Water guides
Articles
Practical guides for O'Fallon homeowners, written by the Jones Air & Water team.
- Softening Only Hot Water in O'Fallon Homes: Plumbing ChoicesBefore you split a softener between hot and cold lines, learn what a partial setup changes, what it leaves unsoftened, and how to map your own pipes.2026-10-30
- Rotten-Egg Smell in O'Fallon Water: Hot Only or Both Taps?Which taps carry the odor is the fastest clue to whether the source is your water heater or your water supply.2026-10-30
- Resin Bed Wear in O'Fallon Softeners: Signs It Is Time to LookA softener that slowly loses performance is often a resin problem, and a few plain checks can show whether it is time to look further.2026-10-30
- Filling a Pool or Hot Tub with O'Fallon Water: Hardness Checks FirstTest the water you plan to use before filling, so you know what scale, staining, or chemistry problems to expect in an O'Fallon pool or hot tub.2026-10-30
- Storing Softener Salt in O'Fallon Garages: Humidity and ClumpingWhere and how you keep softener salt in an O'Fallon garage or basement affects whether it dissolves cleanly or forms crust in the brine tank.2026-10-29
- Sediment Prefilters Ahead of an O'Fallon Softener: Change TimingA practical guide to what a sediment prefilter does for an O'Fallon softener, how to tell when it needs attention, and how to change it safely at home.2026-10-29
- Radium and Gross Alpha in O'Fallon Deep Wells: A Testing PathA plain testing path for O'Fallon homeowners on deep bedrock wells who want to know whether radium or gross alpha needs a closer look.2026-10-29
- Home Sale Water Records in O'Fallon: What to Gather Before You ListA practical checklist of utility, softener, testing, and well records to pull together before you list an O'Fallon home, and how to present them clearly.2026-10-29
- Choosing a Water Testing Lab in O'Fallon: Questions to Ask FirstA few questions before you send a sample will help you pick a lab that tests for what you actually need and gives you a report you can use.2026-10-29
- Softener Noise in O'Fallon Basements: Normal Sounds vs. ProblemsRegeneration clicks and drain gurgles are often normal, while rattles, bangs, and loose lines usually need a closer look.2026-10-28
- Sodium in Softened Water in O'Fallon: Drinking and Cooking ChoicesSoftened water carries added sodium, so this guide shows O'Fallon homeowners how to learn what is in their tap and pick water for drinking and cooking.2026-10-28
- Pressure Drops After a Softener Regenerates in O'Fallon HomesWhy shower pressure can dip for a few minutes after your softener cycles, and which checks help you tell a normal dip from a real problem.2026-10-28
- Coliform and E. coli Tests for O'Fallon Private Wells: Sample StepsA plain sampling routine for O'Fallon well owners who want to check their water for coliform and E. coli bacteria.2026-10-28
- Toilet Tanks and Drain Scale in O'Fallon Homes: What to InspectHard water leaves deposits in places you rarely look, and a short walk through your bathroom can show you where scale is building up in an O'Fallon home.2026-10-27
- Reading Your O'Fallon Water Quality Report Line by LineA plain walkthrough of the annual report for O'Fallon tap water, from hardness and disinfection byproducts to the detected items worth asking about.2026-10-27
- Nitrates in O'Fallon Well Water: Sources and Testing at HomeNitrate is invisible in well water, so a homeowner in O'Fallon needs a lab sample and a testing plan to know what the well is carrying.2026-10-27
- Flushing Your O'Fallon Water Heater: Sediment and Hard Water ChecksA practical flushing routine for O'Fallon water heaters, with safety steps, what drained sediment looks like, and hard water signs to watch for.2026-10-27
- Testing Hard Water at Home in O'Fallon: Strips, Labs and ResultsA practical way for O'Fallon homeowners to check their own hardness readings, choose a lab, and compare results with the city report.2026-10-26
- Softened Water and Pets in O'Fallon Homes: Bowls and BathsA practical walk through softened taps, pet bowls, baths and outdoor water for O'Fallon homes with animals.2026-10-26
- Kettles and Coffee Makers in O'Fallon: Checking for Scale at HomeKettles and coffee makers often show hard water scale first, so this guide explains how to spot it, clean it, and decide whether a water test is the next step.2026-10-26
- Arsenic in O'Fallon Water Reports: What to Read and Test NextArsenic can appear in O'Fallon-area water reports and private wells, and this guide explains how to read the result and what to test next.2026-10-26
