what is the cheapest way to get Low PPM water
- Thread starter BrandonT
- Start date
Brimi
Well-Known Member
Rain water has a super low ppm and you can add much more fertilizer to it compared to tap water. Another thing is that rain water keeps your PH-value much more stable. Tap water often has a lot of calcium in it making the ph-value float much more. Will be stable after some time though. I would make an efford into getting rain water - i can easily tell when my plants get it. They just get much healthier looking.
BrandonT
Well-Known Member
its getting close to winter and i dont know how much more rain ill be getting, do you know if walmart or somewhere sells water so i can just buy a bunch of filterred stuff? anybody know? and if i was going to use tap water as a last choice because its to expensive how can i get rid of the calcium is there a cheap filter i can buy to run it through or what
My tap is at 700+ ppm (I know horrid) so I get RO from a local water dealer its like 3.50 for 5 gallons. Cheaper if I buy the 5 jugs a month plan and they drop it off for 2 bucks! so like 20 bucks month for 25 gallons delivered!! Culligan or any bottle water places should have programs like that. RO water come in at <20ppm so get some calmag if you do that also to supplement the nutes.
Brimi
Well-Known Member
Okay - so this is what you do easily and very cheap with tap water:
1: First fill tray with tap water.
2: Put in the nutes until ppm is high enough (nutes will mostly lower PH some)
3: After some hours take a ph-test - it will probably be too high still
4: Buy some car battery acid which is sulfuric acid. Be carefull because it's acid, but thin it with water like 9:1 to make it easier to controll. This is not dangerous to your plants or you and it is what you'll get if you bought ph-down from a hydro shop. Just be a little carefull when handling it and wash your hands if you get something on you. Don't worry - it's not going to explode or something like that. Just poor a little into your water when you need ph-down.
Hope you could use this.
1: First fill tray with tap water.
2: Put in the nutes until ppm is high enough (nutes will mostly lower PH some)
3: After some hours take a ph-test - it will probably be too high still
4: Buy some car battery acid which is sulfuric acid. Be carefull because it's acid, but thin it with water like 9:1 to make it easier to controll. This is not dangerous to your plants or you and it is what you'll get if you bought ph-down from a hydro shop. Just be a little carefull when handling it and wash your hands if you get something on you. Don't worry - it's not going to explode or something like that. Just poor a little into your water when you need ph-down.
Hope you could use this.
Medi 1
Well-Known Member
funny rain water ive tested in some countries is at 800 ppm. acid rain toxic.
use a water filter. hydro logic has good ones and an upgrade filter to remove the chloramines. most think using an ro will do this but it will only remove them partialy.
you havent even said what the ppm of your water is. that ppm is food for them to depending how high it is.
use a water filter. hydro logic has good ones and an upgrade filter to remove the chloramines. most think using an ro will do this but it will only remove them partialy.
you havent even said what the ppm of your water is. that ppm is food for them to depending how high it is.
Brimi
Well-Known Member
Ah - off course you're right. Never thought of something like acid water like that. Brandon has to test that before adjusting the ph-calue off course.
surphin
Well-Known Member
http://www.purewaterclub.com/ they have plenty of options for RO/DI filters for around a hundred bucks. RO/DI filter will bring your water to 0 ppm.
goodolboy
Active Member
Walmart sell gallon spring water for around $0.80, the ppm is around 200 on that..
Theres a store on ebay, called "the hydro-source", they have a Hannah PPM meter for around $25 shipped to your door, mine works great compared to my buddies expensive one(measures the same) just not sure if it will last as long as an expensive one. either way, good luck
Theres a store on ebay, called "the hydro-source", they have a Hannah PPM meter for around $25 shipped to your door, mine works great compared to my buddies expensive one(measures the same) just not sure if it will last as long as an expensive one. either way, good luck
