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#1
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
Please help! I am no tech genius and need to buy a shower-head. When I
went to Consumer Reports, it ranks them according to whether the water is hard or soft. So, is Chicago water hard or soft? Thanks. |
#2
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
On Fri, 10 Nov 2006 16:07:13 GMT, Ajanta wrote:
Please help! I am no tech genius and need to buy a shower-head. When I went to Consumer Reports, it ranks them according to whether the water is hard or soft. So, is Chicago water hard or soft? Thanks. Doesn't Chicago water come from the lake? If it does, it's soft. |
#3
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
if you get white calcium buildups on stuff, it's hard. My shower
curtain went from clear to white after 18 months use... if that tells you anything. We've got some really hard stuff here. Taste it... hard water tastes...well, funny. Also, soap doesn't "sud up" as well in hard water... that may help. Jason Kelly Valley Center, KS |
#4
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
Ajanta wrote:
Please help! I am no tech genius and need to buy a shower-head. When I went to Consumer Reports, it ranks them according to whether the water is hard or soft. So, is Chicago water hard or soft? Thanks. If you're willing to spend a few bucks finding out, go to a pet store and pick up a hardness test kit. Aquarium owners use them for tropical fish. Or, just ask the person in the fish section of the pet store. They're usually familiar with the local water conditions. |
#5
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
"Ajanta" wrote in message ... Please help! I am no tech genius and need to buy a shower-head. When I went to Consumer Reports, it ranks them according to whether the water is hard or soft. So, is Chicago water hard or soft? Thanks. Most any municipal water has some hardness. To find the degree of it, take a sample to anyone selling water treatment equipment and they will do a simple test (usually for free) and tell you what the hardness is. You can also call the Water Department for information. |
#6
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
"Ajanta" wrote in message ... Please help! I am no tech genius and need to buy a shower-head. When I went to Consumer Reports, it ranks them according to whether the water is hard or soft. So, is Chicago water hard or soft? Thanks. In Rochester NY, about a tenth the size of Chicago, we have three completely different water supplies. I expect Chicago has a few also. Call your water department. Someone said lake water was soft; ours is pretty hard. Not horribly hard like most wells, but hard. |
#7
Posted to chi.general,alt.home.cleaning,alt.home.repair,misc.consumers.house
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
Ajanta writes:
Please help! I am no tech genius and need to buy a shower-head. When I went to Consumer Reports, it ranks them according to whether the water is hard or soft. So, is Chicago water hard or soft? Thanks. I have city water from Lake Michigan. No water softener and no problems. Water softeners are quite uncommon here. In contrast to Austin Texas where the water was ridiculously hard and many many people had water softeners. -- Todd H. http://www.toddh.net/ |
#8
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
Ajanta wrote: Please help! I am no tech genius and need to buy a shower-head. When I went to Consumer Reports, it ranks them according to whether the water is hard or soft. So, is Chicago water hard or soft? Thanks. I went to Sears and they will give you a bottle to bring in a sample of water. They test it right there in front of you for hardness and Ph. They'll ask you some questions about taste, color, and smell of your water. They will then give you some recommendations of what you need, no need to buy though. I got mine tested a little while ago and had a hardness of 22, which is extremely hard. I live near Watertown, NY and have a dug well. |
#9
Posted to chi.general,alt.home.cleaning,alt.home.repair,misc.consumers.house
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
In article om,
"rsnyder" wrote: Ajanta wrote: Please help! I am no tech genius and need to buy a shower-head. When I went to Consumer Reports, it ranks them according to whether the water is hard or soft. So, is Chicago water hard or soft? Thanks. I went to Sears and they will give you a bottle to bring in a sample of water. They test it right there in front of you for hardness and Ph. They'll ask you some questions about taste, color, and smell of your water. They will then give you some recommendations of what you need, no need to buy though. I got mine tested a little while ago and had a hardness of 22, which is extremely hard. I live near Watertown, NY and have a dug well. The Sears over by me has 20 year olds working there. I hardly think the kids would be capable of giving me accurate data. They don't even have to type anyhting into a cash register or figure out change. |
#10
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
Not very hard, not soft, its fairly neutral. Soft is out of a softener.
