Hach 145300 Total Hardness Test Kit, Model 5-b

I bought the Hach Model 5-B Total Hardness Test Kit because I was troubleshooting my water softener and needed real numbers — not guesswork. Test strips weren’t cutting it. I needed to know exactly what my grains per gallon were. My raw water tested at 7–8 drops (around 7–8 GPG), and after running multiple regen cycles and adjusting salt settings, I was still getting 7 drops on the “soft” side. That told me immediately something wasn’t right with my system — seals, piston, resin, something. Without this kit, I would’ve assumed the softener was working because it was cycling normally. The drop-count method is super simple: fill the tube, add drops until it turns blue, and count. That’s it. Clear, repeatable results every time. No vague color matching or guessing like cheap strips. And it’s consistent — I tested from multiple bibs and got matching numbers. If you’re serious about dialing in a water softener or diagnosing problems, this kit is worth every penny. It gives you facts, not feelings. Helped me narrow down my issue and saved me from replacing parts blindly. Highly recommend for homeowners who like to troubleshoot their own equipment instead of just throwing parts at it.

This kit works great! My daughter has been complaining that her hair doesn't feel clean after shampooing. She said she needs a different shampoo. Then it dawned on me that my hair has been feeling the same way. I told my husband that I think we have hard water and something is wrong with our water softener. He replied, "No, our water is not hard, it is soft" Hmmmm A friend stopped by last week and said, "what did you do to your hair??? It is lighter than I have ever seen it and it looks like you have Orange highlights!!" I had not done anything, but I did notice that my hair color was a bit different lately (I am a brunette) and didn't know why. She looked closer and felt the ends of my hair and said, "you have hard water". So, I went on Amazon to order the testing strips, but read the many reviews and finally decided this kit would be more accurate than the strips. I received it the next day. Sure enough, it took over 20 drops for the mixture to turn blue. Yep, our water is HARD! The company that installed our water softener came out today. The kit he brought with him was almost identical to this one. I watched him and it took 25 drops for the water to turn blue~ the softener is not working at all. He took the unit with him to do repairs. " Rebed & Valve Repair". The parts are under warranty, so we just have to pay for service & labor charges. He will be back Friday with the repaired water softener. The bad news: The labor and service charge is going to be over $550!! Wow, that seems high for the Service Charge and Labor Only!! Ugh :( However, I do highly recommend this test kit. Instructions on the box were clear and easy to follow. Maybe if we had bought this test earlier to use on occasion, we could saved some money in repairs. After it is fixed, I will think I will continue to use this kit on a Monthly basis to make sure the softener continues to be working as it should. ;).

Easy to use. Quick results.

Ok, so it’s accurate and easy to use, but the Hach company provides absolutely NO DOCUMENTATION with what the various hardness levels are. The bar code sticker is placed over the English instructions (really stupid to do this). The paper instructions that came in the box have three different languages, but NO ENGLISH.

The Hach 5-B test kit is hands down the best test kit for home maintenance I have ever bought across the 6 houses we’ve owned. It has saved me well over $1000 in repair costs and continues save me money in water, water softener salt, and maintenance. Plus, my family is never mad about the water being hard! Here’s how it’s helped me and how it may help you. Move In: When we moved into our latest house, my family complained about the water. I bought a Hach 5-B test kit from Amazon because after reading about testing options, things like test strips seem inaccurate, and I thought I might need to do a lot of testing. For the Hach, you put your water sample into a bottle, add a powder that turns pink when the water is hard, and then use an eye dropper to add drops that eventually change the sample color from pink to blue. The number of drops required tells you how hard your water is. 0-3 drops is considered soft, 7 or more is hard. My water took 22 drops to turn blue. The home inspection definitely didn’t help us avoid a defective water softener! By the way, we live in South Texas with Edwards Aquifer water, and aquifer water is very good but also very hard. Since the water softener was proprietary with no warranty, the repair (complete system overhaul and rebed) was over $1000 through that company. I used the Hach 5-B to test alternatives, and it confirmed anything less would fail. Since the proprietary system really wasn’t a good fit for us, I decided to convert it to a non-propriety system, and it actually ended up costing a fraction of the proprietary repair. It was amazing to see our water sample turn blue with just 0-1 drops after the conversion! Ongoing Usage: Since our water utility district has been shifting to increased sourcing of our water from aquifers to surface sources (lakes, rivers), I’ve been using the Hach 5-B to test the water from the utility (before it gets softened by our water softener). The more surface water you get, the softer the utility’s water is. From 22 drops (or you can use the term GPG), hardness went down to 14 GPG in 2023, and then down to 9 GPG in 2026. “Less hard” utility water means it costs less to operate your water softener to make soft water. This means that over time, I’ve been able to reduce the amount of salt used to soften water by 40%. I’ve also been able to substantially reduce water usage (regeneration time now set at 14 days). To sum up, my Hach 5-B has been an essential tool for me to maintain soft water for me and my family, and keep costs to a minimum. Given how important good water is, actually knowing where you stand will help you take action, especially if someone else is taking care of your water for you. Tech Notes: This is for the scoffers, not for those who just want to read a review. 1. Converted proprietary system with 1.5 cu ft of Crystal Right (TM) media to Clack WS1 with 1.5 cu ft of Aldex C-800x10 10% crosslinked media. Reused all of original system except control board, face plate and back plate, injector and some seals. You can ask Google Gemini AI to overview differences between softeners including your own. 2. Adjusted Clack WS1 capacity to 36,000 grains and reduced original salt usage from 15 lbs down to 9 lbs for 9 GPG, and at 9 GPG, set regeneration at 14 days. Regular scheduled maintenance for Clack WS1 performed after conversion. If you are curious about settings for your water softener or any other one, Google Gemini AI can give you an initial explanation. I talked to a pro and had help from a water softener company.