The 10 Best Drinking Water Test Kits You Can Order Online
- 1. HoneForest TDS Meter BEST OVERALL ...
- 2. Health Metric Home Drinking Water Test Kit EPA-APPROVED ...
- 3. Varify 17-in-1 Premium Drinking Water Test Kit GOOD FOR FREQUENT TESTING ...
- 4. Safe Home ULTIMATE Water Quality Test Kit MOST PROFESSIONAL RESULTS ...
- 5. Watersafe Drinking Water Test Kit BEST FOR WELL WATER ...
- 6. Hofun TDS Meter ...
- 7. Varify Premium Water Hardness Test Kit ...
- 8. Health Metric Water Hardness Kit ...
Full Answer
What is the best home water testing kit?
- BEST OVERALL: Varify 17 in 1 Premium Drinking Water Test Kit
- BEST BUDGET: JNW Direct Drinking Water Test Strips 15 in 1
- UPGRADE PICK: Watersafe Drinking Water Test Kit
- BEST FOR WELL WATER: Health Metric Well Water Test Kit for Drinking Water
- BEST FOR LEAD: Health Metric Home Water Test Kit
- BEST FOR WATER HARDNESS: Varify Premium Water Hardness Test Kit
How to test drinking water at home?
🔠 Types of Water Quality Test Kits
- Lab Sample Kits. Lab sample kits are the most expensive water testing solution, but they’re also the most accurate. ...
- Test Strips. Test strips are the most affordable and easy-to-use water testing option. ...
- Color Discs. You’re less likely to come across a color disk water test, but it’s still an option. ...
- Digital Instruments. ...
How to test if your water is safe for drinking?
Water test kits
- Test strips. Test strips are most commonly used for determining your water’s contaminant levels. ...
- Color disks. Another low-cost, simple way to test your water quality is to use a color disk. ...
- Digital instruments. ...
How to test water quality at home?
Method 1 Method 1 of 3: Using a Home Testing Kit Download Article
- Understand what you will be testing for. The quality of water depends primarily on the concentration of bacteria, lead, pesticides, nitrites/nitrates, chlorine, hardness, and the water's pH.
- Purchase a home water quality test kit. There are many manufacturers of these kits, but they all function similarly.
- Read the directions. ...
What will the results of a water treatment kit include?
Why is it important to test well water?
What are the contaminants in drinking water?
How long does it take to get a tap score?
How long does it take to get results from chlorine test?
How long does it take to test for lead in water?
When to use salt chlorine strips?
See 2 more
What is the most accurate water tester?
Top 5 Water Test KitsBest For Pools: AquaChek Salt Water Swimming Pool Test Strips.Best Digital Tester: HoneForest Water Quality Tester.Best For Hard Water: JNW Direct Total Water Hardness Test Strips.Most Versatile: VARIFY Premium Drinking Water Test Kit.Best For Well Water: Health Metric Well Water Test Kit.
What is the best home drinking water test kit?
Our best overall pick is the Safe Home ULTIMATE Water Quality Test Kit (view at Amazon), which is a comprehensive kit that screens for over 200 contaminants and includes an at-home coliform test. If you're looking to test well water specifically, check out the Health Metric Well Water Test Kit (view at Amazon).
Are home water test kits reliable?
Test strips can serve as an initial screening tool, providing info on water pH and hardness, but they don't offer a clear picture of the level of contamination. If you're truly worried about dangerous stuff your home's drinking water, start elsewhere.
How can I test the quality of my drinking water at home?
Water quality test strips Fill a test container with a water sample, dip a test strip in, swirl the container, and wait a few minutes with the test strip resting in the water sample. Take the strip out of the water and compare the color changes on the test strip to a color chart included in the kit.
How reliable are water test strips?
Watersafe water test kits are validated by EPA-certified laboratories, vetted by experts in the field, and widely trusted for highly accurate results.
How do you know if well water is safe to drink?
The only way to tell if your drinking water is safe is by having it tested at a certified laboratory. Harmful bacteria, parasites, and viruses are invisible to the naked eye, so water which looks and tastes good may not necessarily be safe to drink.
How can I test my water at home without a kit?
Quick In-Home Testing Fill the bottle one-third full, add a few drops of pure liquid soap and shake vigorously for a few seconds. If there is a distinct lack of fluffy bubbles and the water appears cloudy and/or milky, your water is hard.
What does TDS mean in water?
