Hard water is not easy to deal with it. So, even though you might need a permanent solution for hard water such as water softener installation, what exactly is the way to find out that your water is hard? Well, here is what to know about testing the hardness of water.

What Is Hard Water?

Water is essential for life. Water, even though it might only consist of hydrogen and oxygen, also contains a lot of minerals, ions, and even salts. However, an increase in the concentration of any ions or salts can lead to some weird changes in the water.

For instance, water does have trace quantities of calcium and magnesium in it. However, when it exceeds a certain limit, the normal and potable water can turn into hard water.

Hard water is essentially water that is completely useless around the house. You can’t use it for anything. From bathing to cooking and even washing dishes and clothes are a nightmare with hard water.

So, what does hard water mean? Well, you can’t call every water out there with calcium and magnesium hard per se. Certain levels need to be met if you are to label water as “hard”. Water that usually contains more than 3.5 to 10 grains per gallon of calcium and magnesium is characterized as hard water. Anything lower than that, and you can safely use the water for everyday use and other things around the house.

If water has this or even exceeds the concentration of calcium and magnesium ions, then you need to do something about it, otherwise, your life will turn into one big hassle. But, how exactly do you know this specific number? Is there any way to check it for yourself at home? Well, there are ways by which you can get your water tested for hardness.

Testing Water Hardness

Here are some of the methods that you can employ to check the hardness of water at home.

The Soap Test

The first one is very easy and all you need for this is a bar of soap. If you didn’t pay attention in science class, then don’t worry, because we got you covered. To put it simply, calcium and magnesium can prevent the fats in the soap from forming lather. So, a high concentration of calcium and magnesium in water, mixed with a bar of soap, isn’t going to produce any lather.

This is one of the most common signs of telling whether your water is hard or not because no matter how much soap or detergent you use, there won’t be any sudsy lather and you’ll just be wasting soap. This is a huge indicator that your water is hard and to confirm, you can get a water report from your municipal water supply company.

The Bottle Test

The next test that you can perform at home to test the hardness of water is with a bottle. You might be confused right now, but don’t be. Well, for this, all you need is a water bottle. It should be clear or you can even use a glass. Fill the glass or bottle with water from the tap. You want to see two things here.

First is the clarity of the water. Hard water is usually murky and cloudy with a white cloud-like appearance. Secondly, if you keep the water stationary in the glass or bottle for about a couple of hours, then you will see particles floating and even settling at the bottom of the surface. This is essentially the calcium and magnesium particles that are causing hardness in water. This test is an easy indicator of hard water, but for rock-solid confirmation, you will need a water report with real numbers.

Get A Municipal Water Report

Since the first two methods will let you know about the hardness of water, but won’t give you any numbers, you’ll need to rely on water reports for the complete picture. Getting a water report is pretty easy and you can get yours today by contacting the water supply company in your city.

Usually, in your water bill, there is a detailed breakdown of the water and its composition. However, if you still need a fresh report, then you can contact your water supply company in the city and get a recent report.

If the concentration of calcium and magnesium exceeds 10 grains per gallon, then you’ll need to get to the bottom of the problem.

Litmus Test – But For Hard Water

Think of this test as a litmus test, but for water and testing its hardness. You can get a water test kit from your local water supply company and even supermarkets carry these kits. It’s a bunch of strips and a scale with different colors to match your results.

You need to dip the strip in the water and wait for it to fully change color, which is about a couple of minutes. Then, you can use the color guide and match your results. This will also give you a pretty accurate number for hardness in water.

Hire A Service

There are water testing and water filtration services which offer water quality testing. You can hire one of them for a comprehensive report on water quality that includes water hardness, pH levels, and contaminants in the water.

Tell-Tale Signs Of Hard Water

Aside from tests, here are some other signs that could indicate hardness in water.

Stains On Clothes

This is probably the most alarming one, but you will see stains on your clothes when you wash them. They won’t be normal stains though. They will be blotchy and yellow and they will be almost impossible to remove.

So, it’s safe to say that hard water will ruin your clothes permanently and that is not what you want. This is why hard water is so impractical.

Scale Deposit

Another sign includes the appearance of white and yellowish stains on the lip of the faucets and even the sink. Sometimes, it might even deposit on the dishes and glassware you’re washing with hard water and it will make them look dirty and spotty.

This is a very alarming sign and it can ruin your dishes in the long run. So, you must do something about the water right away before things get out of hand.

Dry & Itchy Skin

Lastly, hard water will make your skin dry and itchy. If you use it to wash your hair and body, then you will notice that your hair will be extremely dry and brittle and your skin will become flaky and just unbearably itchy.

This is bad because hard water is affecting something that you need to do every single day and that is bathing. So, it’s better if you act quickly and get a water softener after testing your water because constantly using hard water on your body will have irreversible consequences leading skin problems like eczema, dermatitis, etc.

Conclusion

These tests and tips to check the hardness of water are easy and they give accurate results within minutes. So, now you know exactly how you can measure water hardness. If you notice that you have hard water, then you should not wait any longer to consider various water softener system Meadville options. You can install a whole house water softening system, an under-sink water softener for a single tap, a showerhead water softener, or any other type.