Versatile Home Test Kit for Lead in Water, Food, and Spices.
Discussion about a new affordable lead testing device for tap water highlights a broader consumer interest. One comment specifically asks if such a device could also test for lead in food or spices. Additionally, the skepticism about the true purpose and reliability of existing free mail-in kits—often seen as just ads—points to an opportunity for a trusted, accurate, and more versatile home testing solution. The expected benefit? Increased consumer safety and peace of mind through an affordable, reliable, and accessible kit that can test for lead not only in water but also in other consumables.
Origin Reddit Post
r/gadgets
Low-cost device could allow homeowners to test their own tap water for lead | An experimental new device could soon allow homeowners to check for themselves, instead of waiting for the city t
Posted by u/chrisdh79•05/31/2025
Top Comments
u/Paxoro
Pretty much this. *Never* get your stuff "sampled" by an entity that is invested in getting you to spend money to "solve" the issue.
Of course Culligan is going to tell you that there's "a l
u/Paxoro
Pretty much this. *Never* get your stuff "sampled" by an entity that is invested in getting you to spend money to "solve" the issue.
Of course Culligan is going to tell you that there's "a l
u/Dougaldikin
I have strips I dip in my water that tell me the lead content. Do those not work?
u/Blurgas
Something to remember that Germany could fit within the space Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan take up.
UK would fit within Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana
The US also has abou
u/GoldenRamoth
Walk down the plumbing or filtration aisle, I don't remember which. They're usually hanging on the walls
Or, you can just ask customer service where they are.
Or check here: https://www.hom
u/Zerocoolx1
Ah yes, the most advanced and powerful country in the world. The country that says it’s number 1 (really it’s just a number 2), the land of the free.
u/cafk
Replacing them with modern pipes has been mandatory since ~1970-1980 for the UK & Germany from what i managed to quickly look up.
So if an old broken mains line was lead based - it has
u/Lopsided_Speaker_553
For people living in a country with adequate standards: no need to test water for lead 👍
u/mysecondaccountanon
*glances at Pittsburgh’s lead crisis*
I’m glad to have gotten ours fixed by the water authority, but my gosh it has been such an issue for my whole life. Growing up we were told do not drink
u/Dougaldikin
Cool thank you for the response mine showed zero lead and a ton of carbonate which makes sense due to the water clearly being very hard due to the abundance of limestone in our area and it be
u/WarningPleasant2729
‘Merica
u/Paxoro
Pretty much this. *Never* get your stuff "sampled" by an entity that is invested in getting you to spend money to "solve" the issue.
Of course Culligan is going to tell you that there's "a l
u/GoldenRamoth
I know swabs are notoriously finicky for paint detection.
Idk about water strips. Though the ones for aquariums aren't as good as drops.
u/cafk
Replacing them with modern pipes has been mandatory since ~1970-1980 for the UK & Germany from what i managed to quickly look up.
So if an old broken mains line was lead based - it has
u/johnson7853
I’m in Canada and have lead pipes.
u/lumberjack_dan
Those are just ads get your info and bombard you with offers to get you to buy a water softener or house water filter. I don't think they actually test it.
u/lidelle
Is that list longer than 10 countries? Do they regularly update the pipes delivering water to residential homes? I’m curious not trying to be an ass. One of the issues with lead in our system
u/johnson7853
I’m in Canada and have lead pipes.
u/Dougaldikin
Thanks for the response I’m glad this let me know there are better options.
u/TMQ73
We do a literal ton of water testing for schools along with other soil, water, and air sampling. There is allot of sketchy stuff that you can get at Home Depot or online. First are proper sa
u/mysecondaccountanon
*glances at Pittsburgh’s lead crisis*
I’m glad to have gotten ours fixed by the water authority, but my gosh it has been such an issue for my whole life. Growing up we were told do not drink
u/thisischemistry
They work just fine. They aren't extremely accurate but they are good enough to give you a general idea and see if you need further testing. If they indicate that you might have a higher leve
u/DramaticStability
The UK, in certain areas. It's becoming an increasingly recognised issue.
u/GoldenRamoth
They did on mine. I sent my water in and got a water report after a couple of weeks.
But yes, they do it to sell you the fix.
u/thisischemistry
Yeah, I'd expect a lot of carbonates in that kind of area. An ion exchange resin is probably best for that. Reverse osmosis is also excellent but it's a bit more expensive, as well as energy
u/lidelle
Man. First world countries must be nice! (Im in the US)
u/WarningPleasant2729
‘Merica
u/cafk
Replacing them with modern pipes has been mandatory since ~1970-1980 for the UK & Germany from what i managed to quickly look up.
So if an old broken mains line was lead based - it has
u/lumberjack_dan
Those are just ads get your info and bombard you with offers to get you to buy a water softener or house water filter. I don't think they actually test it.
u/cafk
Replacing them with modern pipes has been mandatory since ~1970-1980 for the UK & Germany from what i managed to quickly look up.
So if an old broken mains line was lead based - it has
u/Dougaldikin
I have strips I dip in my water that tell me the lead content. Do those not work?
u/TMQ73
We do a literal ton of water testing for schools along with other soil, water, and air sampling. There is allot of sketchy stuff that you can get at Home Depot or online. First are proper sa
u/Dougaldikin
I have strips I dip in my water that tell me the lead content. Do those not work?
u/Dougaldikin
Cool thank you for the response mine showed zero lead and a ton of carbonate which makes sense due to the water clearly being very hard due to the abundance of limestone in our area and it be
u/Blurgas
Something to remember that Germany could fit within the space Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan take up.
