How To Test Your Water Quality
Despite the valiant efforts of many generations gone by, the quest for the “elixir of life” has so far proven futile. However, clean water, which is necessary for us to sustain life, is as close as it gets. The importance of clean, potable water is evidenced from a survey conducted by Nestlé Waters North America of over 6,000 adults across the Contiguous United States. The survey reveals that Americans value clean water more than clean air! Despite this intriguing finding, just how many Americans know how to tell clean water from dirty water? Does turbidity always mean that the water is unclean, even if it is just a little cloudy? If the water tastes slightly weird, should it be assumed that it is unsuitable for drinking? These questions cannot be answered with just the power of the naked eye. In order to conclusively determine your water quality, there are some tests that you can conduct.
Test Strips
Small, single-use strips which change color to indicate the presence of chemicals or contaminants, are commonly used to test water quality due to their affordability and ease of use. The user simply has to dip the strip into the water sample and give it a swirl. After a few minutes, compare the color on the test strip with a color chart that comes along with the test kit. You will then be able to find out the type of contaminant and its concentration in the water. If you are not sure how to interpret the test strip result, do not worry. At Water Heating Direct, we not only provide free water quality test kits to all our customers, but we also have an in-house engineering support team who will review your results and provide you with personalized recommendations. All you need to do is simply follow the instructions given in the test kit and return the kit to us. We will then explain the results of the test kit to you.
Color Disk Test Kits
Compared to test strips, which can only be used to test for the presence of specific chemicals or contaminants, color disk test kits can be used to test for the presence of a wide range of chemicals. To start using one, you should first add a few drops of liquid reagent to your water sample. Next, place the plastic tube containing the water sample in the viewing box that contains a plastic, continuous-gradient color wheel. Rotate the disk until you find the color that best matches that of the water sample. While color disk test kits tend to yield more accurate results than test strips, they are more complicated to use, and are more expensive.
Colorimeters and Photometers
Colorimeters and photometers are digital devices used for water testing. They provide much more accurate results compared to test strips and color disk test kits. However, since they are expensive and require calibration in order to function properly, they are usually used by professionals. However, if you are an existing Water Heating Direct customer and would like to get accurate results of your water quality, feel free to contact us. We can arrange to have our in-house engineering team pay you a visit and conduct on-the-spot water testing for you.