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#11
Posted to chi.general,alt.home.cleaning,alt.home.repair,misc.consumers.house
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
"kenji" wrote in message The Sears over by me has 20 year olds working there. I hardly think the kids would be capable of giving me accurate data. Why not? Have you seen how the test is done? You can watch as they do it and see the reading yourself. Kids that age are not all dummies. For a few bucks, you can buy own kit. |
#12
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
In article _645h.39$%U.15@trndny07, "Edwin Pawlowski" wrote:
"kenji" wrote in message The Sears over by me has 20 year olds working there. I hardly think the kids would be capable of giving me accurate data. Why not? Have you seen how the test is done? You can watch as they do it and see the reading yourself. Kids that age are not all dummies. For a few bucks, you can buy own kit. i don't believe they are dummies I think in general they could give a **** about customer service. So in general at most large retail stores I try to not have to communicate whatsoever with any employee other than the check out girl. |
#13
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
"Toller" writes:
"Ajanta" wrote in message ... Please help! I am no tech genius and need to buy a shower-head. When I went to Consumer Reports, it ranks them according to whether the water is hard or soft. So, is Chicago water hard or soft? Thanks. In Rochester NY, about a tenth the size of Chicago, we have three completely different water supplies. I expect Chicago has a few also. Call your water department. Actually the vast vast majority of chicagoland is fed from Lake Michigan. -- Todd H. http://www.toddh.net/ |
#14
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
I lived in Chicago, and found my tap water to be a Ph of 7.7-7.8, so I
guess you could say it is slightly hard. Calcium build-up is not quite so bad there. Nothing like where I live now in New Mexico. Mark |
#15
Posted to chi.general,alt.home.cleaning,alt.home.repair,misc.consumers.house
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
My eyes went all googly to have seen *rsnyder* write this:
Ajanta wrote: Please help! I am no tech genius and need to buy a shower-head. When I went to Consumer Reports, it ranks them according to whether the water is hard or soft. So, is Chicago water hard or soft? Thanks. I went to Sears and they will give you a bottle to bring in a sample of water. They test it right there in front of you for hardness and Ph. They'll ask you some questions about taste, color, and smell of your water. They will then give you some recommendations of what you need, no need to buy though. I got mine tested a little while ago and had a hardness of 22, which is extremely hard. I live near Watertown, NY and have a dug well. I seem to think that, in general, lake water tends to be much "softer" than wellwater which comes from underground (duh), and most, if not all, of Chicago's water comes from Lake Michigan. Good recommendation to get a pH tester from any fish store. It's very easy to use and they're pretty accurate. One can also get a chlorine tester, too, if one feels the need to test that as well. I should think that it's never a bad idea to have some sort water filtration, whether in-line or separate, since Rudy knows what's in anyone's water anymore, regardless of its source. -- The *Original* Captain Ozone |
#16
Posted to chi.general,alt.home.cleaning,alt.home.repair,misc.consumers.house
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
In article , "Captain Ozone"
wrote: I should think that it's never a bad idea to have some sort water filtration, whether in-line or separate, since Rudy knows what's in anyone's water anymore, regardless of its source. why? pathogens? taste? something else? |
#17
Posted to chi.general,alt.home.cleaning,alt.home.repair,misc.consumers.house
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
Todd H. wrote: "Toller" writes: "Ajanta" wrote in message ... Please help! I am no tech genius and need to buy a shower-head. When I went to Consumer Reports, it ranks them according to whether the water is hard or soft. So, is Chicago water hard or soft? Thanks. In Rochester NY, about a tenth the size of Chicago, we have three completely different water supplies. I expect Chicago has a few also. Call your water department. Actually the vast vast majority of chicagoland is fed from Lake Michigan. Until the early 1990's, DuPage Co. was on wells. You had to shlep those salt blocks for the softner and I still had a funky dry patch on my hand that didn't heal until the Lake water turned on. Most of Will and Kane is still on wells, and who knows how far that toxic plume from Argonne has spread thru the aquafiers. Lake Mickey rules !! Cheese Heads keep your sludge out...JG |