UK would fit within Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana
The US also has abou
u/WarningPleasant2729
‘Merica
u/johnson7853
I’m in Canada and have lead pipes.
u/Dougaldikin
Cool thank you for the response mine showed zero lead and a ton of carbonate which makes sense due to the water clearly being very hard due to the abundance of limestone in our area and it be
u/thisischemistry
Yeah, I'd expect a lot of carbonates in that kind of area. An ion exchange resin is probably best for that. Reverse osmosis is also excellent but it's a bit more expensive, as well as energy
u/GoldenRamoth
I know swabs are notoriously finicky for paint detection.
Idk about water strips. Though the ones for aquariums aren't as good as drops.
u/lumberjack_dan
Those are just ads get your info and bombard you with offers to get you to buy a water softener or house water filter. I don't think they actually test it.
u/GoldenRamoth
I know swabs are notoriously finicky for paint detection.
Idk about water strips. Though the ones for aquariums aren't as good as drops.
u/Lopsided_Speaker_553
For people living in a country with adequate standards: no need to test water for lead 👍
u/WarningPleasant2729
‘Merica
u/Dougaldikin
I have strips I dip in my water that tell me the lead content. Do those not work?
u/GoldenRamoth
They did on mine. I sent my water in and got a water report after a couple of weeks.
But yes, they do it to sell you the fix.
u/lidelle
Is that list longer than 10 countries? Do they regularly update the pipes delivering water to residential homes? I’m curious not trying to be an ass. One of the issues with lead in our system
u/thisischemistry
Yeah, I'd expect a lot of carbonates in that kind of area. An ion exchange resin is probably best for that. Reverse osmosis is also excellent but it's a bit more expensive, as well as energy
u/Zerocoolx1
What kind of shitty country still has this problem?
u/Dougaldikin
Thanks for the response I’m glad this let me know there are better options.
u/Dougaldikin
Cool thank you for the response mine showed zero lead and a ton of carbonate which makes sense due to the water clearly being very hard due to the abundance of limestone in our area and it be
u/cafk
Replacing them with modern pipes has been mandatory since ~1970-1980 for the UK & Germany from what i managed to quickly look up.
So if an old broken mains line was lead based - it has
u/shitposts_over_9000
unless someone is messing up the pH of your water or you have recently done work on lead pipes without replacing them (naughty naughty) there is little need for persistent testing if you are
u/Blurgas
Something to remember that Germany could fit within the space Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan take up.
UK would fit within Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana
The US also has abou
u/Zerocoolx1
What kind of shitty country still has this problem?
u/Zerocoolx1
What kind of shitty country still has this problem?
u/lidelle
Is that list longer than 10 countries? Do they regularly update the pipes delivering water to residential homes? I’m curious not trying to be an ass. One of the issues with lead in our system
u/shitposts_over_9000
unless someone is messing up the pH of your water or you have recently done work on lead pipes without replacing them (naughty naughty) there is little need for persistent testing if you are
u/GoldenRamoth
I know swabs are notoriously finicky for paint detection.
Idk about water strips. Though the ones for aquariums aren't as good as drops.
u/DramaticStability
The UK, in certain areas. It's becoming an increasingly recognised issue.
u/Dougaldikin
I have strips I dip in my water that tell me the lead content. Do those not work?
u/GoldenRamoth
For everyone else: Home Depot has mail in kits that will let you do it for free.
u/lumberjack_dan
Those are just ads get your info and bombard you with offers to get you to buy a water softener or house water filter. I don't think they actually test it.
u/GoldenRamoth
For everyone else: Home Depot has mail in kits that will let you do it for free.
u/shitposts_over_9000
unless someone is messing up the pH of your water or you have recently done work on lead pipes without replacing them (naughty naughty) there is little need for persistent testing if you are
u/Blurgas
Something to remember that Germany could fit within the space Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan take up.
UK would fit within Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana
The US also has abou
u/GoldenRamoth
For everyone else: Home Depot has mail in kits that will let you do it for free.
u/WarningPleasant2729
‘Merica
u/Zerocoolx1
What kind of shitty country still has this problem?
u/thisischemistry
Yeah, I'd expect a lot of carbonates in that kind of area. An ion exchange resin is probably best for that. Reverse osmosis is also excellent but it's a bit more expensive, as well as energy
u/Zerocoolx1
What kind of shitty country still has this problem?
u/lumberjack_dan
Those are just ads get your info and bombard you with offers to get you to buy a water softener or house water filter. I don't think they actually test it.
u/Tankninja1
As opposed to the water test strips that you can buy at any hardware store where you can get like 100 test strips for $10?
u/Blurgas
Something to remember that Germany could fit within the space Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan take up.
UK would fit within Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana
The US also has abou
u/Lopsided_Speaker_553
For people living in a country with adequate standards: no need to test water for lead 👍
u/thisischemistry
They work just fine. They aren't extremely accurate but they are good enough to give you a general idea and see if you need further testing. If they indicate that you might have a higher leve
u/Any_Wrangler_4822
Low cost to test high cost to fix.
u/lidelle
Man. First world countries must be nice! (Im in the US)
u/rearwindowpup
Depending on where you got them and the brand they may or may not be accurate. Theres apparently a lot of test strips and swabs on Amazon that are basically useless.
u/thisischemistry
Yeah, I'd expect a lot of carbonates in that kind of area. An ion exchange resin is probably best for that. Reverse osmosis is also excellent but it's a bit more expensive, as well as energy
u/mysecondaccountanon
*glances at Pittsburgh’s lead crisis*
I’m glad to have gotten ours fixed by the water authority, but my gosh it has been such an issue for my whole life. Growing up we were told do not drink
u/Paxoro
Pretty much this. *Never* get your stuff "sampled" by an entity that is invested in getting you to spend money to "solve" the issue.
