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MEASURE WATER HARDNESS - How is Water Hardness Measured?
Water hardness is measured in "grains" per gallon, in
milligrams of calcium (Ca) per liter, or parts per million, and German Degrees of Hardness (dH) [which we drop here as this is for fish tanks].
You can take a water sample to a water test lab to have its hardness measures.
Use this simple soap test to measure the grains of hardness of your water supply
But
water hardness can be easily measured using a simple soap test kit that will measure in "grains of hardness"
(a little bottle with a line marked on it which you
fill to the line with water, add a drop of soap, and shake to look for suds. More drops of soap - more degrees of hardness).
I bought
my water hardness kit at Sears where water softeners were sold.
Or the hardness of your water may be measured at no charge if you ask the local water treatment company to take a look.
Beware, they won't fib about the
hardness level, at least not many companies, but they do want to sell you equipment.
Water Hardness Measurements
grains/gallon
ppm mg/L
Softness of the Water
0-1
0-17.1
Very Soft
1-3.5
17.1 - 60
Slightly Hard
3.5 10/23/2009 - 07.0
60 - 120
Medium Hard
7.0 - 10.5
120 - 180
Hard
> 10.50
> 180
Very Hard
NOTE: 1 German degree of hardness dH = 17.5 ppm. For fish tanks, 200-300 ppm is considered "hard", 300-500 ppm "very hard" and over 500 ppm "extremely hard" water.
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North Dakota Standards for Water Softeners, North Dakota General Authority Law, Chapter 62-04-08, Water Softener Units http://www.legis.nd.gov/information/acdata/pdf/62-04-08.pdf. "The objective of this chapter is to provide a standard of quality, capacity,
and performance for water softener units. Water softener performance
is to be based upon referee tests procedures described in section
62-04-08-09."
Culligan Mark 10 Water Softener 1994-1998 Installation and Operating Instructions (covering models manufactured after 1995) (1-96) 01881948.pdf available from www.culligan.com
Water Softeners, CMHC, Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/maho/wawa/wawa_005.cfm - October 2008. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation acknowledges the contribution of Health Canada to the development of this document. For further questions regarding water treatment and water quality, contact Health Canada at watereau@hc-sc.gc.ca or call 613-957-2991 or 1-866-225-0709.
"Commercial Water Softener Installation and Operating Instructions", IBC Filtration & Water Treatment Products (Australia) for commercial, industrial and residential application www.ibcwater.com.au (07) 3219 2233
"Non electric water softener,
Installation and Operating Instructions", IBC Filtration & Water Treatment Products (Australia), op.cit.
"Water Softener Twin Tank Installation and Operating Instructions", IBC Filtration & Water Treatment Products (Australia), op.cit.
Our Water Hardness Table used at originated with but was edited and added to from http://www.bestfish.com/tips/110598.html and also from http://www.water-research.net/hardness.htm
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