#18
Posted to chi.general,alt.home.cleaning,alt.home.repair,misc.consumers.house
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
On Fri, 10 Nov 2006 17:33:55 GMT, "Toller" wrote:
"Ajanta" wrote in message ... Please help! I am no tech genius and need to buy a shower-head. When I went to Consumer Reports, it ranks them according to whether the water is hard or soft. So, is Chicago water hard or soft? Thanks. In Rochester NY, about a tenth the size of Chicago, we have three completely different water supplies. I expect Chicago has a few also. Call your water department. Someone said lake water was soft; ours is pretty hard. Not horribly hard like most wells, but hard. And delicious. It's the only water I drink. Cheap, too! |
#19
Posted to chi.general,alt.home.cleaning,alt.home.repair,misc.consumers.house
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
In chi.general Ajanta wrote:
Please help! I am no tech genius and need to buy a shower-head. When I went to Consumer Reports, it ranks them according to whether the water is hard or soft. So, is Chicago water hard or soft? Thanks. consider it hard. But who **** cares. You clean a shower head with a cup of vinegar. It takes like 5 minutes. why the hell anybody would waste time "testing" the water is beyond me. |
#20
Posted to chi.general,alt.home.cleaning,alt.home.repair,misc.consumers.house
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
kenji wrote:
In article , "Captain Ozone" wrote: I should think that it's never a bad idea to have some sort water filtration, whether in-line or separate, since Rudy knows what's in anyone's water anymore, regardless of its source. why? pathogens? taste? something else? Mold. -- "A man's country is not a certain area of land, of mountains, rivers, and woods, but it is a principle; and patriotism is loyalty to that principle." -- George William Curtis |
#21
Posted to chi.general,alt.home.cleaning,alt.home.repair,misc.consumers.house
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
Cydrome Leader wrote: In chi.general Ajanta wrote: Please help! I am no tech genius and need to buy a shower-head. When I went to Consumer Reports, it ranks them according to whether the water is hard or soft. So, is Chicago water hard or soft? Thanks. consider it hard. But who **** cares. You clean a shower head with a cup of vinegar. It takes like 5 minutes. why the hell anybody would waste time "testing" the water is beyond me. Because it's not about just a shower head, if you have hard water it lowers the life span of hot water heaters, dish washers and washing machines. Also you end up spending more on soap and cleaning products. |
#22
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
"Ajanta" wrote in message ... Please help! I am no tech genius and need to buy a shower-head. When I went to Consumer Reports, it ranks them according to whether the water is hard or soft. So, is Chicago water hard or soft? Thanks. I googled Chicago water report. http://egov.cityofchicago.org/city/w...inCategoryOID= Bob |
#23
Posted to chi.general,alt.home.cleaning,alt.home.repair,misc.consumers.house
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
Bob F wrote:
http://egov.cityofchicago.org/city/w...inCategoryOID= Not a word about hardness in there. Daley said "hardly" once, though. -- "A man's country is not a certain area of land, of mountains, rivers, and woods, but it is a principle; and patriotism is loyalty to that principle." -- George William Curtis |
#24
Posted to chi.general,alt.home.cleaning,alt.home.repair,misc.consumers.house
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
wrote in message oups.com... if you get white calcium buildups on stuff, it's hard. My shower curtain went from clear to white after 18 months use... if that tells you anything. We've got some really hard stuff here. You might wanna try washing it. I have a clear curtain and very hard well water. I throw my curtain in the wash at least once a month. It comes out as clear as the day I bought it. I can't imagine how nasty yours must be. Taste it... hard water tastes...well, funny. My hard water is the sweetest coldest water I've ever tasted. Also, soap doesn't "sud up" as well in hard water... that may help. Well you got that right. peggo Jason Kelly Valley Center, KS |
#25
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
"Mark D" wrote in message ... I lived in Chicago, and found my tap water to be a Ph of 7.7-7.8, so I guess you could say it is slightly hard. Calcium build-up is not quite so bad there. Nothing like where I live now in New Mexico. Mark Does Ph have anything to do with hardness? Bob |