Of course Culligan is going to tell you that there's "a l
u/johnson7853
I’m in Canada and have lead pipes.
u/lidelle
Is that list longer than 10 countries? Do they regularly update the pipes delivering water to residential homes? I’m curious not trying to be an ass. One of the issues with lead in our system
u/Any_Wrangler_4822
Low cost to test high cost to fix.
u/lidelle
Is that list longer than 10 countries? Do they regularly update the pipes delivering water to residential homes? I’m curious not trying to be an ass. One of the issues with lead in our system
u/cafk
Replacing them with modern pipes has been mandatory since ~1970-1980 for the UK & Germany from what i managed to quickly look up.
So if an old broken mains line was lead based - it has
u/Dougaldikin
Cool thank you for the response mine showed zero lead and a ton of carbonate which makes sense due to the water clearly being very hard due to the abundance of limestone in our area and it be
u/shitposts_over_9000
unless someone is messing up the pH of your water or you have recently done work on lead pipes without replacing them (naughty naughty) there is little need for persistent testing if you are
u/Tankninja1
As opposed to the water test strips that you can buy at any hardware store where you can get like 100 test strips for $10?
u/Lopsided_Speaker_553
For people living in a country with adequate standards: no need to test water for lead 👍
u/WarningPleasant2729
‘Merica
u/pkinetics
Unfortunately, you'd be surprised at the number of first world countries that still have lead service lines connecting from the water mains to the properties. It's an old problem that people
u/mysecondaccountanon
*glances at Pittsburgh’s lead crisis*
I’m glad to have gotten ours fixed by the water authority, but my gosh it has been such an issue for my whole life. Growing up we were told do not drink
u/thisischemistry
They work just fine. They aren't extremely accurate but they are good enough to give you a general idea and see if you need further testing. If they indicate that you might have a higher leve
u/Dougaldikin
I have strips I dip in my water that tell me the lead content. Do those not work?
u/GoldenRamoth
For everyone else: Home Depot has mail in kits that will let you do it for free.
u/rearwindowpup
Depending on where you got them and the brand they may or may not be accurate. Theres apparently a lot of test strips and swabs on Amazon that are basically useless.
u/GoldenRamoth
I know swabs are notoriously finicky for paint detection.
Idk about water strips. Though the ones for aquariums aren't as good as drops.
u/GoldenRamoth
For everyone else: Home Depot has mail in kits that will let you do it for free.
u/GoldenRamoth
They did on mine. I sent my water in and got a water report after a couple of weeks.
But yes, they do it to sell you the fix.
u/mysecondaccountanon
*glances at Pittsburgh’s lead crisis*
I’m glad to have gotten ours fixed by the water authority, but my gosh it has been such an issue for my whole life. Growing up we were told do not drink
u/rearwindowpup
Depending on where you got them and the brand they may or may not be accurate. Theres apparently a lot of test strips and swabs on Amazon that are basically useless.
u/WarningPleasant2729
‘Merica
u/rearwindowpup
Depending on where you got them and the brand they may or may not be accurate. Theres apparently a lot of test strips and swabs on Amazon that are basically useless.
u/GoldenRamoth
I know swabs are notoriously finicky for paint detection.
Idk about water strips. Though the ones for aquariums aren't as good as drops.
u/TMQ73
We do a literal ton of water testing for schools along with other soil, water, and air sampling. There is allot of sketchy stuff that you can get at Home Depot or online. First are proper sa
u/TMQ73
We do a literal ton of water testing for schools along with other soil, water, and air sampling. There is allot of sketchy stuff that you can get at Home Depot or online. First are proper sa
u/cafk
Replacing them with modern pipes has been mandatory since ~1970-1980 for the UK & Germany from what i managed to quickly look up.
So if an old broken mains line was lead based - it has
u/Paxoro
Pretty much this. *Never* get your stuff "sampled" by an entity that is invested in getting you to spend money to "solve" the issue.
Of course Culligan is going to tell you that there's "a l
u/Zerocoolx1
What kind of shitty country still has this problem?
u/johnson7853
I’m in Canada and have lead pipes.
u/b_a_t_m_4_n
To what end when no-one that has to rely on low cost devices can afford to replace their water pipes?
u/GoldenRamoth
For everyone else: Home Depot has mail in kits that will let you do it for free.
u/Blurgas
Something to remember that Germany could fit within the space Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan take up.
UK would fit within Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana
The US also has abou
u/Paxoro
Pretty much this. *Never* get your stuff "sampled" by an entity that is invested in getting you to spend money to "solve" the issue.
Of course Culligan is going to tell you that there's "a l
u/Dougaldikin
Thanks for the response I’m glad this let me know there are better options.
u/Any_Wrangler_4822
Low cost to test high cost to fix.
u/thisischemistry
They work just fine. They aren't extremely accurate but they are good enough to give you a general idea and see if you need further testing. If they indicate that you might have a higher leve
u/pkinetics
Unfortunately, you'd be surprised at the number of first world countries that still have lead service lines connecting from the water mains to the properties. It's an old problem that people
u/thisischemistry
They work just fine. They aren't extremely accurate but they are good enough to give you a general idea and see if you need further testing. If they indicate that you might have a higher leve
u/thisischemistry
Yeah, I'd expect a lot of carbonates in that kind of area. An ion exchange resin is probably best for that. Reverse osmosis is also excellent but it's a bit more expensive, as well as energy
u/shitposts_over_9000
unless someone is messing up the pH of your water or you have recently done work on lead pipes without replacing them (naughty naughty) there is little need for persistent testing if you are
u/Dougaldikin
Thanks for the response I’m glad this let me know there are better options.
u/lidelle
Is that list longer than 10 countries? Do they regularly update the pipes delivering water to residential homes? I’m curious not trying to be an ass. One of the issues with lead in our system
u/Any_Wrangler_4822
Low cost to test high cost to fix.
u/Dougaldikin
Thanks for the response I’m glad this let me know there are better options.
u/Lopsided_Speaker_553
For people living in a country with adequate standards: no need to test water for lead 👍
u/GoldenRamoth
I know swabs are notoriously finicky for paint detection.
