Free water testing!

I was walking out of Home Depot today and at the exit was a rack of envelopes with vials that says Free Water Testing. It looks like it covers the important stuff like minerals, hardness, pH.... I'm very curious to see with the report looks like.

This is just a heads up, I have no idea if its worthwhile or not, but WTH, its free! Even postage is paid.

Grab me one

Johnnyhamer said:

Grab me one

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There is a number: 1-855-837-8426 to request if you don't have a home depot near by.

Paulgs3 said:

I was walking out of Home Depot today and at the exit was a rack of envelopes with vials that says Free Water Testing. It looks like it covers the important stuff like minerals, hardness, pH.... I'm very curious to see with the report looks like.

This is just a heads up, I have no idea if its worthwhile or not, but WTH, its free! Even postage is paid.

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Is there a company name or a lab name on it?

Mouse

Curious!

CA_Mouse said:

Is there a company name or a lab name on it?

Mouse

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The envelope, vial and paperwork all are stamped with Home Depot.

Good luck with that. Nothing is "free". My wife and I used to go to these timeshare sales deals. All you had to do was listen to some drivel and you got the "free" tickets to whatever. After a few of those mistakes, I am very pessimistic about "free".

passedpawn said:

Good luck with that. Nothing is "free". My wife and I used to go to these timeshare sales deals. All you had to do was listen to some drivel and you got the "free" tickets to whatever. After a few of those mistakes, I am very pessimistic about "free".

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I am too bro, I sent it out, I'll let you guys know if its a marketing trap.

Paulgs3 said:

I am too bro, I sent it out, I'll let you guys know if its a marketing trap.

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Please do. Thanks.

I just did a search on "Free Home Depot Water Testing" and it appears to be a way to get sales leads for Rainsoft. They want to sell you an expensive water filtration system. I didn't find any positive reviews.

I certainly doubt you will get all the information you need from that. And I would not want them badgering me to get the filtration system.

I work for a water filtration company and if its what we offer you will get a few details about things like total hardness, iron, ph (which isn't accurate testing days after the sample was taken) and maybe lead and manganese. This is the easiest way possible for a sales rep to get there foot in the door to try and sell you something. Its possible that you may not even get the results in a letter. If they mail you something it may just tell you if your water is safe by DEP standards and if it isn't to call a number to speak to a rep. I don't know if its a national thing but the Home depots in my area have a rainsoft rep handing out the water tests. My guess is they must pay HD to operate a small kiosk out of there store. Good luck and I hope they atleast give you the results on what they tested for without going through a sales speech.

My mother taught me this at a young age and for some reason it just stook.

You know those "contests" you enter @ restaurants, car shows, and retail counters for free food, cars and product?
Check out the fine print and read about what your signing away.
Specially when your wringing your address 98% of the time....Sketchy

I might be a dick for not "supporting" these marketing companys but hey, Thats me!

To the OP i would check out local water reports when you get it back and see if its even accurate.
In the end like PassedPawn said.....NOTHING in this world is "free"

I did that same test in home depot when they had a sales rep promoting their water softeners. It's basically useless. It's not a detailed report.

i sent one in a few weeks ago, havent heard anything back

My local HD actually has the Rep in the store wandering around with a clip board asking if you want your water tested for free.... wants name address and email... no thank you is my standard reply

I have a Rain Soft filtration System on my house and I love it. Best money I spent on my house. Since the water in my house was basically liquid rock lol

Like others have said its a way to sell you a water filtration system. A quality product if you actually need it just keep in mind they are there to sell a product so they will almost certainly find something "wrong" with your water.

Yeah, I wouldn't bother with it. For quite a few years, I used to clean and maintain a few water machines in the area. They were the seven step, water softening, reverse osmosis, carbon filter, UV light, and then also an Ozone step. I would have to take water samples to post the results every 6 months. I had to make sure and freeze the ice packs, then, on the day I took the sample, I had to drop it off at a Fed Ex on the way home, if they didn't test the sample within 24 hours, they wouldn't guarantee the results. This was probably over kill for brewing, but if you really want a good water test, spend the few bucks and get it done. Nothing is ever free, ever. Best case, you name will just be added to a mailing list.

I sent the sample in months ago, never heard back.

Probably trying to tell you your water is crap and you need a $400 RO system.

Clonefan94 said:

Yeah, I wouldn't bother with it. For quite a few years, I used to clean and maintain a few water machines in the area. They were the seven step, water softening, reverse osmosis, carbon filter, UV light, and then also an Ozone step. I would have to take water samples to post the results every 6 months. I had to make sure and freeze the ice packs, then, on the day I took the sample, I had to drop it off at a Fed Ex on the way home, if they didn't test the sample within 24 hours, they wouldn't guarantee the results. This was probably over kill for brewing, but if you really want a good water test, spend the few bucks and get it done. Nothing is ever free, ever. Best case, you name will just be added to a mailing list.

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I work for a civil engineering firm that also provides water/wastewater operator services to small towns in the area (if they can't afford to have their own certified operator for a wastewater treatment plant, we act as their certified operator and oversee city employees). As such, we handle all of the testing for the water systems. Our operator travels with a cooler full of ice packs in his truck, and once he collects a sample, he drops it off at the lab that same day. Our office ~ 100 miles away will overnight UPS them. I think the 24 hour time frame is largely for bacterial tests, but still - a good lab wants a fresh sample, not something that's baked in the back of a USPS truck for three days.