#26
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
"clifto" wrote in message ... Bob F wrote: http://egov.cityofchicago.org/city/w...inCategoryOID= Not a word about hardness in there. Daley said "hardly" once, though. -- "A man's country is not a certain area of land, of mountains, rivers, and woods, but it is a principle; and patriotism is loyalty to that principle." -- George William Curtis OK. Google chacago water hardness. Second choice is http://www.dpwc.org/faqprint.htm. Where does our water come from? The DuPage Water Commission's water comes from Lake Michigan, the largest freshwater lake in the United States and the fifth largest lake in the world. The Commission purchases the water from the Chicago Water Department. How hard is my water and should I use a water softener? Dissolved minerals make water hard; as the amount of minerals in the water increases, the water becomes harder. Two common minerals found dissolved in drinking water are calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate. There is usually much more calcium carbonate than magnesium carbonate present in water; therefore, water hardness is reported as the amount of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) dissolved in the water. There are two units of measurement for hardness commonly used in the United States, grains per gallon and milligrams per liter calcium carbonate (mg/L as CaCO3). The conversion factor is 17.1 mg/L as CaCO3 = 1 grain per gallon. Our water is about 8 grains per gallon or 137 mg/L as CaCO3. Average well water hardness is 55 grains per gallon or 941 mg/L as CaCO3. |
#27
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
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#28
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
On Fri, 10 Nov 2006 16:07:13 GMT, Ajanta wrote:
Please help! I am no tech genius and need to buy a shower-head. When I went to Consumer Reports, it ranks them according to whether the water is hard or soft. So, is Chicago water hard or soft? Thanks. I dont know about the water but I heard most of the Chicago man are SOFT !!!! |
#29
Posted to alt.home.repair
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
"Bob F" wrote in
: "Mark D" wrote in message ... I lived in Chicago, and found my tap water to be a Ph of 7.7-7.8, so I guess you could say it is slightly hard. Calcium build-up is not quite so bad there. Nothing like where I live now in New Mexico. Mark Does Ph have anything to do with hardness? Bob Years ago I had a large fish tank for quite some time. I think the main tests I used to do were PH, Hardness, Total Alkalinity. These are older memories so don't hold me to it. So I'd say they may/may not be related but they are definately not the same. I imagine people familiar with pool water would be up on this. |
#30
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
Does Ph have anything to do with hardness? Bob No, but acidity can corrode the pipes away.. |
#31
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in newsoc5h.24468$TV3.17954
@newssvr21.news.prodigy.com: Does Ph have anything to do with hardness? Bob No, but acidity can corrode the pipes away.. Maybe give ya the ****s or somethin' too, ehhh? |
#32
Posted to chi.general,alt.home.cleaning,alt.home.repair,misc.consumers.house
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
On 10 Nov 2006 10:35:15 -0800, "rsnyder"
wrote: Ajanta wrote: Please help! I am no tech genius and need to buy a shower-head. When I went to Consumer Reports, it ranks them according to whether the water is hard or soft. So, is Chicago water hard or soft? Thanks. I went to Sears and they will give you a bottle to bring in a sample of water. They test it right there in front of you for hardness and Ph. They'll ask you some questions about taste, color, and smell of your water. They will then give you some recommendations of what you need, no need to buy though. I got mine tested a little while ago and had a hardness of 22, which is extremely hard. I live near Watertown, NY and have a dug well. Since you live in Watertown, NY, just wondering if you ever heard of Malone, NY ? Just curious because my dad was raised there and I remember some cold Christmas visits there. I was a product of NYC so Malone was a bit different to me years ago. I wonder what Malone or the like is like nowadays? |
#33
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
Malone wrote in message ... I wonder what Malone or the like is like nowadays? http://www.maloneny.com/ http://www.city-data.com/city/Malone-New-York.html |
#34
Posted to chi.general,alt.home.cleaning,alt.home.repair,misc.consumers.house
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
Lake Michigan water is HARD.
