Don Vandervort, Head Homeboy, has written more than 30 DIY home improvement books, been a segment host on HGTV, served as MSN.com's home improvement expert and written countless magazine articles.
Although the telltale signs of hard water are obvious, it takes a little homework to find out just how hard your water really is. If a municipal water company serves you, call the city offices or the superintendent of water and ask for the test results. If they quote the quantities of various minerals in parts per million (PPM), you can easily work out the conversion of PPM to grains per gallon (GPG) by dividing the quantity of PPM by 17.1.
If your water is supplied privately, you’ll probably have to test for hardness. In some areas, city or county health departments offer testing. If yours doesn’t, you can have it tested by an independent water-testing lab or a water-conditioning company, but be advised that the latter has a stake in the outcome and may offer free testing as a come-on for selling you equipment you may not need.
Many softener companies will test a mailed-in water sample for free; some will send you a do-it-yourself test-strip kit.
If you have a well, it is very important to test your water—not only for hardness but also for safety. Though the need varies depending upon the source, check it at least once for mineral content, lead, and radon (where radon is a threat) and once or twice a year for bacteria and nitrate. If you have concerns about contaminants in well water, contact your local health department for recommendations.
Why we like it:
• Checks for presence of 8 contaminants, including hardness and lead
• Great way to pre-screen before lab testing
• Easy to use
You can ask your water utility or the state health department for the names of independent testing labs or look for “Laboratories” in the telephone directory or on the Internet. A solid, affordable testing option is to contact a mail-order laboratory such as National Testing Laboratories at (800) 458-3330 or www.natllabs.com. For $137, this lab offers a 77-item check of inorganics, including hardness minerals; for $167, the lab will check for an additional 20 pesticides, herbicides, and PCBs. The lab supplies you with a sample kit that you return by mail. Included with your results, which arrive in about three weeks, is a brochure describing the corrective actions you should consider. A similar lab is Suburban Water Testing, (800) 433-6595 or www.h2otest.