Idk about water strips. Though the ones for aquariums aren't as good as drops.
u/johnson7853
I’m in Canada and have lead pipes.
u/rearwindowpup
Depending on where you got them and the brand they may or may not be accurate. Theres apparently a lot of test strips and swabs on Amazon that are basically useless.
u/TMQ73
We do a literal ton of water testing for schools along with other soil, water, and air sampling. There is allot of sketchy stuff that you can get at Home Depot or online. First are proper sa
u/shitposts_over_9000
unless someone is messing up the pH of your water or you have recently done work on lead pipes without replacing them (naughty naughty) there is little need for persistent testing if you are
u/GoldenRamoth
They did on mine. I sent my water in and got a water report after a couple of weeks.
But yes, they do it to sell you the fix.
u/thisischemistry
They work just fine. They aren't extremely accurate but they are good enough to give you a general idea and see if you need further testing. If they indicate that you might have a higher leve
u/GoldenRamoth
For everyone else: Home Depot has mail in kits that will let you do it for free.
u/TMQ73
We do a literal ton of water testing for schools along with other soil, water, and air sampling. There is allot of sketchy stuff that you can get at Home Depot or online. First are proper sa
u/Any_Wrangler_4822
Low cost to test high cost to fix.
u/johnson7853
I’m in Canada and have lead pipes.
u/Zerocoolx1
What kind of shitty country still has this problem?
u/lumberjack_dan
Those are just ads get your info and bombard you with offers to get you to buy a water softener or house water filter. I don't think they actually test it.
u/lidelle
Man. First world countries must be nice! (Im in the US)
u/lumberjack_dan
Those are just ads get your info and bombard you with offers to get you to buy a water softener or house water filter. I don't think they actually test it.
u/lumberjack_dan
Those are just ads get your info and bombard you with offers to get you to buy a water softener or house water filter. I don't think they actually test it.
u/Tankninja1
As opposed to the water test strips that you can buy at any hardware store where you can get like 100 test strips for $10?
u/mysecondaccountanon
*glances at Pittsburgh’s lead crisis*
I’m glad to have gotten ours fixed by the water authority, but my gosh it has been such an issue for my whole life. Growing up we were told do not drink
u/lidelle
Man. First world countries must be nice! (Im in the US)
u/thisischemistry
They work just fine. They aren't extremely accurate but they are good enough to give you a general idea and see if you need further testing. If they indicate that you might have a higher leve
u/thisischemistry
They work just fine. They aren't extremely accurate but they are good enough to give you a general idea and see if you need further testing. If they indicate that you might have a higher leve
u/Any_Wrangler_4822
Low cost to test high cost to fix.
u/GoldenRamoth
For everyone else: Home Depot has mail in kits that will let you do it for free.
u/lumberjack_dan
Those are just ads get your info and bombard you with offers to get you to buy a water softener or house water filter. I don't think they actually test it.
u/rearwindowpup
Depending on where you got them and the brand they may or may not be accurate. Theres apparently a lot of test strips and swabs on Amazon that are basically useless.
u/WarningPleasant2729
‘Merica
u/mysecondaccountanon
*glances at Pittsburgh’s lead crisis*
I’m glad to have gotten ours fixed by the water authority, but my gosh it has been such an issue for my whole life. Growing up we were told do not drink
u/thisischemistry
They work just fine. They aren't extremely accurate but they are good enough to give you a general idea and see if you need further testing. If they indicate that you might have a higher leve
u/pkinetics
Unfortunately, you'd be surprised at the number of first world countries that still have lead service lines connecting from the water mains to the properties. It's an old problem that people
u/GoldenRamoth
For everyone else: Home Depot has mail in kits that will let you do it for free.
u/GoldenRamoth
For everyone else: Home Depot has mail in kits that will let you do it for free.
u/Blurgas
Something to remember that Germany could fit within the space Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan take up.
UK would fit within Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana
The US also has abou
u/sravin19
How to get this?
u/cafk
Replacing them with modern pipes has been mandatory since ~1970-1980 for the UK & Germany from what i managed to quickly look up.
So if an old broken mains line was lead based - it has
u/shitposts_over_9000
unless someone is messing up the pH of your water or you have recently done work on lead pipes without replacing them (naughty naughty) there is little need for persistent testing if you are
u/samarnold030603
At the store near me they have them on a free standing display basically blocking the exit that you have to walk around 🙄
u/Dougaldikin
Thanks for the response I’m glad this let me know there are better options.
u/GoldenRamoth
For everyone else: Home Depot has mail in kits that will let you do it for free.
u/Dougaldikin
I have strips I dip in my water that tell me the lead content. Do those not work?
u/TMQ73
We do a literal ton of water testing for schools along with other soil, water, and air sampling. There is allot of sketchy stuff that you can get at Home Depot or online. First are proper sa
u/shitposts_over_9000
unless someone is messing up the pH of your water or you have recently done work on lead pipes without replacing them (naughty naughty) there is little need for persistent testing if you are
u/Tankninja1
As opposed to the water test strips that you can buy at any hardware store where you can get like 100 test strips for $10?
u/WarningPleasant2729
‘Merica
u/lidelle
Man. First world countries must be nice! (Im in the US)
u/lidelle
Man. First world countries must be nice! (Im in the US)
u/Lopsided_Speaker_553
For people living in a country with adequate standards: no need to test water for lead 👍
u/Paxoro
Pretty much this. *Never* get your stuff "sampled" by an entity that is invested in getting you to spend money to "solve" the issue.
