Hardness of water. How to determine the hardness of water at home? Ways, recommendations and feedback

On TV, every now and then messages flash through the properties of hard water and its harm, not only for home appliances, but for the body as a whole. What is this water and why is it called tough? If you hit the scientific facts and resort to the help of special literature, it becomes clear that the degree of rigidity is determined by the ions of calcium and magnesium. The fewer, the softer and more useful the water. And here the question arises of how to determine the hardness of water at home.

Why it is necessary

Before solving the task, it is necessary to understand whether it is necessary to know what water hardness is, how to determine its degree at home and what to do if it is exceeded.

Undoubtedly, everyone makes a decision on their own, but it's enough to look at the consequences of applying excessively hard water, and everything immediately falls into place.

What causes hard water

Every year, household appliances suffer from scale, formed as a result of excess salts in the water, which means that its efficiency is reduced by an average of 20%.

Because of the accumulated calcareous deposit, the heaters experience difficulties in heat transfer. Electricity costs start to rise.

A greater number of cleaning agents are required, due to the slowing down of the foaming process and the loss of the removal efficiency of the contaminants.

Coming into contact with the detergents of shampoos and shower gels, hard water forms an invisible film on the body, which can cause irritation and dryness.

In connection with the foregoing, the definition of water hardness at home is not just an interesting activity, but one of the actions on the road to health.

A bit of history

Do you know why water is called hard or soft? Such a concept has gone on since ancient times, when soap containing fatty acids was used for washing. Entering into contact with the fabric, they made it tight to the touch. Another version is the ability of fibers to participate in ion-exchange processes. Interacting with water, they give the effect of hard tissue.

So how to determine the hardness of water at home?

Ways

1. The easiest and quickest way to check, according to the housewives, is regular tea. It is enough to brew leaf tea, give it time to brew and after a few minutes look at its shade. If the water is hard, it will be cloudy and dark. In soft water, tea gets peach color.

You can also compare the weight of water. Hard water is heavier. But for such experiments, a high-precision balance is required. Ordinary people are unlikely to show that subtle difference in weight.

2. Detergents can also help to know the hardness of water. How to determine at home this value with the help of improvised means? Very simple! All you need is to soap your hands.

Soap instantly foams? Excellent, then, the content of salts in the water is minimal. But if the foaming is delayed, then it is worth thinking about the quality of water.

3. By the way, soap will become an assistant in determining the degree of rigidity, if it is crushed into water. Insoluble particles will indicate the excess content of calcium and magnesium.

And how to measure the hardness of water at home? Among the reviews on water quality testing, you can also find the above method, which allows to determine it not worse than a special device. True, it is necessary to slightly complicate it and make some calculations.

So, we need an economic 72% soap, cleaned bottled and ordinary tap water.

We find a cross-section at the soap and collect the shavings from it. We need only 1 gram. Warm up the distilled water (about ten ml) and add soap chips to it. After that, fill any convenient vessel with plain water. A half liter would be enough. We take a syringe and add 1 ml of soapy water to a container of clean water, not forgetting to stir them each time. Stop this manipulation is necessary after the emergence of stable soap bubbles.

Now we answer the question of how to know the hardness of water at home. Determine how many ml of soap solution was wasted. Multiply the obtained data by 2. The result will be equal to the degree of rigidity.

4. Pay attention to how often a scale is formed on the kettle. The more often this happens, the more salt in the water, as well as calcium and magnesium, which contribute to the formation of plaque.

5. Did you notice that the spray on the glass, leaving white marks, left?

This serves as another confirmation of the hardness of the water.

6. An excellent assistant in the solution of this problem will become ordinary manganese. In contact with the hardness salts, the potassium permanganate acquires a yellow tinge. If this did not happen, the water is okay.

7. You can use a special test that identifies the hardness of the water.

How to determine the result at home, the individual instructions will prompt. Often, it is enough to lower the tester in water, wait a few seconds and observe the change in the staining strip.

How to soften water

So, there are a lot of ways to find out how hard water is. If you find that the water quality does not suit you, then take some advice.

1. The most famous method, which everyone uses, without thinking about the true purpose, is boiling water. It is enough to boil water for an hour, and then let it cool down, as a sediment forms on the bottom. In the future, you can remove it by straining. Of course, this way to get rid of salts will not succeed, but a little soften the water will be possible.

2. Neutralize the salt with alkali, which is contained in soda. ¼ teaspoon per glass of water - and the degree of stiffness is markedly reduced. Many have tested this in practice!

Alkali can be replaced with almond bran. They are the final product of processing almond seeds. A tablespoon for a glass of water is enough.

4. The simplest option is to purchase a special filter. However, a study of user opinions based on feedback has shown that there is no efficiency in the use of filters. Moreover, it is necessary to constantly monitor the water purification system and periodically change some elements. Often, it is not possible to do this in a timely manner, and the harmful substances are again in the water.

Conclusion

Now you know what water hardness is, how to determine at home its degree and soften it with the help of improvised means. Undoubtedly, in matters of drinking water quality, it is necessary to trust professional developments: special strips or measuring devices showing the amount of hard salts. However, if this possibility does not appear, then you can solve the problem yourself, without leaving home.