When water is delivered to your home, it might contain a certain amount of dissolved minerals, which include calcium and magnesium. If these minerals are present in your home’s water supply, you’re likely dealing with hard water. If the concentration of calcium carbonate in your water ranges from 121-180 mg/L, it will be classified as hard. This type of water can damage your fixtures, worsen the taste, and cause frequent plumbing issues. In this guide, you’ll learn how to test for hard water.
Signs of Hard Water
The many signs that you have hard water in your home include the following:
- Lackluster hair that’s flat and doesn’t have much shine to it
- Dry and itchy skin
- Residue is left behind after you wash your hands or clean the dishes
- Buildup in your shower or around sink faucets
- Your clothes are stiff
- Regular clogs in drains
- Higher water bills
How to Test for Hard Water
There are several tests you can perform to measure the hardness of your water, which include everything from the soapsuds test to a professional evaluation.
Soapsuds Test
For the soapsuds test, you’ll need the following tools:
- Water strip test kit
- Liquid dishwashing soap
- A clean mason jar or water container with a cap
To start this test, fill your plastic or glass bottle with around eight to 10 ounces of water. The jar should be around 1/3 full. The next step involves adding 10 drops of your dish soap to the solution. Make sure that you’re using pure liquid soap instead of detergent. Shake the solution well for 10-15 seconds. Wait for another 10 seconds to get the results.
If the water is soft and doesn’t contain many hardness minerals, it should become soapy. Soft water typically foams up quickly. The water below the foam should be mostly clear. Hard water doesn’t become that soapy. If you only detect a thin layer of suds, there’s a good chance that the water is hard. Look at the water below the suds. If it’s cloudy, the mineral concentration is too high.
DIY Test Kit
You can also use a DIY test kit to determine how hard the water in your home is. These water quality kits are often sold at hardware and home improvement stores. You can also find them on Amazon.com and other online retailers. Make sure that the test kit you purchase measures hardness. Some options only test for safety and quality.
Keep in mind that there are different types of hardness test kits. For example, some include a solution that you place into the water, after which it will change color. However, most kits include wet-strip tests. To begin this type of test, fill a container with tap water. The kit you buy might come with an empty container.
The paper test strip should then be inserted into the water based on the instructions on the package. In most cases, the strip of paper needs to be submerged for a few seconds. Your kit should come with a chart that allows you to compare the color on the strip with that of the chart. The chart will tell you how soft or hard your water is.
Obtain Professional Testing
You can also measure water hardness by obtaining professional testing, which involves taking the water sample to a lab for more precise measurements. By working with water treatment professionals, you’ll receive precise results.
If you don’t want to perform a DIY test to determine if you have hard water, our team at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing provides efficient water tests. We’ll measure the water hardness and provide you with recommendations on the solutions you can use to soften the water that’s delivered to your Florida home. Call us today to book an appointment.
Depending on where you live, you may have hard water or soft water. While both water types are safe to drink, they can impact the longevity of your plumbing system. If you have hard water, you will most likely need to perform more frequent maintenance and repairs on your plumbing system.