Author: Smart Link

January 15, 2013

A Winter Savings Plan

Some of us never think about the possibility of nothing coming out when we turn on our water faucets but Cribley gets daily calls with people out of water and we are here to tell you that it can happen.

If you were to run into this situation you can call 734 426-4400 or 800 697-6485 for our 24 hour emergency service.

If you don’t like the thought of being without water, we offer a 10 Point Well Check-up for $105.00. In the summer (especially those summers with droughts) well drilling and repairs are in great demand and there are no specials or coupons. But, during the winter, you can have a 10 Point Well Check-up for only $88.00!

10 Point Well Check-up Includes:

Complete Electrical Check

Check Well Cap

Flow Test (GPM)

Check Pressure Switch

Fittings Condition

Check Gauge Operation

Pressure Tank Condition

Check Air in Tank

Check Filter

Check Water Taste and Smell

Our $88.00 special is good during January 15^th to February 15^th 2013 only. This offer cannot be combined with any other coupons or specials. Call 800 697-6485 today for your appointment.

October 9, 2012

I have smell water. How can I get rid of it?

Written by Allison Clark-Dondzila

First, we need to know if you have installed a new hot water tank in the last year. If so this could be your problem. The anode rod inside the hot water heater reacts poorly with well water creating an odor. It may start in the hot water but it will cross over to the cold water also. Removal of the anode rod (which our softener technicians can do) is needed to eliminate the odor. Removal of the anode rod will void the warranty of your hot water heater but it WILL get rid of the smell. It is a personal choice on whether you want to do this or not: smelly water vs. voiding the warranty. It is your call. There may also be another rod material available; you can contact the company that installed the water heater to find out. If you have not replaced your water heater in the last year there are other solutions to get rid of the smell.

You have two options. There is a temporary fix or a permanent fix. Chlorinating the well will temporarily fix the problem. The odor could come back in a month to a year or more. To eliminate the smell entirely you need to install an iron filter. An iron filter will stop the iron before it has a chance to build up in your pipes and create an odor.

The odor is most likely caused by two types of iron that have built up (not only in your well casing and waterline but also inside your pipes): hydrogen sulfide and/or coliform bacteria. Hydrogen sulfide is a small black, oily particle. Coliform is a bacteria, a bacteria that grows rather quickly in humidity or heat. You may notice a smell more in the summer months or periods of hot weather than during the colder months. Both types of iron are removed permanently with an iron filter.

One of the most successful products that we carry here at Champion Water Treatment is The Rustbuster Iron Filter. Each year we get several calls of problems or issues with smelly water and yellow/orange stained showers –toilets, dishwashers, fixtures, etc. If you’re in an area with high iron content this is the solution to your iron problem. By adding an iron filter to your water treatment you can stop iron before it reaches the softener, before it has a chance to build up in your pipes, creating an unwanted odor and staining your fixtures. An iron filter will also extend the life of your softener! Imagine a maintenance free system that traps iron effortlessly. No more scrubbing, no more stains, and no more smell!

July 6, 2012

Does Your Water Have Arsenic?

Your Water and Arsenic: Is the deadly poison in your Water Supply?

Written by Allison Clark-Dondzila

Water is essential to our everyday lives but safe water is essential to our health. The word arsenic puts fear in our eyes and for good reason. For some people it may not even cross their minds that arsenic could be in their water supply. This brings up some questions: Have you tested your water? Do you have arsenic in your private well? Is there a way to remove arsenic from water? If you have not tested your water you may want to think about doing so. Why? Because over a long period of time the health effects from arsenic can cost you your life.

Arsenic occurs naturally in rock, sand or gravel. Arsenic consumption can be a danger to your health causing illnesses including bladder, lung and skin cancer, and may cause kidney and liver cancer. Arsenic harms the central and peripheral nervous systems, as well as, heart and blood vessels, and causes serious skin problems. It also may cause birth defects and reproductive problems.Research shows that skin contact with arsenic is not a significant risk: showering, washing dishes, and laundering are fine. Only water used for cooking and drinking is a health concern.