If you have a water softner then you will have soft water but water from the lake is HARD. So HARD it almost hurts coming out of the faucet. "Karl S" wrote in message ... On Fri, 10 Nov 2006 16:07:13 GMT, Ajanta wrote: Please help! I am no tech genius and need to buy a shower-head. When I went to Consumer Reports, it ranks them according to whether the water is hard or soft. So, is Chicago water hard or soft? Thanks. Doesn't Chicago water come from the lake? If it does, it's soft. |
#35
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
In article ,
"ME" wrote: Lake Michigan water is HARD. If you have a water softner then you will have soft water but water from the lake is HARD. So HARD it almost hurts coming out of the faucet. "Karl S" wrote in message ... On Fri, 10 Nov 2006 16:07:13 GMT, Ajanta wrote: Please help! I am no tech genius and need to buy a shower-head. When I went to Consumer Reports, it ranks them according to whether the water is hard or soft. So, is Chicago water hard or soft? Thanks. Doesn't Chicago water come from the lake? If it does, it's soft. You can read the report. http://tinyurl.com/yxhj4v -- Kiva loans that change lives: http://www.kiva.org/app.php Graft thrives http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0317/p06s01-wogi.html http://analysis.threatswatch.org/200...cal-alignment/ Anbar attack http://inbrief.threatswatch.org/2006...r-sunnis-turn/ |
#36
Posted to chi.general,alt.home.cleaning,alt.home.repair,misc.consumers.house
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
In chi.general rsnyder wrote:
Cydrome Leader wrote: In chi.general Ajanta wrote: Please help! I am no tech genius and need to buy a shower-head. When I went to Consumer Reports, it ranks them according to whether the water is hard or soft. So, is Chicago water hard or soft? Thanks. consider it hard. But who **** cares. You clean a shower head with a cup of vinegar. It takes like 5 minutes. why the hell anybody would waste time "testing" the water is beyond me. Because it's not about just a shower head, if you have hard water it lowers the life span of hot water heaters, dish washers and washing machines. Also you end up spending more on soap and cleaning products. Ah, if you have hard water, it's cheaper to install a whole system water softener than to get a new $200 water heater every few decades? Sorry, my mistake. |
#37
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
You really can't beat Lake Michigan water... No worries about hard or
soft, just use it as is. I haven't had lime build up or icky slimy soft water either. I don't know of any chicagoans with a water softener. I HATE softened water, makes you feel slimy. ~Renee Ajanta wrote: Please help! I am no tech genius and need to buy a shower-head. When I went to Consumer Reports, it ranks them according to whether the water is hard or soft. So, is Chicago water hard or soft? Thanks. |
#38
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
In chi.general Scott en Aztl?n wrote:
Cydrome Leader said in chi.general: Ah, if you have hard water, it's cheaper to install a whole system water softener than to get a new $200 water heater every few decades? Sorry, my mistake. It's not just the water heater: hard water builds up scale inside your pipes. After a few decades, they clog up and your entire house needs to be re-plumbed. So yeah. it's cheaper in the long run to install a water softener. you pipes clog shut in 30 years? you might want to try something thicker than 1/4 tubing. |
#39
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
On 10 Nov 2006 08:26:24 -0800, "
wrote: if you get white calcium buildups on stuff, it's hard. My shower curtain went from clear to white after 18 months use... if that tells you anything. We've got some really hard stuff here. Taste it... hard water tastes...well, funny. Also, soap doesn't "sud up" as well in hard water... that may help. But you can't rinse off in really soft water. I lived in Chicago 6 years. IIRC, it was in the middle between hard and soft. Yes, there are intakes about a mile out into the lake where the city gets water. You can just see them from the shore. One of my bosses was a worker, or foreman, buiding one of the water tunnels/ Jason Kelly Valley Center, KS If you are inclined to email me for some reason, remove NOPSAM :-) |
#40
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Is Chicago water hard or soft?
On Fri, 10 Nov 2006 16:55:32 GMT, Randy Day
wrote: Ajanta wrote: Please help! I am no tech genius and need to buy a shower-head. When I went to Consumer Reports, it ranks them according to whether the water is hard or soft. So, is Chicago water hard or soft? Thanks. If you're willing to spend a few bucks finding out, go to a pet store and pick up a hardness test kit. Aquarium owners use them for tropical fish. Most tropical fish are pretty soft. I can squeeze them between two fingers, without getting tired. Or, just ask the person in the fish section of the pet store. They're usually familiar with the local water conditions. If you are inclined to email me for some reason, remove NOPSAM :-) |
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