Water Hardness Color Chart
Remove the strip and shake once briskly to remove excess water.
Water hardness color chart. Although hardness is caused by cations it is often discussed in terms of carbonate temporary and non carbonate permanent hardness. A hard water kit includes test strips and a color chart. The instructions will tell you how hard your water is based on the result. The hardness of high quality water should not exceed 270 mg l 15 5 grains per gallon measured as calcium carbonate.
You fill a container with tap water immerse the paper test strip in the water then compare the resulting color of the strip with the kit s chart. Contingent upon where a water test is performed this data will be accounted for in mg l milligrams per liter or gpg grains per gallon. Ppm 0 250 500 mg l copper cu 1 cu 2 test procedure. Match the color on the strip after you wet it with your test water against the color chart to see the hardness of your water sample measured in ppm or gains.
This type of hardness is responsible for the deposition of scale in hot water pipes and tea kettles. Water hardness scale chart. You can purchase a test kit from a home improvement store for 5 to 10 or request a free water test strip from us. Treated or softened water 0 1 gpg total grains x 17 1 equals ppm slightly hard 1 2 gpg total grains x 17 1 equals ppm medium hard 3 7 gpg total grains x 17 1 equals ppm hard 7 10 5 gpg total grains x 17 1 equals ppm.
Match the color on the strip after you wet it with your test water against the color chart to see the hardness of your water sample measured in ppm or gains. Dip one test strip into a 200ml 8oz water sample for 15 seconds with a constant gentle back and forth motion. After filling a glass with cold water from your bathroom sink insert the test strip for several seconds and then remove it. One of the simplest tests to perform is a wet strip test similar to a test for swimming pool or spa water.
A typical water hardness test kit strip measures hardness from 0 1000 ppm or from 0 59 grains of hardness. This is the measure of the amount of calcium and magnesium dissolved in your water. Footnote 4 carbonate hardness refers to the amount of carbonates and bicarbonates that can be removed or precipitated from solution by boiling. Grains per gallon is the business standard approach for talking about water hardness.
Water softeners will correct hard water of more than 270 mg l. A typical water hardness test kit strip measures hardness from 0 1000 ppm or from 0 59 grains of hardness.