There are 3 cheap & easy ways you can test for hard water at home. We will explain the methods below so you know for sure if you have hard or soft water. (Quick tip – Have a look in your kettle and inspect for calcium deposits 🙂 ) But for the sake of this quick article, lets have a look at some other methods.
What is Hard Water?
Hardness is a natural characteristic of much of Ireland’s drinking supply. Hard water contains high levels of natural minerals absorbed from rock and soil. It is not harmful to your health, in fact, the higher the mineral content (such as Calcium & Magnesium) may confer health benefits above that of soft water.
1. Check Your Water Utilities Website
The first method is to go online and check with your local water supplier. For example, check Irish Waters dedicated link here to check your address for hard water . They provide an annual Water Quality Report that is available for anybody to read upon request. If you have a private well supply, read below for some at home water testing methods.
2. In-Home Water Test
You can test for hard water in your home by taking a clean and clear bottle. Fill one-third of the bottle with tap water. Then, pour a few drops of pure Castile liquid soap into the bottle and shake vigorously. This liquid can be bought online for under a fiver on sites like the one listed here. Make sure you use pure liquid soap because it doesn’t contain additives that will create suds in hard water.
If you have soft water, which hopefully you do, your bottle should still be filled a third of the way with water and two-thirds filled with bubbles from the soap.
If you have hard water, the water in the bottle will be cloudy and there will be a thin layer of tiny bubbles.
3. Titrant Hard Water Test Kit
To find out how hard your water is exactly, you’ll need a liquid test kit (drop kit). You can order a Titrant water test kit from ourselves for only €20. To place your order, click here and fill out the form.
In the box, you will have a test tube and bottle of green Titrant liquid. Simply fill the test tube with 5ml of cold water and then add 10 drops of liquid into the test tube and give it a swirl. If the liquid turns red, this means your water is hard. To determine how hard the water actually is, continue to add drops (keep count) and when the liquid eventually turns dark green, refer to the chart in the package for an explanation on the result. You can then contact us to discuss an appropriate water softening treatment package to remedy the issue.
We would be delighted to discuss your water softening & filtration requirements. Feel free to call us on 01-6877117 if you have any questions!
