FAQ
Questions we get every week
These are the same answers we give at kitchen sinks. If yours isn't here, email us or book the free test and ask in person.
The free water test
What does the free water test include?
We come to your home, test hardness, chlorine, iron, and total dissolved solids at your tap, and explain what each number means for your house. It takes about 30 minutes, you watch the readings come in, and the results are yours to keep either way.
Do I have to buy anything afterward?
No. If your water calls for treatment, we'll say what and why, with a typical installed range. If it doesn't, we'll say that too. Plenty of good visits end with 'your water's fine.'
Why do you test at my tap instead of quoting from averages?
Because Buda, Kyle, and San Marcos all blend more than one water source, and the mix varies by neighborhood and season. Two houses across town can test differently on the same day. Systems get sized to numbers, so we measure yours rather than borrow the city's.
I rent. Is a test still useful?
Sure. The results help you decide what's worth asking your landlord about, and an under-sink RO is a modest ask that some owners approve readily. Owners of rentals use the test the other way, as cheap insurance on water heaters between tenants.
Hard water and softening
How hard is the water around here?
The USGS scale calls anything over 10.5 grains per gallon "very hard," and typical readings across our service area sit well above that line. It's a geology fact. Our water travels through limestone. Your exact number is what the free test measures.
Is softened water safe to drink?
Yes. Ion exchange adds a small amount of sodium in place of the hardness minerals. For typical local water, a glass of softened water carries less sodium than a slice of bread. If you want lower sodium or better taste at the glass, RO at the kitchen sink pairs well.
Do salt-free softeners actually work?
They condition: TAC systems make minerals less likely to stick as scale, which genuinely protects pipes and appliances. But they don't remove hardness, so water won't feel soft, soap won't lather better, and spots still form. Only ion exchange softens.
How much salt will a softener use?
Most homes go through a bag or two of softener salt a month, topped up in a couple of minutes whenever the brine tank runs low. Usage tracks your water hardness and household size, both of which the free test pins down.
Filtration and drinking water
Why does my water taste like chlorine?
Your utility disinfects the water on its way to you, as required, and some disinfectant remains at the tap by design. It's safe, and it's also removable. Whole-home carbon filtration takes the taste and smell out at the point of entry.
What's the difference between filtration and a softener?
Different jobs. Carbon filtration removes chlorine, taste, and odor. A softener removes the calcium and magnesium behind scale and spots. Around here many homes want both, and they install cleanly as a pair.
Does reverse osmosis waste water?
RO rinses its rejected minerals down the drain, so yes, some. Modern systems reject far less than older ones, and at drinking-and-cooking volumes the bill impact is small. We'll tell you the actual ratio of any system we quote.
Can my fridge and ice maker use the RO water?
Yes, a fridge line is a common add-on to an under-sink RO system, and it's the difference between clear, clean-tasting ice and ice that carries the tap's minerals.
Pricing and installation
Why do you publish ranges instead of prices?
Because homes differ. A softener loop or the lack of one, system capacity, and plumbing runs all move the number. The ranges on our pricing page are real, and the free consultation turns your range into one written figure before any work starts. The quote you approve is the price you pay.
How long does an installation take?
With a softener loop in place, most residential installs run a few hours. Without one, we quote the added plumbing plainly up front. Either way you get a walkthrough of the finished system before we leave.
Do you service what you install?
Always. Media beds, membranes, and filters all have service lives, and we track them so you don't have to. You're never handed equipment and a wave goodbye.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes. Our specialists hold TCEQ Water Treatment Specialist licenses, and the company carries insurance and bonding. Credentials are listed on our About page, and we're happy to talk through any of them.
Ask the rest in person
The free water test comes with unlimited questions. Thirty minutes, real numbers from your tap, and answers you can hold us to.
What you get
- Hardness, chlorine, iron, and TDS tested at your tap
- Results explained in plain English, yours to keep
- A recommendation sized to your home (only if you want one)