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Updated: February 24, 2023 May 20, 2021
If you’ve noticed signs of hard water in your home, like buildup on plumbing fixtures, soap scum on shower doors or difficulty producing a lather, you may be wondering just how hard your water is.
Measuring water hardness can help you determine what kind of water softener will best meet your needs. To prepare for the next steps to soft water, learn how to assess your water hardness, understand the results and apply your findings.
Hard water is typically a result of high concentrations of dissolved minerals, mainly calcium and magnesium, in your water supply. Depending on the source of your water, you may be more or less likely to have hard water problems, and well water users are particularly susceptible to this issue.
This isn’t an option for households that use well water, but if you have city water and you suspect you may have problems with hardness, you might want to contact your supplier as a first step.
Your local water supplier’s website and annual report are good places to begin acquiring information about general water hardness levels in your area. However, the information included in annual reports varies by location, so your supplier may not provide data on this topic. Even if relevant information is available, it will apply broadly to hardness levels in your area. The results won’t tell you how hard the water is in your household.
Noticing hard water symptoms and other potential issues with your water? Find out what’s going on and how to fix it – try our Water Solutions Finder.
To find out about the specific hardness levels in your home water supply currently, you’ll have to conduct testing.
There are a variety of different home testing kits available for determining the relative concentration of hardness minerals in your home water supply. Home and lab testing options are available from water treatment professionals like Culligan, too. Working with a water treatment company can help ensure that you not only get the most accurate results but understand how to interpret them and what steps to take next.
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Understanding your test results requires familiarity with the different water hardness measurement scales that are used. Most findings are delivered as a number that reports the concentration of calcium carbonate or calcium carbonate equivalents for a given unit of water. This result may be expressed in grains per gallon (gpg), parts per million (ppm), or milligrams per liter (mg/L).
According to the Water Quality Association, the hardness scale, measured in gpg of calcium carbonate, can be represented as follows:
Often, water hardness test results will be delivered in ppm or mg/L, which are equivalent.
To use the same hardness scale above, you can simply convert your ppm or mg/L by dividing that number by 17.1 to find the gpg equivalent. So, for example, 130 mg/L or ppm would be 7.6 gpg, which is considered hard water.
For a quick reference, this water hardness scale used by Health Canada, breaks down results in mg/L and ppm as follows:
If you do notice that you have hard water, a water softener can help rid your home of issues like limescale buildup, dry hair and skin, spotty dishes and inefficiency of water-using appliances.
With a reliable water hardness test and information about your household water usage, you’ll be able to work with a professional to determine what kind of water softener will best suit your needs. Based on where your home water supply falls on the hardness scale, as well as your family’s softness preference and how much water they use, you can choose the best water softener that suits your requirements.
Hard water isn’t something you just have to put up with. If you notice any of the troubling signs, from clogged pipes to a filmy residue on your hair or skin after showering, make sure to measure the hardness level of your home water supply.
Once you know where you stand, you can find appropriate solutions to meet your household’s needs. Industry professionals, like your local Culligan Dealer, can help you conduct testing and find a water softener system that’s right for you.
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