# Tap water/storage?



## Real78 (Mar 29, 2009)

Ok, I checked my tap waters ppm and they are 150-180 range can I use it for growing?

Also for storage for the ppm test what does one do I did not find anything like I did for my pH tester. My pH tester says to place a few drops of pH in the cap and seal it. I could not find anything for the ppm tester.



Thanks


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## medicalGreenGrower (Mar 29, 2009)

if you're asking about a test pen for ppm, they have both ppm and pH pens (all in one tester) in hydro shops. if you're asking if the ppm probe needs to be stored in a storage solution in the cap, my understanding is the pH electrode is the only one that needs to be stored wet.

as far as water goes, tap water sucks - at least mine did. really high ppm and chlorine. i bought a Reverse Osmosis filter off of ebay and set it up under my sink. now i get 4ppm water at 6.0 pH. i put a sterlite 48 gallon storage container in an empty corner and ran a water line to it with a float valve. instant storage tank. well almost. i put a water level indicator on the side and a pump to an outlet on the outside for filling up buckets. filters are slow so my tank fills up over night so that when i need lots of water i don't have to wait for the filter.

filter should be around a hundred bucks plus the sterlite plastic bin. 

hth

mG2


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## Real78 (Mar 30, 2009)

Ok but whats a good ppm if you are going to use tap water? I already have both ppm and pH tester and only paid 50 for both. So I am good there and thanks for answering the first question but still need an answer for the second question please anyone I am still looking around.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Mar 30, 2009)

Real78 said:
			
		

> Ok, I checked my tap waters ppm and they are 150-180 range can I use it for growing?



Is that your ppm right from the tap or after the water has sat for a day or so?


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## Real78 (Mar 30, 2009)

Hey, how have you been THG? Yes, that is just tap water I did not let it sit for a day I will try that when I get home from work.


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## Barbapopa (Mar 30, 2009)

Maybe you want to run it through a Reverse Osmosis to be sure, my PPM fluctuates between 0 and 1 (before nutes) after my water has gone through RM.


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## CasualGrower (Mar 30, 2009)

OK, you have 140ish PPM...... but PPM of what is the question....

To know if your tap water is OK to use, you would want to get a tap water analysis from your local water department.... they test regularly and should have those reports available on request.

You might have 140 PPM of good stuff like calcium or magnesium or other good trace minerals that would benefit your plants or it might be 140 PPM of stuff that could be toxic to your plants.....

Not saying you cant grow in tap water, but it is good to know what is in your tap water.


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## Growdude (Mar 30, 2009)

CasualGrower said:
			
		

> OK, you have 140ish PPM...... but PPM of what is the question....
> 
> To know if your tap water is OK to use, you would want to get a tap water analysis from your local water department.... they test regularly and should have those reports available on request.
> 
> ...



Chances are its Iron and calcium mostly, these are used by the plants thats why they sell the hard water nutes, it just leaves this stuff out more or less.

No one can tell you if your water will work out or not, just use the hard water nutes and try for yourself. My guess is it will be fine.


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## Real78 (Mar 31, 2009)

Looks like I am going to be buying water until I have enough for a RO system. The one I am looking at is about 123.00 off ebay then I will order some ladies after I buy an RO I have a few ladies that my friend gave me to start off with. I just want to get the hang of it before I spend money of ladies if you know what I mean.


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## hydrochloride (Apr 1, 2009)

Yes, if you are on tap becareful with the ppm. I am on a well and have 270 ppm, but I know it is all organic matter. I also am switching to RO because it is hard to tell if my girls are getting exactly what they need. I think it is more of a control issue with ppm. If you use tap water, let it sit for a couple days to gas off any chems. You can also get an inline charcol filter that will attach to your spicket. Good Luck


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## The Hemp Goddess (Apr 1, 2009)

Actually a ppm of 150 is not horrible.  Some of that may be chlorine that will evaporate out if you leave it sit.  I'm with Growdude.  I would use nutes for hard water and see how it works.  There are pluses and minuses with an RO--I have some problems with how much water they "waste" to make a gallon of "good" water.


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## Super Silver Haze (Apr 1, 2009)

The Hemp Goddess said:
			
		

> Actually a ppm of 150 is not horrible. Some of that may be chlorine that will evaporate out if you leave it sit. I'm with Growdude. I would use nutes for hard water and see how it works. There are pluses and minuses with an RO--I have some problems with how much water they "waste" to make a gallon of "good" water.


 
i wasnt aware that RO wasts any water.  doesnt RO involve pushing watr through a membrane that filters at the micron level.  i believe that after the water passes through the contaninants are left.  could you explain how water is wasted, thanks.  

SSH


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## Growdude (Apr 1, 2009)

Super Silver Haze said:
			
		

> i wasnt aware that RO wasts any water.  doesnt RO involve pushing watr through a membrane that filters at the micron level.  i believe that after the water passes through the contaninants are left.  could you explain how water is wasted, thanks.
> 
> SSH



It pushes OVER a membrane, what passes is pure but the rest goes down the drain.

Check e-bay for a portable RO filter for ~$60.00 and its works great for filling 5 gal water jugs.

Mine been a grow saver.


