Water Quality Parameters

[Dave L]

Hi all,

As some will know from previous threads I am getting everything prepared ready for when I get my tank installed in a couple of weeks.

I just took delivery of my API Master Test kit and so thought I would make a few tests to see what water parameters I am dealing with.

Now, I have a water softener installed which supplies all the taps in the house with the exception of the one in the Utility room. I thought I would test the water fresh from the mains supply, and after the softener.

Here's the results:

Mains supply

Ammonia: 0
pH: 6.8 ----->> edit: redone this test and it actually reads 7.6
High Range pH: 7.8
Nitrite: 1
Nitrate: 10


After Softener

Ammonia: 0
pH: 7.6
High Range pH: 7.8
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 5

So from the results it looks like the softener increases the pH and reduces both the Nitrite and Nitrate.

Not sure of the value of doing both pH tests. Is it usual to do this or would you only use High Range if the pH is on the high side to start with?

I'll try this again after a week and compare the results for consistency. I'll also try the test on the hot side next time (once it cools of coarse). Fortunately we have a combination boiler, so no pick up from a copper cylinder to worry about because there isn't one.

Comments welcome.

Regards

Dave.

 

[Davo86]

Hi Dave,
its seems that both of your water supplies have a ph of 7.8,
not really sure what happened with the standard ph test on the mains water but i'm guessing there was an error somewhere as you are testing for the same thing as with the high range ph and so you should get very similar results,

As your ph is fairly high, you only really need to use the high range ph tester as this will give you the most accurate result

 

[Dave L]

Hi Dave,
its seems that both of your water supplies have a ph of 7.8,
not really sure what happened with the standard ph test on the mains water but i'm guessing there was an error somewhere as you are testing for the same thing as with the high range ph and so you should get very similar results,

As your ph is fairly high, you only really need to use the high range ph tester as this will give you the most accurate result

Hi Davo,

Thanks for the reply. You were spot on. Just went and did the pH again on the mains supply and it was indeed 7.6

Not sure what went wrong with that test.

I think I'll need to get a hardness test kit to see how much impact the softener is having. The API Master doesn't have that test with it.

Thanks again

Dave