Water Hardness Test Kit: Certified Lab Grains-Per-Gallon Analysis
Get your exact hardness in grains per gallon, the one number that sizes a water softener correctly for your household.
Not sure if you need a water hardness test kit?Call or text Aidan. Tell him what you are seeing (white scale, spotty dishes, soap that will not lather, dry skin) and he will tell you whether this test is the right next step or if a broader panel or a simpler answer fits better. Free, no obligation.
✓ Digital lab report from the independent testing lab, emailed when complete
✓ Personal results review and equipment recommendation from our team
Collect early in the week so your sample reaches the lab before the weekend. Lab analysis takes about 5 business days once the sample arrives.
1
Order Your Kit
We ship the kit to your door with free shipping. It contains everything you need to collect a sample: bottles, vials, instructions, and a prepaid return label.
2
Collect Your Sample
Follow the simple instructions to draw a sample from your tap. About 5 minutes, no technical knowledge required.
3
Mail It Back
Drop the prepaid package at a carrier location. It goes to the nearest independent, certified lab in the SimpleLab network so your results stay accurate.
4
Get Results + Expert Review
Your independent lab report arrives by email in about 5 business days. Then Aidan personally reviews your numbers and tells you exactly what they mean and what to do.
What makes step 4 different from every other water test
Other companies hand you a lab report and say good luck. We are a water treatment company that has solved well and city water problems for over 30 years. The testing is done by an independent, third-party certified lab so the data is unbiased. Then we tell you exactly how to fix what the lab found, and we have the equipment and expertise to back it up.
What This Test Measures
1
Hardness.
Hard water is dissolved calcium and magnesium. You see it as white scale on faucets and glassware, spots on dishes, soap that will not lather, dry skin and hair, and shortened life on water heaters and appliances. What you cannot see is the number, and a water softener is sized directly from it.
This test reports your hardness from a certified lab in both mg/L as calcium carbonate and grains per gallon (gpg). Combined with your household size and water use, that number sets the softener grain capacity and regeneration schedule. Too small a softener runs out of soft water between regenerations; too large wastes salt and money.
Method: Hardness as calcium carbonate; reported in mg/L and grains per gallon
Reference: Soft: 0-3 gpg. Moderately hard: 3-7 gpg. Hard: 7-10 gpg. Very hard: 10+ gpg. Softeners are typically sized for anything above ~7 gpg.
What fixes it: Water Softeners
Fleck-valve softeners sized to your exact grains-per-gallon and household demand.
When your independent lab report comes back, it goes to Aidan, one of our owners and a water treatment specialist with over 30 years of hands-on experience. Because the testing is done by a third-party lab, the data is impartial. He reads your numbers, knows what matters for hardness & scale, and gives you a clear recommendation for your situation.
You Get a Clear, Specific Recommendation
→ Whether this contaminant needs treatment, and how urgently
→ The exact equipment and size for your home, if any is needed
→ The correct installation order alongside anything else you treat
→ Estimated cost and what maintenance to expect
If Your Water Tests Clean, We Tell You That
We would rather earn your trust by being honest than sell you equipment you do not need. If your result comes back within safe limits, Aidan will tell you exactly that. No upselling, no fear tactics.
"I had my water tested and sent Aidan the results. Within hours he told me exactly what I needed: an iron filter and a neutralizer. After watching his YouTube videos I already trusted him. The recommendation was spot on and the system works perfectly." ★★★★★
Amber G., Verified Buyer
"I did two water tests at home and got inconsistent results. Called Aidan and he walked me through everything. Explained what the numbers meant, which ones mattered, and put together the right package for my house. No pressure, just honest advice." ★★★★★
Jerry S., Verified Buyer
"Water treatment is confusing. There's so much hype out there. I sent my test results to Mid Atlantic Water and Aidan cut through all the noise. Told me exactly what I needed, no more, no less. Been running the system for months now and the water is perfect." ★★★★★
Chuck B., Verified Buyer
Size Your Softener From a Real Number, Not a Guess.
Water hardness measured at an independent certified lab in grains per gallon, plus a personal softener-sizing recommendation from a 30-year water treatment expert.
Every water softener is sized from one number: your hardness in grains per gallon. Guess low and the softener runs out of soft water between regenerations; guess high and you overpay and waste salt for the life of the system. Scale and spotting tell you that you have hard water, but they cannot tell you whether it is 8 gpg or 22 gpg.
This test measures hardness as calcium carbonate at an independent, NELAC/ELAP-accredited lab and reports it in both mg/L and grains per gallon, the unit softeners are actually sized in. It is the foundation of a correctly sized system.
Aidan reviews your hardness alongside your household size and water use, then recommends the exact softener grain capacity and regeneration schedule, or a salt-free conditioner when that is the better fit. Test first, size it right, and stop fighting scale.