Of course Culligan is going to tell you that there's "a l
u/cafk
Replacing them with modern pipes has been mandatory since ~1970-1980 for the UK & Germany from what i managed to quickly look up.
So if an old broken mains line was lead based - it has
u/mysecondaccountanon
*glances at Pittsburgh’s lead crisis*
I’m glad to have gotten ours fixed by the water authority, but my gosh it has been such an issue for my whole life. Growing up we were told do not drink
u/lidelle
Man. First world countries must be nice! (Im in the US)
u/Blurgas
Something to remember that Germany could fit within the space Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan take up.
UK would fit within Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana
The US also has abou
u/Lopsided_Speaker_553
For people living in a country with adequate standards: no need to test water for lead 👍
u/GoldenRamoth
They did on mine. I sent my water in and got a water report after a couple of weeks.
But yes, they do it to sell you the fix.
u/Dougaldikin
Thanks for the response I’m glad this let me know there are better options.
u/WarningPleasant2729
‘Merica
u/Dougaldikin
I have strips I dip in my water that tell me the lead content. Do those not work?
u/Zerocoolx1
What kind of shitty country still has this problem?
u/Dougaldikin
Thanks for the response I’m glad this let me know there are better options.
u/GoldenRamoth
I know swabs are notoriously finicky for paint detection.
Idk about water strips. Though the ones for aquariums aren't as good as drops.
u/Lopsided_Speaker_553
For people living in a country with adequate standards: no need to test water for lead 👍
u/Dougaldikin
I have strips I dip in my water that tell me the lead content. Do those not work?
u/Tankninja1
As opposed to the water test strips that you can buy at any hardware store where you can get like 100 test strips for $10?
u/Blurgas
Something to remember that Germany could fit within the space Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan take up.
UK would fit within Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana
The US also has abou
u/thisischemistry
Yeah, I'd expect a lot of carbonates in that kind of area. An ion exchange resin is probably best for that. Reverse osmosis is also excellent but it's a bit more expensive, as well as energy
u/Any_Wrangler_4822
Low cost to test high cost to fix.
u/Dougaldikin
Cool thank you for the response mine showed zero lead and a ton of carbonate which makes sense due to the water clearly being very hard due to the abundance of limestone in our area and it be
u/Lopsided_Speaker_553
Yes. That list is surely longer than 10.
Lead pipes are known to be hazardous since about 2 millenia now. My country phased them out around 50 years ago. At every level.
The only reason cou
u/thisischemistry
They work just fine. They aren't extremely accurate but they are good enough to give you a general idea and see if you need further testing. If they indicate that you might have a higher leve
u/Dougaldikin
I have strips I dip in my water that tell me the lead content. Do those not work?
u/shitposts_over_9000
unless someone is messing up the pH of your water or you have recently done work on lead pipes without replacing them (naughty naughty) there is little need for persistent testing if you are
u/cafk
Replacing them with modern pipes has been mandatory since ~1970-1980 for the UK & Germany from what i managed to quickly look up.
So if an old broken mains line was lead based - it has
u/DramaticStability
The UK, in certain areas. It's becoming an increasingly recognised issue.
u/thisischemistry
Yeah, I'd expect a lot of carbonates in that kind of area. An ion exchange resin is probably best for that. Reverse osmosis is also excellent but it's a bit more expensive, as well as energy
u/Zerocoolx1
What kind of shitty country still has this problem?
u/lidelle
Man. First world countries must be nice! (Im in the US)
u/GoldenRamoth
I know swabs are notoriously finicky for paint detection.
Idk about water strips. Though the ones for aquariums aren't as good as drops.
u/JohnTitorsdaughter
This represents a complete failure of government.
u/lidelle
Man. First world countries must be nice! (Im in the US)
u/WarningPleasant2729
‘Merica
u/Blurgas
Something to remember that Germany could fit within the space Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan take up.
UK would fit within Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana
The US also has abou
u/lumberjack_dan
Those are just ads get your info and bombard you with offers to get you to buy a water softener or house water filter. I don't think they actually test it.
u/lidelle
Is that list longer than 10 countries? Do they regularly update the pipes delivering water to residential homes? I’m curious not trying to be an ass. One of the issues with lead in our system
u/lidelle
Man. First world countries must be nice! (Im in the US)
u/DramaticStability
The UK, in certain areas. It's becoming an increasingly recognised issue.
u/Any_Wrangler_4822
Low cost to test high cost to fix.
u/Paxoro
Pretty much this. *Never* get your stuff "sampled" by an entity that is invested in getting you to spend money to "solve" the issue.
Of course Culligan is going to tell you that there's "a l
u/shitposts_over_9000
unless someone is messing up the pH of your water or you have recently done work on lead pipes without replacing them (naughty naughty) there is little need for persistent testing if you are
u/Tankninja1
As opposed to the water test strips that you can buy at any hardware store where you can get like 100 test strips for $10?
u/GoldenRamoth
They did on mine. I sent my water in and got a water report after a couple of weeks.
