Calcium & Magnesium Test kits

[EccentricDyslexic]

I am waiting for the labs at South Staffs Water to get back to me with the numbers i need for GW's Liquor Treatment calc, but will buy one of those salifert KH/alk to back up thier figures.

I was thinking is it worth getting a calcium or magnesium test too?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Salifert-Ca-Profi ... 5638fe8672

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Salifert-Mg-Profi ... 335894066a

Ta chaps!

Steve

[WallyBrew]

Those test kits are designed to determine the much higher levels of calcium and magnesium in sea water than are generally present in mains water
Whilst there are places in the UK with magnesium levels greater than 5, most are 5 or less but none come near the 1200 odd present in sea water
The calcium test kit might just work but again it is designed for the 400 to 450 level in sea water not the generally less than 120 of mains water
The KH test kit works because the level of alkalinity in sea water is about 120 as calcium carbonate (iirc)

So bottom line I would suggest you don't waste your money

[EccentricDyslexic]

Thanks for the advice chaps, will stick with the KH/Alk test!

Steve

[Aleman]

I got one of the Calcium test kits as a trial for something I'm putting together for the CBA, and have found that it is OK for the purpose. . . . while it may not be brilliant it does the job in giving you an idea of what you calcium level is . . . which TBH is all you really need to know. I live in a soft (very low calcium and magnesium) water region and United utilites reports my average Calcium concentration as 17.6mg/l . . . The calcium test kit pretty much agrees coming in at 20mg/l . . . when I add a known amount of calcium salt the calcium test kit reports back with a value which is within the ball park of what I calculated it to be (5mg/l either way) while not super accurate, its close enough.