First Water Report. Insufficient???

[Physics202]

My homebrew club does free water testing, so I took advantage. Here's what they gave me. It seems that a number of minerals are missing... Is this sufficient to get me started with water adjustments? or should I go ahead and get a better test done...

Up until this point I've just been doing pH measurements, and recently have started adding phosphoric acid to get my mash right. But it's been very unscientific and just trial and error on amounts needed.

Results
Test Name: Sodium
Test Result: 66 ppm
Test Date: 2016-06-16 23:59:21
Test Site: Swimming Pool
Test Device: Calculated
Test Location (Lng, Lat): 37.33361561665256,-76.54435467705811

Test Name: Calcium CA
Test Result: LO ppm
Test Date: 2016-06-17 00:09:36
Test Site: Swimming Pool
Test Device: iDip B00B41v69.02
Test Location (Lng, Lat): 37.333703481294,-76.54444044248523

Test Name: Hardness, Total High THH
Test Result: 65 ppm
Test Date: 2016-06-17 00:08:03
Test Site: Swimming Pool
Test Device: iDip B00B41v69.02
Test Location (Lng, Lat): 37.333703481294,-76.54444044248523

Test Name: Hardness, Total Low THL
Test Result: LO ppm
Test Date: 2016-06-17 00:05:01
Test Site: Swimming Pool
Test Device: iDip B00B41v69.02
Test Location (Lng, Lat): 37.333703481294,-76.54444044248523

Test Name: Hardness, Total Low THL
Test Result: LO ppm
Test Date: 2016-06-17 00:03:48
Test Site: Swimming Pool
Test Device: iDip B00B41v69.02
Test Location (Lng, Lat): 37.333703481294,-76.54444044248523

Test Name: Chloride CH
Test Result: 60 ppm
Test Date: 2016-06-17 00:02:21
Test Site: Swimming Pool
Test Device: iDip B00B41v69.02
Test Location (Lng, Lat): 37.333703481294,-76.54444044248523

Test Name: Calcium CA
Test Result: LO ppm
Test Date: 2016-06-17 00:00:39
Test Site: Swimming Pool
Test Device: iDip B00B41v69.02
Test Location (Lng, Lat): 37.333703481294,-76.54444044248523

Test Name: Alkalinity, Total AL
Test Result: 139 ppm
Test Date: 2016-06-16 23:59:21
Test Site: Swimming Pool
Test Device: iDip B00B41v69.02
Test Location (Lng, Lat): 37.33361561665256,-76.54435467705811

Test Name: Sulfate SO4
Test Result: 16 ppm
Test Date: 2016-06-16 23:57:59
Test Site: Swimming Pool
Test Device: iDip B00B41v69.02
Test Location (Lng, Lat): 37.33361561665256,-76.54435467705811

Test Name: pH PH
Test Result: 7.2 pH
Test Date: 2016-06-16 23:56:10
Test Site: Swimming Pool
Test Device: iDip B00B41v69.02
Test Location (Lng, Lat): 37.33361561665256,-76.54435467705811

 

[Physics202]

The only pertinant info that I seem to be missing is magnesium. Not sure how important a role it plays. Also, the tester noted that he tested 3 times for calcium, and it came as "LO" for each test. Is it strange for water to not have calcium? especially well water.

 

[ajdelange]

I'd spring the $25 (or whatever it is) for a Ward Labs test. The results you have posted are for the relatively new iDip photometer (blue tooth) and it appears that whoever is using it isn't quite up to speed on it.

 

[Physics202]

Just got this response from the test master
It calculates Magnesium and Residual Alkalinity, but it does it requires a valid Calcium reading. Unfortunately, due to the LO reading for Calcium the program couldn't calculate the other two parameters.

The double readings for Calcium and Total Hardness Low were where I redid tests to make sure of the measurement.

LO for Calcium means the calcium content was less than 3ppm, the threshold for the test strip method. For Total Hardness Low it is irrelevant, since the Total Hardness was measured properly and the two tests just cover the entire range of hardness from 1-600ppm.



So, I think I'm going to add calcium to the water and then I should be able to get a reading on the Mg. Might still do the ward labs test, and then compare.

 

[ajdelange]

You can do the calculations based on calcium of less than 3. Assume it is 0. The total hardness is 65. Divide by 50 to get 1.3 mEq/L. That's all magnesium. Multiply by 12.15 to get mg/L magnesium. It's about 15 mg/L.

 

[Physics202]

You can do the calculations based on calcium of less than 3. Assume it is 0. The total hardness is 65. Divide by 50 to get 1.3 mEq/L. That's all magnesium. Multiply by 12.15 to get mg/L magnesium. It's about 15 mg/L.

Awesome, Thank you