Testing your Richfield well, and what the softener call needs
Every Richfield home is on a private well, so every softener conversation here starts with the same question: what is in your water? Here is how to sort the test that matters for a softener from the ones a softener has nothing to do with.
Call (262) 829-5961Mon to Fri, 7am to 5pmHardness is one test; bacteria and nitrate are others
Hardness, the dissolved calcium and magnesium a softener exchanges for sodium or potassium, is the number a softener is sized around. Bacteria and nitrate belong to a different test entirely, and neither is within a softener's design.
Wisconsin's DNR recommends that private well owners have the water checked for bacteria at minimum once a year. That test, and any nitrate test, goes to a Wisconsin state-certified lab; we don't sell that testing.
Reading the hardness line on your report
If your report gives hardness in milligrams per liter, divide it by 17.1 for grains per gallon, the unit softener settings use.
The US Geological Survey's scale runs like this: up to 60 milligrams per liter is soft, 61 to 120 is moderately hard, 121 to 180 is hard, and anything above 180, about 10.5 grains, is very hard.
Your checklist for the call
The call needs only a few things: how many people are in the home, where the water line comes indoors, whether an old softener stands there, and whatever lab results you have for the well.
Being in Richfield already tells us you are on a well, so you can skip that part.
If your report mentions iron
Private wells can carry iron alongside hardness. If iron appears on your lab report, read us that line too.
No report at all is fine. On install day your tap is tested before any plumbing is undone, and tested again afterward until the hardness reading is zero.
Common questions
How often should I test my Richfield well?
For bacteria, the Wisconsin DNR recommends at least once a year. Hardness is what matters for sizing a softener, and your tap's reading on install day covers it.
How do I turn milligrams per liter into grains?
Divide by 17.1. A reading of 180 milligrams per liter, the point where the USGS scale switches to very hard, works out to about 10.5 grains.
Do you sell well tests?
No. For bacteria and nitrate, a Wisconsin state-certified lab does the testing. On install day the water is tested for hardness at your tap.