Refer to post#17. What do you want it to read?Quote:
Originally Posted by Chronic Chrissy
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Refer to post#17. What do you want it to read?Quote:
Originally Posted by Chronic Chrissy
Can you do an A/B extraction to pull some of yer impurities?
IE- take source water, pH- to like 4,filter, then pH+ to like 10, filter,then pH- back to desired, filter, add nutes, season to taste?
You can shake a lot of crap out of solution this way- old crank cook trick.
Filter it through what? I've never had a water issue before. But I will say I would much rather find a way to replace the water than to replace the nutes. Not that my specific nutes are that important but because I can easily see other problems developing in the future.Quote:
Originally Posted by rhizome
I was looking at maybe something like this for the not so far future
water purifier - White Baked-Enamel Model 100
or maybe this
Dripworks - Hard Water Magnetic Water Conditioning
Then I think it is time to start designing and building a distillery that can meet my needs.
If you are going to spend $149.00 on that filter, then whats $200 on an RO unit?
RO for $200, where?Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffersonBud
Plus I've read that there is alot of wastage with a RO. Call me a hippi but every extra penny we get goes to living organically and green. Alot of the products on my wish list for when I start turning enough of a profit to stabilize our are gree, organic, earth friendly, and self sustaining investments
Rhizome's got a good idea. You can literally FORCE minerals out of solution by taking advantage of the fact that they have different solubility levels at different pH levels.
You will go through a lot of up/down that way, but it's VERY clever.
You said earlier you were using a pool test kit for your pH test. Are you also using pool up/down?
JB is right... if you're going to spend ANY money at all, spend it on something that is proven to work.
High Tech Garden Supply
$209 bucks plus s&h. Great company too. 100 gals per day is awesome
I use Groteks liquid pH tester. The pool test kit is just for the ppm. I was using proper hydro pH down(never needed pH up yet), But lately have been using vinegar. I started when I ran out of pH down and relized my pH stayed stable longer with the vinegar.
I like Rhizome's idea, but I'm not sure what kind of filter I would pass the water through. I don't have pH up and can't get it for a bit, but I could get a shit load of baking soda and vinegar in town, would that work? And what kind of filter would I need?
It's raining alot lately around here, and I was thinking of throughing up a tarp across the back yard and collecting it to drain in barrels, but I've heard conflicting things about rain water. I live in central canada and our rain systems usually come west across Alberta and Saskachewan, the mountains keep the rain from BC in BC. This winter I was using melted snow and ice and my first batch of plants did very well.
I take it collecting water that runs off your roof contaminates it.
As for the RO I think I need to understand more about it first before I exclude it. I know how osmosis works within the body, and know that the water is passed through a membrane, and the minerals are moved out across the membrane by flowing water(the wastage), but do you really only get 5% of the water back out, and where does the rest of the water go?
I have so much to search read and do but only a 3 hour nap to keep my plants going till I fix this problem.
Coffee filter material should work.
Baking soda won't bring your pH high enough, nor vinegar, low enoguh.
Your rain systems should be relatively clean if they don't pass through a highly industrialized area. Our rain here in New England comes via the Rust Belt, including Sudbury ONT... lol... it's a bit on the acid side...
Roof runoff should not be bad unless you have a rusty tine roof. REmember, the rain is constantly rinsing your roof down. Wait until the rain has been falling for half an hour and then open up the inlet to your rain barrels. That will give dust and contaminants time to wash mostly away before collection.
You don't lose water with an RO system. They operate under different conditions than osmosis in plant or animal tissue, and are both effective and efficient. IF you can afford an RO unit, you are GOLDEN, and if you run it starting with rain water, the filters should last a lot longer between replacements since the EC of rain water is already quite low.
If you choose rain water, first test the EC, then bring it to 300ppm with your CalMAg Plus, THEN add the ferts, THEN check and adjust the pH.
Ok so I've emailed my wholesaler, to see what he can get me for RO. In the mean time they are getting plain pHd water .