E if you are using tapwater you may well be fighting your ph level constantly (and uselessly) How are your plants growing in general? The problem with tap or well water is that you really don't know what's in it....yes you can say 250 ppms, but 250ppms of what? Coal dust? (j/k) Sounds as though RO water is in your future plan...you have obviously studied...IMO RO water is more important than it seems and I found out the hard way for sure. I have heard that having to use large amounts of ph up/down can cause its own problems with EC or something like that and too much H202 can be harmful as well. How much is too much? Well that's where the people who know things come in.....and it ain't me.