Free hard water test kit: find out exactly how hard your water is
A lab number, not a guess. Free.
On city water, your ZIP code report usually tells you how hard your water is instantly. Want a lab number, or a before-and-after once your softener is in? Fill the bottle, mail it back free, and we'll send the results.
- 100% free
- Free return postage
- Lab results
Want the answer for your home?
Tell us your ZIP code and a rep calls you within 5 minutes to answer every question. No pressure, no sales visit.
You're probably on this page because:
- There are spots on your dishes and you're not sure it's hard water
- Test strips gave you a vague color, not a number
- You want proof your new softener works
Get the real number, free.
Hard water, by the numbers
- Over 7 grains per gallon counts as hard on the USGS scale.
- About 85% of US homes have hard water.
Sources: USGS; Market Growth Reports.
4 easy steps
- We mail you a small bottle
- Fill it from your kitchen cold tap
- Mail it back. Postage is free
- Get your hardness and what size softener fixes it
Order Your Free Kit
Life with it vs. without
| Without it | With it |
|---|---|
| Guessing from a color strip | An exact lab number |
| Buying the wrong size softener | Sized from your real hardness |
Our take
Grains per gallon, ppm and mg/L: what the numbers mean
After [thousands] of softeners sold and 20+ years wholesaling water equipment to other companies, here's what we've learned.
Hardness shows up in three units, and it trips people up. Grains per gallon (gpg) is what softener companies use. Parts per million (ppm) and milligrams per liter (mg/L) are the same thing, and that's what city water reports use.
To convert: divide ppm by 17.1 to get grains. So 171 ppm is 10 grains. Under 3.5 grains is soft, 7 to 10.5 is hard, and over 10.5 is very hard. Your lab results come in grains, with what that means for your home.
Our own lab, 20+ years of water testing
Your sample goes to our own lab.
- 20+ years in water
- Our own patents
- We supply other water companies
- [Thousands] of systems sold
- Licensed installers
Related Pages
Questions people ask
How do I test my water hardness?
Strips give a rough number. Our free kit gives an exact lab number.
How do I test for hard water at home?
Look for spots and scale, use a test strip, or order our free lab kit.
Is the hard water test really free?
Yes, kit, postage and lab test.
How long do results take?
About a week. [Confirm.]
What is hard water in ppm?
Over about 120 ppm (7 grains) is hard.
Do I need a kit on city water?
Usually not; your ZIP report covers it. The kit is great for a before-and-after.