But yes, they do it to sell you the fix.
u/thisischemistry
Yeah, I'd expect a lot of carbonates in that kind of area. An ion exchange resin is probably best for that. Reverse osmosis is also excellent but it's a bit more expensive, as well as energy
u/Zerocoolx1
What kind of shitty country still has this problem?
u/Dougaldikin
Cool thank you for the response mine showed zero lead and a ton of carbonate which makes sense due to the water clearly being very hard due to the abundance of limestone in our area and it be
u/lumberjack_dan
Those are just ads get your info and bombard you with offers to get you to buy a water softener or house water filter. I don't think they actually test it.
u/JMJimmy
Or just take a water sample to your local municipal facility where they'll test it for 300+ different things for $60
u/GoldenRamoth
They did on mine. I sent my water in and got a water report after a couple of weeks.
But yes, they do it to sell you the fix.
u/lidelle
Is that list longer than 10 countries? Do they regularly update the pipes delivering water to residential homes? I’m curious not trying to be an ass. One of the issues with lead in our system
u/GoldenRamoth
They did on mine. I sent my water in and got a water report after a couple of weeks.
But yes, they do it to sell you the fix.
u/lidelle
Man. First world countries must be nice! (Im in the US)
u/GoldenRamoth
They did on mine. I sent my water in and got a water report after a couple of weeks.
But yes, they do it to sell you the fix.
u/Lopsided_Speaker_553
For people living in a country with adequate standards: no need to test water for lead 👍
u/Zerocoolx1
What kind of shitty country still has this problem?
u/Tankninja1
As opposed to the water test strips that you can buy at any hardware store where you can get like 100 test strips for $10?
u/Any_Wrangler_4822
Low cost to test high cost to fix.
u/Lopsided_Speaker_553
For people living in a country with adequate standards: no need to test water for lead 👍
u/Dougaldikin
Thanks for the response I’m glad this let me know there are better options.
u/johnson7853
I’m in Canada and have lead pipes.
u/Any_Wrangler_4822
Low cost to test high cost to fix.
u/TMQ73
We do a literal ton of water testing for schools along with other soil, water, and air sampling. There is allot of sketchy stuff that you can get at Home Depot or online. First are proper sa
u/Dougaldikin
Cool thank you for the response mine showed zero lead and a ton of carbonate which makes sense due to the water clearly being very hard due to the abundance of limestone in our area and it be
u/pkinetics
Unfortunately, you'd be surprised at the number of first world countries that still have lead service lines connecting from the water mains to the properties. It's an old problem that people
u/preparingtodie
I wonder if this could be used to test for lead in foods or spices. Like, grind up whatever you want to test, mix it in distilled water, and test that.
u/GoldenRamoth
I know swabs are notoriously finicky for paint detection.
Idk about water strips. Though the ones for aquariums aren't as good as drops.
u/TMQ73
We do a literal ton of water testing for schools along with other soil, water, and air sampling. There is allot of sketchy stuff that you can get at Home Depot or online. First are proper sa
u/rearwindowpup
Depending on where you got them and the brand they may or may not be accurate. Theres apparently a lot of test strips and swabs on Amazon that are basically useless.
u/pkinetics
Unfortunately, you'd be surprised at the number of first world countries that still have lead service lines connecting from the water mains to the properties. It's an old problem that people
u/GoldenRamoth
I know swabs are notoriously finicky for paint detection.
Idk about water strips. Though the ones for aquariums aren't as good as drops.
u/Dougaldikin
Cool thank you for the response mine showed zero lead and a ton of carbonate which makes sense due to the water clearly being very hard due to the abundance of limestone in our area and it be
u/lidelle
Man. First world countries must be nice! (Im in the US)
u/Tankninja1
As opposed to the water test strips that you can buy at any hardware store where you can get like 100 test strips for $10?
u/thisischemistry
Yeah, I'd expect a lot of carbonates in that kind of area. An ion exchange resin is probably best for that. Reverse osmosis is also excellent but it's a bit more expensive, as well as energy
u/cafk
Replacing them with modern pipes has been mandatory since ~1970-1980 for the UK & Germany from what i managed to quickly look up.
So if an old broken mains line was lead based - it has
u/rearwindowpup
Depending on where you got them and the brand they may or may not be accurate. Theres apparently a lot of test strips and swabs on Amazon that are basically useless.
u/GoldenRamoth
I know swabs are notoriously finicky for paint detection.
Idk about water strips. Though the ones for aquariums aren't as good as drops.
u/GoldenRamoth
They did on mine. I sent my water in and got a water report after a couple of weeks.
But yes, they do it to sell you the fix.
u/shitposts_over_9000
unless someone is messing up the pH of your water or you have recently done work on lead pipes without replacing them (naughty naughty) there is little need for persistent testing if you are
u/cafk
Replacing them with modern pipes has been mandatory since ~1970-1980 for the UK & Germany from what i managed to quickly look up.
So if an old broken mains line was lead based - it has
u/lidelle
Is that list longer than 10 countries? Do they regularly update the pipes delivering water to residential homes? I’m curious not trying to be an ass. One of the issues with lead in our system
u/Dougaldikin
Cool thank you for the response mine showed zero lead and a ton of carbonate which makes sense due to the water clearly being very hard due to the abundance of limestone in our area and it be
u/pkinetics
Unfortunately, you'd be surprised at the number of first world countries that still have lead service lines connecting from the water mains to the properties. It's an old problem that people
u/Dougaldikin
Cool thank you for the response mine showed zero lead and a ton of carbonate which makes sense due to the water clearly being very hard due to the abundance of limestone in our area and it be
u/rearwindowpup
Depending on where you got them and the brand they may or may not be accurate. Theres apparently a lot of test strips and swabs on Amazon that are basically useless.
u/Tankninja1
As opposed to the water test strips that you can buy at any hardware store where you can get like 100 test strips for $10?
