Well water testing
#1
07-05-09, 07:28 PM
Well water testing
I would like to get my well water tested, but I am afraid that someone will lie to me and try to rip me off.
Heck, my fear is bonafide. It certainly wouldn't be the first time!
When I get my well water tested and sent off to a laboratory, are they supposed to be impartial and honest etc?
Is there a test that I can buy at home?
I know that Lowes sells a test and I have used it, but I am not sure that it was conclusive or "enough".
Any thoughts?
Thank you!
Heck, my fear is bonafide. It certainly wouldn't be the first time!
When I get my well water tested and sent off to a laboratory, are they supposed to be impartial and honest etc?
Is there a test that I can buy at home?
I know that Lowes sells a test and I have used it, but I am not sure that it was conclusive or "enough".
Any thoughts?
Thank you!
#2
07-05-09, 09:24 PM
Originally Posted by jj94auto
I would like to get my well water tested, but I am afraid that someone will lie to me and try to rip me off.
Heck, my fear is bonafide. It certainly wouldn't be the first time!
When I get my well water tested and sent off to a laboratory, are they supposed to be impartial and honest etc?
Is there a test that I can buy at home?
I know that Lowes sells a test and I have used it, but I am not sure that it was conclusive or "enough".
Any thoughts?
Thank you!
Heck, my fear is bonafide. It certainly wouldn't be the first time!
When I get my well water tested and sent off to a laboratory, are they supposed to be impartial and honest etc?
Is there a test that I can buy at home?
I know that Lowes sells a test and I have used it, but I am not sure that it was conclusive or "enough".
Any thoughts?
Thank you!
Besides, I assume that most of them are certified by the county or state. My buddy has a meat-cutting business and his state license requires he tests his well twice a year, and I'm sure the state requires he uses a certified lab or it would all be pointless. I would be surprised if there were any labs that WEREN'T certified.
I don't know how good home tests are, but I wouldn't bother with them.
#3
07-05-09, 09:57 PM
Originally Posted by Bruce 01
Other guys here know a whole lot more about this than I do, but what reason would a lab have to lie or be dishonest? What would they gain by it?
Besides, I assume that most of them are certified by the county or state. My buddy has a meat-cutting business and his state license requires he tests his well twice a year, and I'm sure the state requires he uses a certified lab or it would all be pointless. I would be surprised if there were any labs that WEREN'T certified.
I don't know how good home tests are, but I wouldn't bother with them.
Besides, I assume that most of them are certified by the county or state. My buddy has a meat-cutting business and his state license requires he tests his well twice a year, and I'm sure the state requires he uses a certified lab or it would all be pointless. I would be surprised if there were any labs that WEREN'T certified.
I don't know how good home tests are, but I wouldn't bother with them.
Thanks
#4
07-06-09, 04:56 AM
The guys to avoid are the guys offer "free tests." They want to sell you a water softener. They will not lie on the report, but the results are open to interpretation.
For example, they will make a big deal about telling you how awful the iron is and how it will stain your clothes and fixtures, but they can remove it for only a low, low $100 a month!
Just about everybody has iron in their water. Whether it needs to be removed is debatable. For example, some people have thick, gloppy rust that needs all sort of expensive filtering to remove and others get a stain in the tub after 3-5 years. Yet it is the guy who sees a little red that is the easiest mark since he is high profit and low complaint compared to the guy who really needs help.
These shady business practices have attracted the attention of the Florida Attorney General.
Florida Attorney General - How to Protect Yourself: Water Treatment Devices
How to Protect Yourself: Water Treatment Devices
Source: Florida Attorney General's Office
Fears about the purity of our water have increased dramatically in recent years, leading consumers to worry about the safety of their drinking water. News reports of leaking landfills, corroding lead pipes and deterioration of gasoline storage tanks have painted a gloomy picture of toxic wastes, pesticides and other chemicals seeping into both well and municipal water supplies. Although some contaminants have been found in some water supplies, most households using water from public sources should have few concerns. Predictably, some unscrupulous salespeople prey upon concerned consumers by using scare tactics and fraudulent practices to sell their water treatment devices.
Avoid "Free" home water tests
Fraudulent sellers that advertise "free home water testing" may only be interested in selling you their water treatment device, whether you need it, or not. In performing the test, the salesperson may add tablets or droplets of chemicals to your tap water, explaining that the water will change color or that particles will form if the water is contaminated. When the water changes color before your eyes, the salesperson may warn you that the water is polluted and may cause cancer. In almost all of these cases, any water (even spring water) would "fail" the company's test.
[more]
For example, they will make a big deal about telling you how awful the iron is and how it will stain your clothes and fixtures, but they can remove it for only a low, low $100 a month!
Just about everybody has iron in their water. Whether it needs to be removed is debatable. For example, some people have thick, gloppy rust that needs all sort of expensive filtering to remove and others get a stain in the tub after 3-5 years. Yet it is the guy who sees a little red that is the easiest mark since he is high profit and low complaint compared to the guy who really needs help.
These shady business practices have attracted the attention of the Florida Attorney General.
Florida Attorney General - How to Protect Yourself: Water Treatment Devices
How to Protect Yourself: Water Treatment Devices
Source: Florida Attorney General's Office
Fears about the purity of our water have increased dramatically in recent years, leading consumers to worry about the safety of their drinking water. News reports of leaking landfills, corroding lead pipes and deterioration of gasoline storage tanks have painted a gloomy picture of toxic wastes, pesticides and other chemicals seeping into both well and municipal water supplies. Although some contaminants have been found in some water supplies, most households using water from public sources should have few concerns. Predictably, some unscrupulous salespeople prey upon concerned consumers by using scare tactics and fraudulent practices to sell their water treatment devices.
Avoid "Free" home water tests
Fraudulent sellers that advertise "free home water testing" may only be interested in selling you their water treatment device, whether you need it, or not. In performing the test, the salesperson may add tablets or droplets of chemicals to your tap water, explaining that the water will change color or that particles will form if the water is contaminated. When the water changes color before your eyes, the salesperson may warn you that the water is polluted and may cause cancer. In almost all of these cases, any water (even spring water) would "fail" the company's test.
[more]
