Water Systems - The pH Scale

Acidity or acid water is caused by carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and sometimes industrial wastes. It is corrosive to plumbing and plumbing fixtures, water heaters, and other water using appliances. It can also cause damage and premature failure of seals, diaphragms etc.. in water handling equipment, such as water softeners, water heaters.

A chemical analysis is needed to measure the degree of acidity in water. This is called the pH of water. pH is measured on a scale of 0.0 to 14.0 with a 7.0 as the neutral or mid-point. A pH of 6.0 is ten times more acidic than 7.0. A water testing below 6.9 is considered acidic and will need treatment before you can install a softener.

• A pH scale between 0 and 6 is acidic.
• A pH scale of 7 is neutral.
• A pH scale between 8 and 14 is basic.

A water softener will not adjust the pH level of the water. This requires a neutralizing filter. Unfortunately, GE does not have or supply such filters. Check your local yellow pages for a water treatment specialist in your area. It is important to know however that in some cases the softener makes the water more acidic.In order to know whether you have acidic water, check if you water has a blue tint to it. If it does, do not drink the water until you fix it. Contact a water specialist in your geographic area and have them make a suggestion. This is usually done by putting an acid neutralizer (ex. calcite media)  upstream of the softener.