Hach Total Hardness Test Kit, Model 5-EP, Hardness Testing, Water Quality Test Kit, Accurate Hardness Measurement, Easy-to-Use Hardness Test Kit, 145400

I have and use the multi-purpose test strips for checking my drinking water, but this is the correct and accurate way to measure hardness of tap water. This is a very high quality, lab-grade kit made by a German company. The instructions are easy to follow and enough reagents are supplied for 100+ tests. It is easy to accurately measure to within 1 grain per gallon, up to 30. "Hard" water is anything over 10 grains/gallon, so for the purposes of evaluating the need for and efficacy of a water softener, this is perfect.

Works accurately and easily. Best part is that the primary reagent is in packets to keep them intact. This test kit very accurately measures CaCO3 which is the primary cause of hard water. For home water, this will tell you how well your water softener is working, for pool water this will accurately tell you if you need to harden the water because it is calcium deficient. If for home water you measure 15 gpg and still adding drops, I would switch to a test strip to tell you how hard the water is because it could easily be 30+ gpg. I always use at least 2 methods to test if a water softener is working just to insure the results.

Over priced. Easy to use, nice storage box, does a great job.

The strips weren’t accurate enough. This test is easy to use and will tell you exactly how many grains hardness you have. Love the case.

After reading several reviews I decided on this product. It works exactly as described. We have a well with very very hard water and had purchased a really expensive water system because of that. We were still having large amounts of scale and figured the system wasn't working properly. The technicians would come out to "fix" the system and say we had one or two grains of hardness after theywere done but we were seeing no improvement. We were trying to purchase a tankless water heater and they would not even install it because when they tested our water it showed more than 25 grains of hardness. We puchased this kit and it said we had over 30 grains which is considered off the chart. We also tested the water from our water dispenser with the test kit (which someone recommended) which of course was zero. To make a long story short...this kit works perfectly especially if you just need to see if your system is working as it should be from time to time. It was simple to use and takes only a couple of minutes for results. Come to find out, our water system had a malfunctioning part (wink wink).

Went thru several brands of multi test strips with varying results. Finally tried a hardness only test strip. Results only showed lowest reading after adding calcium many time. Had used Hach back when I had my own well. Pricier than the test strips BUT RELIABLE results. Thank you Hach.

It works just as described. The results are easy to interpret. It's a good value compared to the competition. However, it loses one star for ergonomics. The contents seem like they were grabbed off of the shelf rather than designed to work together as a package. For example, the case doesn't have a slot for each of the items inside. You have to carefully arrange everything before clamping it shut. The reagent in the foil packet must be carefully managed to ensure the contents make it into the mixing vial. I could go on, but I'm picking nits. Overall, it's a good package. No regrets.

I've wasted sooo much salt by not knowing the real hardness value of my water. And then I've wondered why my dish washer, toilets and showers were getting hard water deposits, gradually increasing, for the last couple of years. This handy little kit will tell you how much hardness you have so that you can properly set your water softener, and it will verify that it is working correctly. If you have a water softener, you should have this kit and give your water a test once a year. At once a year, this kit should last you well into the next century.