3M Filtered Water Dispenser HCD-2

Chlorine Taste and Odor

Problems: These compounds can cause odors and tastes that many people find objectionable. It also affects the taste of food and beverages.

Solution: All of the 3M Clean Water Solutions drinking water systems are tested and certified to effectively reduce chlorine taste and odors.

Problems: Deterrence from drinking water due to bad-taste and affects the taste of food and beverages.

Solution: Most contaminants causing off-tastes can be reduced by installing any of the 3M drinking water systems under the kitchen and/or bathroom sinks. You can even reduce the presence of these contaminants by using the 3M Advanced Whole House Filtration System to improve the taste of all of your water.

Hard Water

Problems: Causes white scaling and water spotting on glassware and can also cause damage to appliances, clothing and even the pipes in the walls of your home.

Solution: Reducing the hardness in your water will help keep your hot water appliances running at high efficiency levels. 3M brand water softener systems are an effective way to reduce the presence of hardness in your household water.

White Scale

What: The higher the concentration of hardness chemicals in your water, the more white scale you will notice on the ends of faucets and other fixtures.

Problems: This scale is not easily cleaned with water and requires more aggressive cleaning chemicals to clean off your fixtures. Scale can also develop in appliances, pipes and in your water heater, possibly decreasing the lifespan of these costly appliances and plumbing fixtures.

Solution: 3M has a selection of filters with scale inhibitor. Contact us for a suitable filter for scaling problems.

Cloudy Water

What: Cloudy water may be caused by the presence of suspended particles in water, or simply attributed to dissolved air (micro-bubbles).

Problems: If a glass of cloudy water clarifies over time from the bottom of the glass upwards, it usually indicates micro-bubbles. However, if it clarifies over time, from the top down, or does not clear at all, this may indicate the presence of suspended particles.

Solution: 3M Advanced Whole House Filtration System can effectively reduce the presence of suspended particles, clarifying the water before it reaches your faucet.

Blue/Green Staining

Problems: Causes blue/green staining on white fixtures and clothing. Low pH can lead to long term pin-hole leaks in piping.

Solution: 3M backwash filtration system series models with calcite media can raise the pH of water, effectively reducing damage and staining.

Red/Orange Staining

Problems: Typically not a health concern, but most find it very annoying and hard to clean.

Solution: Some levels of iron can be effectively treated by installing a 3M water softener series model: for some homes with higher concentrations of iron, our 3M iron reduction filtration series models would be prescribed.

Black Staining

Problems: Manganese is rare and is quite a nuisance. Like iron, manganese is an element of the Earth’s crust. When found, it is not unusual to also find iron present in the water.

Solution: 3M iron reduction filtration series models may provide a solution for some manganese problems.

Rotten Egg Smell

Problems: It can cause very objectionable smells and can even damage copper pipes and other metal fixtures due to the corrosive nature of hydrogen sulfide.

Solution: A special test is required to confirm the presence of hydrogen sulfide. If it is present in your water, one of our 3M Iron Reduction Filtration Systems is a good solution.

• Chlorine itself usually does not present major health concerns; however, it does affect water taste and odor.
• Chlorine does react with other substances present in water to produce disinfection by-products, such as Trihalomethanes (TTHM).
• Some people who drink water containing TTHM in excess of the EPA’s standard over many years may experience problems with their liver, kidneys, or central nervous system. They may also have an increased risk of getting cancer.

• Lead is a neurotoxin that accumulates in soft tissues and bone
• Infants, children and pregnant or nursing women are at the greatest risk of lead exposure
• At relatively low levels of exposure, these effects may include:
• interference with red blood cell chemistry
• delays in normal physical and mental development in babies and young children
• slight deficits in attention span
• impaired hearing
• decreased learning abilities in children
• slight increases in blood pressure in some adults

• Filter your water
• Look for an NSF certified drinking water filtration system that is certified to reduce chlorine taste and odor and/or TTHM
• 3M Clean Water Solutions drinking water systems are NSF certified to reduce chlorine taste and odor
• The 3M™ Advanced Drinking Water System also reduces TTHM

• Filter your water
• Look for an NSF certified drinking water filtration system that is certified to reduce lead in drinking water
• Only use cold water for cooking and drinking: hot water leaches more contaminants from pipes and plumbing into the water
• Flush pipes before drinking: the longer water sits in a home’s pipes, the more lead it can contain. Let the water run until it gets as cold as possible–anywhere from 30 sec to 2 min–before using.