How to check the pH (Potential Hydrogen) in your water

pH Scale

I will give you a step by step introduction how to check the pH in your water.
pH is a unit of measure used to determine the acidity or basicity of water. The common pH scale ranges from
0-14. It is said that pH of 7.0 is neutral pH. Anything measuring below 7.0 is increasingly acidic as it come closer to pH of 0. Anything measuring above 7.0 is increasingly basic or alkali as it come closer to pH of 14.0. The pH of water is very important regardless of what application. Water with extremely acidic or basic pH can have adverse affects in any application.

Instructions

1. First you must have a means to check the pH in the water. For residential use I recommend you go to the local swimming pool supply shop and ask for pH strips. Usually they will offer you litmus paper but I do not recommend it. The results of the litmus paper are not as defined as the pH strips. The container of the pH strips will have explicit directions on how to use them. Keep in mind that temperature is a big factor in pH measurement. For commercial or industrial use I recommend a good pH meter with electrode. Most laboratory supply companies have them. They can be a little costly but are a very useful tool. These meters are able to measure small differences in millivoltage according to the pH and convert that to the digital ph reading you see on the meter.

2. Second you must get a clean sample container. Getting a good sample is a very important part of getting an accurate pH reading. The container used to gather the sample should be clean and have no residual solution of any kind in it. If it contains any type of cleaner or rinsing agents that are not phosphate free you will most likely get a false reading. If you must clean the container use deionized water and a phosphate free residue free cleaner.

3. Third you must retrieve the sample. If you are getting a sample from the water faucet at your home I recommend you let the water flow for a few seconds. Occasionally if there is an accumulation of impurities in the water lines and the water has been sitting stagnant for a while the impurities can change the pH of the water. Letting the water flow for a few seconds will assure a fresh and more accurate sample. If you are getting a sample from a pond or water well I recommend getting the sample from an area that does not look stagnant.

4. Last you should take the sample and let it sit in an area of normal room temperature for a while so the temperature of the sample can change to that of the room temperature. If the water is too cold or too hot you will get a false reading. If you are using a pH meter with Temperature compensation there is no need to wait because the meter will adjust for the temperature in the sample. If you are using the pH strips the container might have a temperature compensation chart attached. Dip the ph strip or pH electrode into the sample and wait for a few seconds. follow instructions on the container of the ph strip. The container will come with a color chart which will give you the pH value. The meter will give you a digital read out of the pH value.