Most boiler water tests aren't wrong because of bad chemistry—they're wrong because of bad sampling. Here's what to do differently. Jude walks through the right way to collect a water softener sample, explains why stagnant water in the line gives you false readings, demonstrates the buffer-and-indicator test, and shows how blue vs. pink results tell you whether your softener is doing its job. A bad sample leads to a bad test result, and a bad test result means you might trust a softener that's letting hardness through—which shortens boiler life and drives up maintenance costs. Safety notice: Always consult experts for complex repairs. Weekly Boiler Tips are compiled by the knowledgeable and remarkably prolific content creators at WARE, a family owned, third-generation, 69-year-old commercial and industrial boiler rental and service firm based in Louisville KY. You can learn all about this and more at WARE's Boiler University.