TDS stands for total dissolved solids, and represents the total concentration of dissolved substances in water. TDS is made up of inorganic salts, as well as a small amount of organic matter.
What does it mean when a water test test positive for coliform?
What does a positive coliform test result mean? A positive coliform test means possible contamination and a risk of waterborne disease. A positive test for total coliforms always requires more tests for fecal coliforms or E. coli.
How can we check water quality?
1:402:37How To Test Drinking Water Quality? (2019) - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipPlace the strip arrow side down into the vial do not disturb the vial or strip for 10 minutes or theMorePlace the strip arrow side down into the vial do not disturb the vial or strip for 10 minutes or the test will be invalid faint blue lines will form on the strip. Compare results to the examples in
How do I test my shower water?
Follow these steps to put your water to the test.Fill a Clear Container with Water. First, find a see-through container like an empty plastic water bottle. ... Squeeze in Some Pure Liquid Soap. Next, squirt about 10 drops of soap into your container. ... Shake Vigorously! This is the fun part. ... Look for Suds and Water Clarity.
How often should well water be tested?
once each yearWhen to have your well tested. At a minimum, check your well every spring to make sure there are no mechanical problems; test it once each year for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids, and pH levels. If you suspect other contaminants, you should test for those as well.
What is the best level of TDS in drinking water?
between 50-150What is the best TDS level for drinking water? Ans: Generally, the TDS level between 50-150 is considered as the most suitable and acceptable.
How can I test my water at home without a kit?
Quick In-Home Testing Fill the bottle one-third full, add a few drops of pure liquid soap and shake vigorously for a few seconds. If there is a distinct lack of fluffy bubbles and the water appears cloudy and/or milky, your water is hard.
How often should well water be tested?
ESDHD recommends homeowners have the well sampled at least once a year for bacteria, and every 5 years for chemicals, or if any change in odor, taste, or color. contaminants can seep into the well and may be potentially hazardous to drink.
How do you test the quality of water?
pH: pH test strips and color disk tests are widely available. More expensive, higher-tech options include electrode-based pH meters. pH is a measure of hydrogen ion activity, which means that it tells us how acidic or basic the water is. pH is not a pollutant, but it is a chemical master variable.
Are home water test kits accurate?
This is a bit of a loaded question, but I’d say yes – for the most part. Water test kits aren’t as accurate as lab tests, but if they’re designed p...
If my area’s authority already tests my water, why should I test it too?
There are many reasons why you might want to perform your own tests on your water supply, even after it has been tested and disinfected by your are...
If I have a private well, how often should I test my water supply, and what should I test for?
There are several contaminants and water quality indicators that you’ll need to test for in your well water. These are coliform bacteria, E. coli,...
How many contaminants are in a water test kit?
The EPA regulates 90 contaminants known to cause biological harm; water test kits can test from one to over 200 contaminants. The most common contaminants, also referred to as parameters, checked for by water test kits include:
How accurate are EPA test kits?
A test kit’s accuracy will vary by manufacturer, but most are calibrated to EPA testing standards to ensure they’re as accurate as possible. Some kits have even been verified for accuracy by EPA-certified laboratories. Test strips are considered to be the least accurate, mostly because matching the colors on the strips to the contaminants they indicate can be subjective and prone to user error. However, test strips that test for individual contaminants tend to be more accurate than strips that test for a wide range of contaminants.
What are the contaminants in water?
The EPA regulates 90 contaminants known to cause biological harm; water test kits can test from one to over 200 contaminants. The most common contaminants, also referred to as parameters, checked for by water test kits include: 1 Lead: Lead can cause cardiovascular issues, hypertension, decreased kidney function, brain damage, and reproductive issues in both men and women. 2 Chlorine: Elevated levels of chlorine can cause stomach aches and vomiting, diarrhea, and dry itchy skin. It can also corrode plumbing pipes, fixtures, and appliances. 3 Bacteria: Coliform bacteria (like E. coli) is the most common type of bacteria for which water test kits check. E. coli can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramping, fever, headaches, fatigue, and even death. 4 Pesticides: When present in drinking water, pesticides are usually found in trace-level amounts. Although trace levels of pesticides won’t cause acute toxicity, such as nausea, convulsions, and chemical burns, they can cause chronic toxicity from long-term consumption. This can lead to cancer, birth defects, and damage to the central nervous system or liver. 5 Nitrates and nitrites: These elements can cause nausea, abdominal cramps, headaches, and increased heart rate. 6 Iron: Elevated iron levels can lead to poor skin health, digestive issues, and a condition called hemochromatosis that can damage the heart, liver, and pancreas. However, elevated iron primarily causes plumbing issues, since excess iron leaves a residue that can create clogs in pipes, fixtures, and appliances.