u/Dougaldikin
Thanks for the response I’m glad this let me know there are better options.
u/johnson7853
I’m in Canada and have lead pipes.
u/rearwindowpup
Depending on where you got them and the brand they may or may not be accurate. Theres apparently a lot of test strips and swabs on Amazon that are basically useless.
u/Any_Wrangler_4822
Low cost to test high cost to fix.
u/Zerocoolx1
What kind of shitty country still has this problem?
u/Tankninja1
As opposed to the water test strips that you can buy at any hardware store where you can get like 100 test strips for $10?
u/TMQ73
We do a literal ton of water testing for schools along with other soil, water, and air sampling. There is allot of sketchy stuff that you can get at Home Depot or online. First are proper sa
u/TMQ73
We do a literal ton of water testing for schools along with other soil, water, and air sampling. There is allot of sketchy stuff that you can get at Home Depot or online. First are proper sa
u/rearwindowpup
Depending on where you got them and the brand they may or may not be accurate. Theres apparently a lot of test strips and swabs on Amazon that are basically useless.
u/johnson7853
I’m in Canada and have lead pipes.
u/WarningPleasant2729
‘Merica
u/lidelle
Is that list longer than 10 countries? Do they regularly update the pipes delivering water to residential homes? I’m curious not trying to be an ass. One of the issues with lead in our system
u/pkinetics
Unfortunately, you'd be surprised at the number of first world countries that still have lead service lines connecting from the water mains to the properties. It's an old problem that people
u/Blurgas
Something to remember that Germany could fit within the space Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan take up.
UK would fit within Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana
The US also has abou
u/shitposts_over_9000
unless someone is messing up the pH of your water or you have recently done work on lead pipes without replacing them (naughty naughty) there is little need for persistent testing if you are
u/Any_Wrangler_4822
Low cost to test high cost to fix.
u/Dougaldikin
I have strips I dip in my water that tell me the lead content. Do those not work?
u/thisischemistry
They work just fine. They aren't extremely accurate but they are good enough to give you a general idea and see if you need further testing. If they indicate that you might have a higher leve
u/Zerocoolx1
What kind of shitty country still has this problem?
u/cafk
Replacing them with modern pipes has been mandatory since ~1970-1980 for the UK & Germany from what i managed to quickly look up.
So if an old broken mains line was lead based - it has
u/thisischemistry
They work just fine. They aren't extremely accurate but they are good enough to give you a general idea and see if you need further testing. If they indicate that you might have a higher leve
u/lidelle
Man. First world countries must be nice! (Im in the US)
u/Paxoro
Pretty much this. *Never* get your stuff "sampled" by an entity that is invested in getting you to spend money to "solve" the issue.
Of course Culligan is going to tell you that there's "a l
u/GoldenRamoth
For everyone else: Home Depot has mail in kits that will let you do it for free.
u/Dougaldikin
I have strips I dip in my water that tell me the lead content. Do those not work?
u/TMQ73
We do a literal ton of water testing for schools along with other soil, water, and air sampling. There is allot of sketchy stuff that you can get at Home Depot or online. First are proper sa
u/lidelle
Is that list longer than 10 countries? Do they regularly update the pipes delivering water to residential homes? I’m curious not trying to be an ass. One of the issues with lead in our system
u/GoldenRamoth
They did on mine. I sent my water in and got a water report after a couple of weeks.
But yes, they do it to sell you the fix.
u/cafk
Replacing them with modern pipes has been mandatory since ~1970-1980 for the UK & Germany from what i managed to quickly look up.
So if an old broken mains line was lead based - it has
u/lumberjack_dan
Those are just ads get your info and bombard you with offers to get you to buy a water softener or house water filter. I don't think they actually test it.
u/Paxoro
Pretty much this. *Never* get your stuff "sampled" by an entity that is invested in getting you to spend money to "solve" the issue.
Of course Culligan is going to tell you that there's "a l
u/mysecondaccountanon
*glances at Pittsburgh’s lead crisis*
I’m glad to have gotten ours fixed by the water authority, but my gosh it has been such an issue for my whole life. Growing up we were told do not drink
u/Dougaldikin
Cool thank you for the response mine showed zero lead and a ton of carbonate which makes sense due to the water clearly being very hard due to the abundance of limestone in our area and it be
u/Lopsided_Speaker_553
For people living in a country with adequate standards: no need to test water for lead 👍
u/rearwindowpup
Depending on where you got them and the brand they may or may not be accurate. Theres apparently a lot of test strips and swabs on Amazon that are basically useless.
u/shitposts_over_9000
unless someone is messing up the pH of your water or you have recently done work on lead pipes without replacing them (naughty naughty) there is little need for persistent testing if you are
u/thisischemistry
They work just fine. They aren't extremely accurate but they are good enough to give you a general idea and see if you need further testing. If they indicate that you might have a higher leve
u/lidelle
Man. First world countries must be nice! (Im in the US)
u/GoldenRamoth
They did on mine. I sent my water in and got a water report after a couple of weeks.
But yes, they do it to sell you the fix.
u/Zerocoolx1
What kind of shitty country still has this problem?
u/TMQ73
We do a literal ton of water testing for schools along with other soil, water, and air sampling. There is allot of sketchy stuff that you can get at Home Depot or online. First are proper sa
u/GoldenRamoth
They did on mine. I sent my water in and got a water report after a couple of weeks.
