Water hardness testing kits
Strips or titration kits that measure how hard your water actually is, in your kitchen, today.
Your water company will tell you the hardness of the supply zone your postcode sits in. A test kit tells you the hardness of the water coming out of your tap, which is not always quite the same thing — supply zones get re-blended, properties sit on boundaries, and some buildings have their own treatment already fitted that nobody mentioned when you moved in.
The cheap option is test strips: dip, wait, compare against a colour chart. They are quick and quite good enough to place your water in a band, which is all most decisions need.
Titration kits are more precise. You add drops of reagent to a measured sample and count how many it takes to change colour. Slower and slightly fiddly, but they give a number rather than a band, which matters if you are sizing a softener or checking whether one is working.
Best for
- Confirming your actual hardness before spending on treatment
- Checking whether an existing softener is still working
- Anyone whose water company's figure does not match what the kettle says
- Landlords checking a portfolio across different areas
Routine part of servicing softeners and filtration on commercial premises.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Cheap — strips cost very little
- Immediate answer, no waiting for anyone
- Tests what is actually at your tap
- Titration kits are accurate enough to size equipment
Cons
- Strips give a band, not a number
- Colour matching is subjective in poor light
- Only tests hardness, nothing else about the water
- Reagents have a shelf life
Can you install it yourself?
Yes, this is a realistic DIY job
Skill level: Easy · Time: about 5 minutes
Dip a strip in a glass of cold tap water, wait the stated time, compare against the chart. Run the tap for thirty seconds first so you are testing the supply and not water that has sat in the pipe overnight.
Tools you will need
- Nothing
Maintenance
N/A