What is a test strip?
Test strips are small and thin single-use strips that change color to indicate the presence of a contaminant. They can also provide a rough estimate of the concentration of a contaminant by the shade and brightness of the color. A single strip may only test for a single contaminant or may test for several contaminants.
What is the Safe Water Drinking Act?
In the United States, the Safe Water Drinking Act (SWDA) of 1974 set strict standards for municipal water quality that ensures public water sources are biologically safe. Even so, there are certain contaminants that can wreak havoc on one’s health and home appliances if they aren’t detected and eliminated.
Why is it important to test water in your home?
Having the ability to accurately test a home’s water is important for the safety of the home itself and the health of its inhabitants. Our top picks take into account the abovementioned factors in addition to overall quality and value. Keep reading to explore some of the best water test kits on the market in various categories for maintaining healthy water in a home.
Is a test strip more accurate than a color disc?
Test strips are one of the most common, affordable, and easiest water testing options. Color disc kits are less common and more expensive than test strips, but they’re generally more accurate.
What can you test for in a water test kit?
Even the most affordable DIY water test kit can be used to test for the contaminants you’re most likely to find in water, like metals, chemicals, materials, uranium, and disinfectants and their byproducts.
How to use a water strip test kit?
Using this kit is quick and simple: simply dip one of the provided strips in your sample and match the color-coded results with the color chart in the included booklet. When the strip changes color , it’ll alert you to your water’s contamination levels.
What is a health metric test kit?
The Health Metric Drinking Water Test Kit is an at-home test kit for wells and municipal tap water. The kit has easy-to-read test strips that you can use to test for 9 common contaminants in a water sample: copper, lead, coliform bacteria, pH, total alkalinity, hardness, total chlorine, and nitrate.
How much does a well water test cost?
Kits are priced on how many contaminants they test for, with the cheapest (around $170) testing for 32 analytes and the most expensive (around $290) testing for a whopping 115 analytes.
What is the difference between a basic and a lite water test?
This water testing kit tests for 32-87 impurities depending on whether you opt for the Lite, Basic or Standard kit. The Lite is the cheapest option and covers the impurities you’d most likely be looking to rule out: 7 inorganic chemicals, 22 heavy metals, and 5 physical factors. The Basic kit also tests for bacteria (total coliform and e coli), while the Standard kit is the most comprehensive offering, and tests for everything from lead and arsenic to uranium, fluoride, nitrates, VOCs, disinfection byproducts, and TDS.
Why do we test our water?
Perhaps you’ve had a local scare, or you’ve learned about the common drinking water contaminants and you want to know how many of these your water contains .
How much does a water quality kit cost?
Costing just under $400, the Safe Home ULTIMATE Water Quality kit tests for more than 200 parameters in drinking water. This water testing kit follows the usual rules of a DIY laboratory testing product: you collect your water samples in the included containers, ship them off to the Safe Home laboratory, and get your test results sent to you via email within around 14 business days.
What is a water test kit?
This water test kit sports a pen design that is super easy to carry and yet durable. Forget having to wait for multiple days for laboratory test results, this kit can deliver an instant result with its LCD display. It also has an auto-off function that helps you save battery. Additionally, the hold button even saves your measurements so that you can record and read the test results with ease.
How many tests are there in a drinking water test kit?
This highly effective drinking water test kit offers 9 tests in it’s DIY set. This includes one test each for lead, bacteria, and copper, and two tests each for chlorine, nitrite and nitrates. Additionally, it includes a 3-way test to measure the pH, alkalinity, and the hardness of the water.
How many test strips are there in a crystal water filter?
For anyone looking for an affordable, easy, and reliable testing of 15 different contaminants in a single test strip, the Crystal Water Filters 15 in 1 Drinking Water Test Kit Strips comes with 100 test strips offering a true bang for your buck. Check Price on Amazon
How many strips are there in JNW water test strips?
If you are looking for a highly affordable drinking water test kit to test the hardness of your water, the JNW Direct Water Total Hardness Test Strips comes with 150 reliable test strips for your convenience. Check Price on Amazon
How long does it take to test drinking water?
