Water ph keeps rising.

Hi. Any body tested ph levels after water has been sitting for over 24hrs? I’ve set up a tank system above my plants and I’m using Blumat drippers to feed organic Sohum living soil with just ph’d butt water as recommended by Sohum. The problem I’m having is that after adjusting the water in the tank down to 6.5 ish after a day or so it’s gone right back up. I’m using Biobizz organic ph down. Wtf is going on peeps?
 

waktoo

Well-Known Member
It's because the net concentration of hydrogen ions in solution didn't change...

What measuring water pH doesn't tell you is it's alkalinity. It measures hydrogen, not bicarbonates, or carbonates.

Bicarbonates and carbonates in your irrigation water are what will affect affect soil pH over time. Citric acid (what you're using) is a "weak" acid. The purpose of adding citric acid to your irrigation water water isn't to lower the pH (hydrogen ion concentration in solution), it's to neutralize the alkalinity (bicarbonates). While there is a temporary drop in pH after adding it, as it reacts with and neutralizes the bicarbonates in your irrigation water, the "acid/hydrogen" concentration that it temporarily added to the solution is neutralized in the reaction as well.

The alkalinity in your water has been neutralized, but the hydrogen ion concentration in your water hasn't changed (much). The fact that the up drift pH reading is lower than when you started demonstrates that you've effectively neutralized all of the alkalinity in your water (there's "extra" acid in the water, as the reading is lower). I wouldn't worry too much about the pH now...
 

cannabineer

Ursus marijanus
Hi. Any body tested ph levels after water has been sitting for over 24hrs? I’ve set up a tank system above my plants and I’m using Blumat drippers to feed organic Sohum living soil with just ph’d butt water as recommended by Sohum. The problem I’m having is that after adjusting the water in the tank down to 6.5 ish after a day or so it’s gone right back up. I’m using Biobizz organic ph down. Wtf is going on peeps?
How hard is your water? Some pH climb as bicarbonate goes away into the air as carbon dioxide is expected. Locally it’s good for .3 to .5 pH.
The only other time I’ve seen pH climb was in NFT hydro veg using a nutrient whose nitrogen was 100% nitrate.
 
It's because the net concentration of hydrogen ions in solution didn't change...

What measuring water pH doesn't tell you is it's alkalinity. It measures hydrogen, not bicarbonates, or carbonates.

Bicarbonates and carbonates in your irrigation water are what will affect affect soil pH over time. Citric acid (what you're using) is a "weak" acid. The purpose of adding citric acid to your irrigation water water isn't to lower the pH (hydrogen ion concentration in solution), it's to neutralize the alkalinity (bicarbonates). While there is a temporary drop in pH after adding it, as it reacts with and neutralizes the bicarbonates in your irrigation water, the "acid/hydrogen" concentration that it temporarily added to the solution is neutralized in the reaction as well.

The alkalinity in your water has been neutralized, but the hydrogen ion concentration in your water hasn't changed (much). The fact that the up drift pH reading is lower than when you started demonstrates that you've effectively neutralized all of the alkalinity in your water (there's "extra" acid in the water, as the reading is lower). I wouldn't worry too much about the pH now...
It's because the net concentration of hydrogen ions in solution didn't change...

What measuring water pH doesn't tell you is it's alkalinity. It measures hydrogen, not bicarbonates, or carbonates.

Bicarbonates and carbonates in your irrigation water are what will affect affect soil pH over time. Citric acid (what you're using) is a "weak" acid. The purpose of adding citric acid to your irrigation water water isn't to lower the pH (hydrogen ion concentration in solution), it's to neutralize the alkalinity (bicarbonates). While there is a temporary drop in pH after adding it, as it reacts with and neutralizes the bicarbonates in your irrigation water, the "acid/hydrogen" concentration that it temporarily added to the solution is neutralized in the reaction as well.

The alkalinity in your water has been neutralized, but the hydrogen ion concentration in your water hasn't changed (much). The fact that the up drift pH reading is lower than when you started demonstrates that you've effectively neutralized all of the alkalinity in your water (there's "extra" acid in the water, as the reading is lower). I wouldn't worry too much about the pH now...
Thats a comprehensive answer.! Thanks very much.
 
How hard is your water? Some pH climb as bicarbonate goes away into the air as carbon dioxide is expected. Locally it’s good for .3 to .5 pH.
The only other time I’ve seen pH climb was in NFT hydro veg using a nutrient whose nitrogen was 100% nitrate.
Water is hard but not excessively so.
 
Top