In Washtenaw County new homes and home sales require an arsenic water sample be taken by a registered well driller or a time of sale inspector at the water supply. Arsenic results must be 10 parts per billion or less (.01 or less). We have a certified time of sale inspector on staff, as well as, registered well drillers to take an arsenic sample for you. These requirements were put into effect to protect the public from the health risks of arsenic but what about the homes already established that aren’t new builds and homes that haven’t been sold? These wells should be tested for arsenic too.

If you find arsenic in your water supply there are two options to remove it from your water: installation of a Whole House Arsenic Removal System or an under the sink Reverse Osmosis System. Depending on the level of arsenic you may be required to get the whole house unit but for lower levels the Reverse Osmosis will suffice. We carry both products and have staff available to install these systems.

Your health is important, test your water for arsenic. Arsenic sample bottles are available at the Washtenaw County Environmental Health Department located at 705 North Zeeb Rd. in Ann Arbor. Or from Cribley Well Drilling at 8300 Dexter-Chelsea Rd. Dexter, Mi. 48130. Arsenic tests cost $17.00.

February 27, 2012

Irrigation Wells Can Save You Money

Summer is coming and with it, hot weather and possibly a growing season without a great deal of rain. Whether you are a farmer, irrigation consultant or just a savvy homeowner that wants to save money on the high cost of city water, get a jump on summer and call us about irrigation wells today.

Successful farming starts with a dependable source of water. And groundwater is the only truly dependable means to get it. Irrigation can increase crop yield by 20-65% in a typical year depending on crop variety, not to mention how beneficial it would be in a drought. Is it time to make a sound investment which will pay big dividends for many years to come? Your children and quite possibly your grandchildren will thank you.

We can help you develop a strategy to get the water you require at a price that’s affordable. Cribley Well Drilling Co is one of the most trusted names in Michigan for quality well construction, water pump system design and installation. We have the well drilling equipment to handle wells up to 20″ in diameter, as deep as necessary, and pumps up to 100 HP.

So give us a call whether your project is big or small and we’ll work up a price quote that meets your irrigation demands and your budget. In most areas you will recover your investment in 1 – 2 years. Call 800 697-6485 today and let’s get started!

Timothy Clark

February 16, 2012

Heat pumps? What a neat idea!

Since green seems to be the word of the century, few household technologies are greener than a geothermal heat pump. How would you like to heat your home in the winter without burning any oil, natural gas, or propane?

Instead of burning fuel, geothermal heat pumps collect the Earth’s natural heat through a series of pipes, called a loop, installed below the surface of the ground. A heat compressor is used to concentrate the heat or energy pulled from beneath the Earth. That heat is then released inside your home at a higher temperature and distributed through your ductwork.

During the summer the process is reversed and excess heat is pulled from your home out through your underground loop which allows it to be absorbed by the Earth. This process cools your home much like a refrigerator is cooled, by pulling heat out not blowing cold air in.

Additional equipment is available to help reduce the cost of heating water in the home.

While the initial cost of a geothermal heating and cooling system is more than a conventional system, they are easy to maintain and typically last 15 – 20 years.

Geothermal drilling is a separate part of the project. The final cost will depend on if your system will utilize a deep vertical approach or if the loops are installed in a horizontal fashion.

That’s where Cribley Drilling Company can help. Call 800 697-6485 for more information.

January 11, 2012

Winterize your water well or your wallet?

Unless you are a “snowbird” locking up your cottage or home, winterizing your water system, and heading south for the winter, your day to day needs for clean water on demand won’t change much in the cold weather.

So why is it we wait until warm weather to think about a 10 Point Well Check-up, Water Softener or Reverse Osmosis Check-up, or a new well and pump installation? Perhaps it’s the same reason we wait until May to have our lawn equipment serviced.

While if we are living in and using our homes and cottages over the winter we don’t need to winterize our water system, we may want to consider winterizing our wallets. Because new construction well drilling and irrigation well drilling are typically slow during the winter, Cribley Well Drilling and Champion Water Treatment offer specials this time of the year.

Winter is also a great time to consider Geothermal heating and cooling systems.