Drinking clean and safe water is necessary to maintain good health. Nowadays, the water that flows through our taps is full of chemicals, pollutants, and impurities, making it dangerous for consumption. Water purifier have become the need of the hour. Many different types have various uses. They filter the pollutants and ensure that it is safe to drink.
Once you buy one, you might wonder, “Is this water really safe to drink?” or “How do I test my water purifier at home?”. Many people are concerned about this, and it’s reasonable. You have to know how accurately a purifier works after buying.
There are ways to check if the water purifier is working. The testing criteria include a few points listed below, so read on!
3 methods to check the purity of your water
You might wonder what kind of testing is done on the water to know if it is pure enough to drink. There is a testing criteria required to check the accuracy.
Testing of a water purifier is easy at home using the following methods. They include:
- Inspection – Checking it at home
- Strip Kit – A water testing kit is used
- TDS meter – A TDS meter is placed into the water
Method 1: Do a self-inspection
1. Fill a clear glass with water
Run the tap for about a minute and let it fill up 3/4 of the glass.
2. Hold it up against a light source
Hold the glass against a window or lamp. If the water looks transparent and clear, there is probably nothing to worry about. But if you see any particles or feel cloudy, there is something in the water.
Keep the water on a flat surface and wait for it to settle down. Sometimes, it clears up in a few minutes, meaning the air bubbles cause it to look cloudy. Hard water has minerals that cause it to look hazy, but it’s safe to drink. If water has coloured particles, it could be from rubber or rust. It would help if you asked a plumber to get it checked.
3. Look for colour changes
Sometimes, your water could be free from floating particles but could still have a cloudy appearance. Discoloured water is a huge red flag and is unsafe to consume.
Dirt particles cause brown water, red and orange come from rusty pipes, green from algae, and black from lead. Immediately stop consumption if you see discoloured water flowing out of the faucet.
4. Taste and Smell Test
If the water tastes rotten or smells bad, consider it unsafe. It could be bacteria, chemicals or chlorine. When you check the taste of water in purifier, a bitter taste could be because of the metal in the water.
You can’t always smell or taste accurately, so get it checked professionally.
Method 2: Use a Strip Kit
1. Buy a water purity test kit
You can buy a water purity testing kit online or at a hardware store. There are many kinds of reactive strips available. These tests can measure various things like pH levels, hardness, mineral levels, and chemical composition in the water using just one strip.
2. Fill water in a clean glass
After washing a glass thoroughly, fill it with water to about 3/4 of it. There should be enough to cover the strip.
3. Submerge the strip for 2 seconds
Take the test strip and place it in the glass. After 2 seconds, remove it and put it on a paper towel. This will give it time to change colour.
If you get the test that checks for bacteria and lead, you must soak the strip in water for 10 minutes. Look through the instructions on the kit.
4.Compare the strip with the colour chart
Give the strip a minute to dry. Then, take the testing kit box and look at the colour chart. Compare the colour on your strip to that on the box and determine what it means.
The strip turns darker when something is detected in the water.
Method 3: Use a TDS Metre
1. What is TDS?
TDS stands for Total Dissolved Solids. It detects dissolved solids which are hard to see by the eye.
The TDS metre works fast and is an affordable option for finding out the levels of calcium and magnesium in your water. It does not check bacteria, viruses, pesticides or other contaminants.
Thenormal TDS for wateris between 50 and 150. Any level around 1000 PPM is dangerous for consumption. A TDS metre can be purchased online or at a hardware store.
2. Fill up water from the tap in a clean glass
Wash a glass thoroughly with soap and water. Sterilizing it is not necessary as bacteria are not going to be tested.
Fill up 3/4 of the glass with purified water, so there’s room for a meter.
3. Submerge the tip of the TDS meter in the water
Take out the TDS meter from the box. It looks like a thermometer. The tip activates when it is put into water.
After you activate it, put the tip of the meter at least 1.3 cm into the water. Once you see numbers on the screen, you can remove them.
4. Read the TDS meter
A TDS meter is measured in PPI – parts per million. A PPI of less than 600 is suitable and safe to drink. It is poor if it exceeds 900, and more than 1200 is terrible.
A high TDS can be treated in a regular or mini RO water purifier, while a low TDS means low levels of solid minerals.
In a Nutshell
The three methods seen above are easy to do on your own. But if you feel like there might be a problem, it is best to get the water checked out by a lab.
The RO filter is the best water purifier to eliminate all impurities and pollutants. It can filter out even the most minute particles, thus ensuring that you keep safe.
Do you test RO water? You can if you want to, but you will surely get good results.
Livpure water purifiers are of different types, but the RO+UV is highly recommended. It can filter out 99.9% of water toxins, making it fit for consumption. The water purifier priceis affordable and an excellent investment for safety.
