I have added a water softener to my coach. Can anyone recommend a simple and reliable hardness tester? Since I could only muster a "C" in my last college chemistry class (50 years ago) it needs to be pretty simple.
Suggestions pls.
Lots of kits available if you search using: water hardness tester. Don't know which would be best for your application, but Home Depot lists one for $9.98
I was looking at the Hach 5EP. Anyone use this one?
Did your water softener come with test strips? Mine did. There are enough strips to last for years at the rate we are using them. So far we are regenerating our softener (Watts RV PRO-1000) at about 700-800 gallon intervals. Sometimes we can sense the water is hard sooner based in source.
Here is another kit that tests all sorts of water quality items.
Amazon.com: Watts Premier 173006 All-In-One Water Test Kit: Industrial &... (http://amazon.com/Watts-Premier-173006-All--Water/dp/B002XISS4C/ref=sr_1_1?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1453570751&sr=8-1&keywords=Watts+water+hardness+test+kit)
Mine came with a kit that you have evaluate soap bubbles in a sample. Add a drop of detergent (I guess) in the sample and shake it up. If it makes long lasting bubbles then the water is soft. I want something that is a little more definitive than that.
I guess the test strips are compared to a color chart to determine hardness.
Roger, do you use a water meter to determine the gallons used?
Sort of seat of the pants on water used but a meter would be nice. We fill the tank, about 100 gallons, and use water out of the tank. Pretty good idea of what is left from the SeeLevel. So after seven or eight fills we are close to 700 gallons. We seem to be able to tell when it is getting less soft pretty well, a little iron smell in the water and it is time, test with a strip and then run a regeneration cycle. It takes only about 20 minutes. And then fill again.
Sometimes when we fill the tank through the water softener we will leave it hooked up for a while to the city water for a Hollywood shower. If you use city water for laundry etc and everyday use then your use will be harder figure. A meter would be nice here. Haven't found the one I want yet.
The water softener folks told me that 750 gallons is about right for typical water. Last winter in Parker, AZ we were using the softener on every fill and regenerating every third fill. Nasty water there.
I am not to fussy about water, Johnny Walker black, a little water and ice is perfect.
We have the Hach 5B Hardness test kit. Catalog # 145300 Works great every time. We use it and a portable water meter to calculate softener regeneration cycles.
Bob, what water meter?
Rodger and Susan,
I have a Assured Automation water meter. I have it installed downstream of the filter/softener.
Assured Automation WM-PC Series Plastic Water Meter 3/4": Amazon.com:... (http://www.amazon.com/Assured-Automation-WM-PC-Series-Plastic/dp/B00JOP1P0G)