Water guides
Articles
Practical guides for St. Louis homeowners, written by the Jones Air & Water team.
- Private Wells Near St. Louis: A Homeowner Testing ChecklistIf your St. Louis area home runs on a private well, the testing falls to you, so here is what to check, when to check it, and how to read the results.2026-10-30
- Pink Rings in St. Louis Toilets: Is the Water to Blame?A pink ring in a St. Louis toilet usually starts with bathroom moisture, and a few simple checks show when the water itself deserves a closer look.2026-10-30
- Cloudy Dishwasher Glasses in St. Louis: Water or Detergent?Haze on glassware can come from mineral film, etching, or a dishwasher problem, and a few simple checks will show which one you have.2026-10-30
- Sprinkler Water in St. Louis Yards: What to Test Before You SprayBefore you run a sprinkler on a St. Louis lawn for a season, check where the water comes from, what it carries, and whether it is protected from flowing back into your drinking water.2026-10-29
- Pet Water Bowls in St. Louis Homes: Why the Film Keeps Coming BackSlimy film and white crust in a pet bowl usually come from different sources, so test your tap and clean the bowl before you buy anything new.2026-10-29
- Humidifier White Dust in St. Louis Homes: Test the Water FirstIf a humidifier leaves white powder on furniture, the water going into it is often the first thing to check.2026-10-29
- Hot Tub Water in St. Louis: Testing Chemistry Before Each SoakA plain guide for St. Louis hot tub owners on what to test in the fill water and the tub, which tests to use, and when to retest.2026-10-29
- Green Stains Around Drains in St. Louis: Copper or Cleaner?Green marks around sinks, tubs, and faucets often come from copper rather than dirt, and a few simple checks can help a St. Louis homeowner find the likely cause.2026-10-29
- Cloudy Tap Water in St. Louis: Air Bubbles or Something to Test?A simple glass test and a few checks around the house can tell you whether cloudy tap water is harmless air or something worth sending to a lab.2026-10-29
- Black Specks From St. Louis Faucets: Check the Aerator FirstDark flecks in your sink water usually come from your own fixtures or water heater, and a few simple checks will show which one.2026-10-29
- TDS Meters for St. Louis Homes: What the Reading Really Tells YouA TDS meter gives one quick reading of dissolved material in your water, which is useful for comparing and screening but not for deciding whether water is safe.2026-10-28
- Sump Pit Water in St. Louis Basements: Not for DrinkingSump pit water in a St. Louis basement comes from the ground around your foundation, so learn what it can carry, which signs to watch for, and how to test it before anyone uses it.2026-10-28
- Pool Fill Water in St. Louis: Test the Tap Before You Add ChemicalsBefore you add any treatment to a pool filled from a St. Louis tap, run a simple check so you know what the water already contains.2026-10-28
- Orange Stains on Laundry in St. Louis: Testing for Iron FirstRust-colored streaks on clothes and fixtures often trace back to dissolved iron, and a few simple checks can show whether your water is the cause.2026-10-28
- Lead in Older St. Louis Homes: Where to Look and How to TestOlder St. Louis homes can carry lead in service lines, solder, or fixtures, and a first draw sample is the right starting point for testing.2026-10-27
- Hard Water Spots in St. Louis Homes: Test Before You ShopCloudy glassware and white crust on faucets in St. Louis often point to hardness, and a simple test tells you what to do next.2026-10-27
- Chlorine Smell in St. Louis Tap Water: Checking the Source at HomeA chlorine smell in your tap water is usually something you can narrow down at home, and this guide shows how to tell a passing change from a problem worth testing.2026-10-27
- Aquarium Water Testing in St. Louis: Start With Your TapTesting your home tap water before you fill or top off a tank shows what to add, remove, or leave alone.2026-10-27
- Rain Barrel Water in St. Louis: Testing Before You Use It on PlantsA practical look at what rain barrels collect, what to test for in St. Louis, and how to decide where the water belongs in your yard.2026-10-26
- Brown Water After Street Work in St. Louis: Flush, Wait, or Test?Brown water after nearby street work is often temporary, and a few quick checks will tell you whether to flush, call your utility, or run a test.2026-10-26
- Brewing Water in St. Louis: Testing Before You Blame the CoffeeA practical way for St. Louis homeowners to check whether tap water, rather than the beans or the brewer, is changing the taste of coffee and tea.2026-10-26
