Have you ever heard about the TDS level of the water you usually drink? You must have heard this term when the water purifier service provider comes to your house for the service of your purifier. But do you know what the term TDS means?
If you don’t know what TDS is, you are in the right place. Here you will learn about TDS, and how you can calculate the TDS level of water at home.
What is TDS in the water?
TDS indicate the Total Dissolved Solids that are present in water. It showcases the maximum value of substantial elements that are present in the water. You must have studied about these substances in your high school. Most of the water ingredients are inorganic salts like sodium, potassium, magnesium, etc. and have fewer organic compounds.
Not only normal water, but groundwater also involves some solid and heavy substances like arsenic, lead, and mercury. These metals are weighty and said to be slow poisons as it can be harmful if intake. The higher range of TDS points towards highly contaminated water with toxic elements. And, water can become tasteless when it contains a deficient level of TDS.
Acceptable values of TDS
Water will be acceptable and suitable for drinking if the TDS range in water is up to 500 mg/liter. If the TDS level of water is more than this, the water is not safe, and not recommended for drinking. Here is the acceptable range of TDS levels in drinking water. Let’s have a look:
How to check the TDS of water at home?
It is essential to measure the TDS level of water for the safety of you and your family. Luckily, it is possible to check the range of TDS values in drinking water at home only. Several methods are there to get to know the actual amount of Total Dissolved Solids in your water. Here we have brought up with some standard and easy ways to figure out whether the water is safe for drinking or not.
1. Digital TDS meter:
To check the water filter, hardness of water and to know whether your water is accurate for drinking or not, one can use the digital TDS meter tester. You can purchase this meter through any of the online or offline stores easily. Here are the measures you must follow for checking TDS value through this digital meter:
- The first thing you need to do is to check the temperature of the water, which will be shown in Celsius unit, by pressing the temperature button over it.
- Turn back to the TDS form and remove the protective cap.
- Submerge the meter into the water till its maximum level that is 2 inches
- Wait for 10 seconds till the meter displays the reading.
- You need to push the hold button and take the meter out of the water in order to view the reading.
- You have to multiply the reading by ten if it displays the ‘x10’ symbol along with the range.
While you are checking the TDS level of water, you must make sure that you do not dip the water meter beyond 2 inches, as it is not a waterproof tool. Moreover, do not store your digital TDS meter at high temperatures or in a reach of direct sunlight.
2. Filter paper and scale:
This predictable method to check the TDS level in drinking water at your home is very efficient to perform. For this, you may require the below-mentioned things, check them out, and follow the measures listed ahead.
- Sterilized beaker
- Water sample(tap water or rainwater) in the beaker
- Filter paper
- Evaporating dish
- Stick to stir
- Large Pipette (enough to store water of 50 ml)
- Measuring scale
Step 1: First, you need to weigh the evaporating dish and ensure that the container is free from all types of particles.
Step 2: Stir up the water sample in a sterilized beaker until all the elements in the water are separated completely.
Step 3: Take 50 ml of water sample in the pipette, and you are required to stir the water sample even while you are taking water in it.
Step 4: Pass on the sample on filter paper three times and check the particles left over it.
Step 5: Now transfer the elements on filter paper to the evaporating dish and wait till the particles are dried thoroughly.
Step 6: Weigh the evaporating dish again once it is dry and note down the reading.
Step 7: You can now measure the TDS level by subtracting the current weight of the evaporating dish from the previous weight.
One must make sure that the weight of the evaporating dish with and without filtered elements is accurate when calculating the TDS level.
Why is there a need to check TDS level?
We all think about the purity of the water and whether it is fit for drinking or not. It is the reason you must measure the TDS level of drinking water to make sure that the water you and your family are drinking is safe for you.
While you check the TDS level at home, you must ensure that it reaches the safer TDS level as specified by the World Health Organization. If you think the TDS is not up to the mark, we suggest you not to drink the water and get your water purifier changed immediately.
Conclusion
You must have now understood the perfect procedure of quickly checking the TDS level of drinking water at your home. It will be helpful to share this with your family and friends to protect them from the harmful substances or heavy metals that may enter their bodies through drinking water.
So, check the TDS of your drinking water now!
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