Gh/kh Kit

[bordercollie05]

I just got a GH/KH kit (API). I'm a little confused with the results.... I got GH to change after 5 drops, but after 20 KH still haadn't changed colors, so I gave up. I think my pH is around 8. Does this make sense?

I was confused as the chart given with the kit only goes up to 12 drops for either test.

Laura

 

[KajukiKing]

i live in IL to but can never find gh/kh test kits. Where did you get urs?

 

[Tobigara]

I just got a GH/KH kit (API). I'm a little confused with the results.... I got GH to change after 5 drops, but after 20 KH still haadn't changed colors, so I gave up. I think my pH is around 8. Does this make sense?

I was confused as the chart given with the kit only goes up to 12 drops for either test.

Laura

is the kh test yellow/orange or blue after 20 drops? if after 20 drops it's still blue, you have EXTREMELY hard water. if after 20 drops it's a yellowish color, you have a kh of 0.

 

[bordercollie05]

Yeah it was still blue....but I'm not sure I understand gh/kh all the way. We have a water softener....does that only affect the gh? Are they dependent upon one another (kh/gh)? I'm just confused how I got 5 for gh and >20 for kh. I've been trying to read about these things, but its kind of confusing....


Also, I got my kit at superpets in peoria, which is going out of buisness.....I did notice that petsmart doesn't carry it, so I jumped on the chance when I saw it. I bet you'd have the best luck finding one at a privately owned lfs rather than a chain.

 

[OldMan47]

kH is carbonate hardness, it is not what your softener is designed to remove. A home water softener works by replacing calcium and magnesium ions with sodium ions from the salt you use for regenerating it. Those are both what are positively charged ions. The carbonate ions are negatively charged ions. They are the other half of the natural salts that are in your raw water. If those salts are high in carbonates, the softener will have turned calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate into sodium carbonate salts. The carbonate will still be there so the kH won't change.

 

[celaeno]

i think you're supposed to shake the test tube or invert it a couple times after adding each drop.

 

[bordercollie05]

Thanks OldMan47, Thats what I didn't understand, but it makes sense now. Is it dangerous for the KH to be that high?

I'll try the test again tomorrow, just to be sure I was doing it correctly, but I did know you have to shake it, I read the directions about 10 times after I was getting the results I got.

Thanks again,

Laura