- Banging Pipes in St. Louis Homes: Water Hammer or Something Else?Repeated bangs in your pipes often come from fast-closing valves or loose straps, and a few simple checks can show you what to do next.2026-10-26
- After a Basement Flood in St. Louis: When to Test Your WaterIf floodwater or a sewer backup reached your St. Louis basement, these steps help you decide whether your household water needs testing and what to ask for.2026-10-26
- Winterizing Your St. Louis Water System: A Cold Weather RoutineA practical walk-through of the pipes, fixtures, and shutoffs in a St. Louis home that tend to suffer when the temperature drops fast.2026-10-25
- Rental Water Problems: Who Fixes What in a St. Louis LeaseSort plumbing, source water, and your own equipment before you contact a landlord, a city inspector, or your water utility in St. Louis.2026-10-25
- Keeping a Household Water Log in St. Louis: What to Write DownA few notes on taste, color, and timing can turn a vague water worry into something a tester or plumber can act on.2026-10-25
- Hose Bibs and Backflow Checks for St. Louis HomesA plain walkthrough of the vacuum breakers, backflow assemblies and hose habits that keep garden hoses from pulling non-potable water back into a St. Louis home's supply.2026-10-25
- Slow Drains and Gurgling Toilets: Drain Problem or Water Problem?Slow drains and gurgling fixtures often come from the drain side of your plumbing rather than the water supply, and a few observations can show you which one you are dealing with in your St. Louis hom2026-10-24
- Reading Your Water Meter: Catching a Slow Leak in a St. Louis HomeA water meter can reveal a hidden leak, and a simple overnight check shows you whether water is moving when nothing should be running.2026-10-24
- Moving to St. Louis: Your First-Month Water PlanA practical order of tasks for learning where your St. Louis home's water comes from, how the plumbing behaves, and which tests are worth ordering.2026-10-24
- Low Water Pressure in St. Louis Homes: Find the Source FirstBefore you blame the pipes or call a plumber, figure out whether the weak flow comes from one fixture, your hot water side, or the whole house and the street supply.2026-10-24
- Fitting Water Treatment Into a St. Louis Kitchen or Bath RemodelTreated water lines, equipment placement, and test timing all need decisions before the walls close on a St. Louis kitchen or bathroom remodel.2026-10-24
- Water Checks to Run Before You Close on a St. Louis HomeA practical list of water questions and tests for St. Louis buyers, from supply type and old pipes to staining clues and lab panels.2026-10-23
- Testing Water Before a Baby Arrives: Questions for Your ProA short list of questions to ask a water testing professional in St. Louis before you test, and how to read the answers.2026-10-23
- Retesting After a Water Treatment System Goes In in St. LouisA new filter or softener only proves its value when a follow-up test shows what it changed in your St. Louis water, so plan that retest from the start.2026-10-23
- Pitcher Filters vs Whole-House Systems: Coverage in St. Louis HomesA whole-house system treats water where it enters the home, while a pitcher filter treats only what you pour, so your choice depends on where your St. Louis water concerns show up.2026-10-23
- Ice Maker Clues: Early Scale Signs in St. Louis KitchensIce makers, water dispensers, kettles and coffee makers often show mineral buildup before a faucet does, and a few simple checks can help you tell scale from other residue.2026-10-23
- Hot Water Smells Only: Checking Your St. Louis Water HeaterWhen the odor or taste shows up only at the hot tap, the water heater and hot lines are usually the first places to check.2026-10-23
- First Draw vs Flushed Samples: Why the Gap Matters in St. LouisThe way you collect a water sample can change the result, and knowing which sample you took tells you where a problem may start.2026-10-23
- Testing St. Louis Tap Water: The Moments That Call for a CheckA practical checklist for St. Louis homeowners on when a water test makes sense and what to do before ordering one.2026-10-22
- Test Strips, Meters and Lab Kits: What Each Is Good For in St. LouisStrips give a quick read, meters track changes over time, and lab kits produce a report you can act on, so here is how to pick the right one for a St. Louis home.2026-10-22
- Reading Your Water Test Report Without Getting Lost in St. LouisA plain walk through the sample details, columns, units, and reference values on a St. Louis water report, and how to decide what to do next.2026-10-22
- Collecting a Tap Water Sample the Right Way in St. LouisA practical St. Louis walkthrough for collecting a tap water sample that a lab can use, covering containers, which tap to choose, first draw versus flushed samples, and shipping.2026-10-22