How to Test Water for Acid at Home

All liquids--including water--have a characteristic of being acidic, neutral or alkaline (base). These levels are measured using the standard pH numerical system, through specialized papers called pH test strips. The strips change to different shades of colors when the sample is acidic, neutral, or alkaline. Since differing manufacturing methods are used for such strips, a color comparison chart is included on the test-strip bottle or printed on an insert in the package. The use of pH strips is the least expensive way to measure water pH at home.

Things You'll Need

• Clean glass cup or container
• pH test strips with color gradient chart
• Clean eye dropper

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Instructions

• 1

  Run a small amount of water in a clean, air-dried glass cup or container. Only an inch or two of water is needed, as testing will require only one or two drops of the water.

• 2

  Flush out any impurities in the eyedropper by inserting the tip of the eyedropper into the water. Squeeze the top to allow a small amount of the water into the tip of the eyedropper and then squeeze the water out into a sink.

• 3

  Lower the tip of the eyedropper into the water again and uptake a small amount.

• 4

  Hold a new pH paper test strip between the thumb and forefinger, holding the strip only by the edges so the strip doesn't measure the pH of the skin. Squeeze one or two drops of the water onto the pH test strip and allow the water to be absorbed completely. Give the strip about 30 seconds to change colors.

• 5

  Hold the dampened test strip next to the color gradient chart that came with the kit and compare the color of the strip, looking for the same identical color on the gradient chart. If the color indicates a reading between 1 and 6 pH, the water sample is acidic. The lower the number, the more acidic the water sample is. If the color compares with 7 pH, the water is neutral with an equal balance between acid and alkaline. If the color compares with one of the shades between 8 and 14 pH, the water sample is alkaline (the opposite of acidic) with the highest number being the most alkaline.