White scale around your faucets tells us something different than orange staining or a rotten-egg smell. Nitrates raise a different concern again. That's why we test your water before deciding what equipment belongs in your home.
Bell Brothers provides water treatment services throughout Des Moines and surrounding communities. We find out what is in your water first, then match the treatment to the problem instead of expecting one system to fix everything.
Schedule OnlineStart with a Water Test
Before we recommend a softener, filter, or drinking-water system, we need to know what we're treating. Testing helps us identify hardness, iron, sulfur, nitrates, and other water-quality concerns.
Our water quality testing gives us a starting point for that decision. A softener removes hardness minerals. An iron filter targets iron. Reverse osmosis has a different job at the drinking-water tap.
Nitrates have become another concern for Central Iowa homeowners. Our guide to nitrate levels in Des Moines water takes a closer look at that issue and what it means for your drinking water.
Signs Your Water Needs Treatment
Your fixtures and water-using equipment leave clues about what is happening in the water:
- White scale on faucets, showerheads, and glassware points toward hard water.
- Orange or rust-colored stains give us a reason to test for iron.
- A rotten-egg odor can point toward a sulfur-related water-quality issue and gives us a reason to test further.
- Stiff laundry and recurring scale buildup are common signs of hardness.
- Unusual taste or odor tells us to look more closely at filtration.
- Mineral deposits that keep returning on fixtures show us the problem extends beyond one faucet.
We use those signs to decide what to test rather than choosing equipment from appearance or odor alone.
Water Softeners
A water softener removes calcium and magnesium, the minerals responsible for hard-water scale. It does not replace a filter or solve every iron, sulfur, nitrate, taste, or odor problem.
When testing confirms hardness, water softeners treat the incoming supply before those minerals travel throughout your plumbing. During water softener installation, we size the equipment for your household and connect it where softened water reaches the fixtures and equipment that need it.
Whole-Home Filtration
If sediment, taste, odor, or chlorine is the concern, we look at filtration instead. A whole-house system treats incoming water before it reaches your faucets, showers, and water-using equipment.
Sediment and carbon filters do different jobs, so the filter media needs to match what we're trying to remove. Whole-home water filtration lets us treat that problem at the main supply instead of putting separate filters on individual faucets.
Iron & Sulfur Treatment
Orange staining and a rotten-egg odor do not point us toward the same treatment. We test first to determine what is causing the problem and how much is present.
That distinction is especially important for homes around Grimes and Altoona where water sources and treatment needs differ from one property to another. Once we know what we're dealing with, we choose equipment designed for that specific water problem.
Drinking Water & Reverse Osmosis
Whole-house treatment is not the only option. When your concern is specifically the water you drink and cook with, we can treat it at the kitchen tap.
Reverse osmosis systems use a membrane and additional filtration stages to treat drinking water at the point of use. If testing identifies nitrates or another drinking-water concern, we compare treatment options and, when appropriate, an RO system specifically rated or certified to reduce the contaminant identified.
How We Size and Install Your System
We start with your test results, then look at household water use, plumbing layout, and the equipment needed to treat what we found. Once we know what belongs in the home, we size the system and plan where it connects to your plumbing.
After installation, we test the equipment and show you what needs regular attention. Filter changes, salt, and other maintenance depend on the type of system, so you leave knowing what your equipment needs and when.
Schedule a Water Test with Bell Brothers
If you're seeing scale, staining, odors, or something about your drinking water has you concerned, start with a test. Bell Brothers can test for the water-quality concerns covered by its available testing services and explain which treatment options may address the results.
Ask us about the Comfy Club for ongoing home maintenance and available financing for qualifying projects.
Schedule OnlineFrequently Asked Questions
Yes. A sewer camera can show where roots have entered the line, how much of the pipe they are blocking, and the condition of the pipe around the intrusion.
Usually not. When an accessible cleanout or other suitable access point is available, the camera can be fed through the existing sewer or drain line without excavating simply to inspect it.