This drinking water test kit requires no prior knowledge of testing. Similarly, the test itself will only take you 2 minutes and it includes step-by-step instructions to avoid any confusion. The test strips are calibrated with very fine increments so it is able to detect even the faintest amount of metals present in your drinking water. Additionally, these tests follow the EPA guidelines closely so there is no question in their reliability.
Does the drinking water test kit have shipping?
Despite the higher price tag, this drinking water test kit offers convenience like no other. The company offers free shipping for your test samples. This means that purchasing this kit is a one-time expense and there will be no hidden charges. Similarly, the testing is literally as simple as one, two, three.
Where are health metrics made?
Health Metric is a well-known brand when it comes to water safety. These tests are manufactured in the USA and follow the EPA standards. This means that you can rest assured that you are not being delivered some foreign knock-off item. If you have any concerns about the authenticity of this test kit, you can reach out to the company and their team of EPA water quality experts for more details.
What is the best water quality test kit?
After 50 hours of reporting, and after testing 11 different home water quality test kits, we’ve found that the SimpleWater Tap Score Advanced City Water Test is the best water quality test kit for your home. It measures a wide range of more than 100 potential contaminants and delivers the results in an easy-to-read, richly detailed report. If you’re worried only about lead, we recommend the much cheaper Safe Home Do-It-Yourself Lead in Drinking Water Test Kit.
How to test water quality?
First, there are true DIY kits, which have you dip a series of color-changing paper strips into a sample of your tap water and compare the results against a standardized color chart. Second, there are more-expensive, send-away kits, which have you take water samples and ship them to a lab for detailed, direct measurement of the contaminants.
How to test for lead in water?
To do the test, you place a small sample of tap water into a test tube and then insert a clearly marked paper strip. Ten minutes later you simply check whether your test strip shows a blue line, indicating the presence of lead above the federal limit of 15 parts per billion. (Yes, it reminded us of home pregnancy tests, too.)
What is a tap score?
The SimpleWater Tap Score Advanced City Water Test is a send-away kit: You take samples of your water, put them into a handful of bottles, and ship them off (using an included mailing label) to a certified laboratory. There, your water is tested for more than 100 compounds, including metals such as lead, mercury, and arsenic; volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like chloroform; bacteria; and industrial and agricultural compounds like pesticides and nitrates. Tap Score is not the only highly accurate send-away kit, but no other kit we tested delivered nearly as useful a report. Tap Score not only tells you, in plain language, exactly which compounds are in your water (and the amount) but also explains their potential health risks and suggests ways of addressing any concerns. Tap Score also offers unmatched online support. You can chat with a representative, and if your questions go beyond their knowledge, the questions are passed on to experts, who follow up with a detailed email. All of this makes Tap Score by far the most user-friendly and informative home water quality test kit we found.
How many contaminants are in a send away kit?
This send-away kit delivers lab-tested measurements of more than 100 contaminants, and it explains what they mean and what to do if there’s a problem.
What are the contaminants in a home inspection kit?
The Test Assured Home Inspection Water Test Kit advertises that its “tests can detect lead and heavy arsenic, chlorine, fluoride, radon, bacteria, and hundreds of other contaminants.” In reality, it delivered measurements of only six: arsenic, coliform bacteria, E. coli itself, lead, nitrate, and nitrite. That extremely limited range of contaminants, plus the high cost for so few measurements and the very basic report—which offers no analysis or advice—made this kit an easy dismissal.
What are the chemicals in water?
There, your water is tested for more than 100 compounds, including metals such as lead, mercury, and arsenic; volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like chloroform; bacteria; and industrial and agricultural compounds like pesticides and nitrates.
What is a well test kit?
Monitoring a private well system with regular testing is crucial, as city and regional municipalities won't do so. Since a myriad of contaminants could impact your well supply, Safe Home's well test kit contains materials to screen for 16 different impurities, like total coliform bacteria and E. coli; metals, including iron and lead; inorganics, including nitrate and sulfate; and additional factors like pH levels and dissolved solids. It also contains a specific subset of testing capabilities for contaminants like hexavalent chromium and silver, which are more pressing concerns for water that isn't treated by a municipality. This kit only provides approximated results, so it should be a first step towards correcting issues for water well owners — a positive result from this test kit should prompt you to coordinate further tests with state-certified laboratories.
When should I test water at home?