But yes, they do it to sell you the fix.
u/GoldenRamoth
For everyone else: Home Depot has mail in kits that will let you do it for free.
u/Lopsided_Speaker_553
For people living in a country with adequate standards: no need to test water for lead 👍
u/thisischemistry
Yeah, I'd expect a lot of carbonates in that kind of area. An ion exchange resin is probably best for that. Reverse osmosis is also excellent but it's a bit more expensive, as well as energy
u/pkinetics
Unfortunately, you'd be surprised at the number of first world countries that still have lead service lines connecting from the water mains to the properties. It's an old problem that people
u/Lopsided_Speaker_553
For people living in a country with adequate standards: no need to test water for lead 👍
u/mysecondaccountanon
*glances at Pittsburgh’s lead crisis*
I’m glad to have gotten ours fixed by the water authority, but my gosh it has been such an issue for my whole life. Growing up we were told do not drink
u/shitposts_over_9000
unless someone is messing up the pH of your water or you have recently done work on lead pipes without replacing them (naughty naughty) there is little need for persistent testing if you are
u/lidelle
Is that list longer than 10 countries? Do they regularly update the pipes delivering water to residential homes? I’m curious not trying to be an ass. One of the issues with lead in our system
u/Lopsided_Speaker_553
For people living in a country with adequate standards: no need to test water for lead 👍
u/WarningPleasant2729
‘Merica
u/Paxoro
Pretty much this. *Never* get your stuff "sampled" by an entity that is invested in getting you to spend money to "solve" the issue.
Of course Culligan is going to tell you that there's "a l
u/Tankninja1
As opposed to the water test strips that you can buy at any hardware store where you can get like 100 test strips for $10?
u/Any_Wrangler_4822
Low cost to test high cost to fix.
u/Tankninja1
As opposed to the water test strips that you can buy at any hardware store where you can get like 100 test strips for $10?
u/Dougaldikin
Thanks for the response I’m glad this let me know there are better options.
u/pkinetics
Unfortunately, you'd be surprised at the number of first world countries that still have lead service lines connecting from the water mains to the properties. It's an old problem that people
u/GoldenRamoth
For everyone else: Home Depot has mail in kits that will let you do it for free.
u/mysecondaccountanon
*glances at Pittsburgh’s lead crisis*
I’m glad to have gotten ours fixed by the water authority, but my gosh it has been such an issue for my whole life. Growing up we were told do not drink
u/mysecondaccountanon
*glances at Pittsburgh’s lead crisis*
I’m glad to have gotten ours fixed by the water authority, but my gosh it has been such an issue for my whole life. Growing up we were told do not drink
u/Any_Wrangler_4822
Low cost to test high cost to fix.
u/lidelle
Is that list longer than 10 countries? Do they regularly update the pipes delivering water to residential homes? I’m curious not trying to be an ass. One of the issues with lead in our system
u/mysecondaccountanon
*glances at Pittsburgh’s lead crisis*
I’m glad to have gotten ours fixed by the water authority, but my gosh it has been such an issue for my whole life. Growing up we were told do not drink
u/Paxoro
Pretty much this. *Never* get your stuff "sampled" by an entity that is invested in getting you to spend money to "solve" the issue.
Of course Culligan is going to tell you that there's "a l
u/rearwindowpup
Depending on where you got them and the brand they may or may not be accurate. Theres apparently a lot of test strips and swabs on Amazon that are basically useless.
u/GoldenRamoth
I know swabs are notoriously finicky for paint detection.
Idk about water strips. Though the ones for aquariums aren't as good as drops.
u/Dougaldikin
Thanks for the response I’m glad this let me know there are better options.
u/pkinetics
Unfortunately, you'd be surprised at the number of first world countries that still have lead service lines connecting from the water mains to the properties. It's an old problem that people
u/lidelle
Is that list longer than 10 countries? Do they regularly update the pipes delivering water to residential homes? I’m curious not trying to be an ass. One of the issues with lead in our system
u/Dougaldikin
I have strips I dip in my water that tell me the lead content. Do those not work?
u/thisischemistry
Yeah, I'd expect a lot of carbonates in that kind of area. An ion exchange resin is probably best for that. Reverse osmosis is also excellent but it's a bit more expensive, as well as energy
u/pkinetics
Unfortunately, you'd be surprised at the number of first world countries that still have lead service lines connecting from the water mains to the properties. It's an old problem that people
u/pkinetics
Unfortunately, you'd be surprised at the number of first world countries that still have lead service lines connecting from the water mains to the properties. It's an old problem that people
u/lumberjack_dan
Those are just ads get your info and bombard you with offers to get you to buy a water softener or house water filter. I don't think they actually test it.
u/Paxoro
Pretty much this. *Never* get your stuff "sampled" by an entity that is invested in getting you to spend money to "solve" the issue.
Of course Culligan is going to tell you that there's "a l
u/Dougaldikin
Thanks for the response I’m glad this let me know there are better options.
u/pkinetics
Unfortunately, you'd be surprised at the number of first world countries that still have lead service lines connecting from the water mains to the properties. It's an old problem that people
u/Blurgas
Something to remember that Germany could fit within the space Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan take up.
UK would fit within Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana
The US also has abou
u/GoldenRamoth
They did on mine. I sent my water in and got a water report after a couple of weeks.
But yes, they do it to sell you the fix.
u/Blurgas
Something to remember that Germany could fit within the space Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan take up.
UK would fit within Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana
The US also has abou
u/Dougaldikin
I have strips I dip in my water that tell me the lead content. Do those not work?
u/lumberjack_dan
Those are just ads get your info and bombard you with offers to get you to buy a water softener or house water filter. I don't think they actually test it.
u/Dougaldikin
Cool thank you for the response mine showed zero lead and a ton of carbonate which makes sense due to the water clearly being very hard due to the abundance of limestone in our area and it be