Is the tap water at home getting hotter and saltier? Be careful that it may be the heating water "visiting"! Reminder →

During the winter heating period, heating water occasionally enters tap water, seriously affecting the water safety of users themselves and surrounding residents. How to determine whether heating water has entered tap water? What should I do if I find that heating water has entered tap water ? Let's learn together↓

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How to determine whether heating water has entered tap water?

①Tap water has color

In order to allow users to distinguish heating water from tap water at a glance, heating companies usually add bright blue or other dyes to the heating water to dye it blue or pink. This is mainly to serve as a reminder. Once water leakage occurs, users will turn on the faucet and colored tap water will flow out, thus reminding users that the tap water is contaminated and cannot be drunk.

②Tap water has a strange smell

In order to allow users to promptly detect heating leaks or heating water entering tap water, heating companies often add odorants such as allicin to heating water. This substance has a strong garlic smell. Once water leakage occurs, the tap water will also have a garlic smell, which will alert users and avoid misusing contaminated tap water.

③Tap water becomes hot

This is because the heating water temperature is high, and after the water leakage occurs, the originally cold tap water becomes warm. This is also a common phenomenon when water leakage occurs during the heating season.

④Tap water becomes salty

This is because the heating company adds softening salt to the heating water, the main component of which is sodium chloride. This is mainly done by using the ion exchange principle to remove calcium and magnesium ions in the water, softening the heating water and preventing scaling in the heating pipes. Once water leakage occurs, the tap water will also have a salty taste.

Tap water is originally colorless, odorless, and the temperature is not high. If any of the above abnormal phenomena is found, it can basically be determined that water contamination has occurred.

How does heating water get into tap water?

Under the premise that heating water and tap water "meet", once the pressure of the heating pipeline is higher than that of the tap water pipeline, the heating water will flow into the tap water, causing the tap water to be contaminated. There are three main situations in which water flow occurs:

Reason 1: Some users mistakenly connected the heating pipes with the tap water pipes during renovation.

Reason 2: The heat exchanger used by some users is faulty or improperly connected.

Reason three: The heating and heating pipes in the heating boiler or thermal booster station are connected to the tap water supply pipes, and the check valve in the middle fails.

What should I do if I find that heating water has mixed with tap water?

Method 1: Immediately stop using tap water and report the problem to the local property management company or neighborhood committee.

Method 2: Check whether there is a water leakage point and disconnect it immediately after finding it.

Method 3: Flush with plenty of water to drain all the contaminated tap water until the water quality returns to normal before use.

It should be noted that if odorous substances such as allicin are added to the heating water, in addition to the above measures, users should also open windows for ventilation as soon as possible.

Planning and production

Source: CCTV-1 integrated from CCTV News Client

Editor: Wang Mengru

Proofread by Xu Lailinlin