How to Test Your Water at Home (and What the Results Mean)
Buying water treatment without testing is like buying glasses without an eye exam. Testing is cheap, fast, and it is the only thing standing between you and an expensive system sized for someone else's water.
Published May 19, 2026 · Shield Water Solutions
The three levels of testing
Test strips cost a few dollars and give rough readings for hardness, chlorine, pH, and sometimes iron. They are useful for a yes/no answer, not for sizing equipment.
Mail-in lab kits ($100-$250) provide certified results across dozens of parameters including metals, nitrates, bacteria, and PFAS. Professional on-site assessments combine immediate field readings with lab confirmation and are usually free from installers — Shield's is.
Reading hardness
Hardness is reported in grains per gallon or parts per million; divide ppm by 17.1 to get gpg. Under 3 gpg is soft, 3-7 moderate, 7-10.5 hard, above 10.5 very hard.
Central Florida readings of 10-18 gpg are normal, which means nearly every home in Orange, Seminole, and Lake County sits in the hard-to-very-hard band.
pH, TDS, and what they don't tell you
pH below 6.5 is corrosive to copper plumbing; above 8.5 contributes to scale and bitter taste. TDS measures total dissolved solids — useful for tracking change over time, useless for identifying which solids.
A high TDS reading does not mean unsafe water and a low one does not mean clean water. PFAS at dangerous concentrations barely moves TDS at all.
What to test and when
City water: hardness, chlorine or chloramine, pH, and lead if your home predates 1988. Your utility's Consumer Confidence Report covers the regulated contaminants annually.
Well water: full panel annually — bacteria, nitrate, iron, manganese, hardness, pH, TDS, sulfide — plus retesting after flooding, pump work, or any sudden change in taste, color, or smell.
Frequently asked
Are free water tests from installers trustworthy?+
The field measurements are real; the interpretation is where bias enters. Ask for the raw numbers and units, then compare against your utility's published report or an independent lab.
How much does a full lab water test cost?+
Mail-in certified panels generally run $100-$250 depending on how many parameters are included. PFAS-specific testing is usually an add-on.
How often should I test city water?+
Once at purchase and then every few years, or any time taste, smell, or appearance changes. Your utility already tests the regulated contaminants and publishes results yearly.
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