DIY guideWater quality

Test the water hardness at a tap

Spot the signs of hard water, then test it at a tap with a hardness strip and note the reading.

7 steps

Tap a step to watch it again.

White crust on taps and the kettle, spots on glasses, and soap that barely lathers all point to hard water.
Get water hardness test strips from a hardware or pool store.
Run the cold tap a moment and fill a clean glass. With a softener, test a tap after it.
Dip a strip for as long as its pack says, then hold it flat.
Wait the time on the pack, then match its pads to the chart on the bottle.
Write the reading down with the tap you used. A softener's setting uses it.
Hard water after the softener, with salt in it: ask Handyman for a water treatment pro.

Handyman says: Still hard? I'll find a water pro.

Free for every home. Handyman asks a few questions, then books a pro it trusts.