Pentair Faded, Stiff Laundry System

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Begin With Simple Checks Before Considering Equipment

When tackling faded laundry, residents in Oakland County often first ask if their water quality is the cause. Government sampling provides valuable insight but has limits. For example, the U.S. Geological Survey measured calcium and magnesium levels—primary contributors to water hardness—in 13 samples from 11 wells ranging 38 to 172 feet deep within the county's aquifer 112SDGV between 2011 and 2016. However, these values represent the area's groundwater characteristics, not any single household’s water. Before committing to any water treatment equipment, start by ruling out less complex causes such as detergent type, water temperature settings, and laundry load size.

Interpreting Area Hardness Measurements for Your Household

The median calcium-plus-magnesium concentration found in Oakland County's sampled wells was 386.0 milligrams per liter, with results spanning from 7.1 to 576.0 mg/L. While this shows the presence of hardness-contributing minerals throughout the aquifer, none of the measurements exceeded federal guidelines, indicating no official health-based limits were surpassed. As a homeowner, your own water test may find values anywhere within this range, so consider that your water hardness may differ significantly from the area's median. Understanding where your water stands within this range helps determine the proper scope needed from a water treatment system.

Additional Considerations for Commercial and Industrial Laundry

Operators in commercial or industrial settings face a more complex set of questions. They must consider higher volumes, consistency of water quality, and possible variations within deeper water sources. Unlike a household, their water usage rates and fabric treatment requirements necessitate equipment selection based on detailed water chemistry profiles and capacity demands. Though this page focuses on residential households, these additional factors underscore why professional water-quality analysis is often necessary for larger operations.

Distinguishing Between Public System Records and Private Well Testing

Public water system records, such as those maintained by municipal authorities, offer aggregated data that reflect broad trends but cannot confirm your home's specific water characteristics. Private well owners should not rely solely on area data to infer their own water conditions. Instead, testing your well water through certified laboratories reveals exact mineral concentrations and helps identify if fading in laundry is linked to water hardness or other factors.

What to Expect From a Certified Laboratory Test

A certified laboratory test for calcium and magnesium reports precise concentrations in milligrams per liter, allowing you to compare these figures with local groundwater values. This test provides the foundational data needed to select appropriate equipment, such as the Pentair Faded, Stiff Laundry System, which is designed to improve fabric preservation by addressing conditions associated with water hardness. Having accurate, site-specific water data ensures your choice matches your household needs without unnecessary features or capacity.

Government sampling for Oakland County's aquifer 112SDGV includes data from multiple wells sampled between 2011 and 2016, representing regional groundwater characteristics but not individual household water quality. These records are available through the U.S. Geological Survey at https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/424658083270600/.

Where this information comes from

Source: USGS groundwater sampling. Sampled 2016-09-13. These figures describe groundwater sampled in this area. They are not a test of any individual private well - only a test of that well can establish its own water.

On record: U.S. Geological Survey sampling of Hardness, Ca, Mg in the 112SDGV aquifer (Oakland County): 13 results from 11 wells, median 386.0 mg/L, range 7.1-576.0 mg/L; none above any federal threshold