Death to hard water!!

I know I'm not the only one in SoCal. L.A. , San Diego, Orange County(rep!) its all shit. I have a bunch of potted plants in my yard, and they're all covered in calcium buildup. I have gotten used to swapping soil, But I would like to try recycling some of this soil, as well a some of my MJ soil. Not interested in wasting 5 gallons for 1 gallon of mineral stripped RO water. Nor do I want to blow a wad of cash on the system. So I've been looking for alternatives, and came across these:

http://www.purewatersite.com/2x10reinfisore.html

This company says it can send me a two stage 2.5"x10" with a carbon filter and this resin filter for $80. The rep said they sell this setup to gardeners with hard water all the time. I have seen industrial farming irrigation filters with this same resin. Not to mention these are for a "whole house" setup (high flow!) versus that slow ass under the sink crap. Simple, carbon kills the chlorine, resin softens hard water without salts, done.

So anybody else walk this road? I read this resin filter works by breaking down the whole cation- anion thing so the minerals cannot become deposits in the first place. does this mean the mineral is still available to the plants? Or is this just a different way to achieve the same "mineral-less" water as RO? It sounds like it "discharges" the mineral so it cant be "attracted" to itself and start a deposit. Does this mean even more available minerals to the plants and thus more problems?

BTW- Thumbs up to you very informative organic dudes on RIU. I have "seen the light" and am starting my first organic grow. Props!!

As a Northern California guy, all I can say is this:

If you don't like our water, quit stealing it from our delta to water your lawns and golf courses. The salmon like our water just fine.

I'll check out that link when I have a little time.

That cartridge you linked to is filled with ion exchange resin. Most ion exchange resins are in sodium form, meaning the Mg++ and Ca++ ions in water are swapped for Na+ ions which were loosely held on the surface of the ion exchange beads. Ca and Mg with their 2+ charge are held more strongly on the bead than the Na with its single 1+ charge. The cartridge you linked to does something similar, but instead of exchanging the Ca++ and Mg++ for Na+, it swaps them for H+. Instead of ending up with water that's too high in sodium, you end up with a weak acid from all the added H+ ions.

I personally would avoid that...

These plants love slightly acidic soil.

Lol spicysativa!

SpicySativa said:

As a Northern California guy, all I can say is this:


If you don't like our water, quit stealing it from our delta to water your lawns and golf courses. The salmon like our water just fine.


I'll check out that link when I have a little time.

Click to expand...

honestly homie if i had the right to choose i would not steal northern California's or any other states water for that matter. Unfirtantly we do not have that kind of power to choose.

I do however choose to collect what little rainwater we get, reuse hard water/soft/grey water. Once agian on behalf of southern cali we apologize!

Haha! Thanks, dude. Nothing personal..

Right on, thanks sativa. I found a nugget about this if anybody else is interested:
http://extension.umass.edu/floriculture/greenhouse-best-management-practices-bmp-manual/water-quality-crop-production

Goes into a bit of detail on how the different filters work. Soooo....

Anybody use a cheap filter they like? or know of some to avoid?? I was hoping to cut down even some of the TDS out of my water. shits like 400ppms!! and full of chlorine. I can let the water breathe in a tub for that, but the salts are killin me.

Op, sorry man, I have nothing to contribute to this thread except to say, lol, excellent avatar mate, hehe.

Edit: I gave you a like for it.