It is admitted that today hard water is used on 80% of French territory. However, limestone is a source of breakdowns in household appliances and problems with pipes.
By knowing the hardness of the water in his house, an individual will know whether or not he should set up a device intended to lower the hydrotimetric title and thus avoid worries related to limestone.
Water hardness: what is it?
Measured by the hydrotimetric title (TH), the hardness of the water corresponds to the concentration of magnesium and calcium contained in running water flowing from the tap. This hydrotimetric title is calculated in French degrees and is represented by the symbol °TH or °f. When a water is said to be “hard”, it means that it contains a high rate of magnesium and calcium.
Values to know
When water is very low in limestone, its TH must be less than or equal to 8°F. When it is not very calcareous, the TH must be between 8 and 20°F. Hard water is between 20 and 30°F. Finally, very calcareous water displays a hardness of more than 30°F. According to the Ministry of Health, the ideal would be to have water whose hardness oscillates between 15 and 25°F. Because you should know that beyond this limit, water that is too hard scales showers or bathtubs, household appliances, and affects their proper functioning. It is said that a millimeter of pie would cause a 16% increase in energy consumption on appliances. In the pipes, the limestone forms a very thick white deposit which causes a drop in the flow of water with the consequence, for example, of damaging the thermal radiators (due to poor water flow).
Know the hardness of the water in your municipality
There are several ways to find out the hardness of your water. The simplest being to refer to the water bill. Some suppliers indicate this information on the document in the part devoted to water quality. The Ministry of Health website also devotes a section to this information via a map dedicated to water hardness.
You can search by region. You must then choose the data relating to your place of residence using the drop-down menus. Finally, another technique is to contact the services of the town hall. In principle, this information is compulsorily displayed at the time of the compulsory water checks.
Carry out your own tests
In DIY, gardening stores or on the internet, it is possible to find kits intended to measure the hardness of water. One of the most used is the strip. After taking water from your tap into a bowl, immerse the strip in the water and then remove it immediately. Wait a few minutes to see the color then refer to the table provided with the kit to know the result.
The use of a reagent is also very common. Take water in a tube provided in the kit then add a drop of the reagent (one drop equivalent to 1°F of hardness). Add a drop each time until a color is obtained. To know the TH of the water, it will suffice to count the number of drops that have been used.