Nobody wants to have hard water in the house. Damage to internal piping, appliances, limescale build-up, and skin irritation are just a few problems that hard water causes. In order to figure out if our water is too hard, we have to consult the water hardness scale (preferably a hard water ppm chart we list below).
According to the water hardness scale, more than 85% of US households have hard water in their piping. How to know if you have hard water? Simple:
The water hardness scale is a benchmark on how hard our water is.
Here is a quick hard water ppm chart that gives you a spectrum of water hardness in parts per million (ppm):
Scale Of Water Hardness (From Soft To Very Hard Water)
The internationally recognized water hardness scale recognizes 4 water hardness classes; from soft, moderately hard, hard, to very hard. By definition, water hardness is the total sum of molar concentrations of calcium ions (Ca2+) and magnesium ions (Mg2+).
We have there three main units with which we denote water hardness:
- Parts per million or PPM is equivalent to 1 mg/L CaCO3 (calcium carbonate). This is the same as mg/L (even if the ions are not specified; could be calcium ions, magnesium ions, or both). PPM is also equivalent to American degrees.
- Grains per gallon or GPG.
- Millimoles of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) per liter or mmol/L.
We also have other less-known units, such as degrees of general hardness (dGH or German degrees), Clark degrees or English degrees, French degrees, and so on.
In the US, the unit of water hardness is usually parts per million (ppm) or grains per gallon (GPG).
Here is the full water hardness scale (including hard water ppm chart) according to the USGS:
| Classification | Hardness (PPM) | Hardness (GPG) | Hardness (mmol/L) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soft | 0–60 | 0–3.50 | 0–o.60 |
| Moderately hard | 61–120 | 3.56-7.01 | o.61–1.20 |
| Hard |  121–180 | 7.06-10.51 | 1.21–1.80 |
| Very hard |  ≥ 181 | ≥ 10.57 | ≥ 1.81 |
mmol/L is a metric unit, usually in use outside of the US.
How to tell if you have hard water?
First, you have to measure the water hardness with a water hardness test. You can get it online for less than $20.
If you measure that your water hardness is below 60 ppm or 3.50 GPG, you don’t have to worry about hard water. By classification, you have soft water.
The reality is worse:
More than 90% of people find that their water is either moderately hard, hard, or very hard. Essentially, getting a 100+ ppm water hardness is not unusual; it’s actually very common.
What To Do If You Find Out You Have Hard Water?
The easiest thing is to just ignore the problem. That’s not recommended.
The immediate effects of using hard water might be apparent on your skin or on your dishes, and faucets. Hard water with a high concentration of calcium and magnesium ions causes white stains pretty much everywhere.
The more concerning are the long-term effects. Hard water will eventually lead to limescale build-up in your piping, washing machine, and so on, thereby limiting the lifespan of essential plumbing.
Here’s the deal:
You might not like it but fighting hard water is a smart long-term decision. Pretty much the only way that is very effective at softening water and eliminating all the problems that come with it is by installing a water softener. You can find a list of the best water softeners here.
These devices are designed to reduce the water hardness from 200, 300, or even 400 ppm to below 60 ppm. This process is simply called water softening.
We are considering a move and I have been studying water quality lately.
Neurosurgeon and Health Educator Dr. Jack Kruse favors hard water, high altitude spring waters and DDW Deuterium Depleted Water for health so while hard water may need to be avoided in pipes and household appliances drinking and water to cook with may matter a lot more that is commonly known for health.
I’ve read that studies have shown hard water areas have less heart issues.
This bears more research.
Let me know what you know about this.
Hi Martha, thank you for the great insight. Well, basically, the water hardness scale is to determine the effect on pipes and water-using appliances such as washing machines. The effect on human health, however, is altogether a different story and there are many diverse opinions of the matter. Our solemn goal here is to protect the piping and appliances.