Water reaches the earth through precipitation. Before it hits the ground, it is very soft: the hardness of rainwater approaches zero.

Then it seeps away and finally collects as ground water. On its way through the different layers of earth and rock it dissolves various mineral salts. The composition of these rock layers determines the hardness of the water. If a large amount of calcium and magnesium salts get into the water, it becomes hard. This is particularly the case in areas with a lot of limestone or chalk.

Depending on the application, different mineral solutions are used, which are added to the drinking water in very small quantities with an appropriate dosing pump. The dosing pump reacts precisely to each water withdrawal. Even at the lowest water flow an exact and even addition is achieved. The dosing pump achieves this through its electronic control system, which automatically monitors all operating processes and switches off the unit automatically in the event of a malfunction.

Minerals used to combat rust and brown water form a firmly adhering protective layer on the inside of the water pipes. Corrosion is thus prevented. Corrosion protection dosing is a recognised procedure that corresponds to the current state of the art. Expensive damage caused by rust formation is effectively prevented – the water gradually becomes clearer.

Other minerals serve to stabilise lime. This means: they ensure that the lime contained in the water cannot settle. This means that pipelines and the surfaces of heat exchangers are optimally protected.

If brown water occurs only once, for example after a repair to the mains or after a longer period of non-use, there is usually no reason for concern.

However, if discoloration occurs again more often or after a short time, there is a need for action. Because these signs indicate rust in the drinking water installation. This can lead to serious damage to the pipes in the long term. There is also the risk of contamination through bacterial growth in the rust nests.

In this case, drinking water pipes should be protected. This can be achieved by adding mineral solution. This forms a protective layer on the pipe wall, which effectively protects the pipe from corrosion. This protective layer can also be formed in pipelines that are already corroded, provided the corrosion process has not yet progressed too far.

Rusty water has an aftertaste and is anything but aesthetic. It is not harmful to health if the water contains small traces of iron. However, it is possible that other, less harmless heavy metals besides iron may dissolve and enter the drinking water.

In any case, you should make sure that no water that has been standing in the pipe for a long time is used to prepare drinks and food. This means: if possible, do not use hot water, as it has already spent a long time in the water heater, and let cold water drain a little before drawing it out until it is nice and cool.

In the drinking water installation, however, rusty water can cause fatal damage. In corroded pipes rust particles often come off and are flushed with the drinking water. The consequences are clogged fittings or malfunctions in technical equipment – up to and including pipe breakage. And that can quickly become expensive. In addition, rusted pipes with their jagged inner surfaces are a breeding ground for bacteria. Hygiene problems are imminent.

Phosphates are used for the JUL mineral dosing. These are harmless to health, tasteless and permissible according to the drinking water ordinance. For the human organism, phosphates are vital substances that are needed for various bodily functions. They are contained in large quantities in many foods, for example in bread, sausage, processed cheese, fish, eggs or milk.

Moreover, the amount of phosphate in properly treated drinking water is so small that one litre of drinking water contains a maximum of 5 mg of phosphate – a bar of chocolate contains around 90 mg. The daily intake of phosphate from treated drinking water accounts for only a very small part of the human daily phosphate intake of approx. 6,000 mg and is therefore negligible.

Not much, actually. The dosing pump works automatically. If the container for the JUL mineral solution is empty, the device signals this, for example with a buzzing sound or via a light-emitting diode display. You can change the container yourself. An inexpensive and packaging-saving alternative: mineral tablets with which you can mix the appropriate solution on the spot.

The dosing pump is installed in your domestic water installation. It must be installed after the water meter in any case. If, in addition, a leakage protection system and/or a protective filter are installed, the dosing pump will only find its place behind it. So in the third place.

Like all work on your drinking water installation, the installation of a dosing pump is a job for professionals. Your plumbing installer will carry out this task for you – without much effort and with a great deal of expertise. He will also be happy to explain to you how to operate the device. Simply ask your drinking water expert – he will be happy to help you.

One reason is often a low number of hardness constituents in the water: if drinking water is very soft, it has less power to form protective layers in the pipe. This has no effect on stainless steel and plastic pipes, but in pipes made of other materials it can cause surface corrosion. Corrosion can also be caused by the interaction of various natural water constituents, foreign particles that have been washed in and oxygen. Widely branched pipe installations with low water movement and “mixed installations” favour the formation of rust. This rust in turn colours the water brown.