What's my best option for buying water?

[purplehays1]

pretty sure any RO system creats waste, not an expert tho

Didnt see an option with no waste, think the most efficient ones still waste a gallon to make a gallon. They need to use water to clean the filter unless there is a whole new technology but in that case i doubt it would be called reverse osmosis.

 

[Dr. Who]

do they still get the PPM as low if u use 1:1?

<10 Mine works fine in the grows that way - well starting is just over 400! The house one runs flat at 0 for just about a year before needing a change.....starting house is 150.

 

[PetFlora]

Well that's on you. The reason for heavy waste water is low water line pressure, hence, using a booster pump, which have been available for 20+ years

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

do they still get the PPM as low if u use 1:1?

I have a 1:2 restrictor, ppm was 4, brand new. When it hits 12, I replace the filter. My tap varies from 250 to almost 600, depending on seasonal conditions.

 

[purplehays1]

I have a 1:2 restrictor, ppm was 4, brand new. When it hits 12, I replace the filter. My tap varies from 250 to almost 600, depending on seasonal conditions.

Ya thats cool, mine is always about 10-15 but i havnt changed the filters in a long time. The RO filters with a pump are like twice as expensive, i use so little it would never be worth it for me, cost wise, to upgrade.

 

[purplehays1]

Well that's on you. The reason for heavy waste water is low water line pressure, hence, using a booster pump, which have been available for 20+ years

I have 600 PPM water i think that also makes the filter have to use more waste water. I use like 6gal of water a week from RO, so not really worried about the waste, when i used to have a large grow id use the wastewater to water my orange trees.

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

I use like 6gal of water a week from RO,

My entire family drinks r/o, as do the pets. I also use it for cooking, tea, coffee and anything food/health related. We've done this since I started growing, 15 years ago.

We use a LOT of r/o, now I think about it.

 

[purplehays1]

My entire family drinks r/o, as do the pets. I also use it for cooking, tea, coffee and anything food/health related. We've done this since I started growing, 15 years ago.

We use a LOT of r/o, now I think about it.

ya i live in so cal major drought last few years, i wouldnt feel right drinking RO unless i got a more efficient filter. My girlie digs it tho.

 

[Budley Doright]

Didnt see an option with no waste, think the most efficient ones still waste a gallon to make a gallon. They need to use water to clean the filter unless there is a whole new technology but in that case i doubt it would be called reverse osmosis.

I'm still looking lol. Didn't get a chance to call today but they keep the install manual pretty hidden lol. I could be way wrong as I to thought they all had waste water drain. Also if your water pressure is above 50 psi then you probably don't need a booster.

 

[PURPLEB3RRYKUSH]

ya i live in so cal major drought last few years, i wouldnt feel right drinking RO unless i got a more efficient filter. My girlie digs it tho.

haha you can't taste the difference =)))

 

[Budley Doright]

So yup I was wrong it does produce waste water. How much I asked, reps response is no one can say as its dependant on initial water quality and pressure and usage .

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

haha you can't taste the difference =)))

Ummm.... you can't tell the difference?? I certainly can. Cali drought or no drought, my health comes first and I'll drink R/O, thanks.

 

[purplehays1]

Ummm.... you can't tell the difference?? I certainly can. Cali drought or no drought, my health comes first and I'll drink R/O, thanks.

our water in socal taste terrible

 

[Skunk smell]

I checked the RO water from Walmart today and it tested at 38ppm.Does that seem high for RO water? Should I be adding Cal-mag to that water?

 

[Budley Doright]

My water is fine for drinking and has been tested but my thoughts are that with RO you are starting with a clean palette so to speak. As for RO being safer ..... you must realize that it does not remove water born bacteria and you should have you water tested, you may need a UV light to remove those little nasties lol.

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

I checked the RO water from Walmart today and it tested at 38ppm.Does that seem high for RO water? Should I be adding Cal-mag to that water?

Yes, 38 is way past the time the filter should have been changed. Gross.

My water is fine for drinking and has been tested but my thoughts are that with RO you are starting with a clean palette so to speak. As for RO being safer ..... you must realize that it does not remove water born bacteria and you should have you water tested, you may need a UV light to remove those little nasties lol.

The only place I've seen UV being 'necessary' is for aquariums, generally salt water tanks. The other nasties for humans are filtered out(too big to pass the filter).


I found this little tidbit on the subject of 'little nasties' and r/o.

Concerned about cysts like giardia and cryptosporidium that have been in the news so much lately? The reverse osmosis membrane operates down to an unimaginably tiny pore size of 0.0001 microns. That's about one ten thousandth as big as even a very tight carbon block filter, which is itself much too tight for a giardia or cryptosporidium cyst to pass through. As for bacteria and viruses, the smallest virus is about ten times as big as the largest possible pore in an RO membrane. And by comparison, bacteria are giants. (Note: This should not be understood to mean that you should treat bacteria-contaminated water with an RO unit. That isn't its purpose, and the O-ring seals in reverse osmosis units are not designed to prevent the migration of bacteria.)

 

[Skunk smell]

Yes, 38 is way past the time the filter should have been changed. Gross.
What about Cal Mag,should I be using it with this water?

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

Cal-Mag? Is your nutrient profile low in calcium or magnesium? (or nitrogen, if you're using a calcium nitrate source). Unless your mix is out of balance, there's zero need for cal-mag. I use a mix which is borderline 'sufficient' in magnesium and supplement using real magnesium sulfate, the additional sulfur is also useful for terpene production by the plant.

(edit: The cheap "epsom salts" are increasingly showing labels with Magnesium Hexaheptate or Hexahydrate, both using chlorides instead of sulfur. Use this stuff to soak your feet, keep it away from your plants.)

 

[Skunk smell]

Cal-Mag? Is your nutrient profile low in calcium or magnesium? (or nitrogen, if you're using a calcium nitrate source). Unless your mix is out of balance, there's zero need for cal-mag. I use a mix which is borderline 'sufficient' in magnesium and supplement using real magnesium sulfate, the additional sulfur is also useful for terpene production by the plant.

(edit: The cheap "epsom salts" are increasingly showing labels with Magnesium Hexaheptate or Hexahydrate, both using chlorides instead of sulfur. Use this stuff to soak your feet, keep it away from your plants.)

I am using Fox Farm trio at 1/4 strength.I was under the impression that Cal-mag was needed if you're using distilled or RO water?

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

I am using Fox Farm trio at 1/4 strength.I was under the impression that Cal-mag was needed if you're using distilled or RO water?

Cal-Mag reps love to hear this phrase, they've done a great job selling it to cannabis growers.
I have no idea what the calcium and mag levels are in 1/4 strength fox farms trio. I run close to 8:16 of GH micro and bloom. I would suggest hitting angelfire and looking for their nutrient calculator. Plug in the values of your nutrient, see how close they come to the lucas mix. The lucas mix is not perfect, it's probably the best 'generic' mix information available I'm aware of.

The balance for cannabis is approximately
N 130
P 106
K 183
Mg 73
Ca 130 (this is what the lucas mix provides. Not sure if this is what your strain desires)
S 49

The closer you can get your nutrient profile to these numbers, the fewer nutrient related issues you'll have. You'll be able to feed higher levels of nutrient without burning or overfeeding and you'll be able to run a reservoir longer without creating excesses of any element. Those numbers are not perfect and the mag needs change by strain/phenotype. I use magnesium sulfate for mag application by strain.

Edit: Oh... the calculator there is only for GH nutes. Bleah. You'll have to look at the values on the back of your nutrient bottles and do some math... my apologies.