Water Filter or RO Filter

[Takeshy]

Hello!

I'm going organic my next grow and I'm going to buy a water filter to eliminate chlorine and other contaminants. I have seen both water filters or RO filters.

My water has 0.2 EC or (with calculator) 140ppm.
RO filters have more features but they also waste water and have a higher maintenance cost.

What would be my best choice here? Would dropping from 0.2 EC to 0.0 EC be a major difference?

Thanks in advance!

ECO GROW 240 - Water Filter
http://growmaxwater.com/water-filters/8-eco-grow-240-lh.html

POWER GROW 500 - Reverse Osmosis Filter
http://growmaxwater.com/reverse-osmosis-filters/12-power-grow-500.html

 

[PetFlora]

Search what's in municipal water

Now, consider that YOU want to start with pure water for cooking and drinking

No simple filter qualifies for that

You want an RO with a booster pump, which improves purity AND reduces waste water

FYI, more water is wasted taking showers or leaving the water on while brushing your teeth,,,

 

[Jypsy Dog]

If your city water is @ 140ppm, just filter it. You need some minerals in your feed. Saves a ton of cast off waste that RO creates. You won't have to worry about a Calcium issue either.

 

[ShLUbY]

Hello!

I'm going organic my next grow and I'm going to buy a water filter to eliminate chlorine and other contaminants. I have seen both water filters or RO filters.

My water has 0.2 EC or (with calculator) 140ppm.
RO filters have more features but they also waste water and have a higher maintenance cost.

What would be my best choice here? Would dropping from 0.2 EC to 0.0 EC be a major difference?

Thanks in advance!

ECO GROW 240 - Water Filter
http://growmaxwater.com/water-filters/8-eco-grow-240-lh.html

POWER GROW 500 - Reverse Osmosis Filter
http://growmaxwater.com/reverse-osmosis-filters/12-power-grow-500.html

are you looking to do a water only amended soil grow, or by organic do you mean you're going to be using organic bottled nutrients?

 

[Takeshy]

are you looking to do a water only amended soil grow, or by organic do you mean you're going to be using organic bottled nutrients?

This is my first organic grow. I like to keep it simple.
I will be using BIO CANNA Terra + Nutrients (Vega&Flores + Rhizotonic + Boost), TNC MycorrMAX and molasses.

 

[ShLUbY]

This is my first organic grow. I like to keep it simple.
I will be using BIO CANNA Terra + Nutrients (Vega&Flores + Rhizotonic + Boost), TNC MycorrMAX and molasses.

I'd just get a dechloronator if you have chloramine in your water supply (check local extension for water report for your area), and if its only chlorine, i'd just leave it out for 24 hours and call it good.

FWIW, the RO filter is like 2:1 waste to filtered water, but i didn't notice much of an increase in my bill at all when I installed mine. especially if you are not running a large amount of plants, i wouldn't be concerned about the extra water usage. the 240 will be just fine for what you need for this grow. you could do it without a a filter, your ppm is not very high, and chlorine would evap.

 

[Takeshy]

I'd just get a dechloronator if you have chloramine in your water supply (check local extension for water report for your area), and if its only chlorine, i'd just leave it out for 24 hours and call it good.

FWIW, the RO filter is like 2:1 waste to filtered water, but i didn't notice much of an increase in my bill at all when I installed mine. especially if you are not running a large amount of plants, i wouldn't be concerned about the extra water usage. the 240 will be just fine for what you need for this grow. you could do it without a a filter, your ppm is not very high, and chlorine would evap.

How long can a RO Membrane last? It's rated for 6 months and costs 80€. Could it last longer with my low ppm water?
http://growmaxwater.com/replacement-water-filters/26-power-grow-500-high-flow-150gpd.html

80€ every 6 months seems expensive to me. I have 9 plants in 5-gallon smart pots.

 

[tywashere]

I'd just get a dechloronator if you have chloramine in your water supply (check local extension for water report for your area), and if its only chlorine, i'd just leave it out for 24 hours and call it good.

FWIW, the RO filter is like 2:1 waste to filtered water, but i didn't notice much of an increase in my bill at all when I installed mine. especially if you are not running a large amount of plants, i wouldn't be concerned about the extra water usage. the 240 will be just fine for what you need for this grow. you could do it without a a filter, your ppm is not very high, and chlorine would evap.

You know man, I used to think low PPMS meant it was fine for your plants. I have well water, comes in at 100ppm.. Perfect right? Nah, it's almost all iron. Iron is so antagonistic it causes lockout within a few watering. RO just takes so many variable out of the equation. I'm not well versed in cation exchange, so I try to keep it simple.

 

[ShLUbY]

How long can a RO Membrane last? It's rated for 6 months and costs 80€. Could it last longer with my low ppm water?
http://growmaxwater.com/replacement-water-filters/26-power-grow-500-high-flow-150gpd.html

80€ every 6 months seems expensive to me. I have 9 plants in 5-gallon smart pots.

this cost is negligible if you are going to be getting rid of some of your harvests.

You know man, I used to think low PPMS meant it was fine for your plants. I have well water, comes in at 100ppm.. Perfect right? Nah, it's almost all iron. Iron is so antagonistic it causes lockout within a few watering. RO just takes so many variable out of the equation. I'm not well versed in cation exchange, so I try to keep it simple.

yeah I totally agree, well water should always be tested for those reasons. I was just assuming the poster's water source was from a municipal source. I probably should have asked

as for the Fe and CEC and salts, because it's so electrically deprived in ionic form (sometimes Fe+++), it will definitely bind to negatively charged surfaces and displace other ions and effectively wash them out of your medium, as well as the potential to make ferric salts and lock up nutrients that way. This can definitely cause problems you are 100% right!

 

[PetFlora]

If your city water is @ 140ppm, just filter it. You need some minerals in your feed. Saves a ton of cast off waste that RO creates. You won't have to worry about a Calcium issue either.

This is one of the repeated comments without realizing that whatever minerals are in your water likely came from lowest bidder, like china or india

 

[Jypsy Dog]

This is one of the repeated comments without realizing that whatever minerals are in your water likely came from lowest bidder, like china or india

If your lucky enough to live in a SHIT HOLE. I live where my tap water is in the 500's. I mix RO/Tap for 160ppm's. Monster Plants and no CA issues. Thanks PHX/AZ!