Are you wondering if the water in your home is hard and filled with unwanted mineral deposits? Do you want to know if it’s safe for your family and yourself to drink? Have a few questions about the water quality in your home but don’t have time to call an expert just yet? A few simple experiments can answer these questions! This article will describe a few easy ways how you can find out.
What Is Hard Water?
Hard water is basically water that is high in mineral content. It generally comes from areas with a high limestone level. The most common minerals found in hard water include calcium and magnesium carbonates, iron, and manganese. In places where the level of mineral content is high, this causes the water to deposit its minerals over time. This eventually leads to unwanted build-up on your appliances and in your pipes.
How Can You Test for Hard Water at Home?
There are three simple ways to test for hard water at home. Using these methods, you can a rough estimate of the mineral levels in your home’s water and whether they will become a nuisance.
Method 1: Quick Soapsuds Water Bottle Test
This is one of the easiest methods of testing for hard water at home. All you need to do is to fill 1/3 of a bottle with tap water and top it up with soapsuds from your washing machine. Shake the bottle vigorously for about 30 seconds and then leave it for some time. If the water remains foamy or sudsy, then your water is moderately hard or hard water. Soft water will form bubbles and foam at the top and the water at the bottom will be clear.
Method 2: Check with Your City or Water Provider
If you are looking to know whether or not your water has hard water, then go talk to your city or city’s water supplier. Many water suppliers will have reports on their water quality. Judging from the reports you can determine all sorts of things about your water such as acidity, mineral content, and more. Although checking for a report is an easy and straightforward method of learning if the water in your area is hard, it may not always reflect the water quality from your taps. This is because water may pick up impurities from pipes on the way to your house. That being said, water quality reports will provide you with a rough estimate of your water quality.
Method 3: Using a High-Quality Hard Water Test Kit
This is the most accurate method of testing for hard water at home. All you have to do is carefully measure the water with a test dipstick that consists of two elements: a pH indicator and a conductivity monitor. These will allow you to determine whether the water in your home is moderately hard or hard water. There are several types of hard water test kits that you may purchase to perform this test such as water test strips, color disk kits, and digital testing.
Finding out that you have hard water in your home may not be the best news, but the good news is that you can easily improve your water with the help of a water softener from one of the reputable water softener companies in Austin, Tx, like Austin Water Solutions!
How Can You Treat Hard Water?
If your water is hard or moderately hard, then it’s a good idea to look into a water softening system. There are many products out there that will help you soften the hard water in your home, but the most effective solution is a whole-home water purification system. You can reach out for a free estimate from Austin Water Solutions, and one of our experts will go out to test your home’s water, confirm your results, and recommend the next steps!
Water Softener Companies in Austin, Tx
If you are interested in treating the hard water in your home, Austin Water Solutions can help! We offer solutions for softer water, water filtration, as well as reverse osmosis systems in Austin. If you would like to learn more give us a call or visit our website.