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Before recommending a system, a HomeCare RO technician tests your water for TDS, hardness and visible contaminants, free of charge and with no obligation to buy.
A free on-site water quality test before recommending a system
Genuine parts, transparent pricing, and a technician who shows up on schedule.
A free home water test quickly shows whether tap, borewell or open well water needs an RO system, a water softener, or an iron removal plant. HomeCare RO provides this on-site test in Kochi and nearby areas so decisions rest on measured TDS, hardness and visible contaminants, not guesswork. It helps most when water looks acceptable but stains, scales or tastes metallic.
A TDS meter reports total dissolved solids in ppm or mg/L but cannot identify which dissolved substances are present. It cannot detect hardness or specifically identify iron. Hardness from calcium and magnesium is measured separately as mg/L as CaCO3. Iron requires iron-specific strips at home or spectrophotometry in a lab. A single TDS reading can hide or overstate a water problem.
TDS bands: below 300 ppm excellent, 300 to 500 ppm good, 500 to 1000 ppm not ideal and usually worth RO treatment, above 1000 ppm should be treated before regular use. BIS IS 10500 sets acceptable TDS at 500 mg/L and maximum at 2000 mg/L, so acceptable and ideal differ.
In Kerala, borewell and open well water can change with monsoon and soil conditions. Groundwater can carry dissolved iron, and coastal areas often show higher TDS from salinity. Testing at the point of use is the only way to know whether the problem is hardness, iron, TDS or a combination.
For bacterial contamination, pesticides or full IS 10500 compliance, a separate laboratory test is needed. The free on-site visit is not a substitute for full microbial lab testing.
| Parameter | BIS IS 10500 limit | Test method | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| TDS | 500 mg/L acceptable, 2000 mg/L maximum | TDS meter | Total dissolved salts and minerals; affects taste and RO choice |
| Total hardness | 200 mg/L acceptable, 600 mg/L maximum | Hardness strips or EDTA titration | Calcium and magnesium; causes scale in pipes, geysers and RO membranes |
| Iron | 0.3 mg/L maximum | Iron-specific strips or lab spectrophotometry | Can cause reddish stains, metallic taste and clogged membranes |
| pH | 6.5 to 8.5 | pH meter or strip | Below 6.5 can corrode pipes; above 8.5 can cause scaling and poor taste |
Match the recommendation to the measured problem. If hardness is the main issue, softening is usually first because it protects geysers, pipes and RO membranes from scale. If iron is above 0.3 mg/L or visible orange sediment is present, an iron filter is often recommended before RO, since iron can clog a membrane quickly. When TDS is high, an RO system is usually the main treatment, paired with pre-treatment if hardness or iron is also present.
System size depends on daily water use, source water quality and whether the supply is municipal, borewell or open well. A home using 300 litres per day of high TDS borewell water may need a different combination than a flat using corporation water with moderate hardness.
Treating TDS as the only water quality score is the most common mistake. TDS does not measure hardness, iron, bacteria or turbidity. Clear water can still have coliform contamination, so safe drinking water must test zero for coliform before it is considered biologically safe.
Another mistake is buying a treatment system before checking iron and hardness. High iron above 0.3 mg/L is a maintenance risk for RO membranes. High hardness shortens the life of geysers and pipes. If hard water is present but softening is skipped, scale will form even if TDS is not very high.
Test strips are screening tools, but accuracy can vary by 10 to 15 percent from laboratory results. A good iron-specific strip should react with iron and not cross-react heavily with other metals. If the problem is severe or recurring, a laboratory test is more reliable.
Water quality can shift after heavy rain, borewell deepening or a change in municipal supply. A residential retest every six months confirms whether installed treatment is still adequate.
If you are in Kochi or nearby, call or WhatsApp HomeCare RO at +91 97464 88180 to schedule the free home water test. The visit includes on-site checks, a written summary and a no obligation site visit before any quote.
No. A TDS meter measures total dissolved solids only and cannot detect calcium and magnesium, which cause hardness. Hardness needs separate test strips or EDTA titration.
Use hardness strips or a hardness titration kit for total hardness, and use iron-specific strips for iron. A TDS meter cannot detect either. For exact ppm and the type of iron, use a lab test.
25 ppm is very low and within the excellent range often quoted for TDS, but BIS IS 10500 does not set a lower minimum. Some people find very low TDS water flat and prefer remineralisation after RO.
70 ppm is low and within the ideal range of less than 300 ppm. It is not a concern by itself, but TDS alone cannot confirm freedom from bacteria, hardness or iron.
