How to Test Your Water Hardness

Contents

    – Focus on water hardness

    – Step 1: Get the water hardness of your community

    – Step 2: Test the hardness of your water at home

Our household appliances and sanitary equipment that use water scale up over time, more or less quickly, depending on the region.

This normal phenomenon can very well be reduced with the help of specific materials when necessary, but how can we know the hardness of the water?

You have several solutions for that, and we will tell you everything… Follow our guide!

Focus on water hardness

What is water hardness?

    – The calcium and magnesium concentration in the water from your tap.

    – It is measured in degrees or °F for one litre of water.

Example: for 1 °F, you have 4 mg of calcium and 2.4 mg of magnesium per litre of water.

Different qualities of water

According to the hydrotimetric title (TH) or hardness of the water, the quality of the water is evaluated (according to the Regional Health Agency):

    – Very low calcium water: TH < or = 8 °F

    – Water with low limescale: 8 °F < TH < or = 20 °F

    – Hard water: 20 °F < TH < or = 30 °F

    – Very hard water: > 30°F

According to the Department of Health, water between 15°F and 25°F is in the “ideal” range.

Consequences of water hardness

The harder your water is, the more scale deposits you will have in your pipes, on the resistors of your appliances, and your sanitary equipment.

There is no standard on water hardness, it is not dangerous for your health, and it is without major worries for your installations if it is within an acceptable range.

On the other hand, the water must not be aggressive or corrosive, i.e., hard water is not, whereas soft water can be.

To reduce scaling, set your hot water equipment to a temperature between 55°C and 60°C.

1. Get the water hardness of your community

You can obtain the hardness of your local water via:

    – The website of the Ministry of Health, which provides you with a map of water hardness according to your region:

        ◦ Select your region.

        ◦ Then select the information corresponding to your residence in the drop-down menus.

    – The water bill: directly on it for some water suppliers and once a year, in the appendix for everything related to water quality.

    – Your town hall: either displayed, which is mandatory during water controls, in detail or summary, or directly at the secretariat.

2. Test the hardness of the water at home

Using test strips or a reagent, you can also know the degree of water hardness at home.

Use test strips

    – Take water in a clean container.

    – Dip the test strip into the water and remove it immediately.

    – Drain the strip.

    – Wait one minute and compare the color of the test strip with the comparison scale provided.

Use a reagent

    – Fill the tube to the line indicated on the instructions, usually 10 ml.

    – Add one drop of reagent to the water and stir until the water turns red.

    – Add another drop and stir.

    – Continue this process, drop by drop, until the water in the tube changes color from red to blue or red to green, depending on the brand.

    – As soon as the water has a different color, the number of drops added to the water corresponds to the degree of hardness of your water.

Note: the reagent test is more accurate than the strip test, provided you remember to count the number of drops. Whatever technique you use, read and follow the product instructions.