✔Certified Lab Result
✔Independent Certified Lab
✔Expert Review Included
✔Results in ~5 business days
✔Free Return Shipping
✔Hardness & Scale
Feature
Our System
Others
What You Get
✔
Certified lab, parts-per-billion
Color strips: a rough guess, not a number
Accuracy
✔
Parts-per-billion (ICP-MS)
Rough color estimates
Lab Certified
✔
NELAC/ELAP accredited
No lab involved
Designed For
✔
Hardness & Scale
Generic, no targeted method
Expert Review
✔
Included (30-year specialist)
Not available
Treatment Plan
✔
Personalized equipment recommendation
Generic or none
Return Shipping
✔
Free overnight (prepaid)
Not included
What You Get
✅ UsCertified lab, parts-per-billion
❌ ThemColor strips: a rough guess, not a number
Accuracy
✅ UsParts-per-billion (ICP-MS)
❌ ThemRough color estimates
Lab Certified
✅ UsNELAC/ELAP accredited
❌ ThemNo lab involved
Designed For
✅ UsHardness & Scale
❌ ThemGeneric, no targeted method
Expert Review
✅ UsIncluded (30-year specialist)
❌ ThemNot available
Treatment Plan
✅ UsPersonalized equipment recommendation
❌ ThemGeneric or none
Return Shipping
✅ UsFree overnight (prepaid)
❌ ThemNot included
✔ Get a Full Report With Every Test
Every test includes a personal review of your results by Aidan, a water treatment specialist with over 30 years of experience. Call, text, or email anytime before, during, or after your test.
📞 Call Us800-460-5810
✉️ Email Supportsupport@midatlanticwater.net
🕒 Live Hours7 days a week
Frequently Asked Questions
A strip gives you a rough band, but softener sizing is done from a real number. The difference between 8 gpg and 18 gpg is the difference between two completely different softener capacities and regeneration schedules. A certified lab hardness result removes the guesswork so you buy the right size once.
Water above about 7 grains per gallon is considered hard and is where most homeowners notice scale, spotting, and soap problems. From 7 to 10 gpg is hard and 10+ is very hard. Below 3 to 4 gpg, most people are comfortable without softening. Your exact number, plus how many people and fixtures are in the home, sets the right grain capacity.
No, this is a focused hardness measurement. If you also see orange-brown staining, iron is a separate issue that a softener alone may not fully handle, and you would want the Iron Water Test too, or the Well Water Test for the full picture. Aidan will help you sort out which systems you actually need.
Aidan reviews your hardness and household details and recommends the exact softener grain capacity (or a salt-free conditioner if that fits better), then helps you install and dial it in. If your water is soft enough to skip treatment, he will tell you.
Absolutely. Call or text Aidan at 800-460-5810. He is available 7 days a week. If you are not sure whether you need this test, he can help you figure that out in a few minutes. No sales pitch, just straight answers. You can also email support@midatlanticwater.net.
Water Hardness Test Ki...$99.00
The Cost of Guessing Wrong
A focused lab test vs thousands in wrong equipment.
What happens when you skip the test
Without a lab number, you are guessing. We have seen it hundreds of times: a homeowner buys the wrong system, or the wrong size, because staining or smell or scale looked a certain way. Wrong equipment means wasted money, an unsolved problem, and an eventual second purchase.
A focused lab test tells you exactly what is in your water so you buy the right equipment the first time. It is not a cost. It is insurance against a much larger mistake.
The Real Comparison
Guessing (No Test)
$1,000-$3,000
❌Lifespan: Fails in 3-4 years
❌Result: Frequent repairs, poor water quality, leaks
❌Support: None
Wrong or mis-sized equipment
Best Long-Term Value
Test First, Then Buy Right
$99
✅Lifespan: Lasts 15+ years
✅Result: Done right the first time, peace of mind
✅Support: Lifetime USA Support
Right equipment the first time
The test costs a small fraction of a single piece of water treatment equipment. If it keeps you from buying the wrong system even once, it has paid for itself many times over.
What this test gets you
A certified-lab measurement of hardness & scale using Hardness as calcium carbonate; reported in mg/L and grains per gallon, plus a personal recommendation from a 30-year water treatment expert. The exact number you need to make the right decision, done right the first time.
Contact Us
800-460-5810
We're here to help.
Accuracy Guarantee
Independent Certified Lab · Hardness as calcium carbonate; reported in mg/L and grains per gallon
The Guarantee: Your sample is analyzed by an independent, NELAC/ELAP-accredited lab using validated methods. If your kit does not arrive, the lab loses your sample, results are delayed beyond 10 business days, or anything else goes wrong in the process, we will send a replacement kit at no charge or issue a full refund. No questions, no hassle.
30+YEARS EXPERIENCE
10,000+HOMES HELPED
5.0★Success Rate
Your test is processed by a third-party certified lab in the SimpleLab network, independently accredited under NELAC/ELAP standards. We never touch the testing. The lab runs validated, EPA-standard methods to produce results you can trust. Then Aidan reviews your numbers and tells you exactly what they mean.
Why DIY Test Strips Can't Compare
+
DIY test strips test a handful of parameters with color-changing pads you match against a chart. They cannot detect contaminants at the low levels that matter for health, and they miss critical analytes entirely.
Our test uses the same certified-lab method state and federal drinking-water programs use: Hardness as calcium carbonate; reported in mg/L and grains per gallon. The difference between a strip and a certified lab is the difference between guessing and knowing.
How Our Testing Process Works
1
Test Your Water
Order the kit, collect your sample, and mail it back. Your water is analyzed by a NELAC/ELAP certified lab using Hardness as calcium carbonate; reported in mg/L and grains per gallon.
2
Get Expert Analysis
Aidan reviews your results and creates a specific recommendation for your household: what to do, what equipment, what size, and why. No generic advice, no upselling.
Fix It Right the First Time
If you need treatment, we help you select the right system, ship it to your door, and provide free lifetime technical support for installation and maintenance. One company from test to treatment.
I have been solving well and city water problems for over 30 years. Send me your hardness & scale result and I will tell you exactly what you need, or exactly why you do not need anything at all.
