Water hardness?

[mandimoron]

So I was wondering... is it possible to get several different readings for water hardness in one's home if one were to test the water from different faucets and things? I'm not actually asking for the sake of my fish directly, but am doing a lab report for school. I figured you guys might have some experience with this happening, if it's possible at all, and well, it might help some people with their fish, too.

The way I think of it, an older faucet or set of plumbing would likely have more deposits built up inside of it, and so would tend to leech more minerals into the water passing through it than a newer faucet within the same home. Is that feasible, or am I oversimplifying something?

[Roan Art]

IMO I don't think there will be a difference between different taps. Unless you are going to compare the waters after they have sat overnight and as they are when the taps are turned on immediately, ie: don't let it run to "flush" out the pipes. If the water sits in the pipes, it could collect mineral build up there. But most people let the water run for a few minutes after they turn a tap on.

There could be a difference between the hot and cold water. If the hot water tank is not drained off yearly as it is supposed to, minerals will build up and you'll see a marked difference between the two. Ours hasn't been drained (still!) and there is a difference in GH, KH and pH between the two sources.

HTH
Roan