It's easy to take water for granted — unless you see, smell, or taste a difference in the water coming from your tap, you probably don't think twice about potential contaminants or bacteria. For those who are routinely falling ill, especially with gastrointestinal issues, that may eventually clue you into an underlying bacterial issue in your home's tap. But the somewhat hair-raising reality is that many common water contaminants, including arsenic, are odorless and won't alter the color or taste of the water coming out of your sinks and tubs.
How often should you test for coliform bacteria?
The EPA has published a few recommendations to help ensure you're doing your best to catch potential water contaminants: Test every year for collective coliform bacteria, nitrates, pH levels, and dissolved solids. Conduct more tests if you have recently repaired or replaced pumps, pipes, a new well, or well casing.
What is a pool chemistry test?
Usually, homeowners have scheduled pool maintenance from certified professionals — but this chemistry test can give you near-instant results for chlorine levels, bromine concentrations, pH and alkalinity levels, as well as acid demand. Unlike other swimming water tests, it requires drop reagents as opposed to paper strips used in other kits on this list. The drops may provide a more accurate synopsis of your pool water's quality, especially for new users. "Easy to follow instructions, and more than enough chemicals to last a busy pool season," one Amazon reviewer shares.
What does a color system in water mean?
It's impressive considering that the kit tests for 50 different kinds of coliform bacteria most commonly found in water — a color system will indicate if your water sample contains bacteria that will require further diagnostics from a pricier lab test. 4.
What minerals are needed to test water hardness?
When you're testing for water hardness, you're searching for higher-than-appropriate amounts of dissolved minerals (primarily calcium and magnesium) in your tap's supply. Mineral deposits can spell disaster for your plumbing and appliances in particular.
When should you test for nitrates?
If you are welcoming a baby into the house, you should test for nitrate specifically in the early months of pregnancy, again before you bring the baby home, and once more during the first six months of the baby's life . The EPA recommends testing in the spring or summer season, especially during the rainy season.
What is the best water test kit for well water?
The W atersafe test kit can give you a somewhat accurate idea of how safe your drinking water is. It's especially good for testing pH, chlorine, lead, and bacteria and is the best water test kit for well water. Click here to check availability and price at Amazon.
What is the best way to test drinking water?
If you want an uncomplicated way to test drinking water from a municipal supply, the 10-in-1 Test Strips from JNW Direct are a good choice. Because it doesn't include a bacteria test, you won't want to use this if you're on well water.
What is the hardness of a water test kit?
Like most of the other water testing kits, it was a bit off on the hardness - 120 ppm versus the professional result of 85 ppm.
What is the maximum hardness of Aquascreen?
The AquaScreen instructions state that the recommended maximum level for hardness is 50 ppm, but that's not an EPA standard. So I have to ask: Who is making this recommendation? Water softener companies?
How long to wait for nitrate test?
The 4-in-1 strip tests for pH, total alkalinity, total chlorine, and total hardness. Dip and swirl the strip in water for 5 seconds, then wait 20 seconds.
How often can you use a test assured kit?
The Test Assured kit can be used once to test well water or municipal drinking water quality.
How long to wait to test pH?
The 4-in-1 strip tests for pH, total alkalinity, total chlorine, and total hardness. Dip and swirl the strip in water for 5 seconds, then wait 20 seconds. You're supposed to complete the color matching in 10 seconds, so you've gotta be fast!
What will the results of a water treatment kit include?
Your results will include not only contaminant levels but also water treatment advice, setting it apart from other kits.
Why is it important to test well water?
Performing tests on well water is particularly important, since the EPA doesn’t regulate private wells, so bacteria, along with nitrites, nitrates, and hydrogen sulfide, can easily affect your water source. This well water testing kit covers all the bases to give you peace of mind regarding the quality of your well water.
What are the contaminants in drinking water?
According to the National Sanitation Foundation's International’s Global Water Program, the primary contaminants found in drinking water are lead, arsenic, bacteria (coliform), cysts and viruses, chlorine, chloramine, chromium, fluoride, nitrates and nitrites, PFOA and PFOS, Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). 1
How long does it take to get a tap score?
You receive results within about 5 days and contaminants are quantified so that you can have more insights into your home’s water quality.
How long does it take to get results from chlorine test?
Approved Use: Pools | Tests For: Chlorine, Bromine, pH, Acid Demand, and Total Alkalinity | Time Until Results: 5 to 10 Minutes
How long does it take to test for lead in water?
This water testing kit for lead, mercury, copper, and iron takes under 15 minutes to complete.
When to use salt chlorine strips?
Use these strips if you suspect any issues with your salt-chlorine generator.