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## Shockeclipse (Apr 1, 2009)

Growdude said:
			
		

> It pushes OVER a membrane, what passes is pure but the rest goes down the drain.
> 
> Check e-bay for a portable RO filter for ~$60.00 and its works great for filling 5 gal water jugs.
> 
> Mine been a grow saver.


There is a natural spring near my grow that I will be using and i tested it at 107 ppm, with a ph of 6.5.  I didnt let it sit though, and was thinking that was very good for springwater or even tap water.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Apr 1, 2009)

Shockeclipse said:
			
		

> There is a natural spring near my grow that I will be using and i tested it at 107 ppm, with a ph of 6.5.  I didnt let it sit though, and was thinking that was very good for springwater or even tap water.



That is very good for spring water.  However, the ppms spring water may not stay constant, so I would recommend checking it regularly.  The ppms of the spring water will probably not change ppm by sitting.  Municipalities add chlorine to their water systems that will evaporate out.  I do not know of any naturally occurring elements in spring water that would evaporate out with sitting.


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## Shockeclipse (Apr 1, 2009)

The Hemp Goddess said:
			
		

> That is very good for spring water.  However, the ppms spring water may not stay constant, so I would recommend checking it regularly.  The ppms of the spring water will probably not change ppm by sitting.  Municipalities add chlorine to their water systems that will evaporate out.  I do not know of any naturally occurring elements in spring water that would evaporate out with sitting.


I'll do an experiment on it and let ya know what I find.  I was planning on testing every time I use any.


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## Real78 (Apr 2, 2009)

Ok after two days of letting 5 gal sit out the ppm are 180. So I am going to buy water for the time being and will save on the RO.


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## GrowinGreen (Apr 2, 2009)

I get all my water from a well- my plants to love it.


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## Shockeclipse (Apr 2, 2009)

GrowinGreen said:
			
		

> I get all my water from a well- my plants to love it.


We get all our drinking and cooking water from the spring I mentioned.  We need a new water filtration system for our well.  I tested it at 1100 ppm and it smells a little and tastes like the economy.


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## Super Silver Haze (Apr 2, 2009)

Growdude said:
			
		

> It pushes OVER a membrane, what passes is pure but the rest goes down the drain.
> 
> Check e-bay for a portable RO filter for ~$60.00 and its works great for filling 5 gal water jugs.
> 
> Mine been a grow saver.


 
GrowDude, im not sure what brand RO you have but how can a membrane filter anything if water only flows over it. i have family members the run commercial RO Skids and it works on the principle of using pressure to push water through a membrane that filters out the contanimants. also, if the membrane isnt installed in the right direction then the flow rate will be very slow.
the only H2o wasted in the commercial Skids is when the membranes are back flushed to clean. im sure household RO's dont have to be back flushed, this was done b/c of chemical contaminants in the polluted retention pond.

 here is the definition from wiki



"Reverse osmosis is a filtration process typically used for water. It works by using pressure to force a solution through a membrane, retaining the solute on one side and allowing the pure solvent to pass to the other side. This is the reverse of the normal osmosis process, which is the natural movement of solvent from an area of low solute concentration, through a membrane, to an area of high solute concentration when no external pressure is applied."

SSH


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## Super Silver Haze (Apr 8, 2009)

THG & Growdude, i posted w/o being 100% pos of the process.  i was part right in that water passes through the membrane, but a better definition was found on Applied Membrane.com.  

"Reverse osmosis (RO) is a membrane separation process in which feed water flows along the membrane surface under pressure. Purified water permeates the membrane and is collected, while the concentrated water, containing dissolved and undissolved material that does not flow through the membrane, is discharged to the drain.

The key requirements of  Reverse Osmosis (RO) process are a membrane and water under a pressure. Other requirements include prefiltration to remove suspended impurities and carbon to remove chlorine (damages the membrane).

Most membranes remove 90-99+ % of the dissolved impurities depending on the impurity and the composition of water. 

Reverse osmosis systems (RO Systems) remove salts, microorganisms and many high molecular weight organics. System capacity depends on the water temperature, total dissolved solids in feed water, operating pressure and the overall recovery of the system."


i still dont know the ammount of H2o wasted.  is there an effiency rating on these?

SSH


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## Real78 (Apr 8, 2009)

I just picked up some RO water from work LOL. just to get me going. I dont get paid until Friday and I have to move my little ones so I did what any father would do for his kids got water for them. 

I will buy some water from the store on Friday so that I will be ready for the next res change.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Apr 9, 2009)

There is no way to know how much water will be wasted--it depends on how bad your water is to begin with.  But, be aware, you can put 4+ gals of water down the drain for every gal of RO water you end up with.


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## Super Silver Haze (Apr 9, 2009)

i think ill stick with a 5 gal bucket of H2o and let it sit overnight w/airstone.  maybee RO Membrane technology will advance to be more efficient.

SSH


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## Real78 (Apr 9, 2009)

The Hemp Goddess said:
			
		

> There is no way to know how much water will be wasted--it depends on how bad your water is to begin with.  But, be aware, you can put 4+ gals of water down the drain for every gal of RO water you end up with.



Thats why I am going to just buy some water this weekend from the store that way I don't have to worry about wasting water. Were trying to save money not waste money.


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