might not be. There could be unseen pollutants in it, such as minerals or chlorine.

You’re likely not in immediate danger if these substances leach into your water. However, they can damage your plumbing system, affect your appliances’ performance, and, most importantly, negatively impact your health.

Scheduling professional water testing is a good idea if you suspect your water is contaminated. You can then determine which actions to take based on the results.

If you’re noticing any of the following signs in your water or your home, it might be time to call a professional.

Signs You Need Water Conditioning In Your Home

1. Stains or Residue Buildup

Water isn’t supposed to cause constant stain or scummy residue buildup. You may have gotten used to it over time and accepted it, but stain and residue could mean bad water. Installing water conditioning in your home will minimize buildup on your plumbing fixtures and in your sinks and shower.

2. Strange Odor or Taste in Water

Water shouldn’t have much of a taste or smell — so if it does, that’s a sign there are pollutants in it. Water that smells like chlorine, metal, or rotten eggs is bound to have pollutants harmful to you and your family’s health.

3. Skin and Hair Issues

Does your skin feel irritated after you shower? Is your hair excessively dry? Your water may have a high concentration of minerals in it. These minerals react with the soaps and shampoos you use, leaving your skin and hair feeling dried out and unclean.

4. Your Utility Bills Are Rising With No Explanation

Untreated water slowly damages your plumbing system and reduces its efficiency. It then has to work harder to provide you the same amount of water, resulting in rising utility costs.

5. You Have to Make Repairs Often

Again, hard water causes damages to pipes and other parts of your plumbing system. If you’ve been making frequent repairs recently, the culprit might be minerals or other chemicals flowing through your water.

If you need your water treated in Bucks County, PA, look no further than Barner Murphy. Our expert plumbing professionals will work quickly and accurately to diagnose and fix the problem.

You should be able to rely on having clean, safe water coming out of the tap every day. Contact Barner Murphy today so you can get your water back to normal.

The lockdowns of early 2020 led to the widespread buying of many items — toilet paper being among the most purchased. Stores sold out everywhere (both brick-and-mortar stores and online), and had to put limits on how much customers could buy when new inventory arrived.

Many people who now struggled to find toilet paper looked to alternatives — desperately searching the web to see if various toilet paper alternatives were toilet-safe.

It’s tough to find an answer online nowadays with so much conflicting information, though. Some people resigned to using toilet paper alternatives anyways. As long as the toilet didn’t break when they flushed the alternatives down, then things should be fine, right?

Not exactly. Keep reading to learn the facts about toilet paper alternatives.

Are Flushable Wipes Safe?

Flushable wipes manufacturers show evidence of their wipes being safe for your plumbing system. They state that the products are biodegradable, and will thus decompose.

That may be true, but some evidence shows that these wipes simply don’t degrade fast enough. They mix with other items flushed down the toilet and cause clogs.

So although flushable wipes are excellent for a variety of situations — such as potty training your child — it might be best to seek an alternative disposal method.

Keep These Things Out of Your Toilet

Sometimes, it's tempting to flush certain items instead of throwing them in the trash. That way, you can wait longer before taking out the trash.

But you should avoid doing so. Numerous items — even very small ones — can cause expensive damage to your plumbing over time. Don’t flush the following down the toilet:

• Coffee grounds

• Cotton balls

• Dental floss

• Diapers (cloth, disposable, even “flushable” diapers)

• Eggshells

• Facial tissues

• Fats, oils, and greases

• Hair

• Napkins (paper or cloth)

• Nut shells

• Paper towels

• Plastic

• Q-tips

• Sanitary napkins, tampons, condoms, or any non-organic material

• Toilet bowl scrub pads

• Vitamins, medicines, or other pharmaceuticals

• Wipes (baby wipes, disinfectant wipes, moist wipes, etc.)

Sometimes, these things make their way into the toilet by accident and cause a clog. In that case, you may want to call a plumbing professional to unclog your toilet and get things back to normal.

Toilet Paper Alternatives That Work

One alternative that’s safe (for yourself and your toilet) and clean is a bidet. This is a little device mounted in your toilet that sprays water to clean you up after using the bathroom. These were invented as far back as the 1700s and are now widespread in places like Europe and Asia.

Bidets cost a few hundred dollars up front. However, you’ll never have to worry about toilet paper again. You’ll save thousands on toilet paper over your life — but more importantly, if the stores ever run out again, you’ll be fine.

If you’ve run into any toilet clogs — whether from flushing items down the toilet or not — Barner Murphy is happy to help. Call us today to get your toilet fixed!