- After a Power Outage: Resetting Your O'Fallon Softener ClockA power outage can reset a softener's clock and disturb its regeneration schedule, so here is what O'Fallon homeowners should check before the next cycle.2026-10-26
- Softener Drain Lines and Air Gaps in O'Fallon Homes: What to CheckA softener discharge line has to empty somewhere safe every time it regenerates, and a few simple checks show whether yours is set up that way in an O'Fallon basement or garage.2026-10-25
- Salt Bridges in O'Fallon Softeners: Checking the Brine TankWhen an O'Fallon softener runs but hard water still gets through, a salt bridge in the brine tank is a common cause that homeowners can check for themselves.2026-10-25
- Iron Bacteria in O'Fallon Wells: Slime, Stains and Softener LimitsSlime and rust-colored stains in private well water point to a different problem than hard water, so testing should come before any equipment purchase.2026-10-25
- Ice Makers and Hard Water in O'Fallon: Scale Checks That MatterA practical O'Fallon guide to spotting mineral scale in refrigerator ice makers and dispensers, and what to check before changing anything.2026-10-25
- Dishwashers and Laundry in O'Fallon: What Softened Water ChangesA plain look at how hard water builds up in appliances and what to expect once a softener is running in your O'Fallon home.2026-10-25
- Anode Rods and Softened Water in O'Fallon Water HeatersA plain look at how softened water can change anode rod wear in O'Fallon water heaters, and how to check yours safely.2026-10-25
- Softener Salt Types for O'Fallon Homes: Pellets, Crystals, SolarPellets, crystals, and solar salt each behave a little differently in an O'Fallon brine tank, so knowing what the bag contains helps you pick the form that suits your softener and avoid avoidable2026-10-24
- Softener Regeneration Schedules in O'Fallon: Timers vs. MetersWhether your softener runs on a clock or counts water use decides how often it recharges, and checking that setting is a practical first step for O'Fallon homeowners.2026-10-24
- Softener Backwash and Septic Systems in O'Fallon HomesA practical look at where softener discharge goes in O'Fallon homes on septic systems, and what to check before you change anything.2026-10-24
- Shower Glass and Fixture Scale in O'Fallon: A Cleaning OrderWhy the white film builds up on shower glass and faucets in O'Fallon homes, and a practical order for cleaning it without damaging the finish.2026-10-24
- Disinfection Byproducts in O'Fallon Tap Water: A Homeowner's GuideWhat the trihalomethane group in O'Fallon tap water means, how to read the annual report, and when to ask for a separate test.2026-10-24
- Who Owns the Pipe? Service Lines and Shutoffs in O'Fallon HomesKnowing where the utility's pipe ends and yours begins helps you shut water off quickly and judge any equipment work on your O'Fallon home.2026-10-23
- Point-of-Entry vs. Point-of-Use: Plain Terms for O'Fallon HomesA plain look at where water treatment sits in an O'Fallon home and how that placement shapes what each device can do.2026-10-23
- Cold Snaps and the Pipes Behind Your O'Fallon Basement Water GearA freeze-focused walkthrough for O'Fallon homeowners on which basement water lines, housings, and tanks to check before a hard cold spell arrives.2026-10-23
- Bypass Valves in O'Fallon Homes: What the Handle Position MeansLearn what each position on a softener bypass valve does, how to check the handle safely, and which signs suggest a setting needs attention in your O'Fallon home.2026-10-23
- After a Boil Water Advisory in O'Fallon: Steps Before You DrinkA plain guide to what a boil water advisory asks of O'Fallon homeowners and how to flush and check your home once the notice is lifted.2026-10-23
- A Winter Checklist for Your O'Fallon Water SystemA plain seasonal checklist for O'Fallon homeowners covering exposed pipes, softeners, water heaters, and private wells.2026-10-23
- Where a Softener Goes in a Typical O'Fallon Basement or GarageA good softener spot sits near the main water line with drainage, power, steady temperatures and room to service it, whether it ends up in a basement or a garage.2026-10-22
- Watering Your O'Fallon Garden When the Tap Is SoftenedSoftened tap water in O'Fallon can leave salt in pots, beds and lawns, and a few simple habits keep plants healthier.2026-10-22
- How a Water Softener Works for O'Fallon HomeownersA plain look at how softeners handle hard water in O'Fallon, what they do not handle, and how to decide your next step.2026-10-22