pH Impossibilities ?!!?

DaGambler

Well-Known Member
how is it even possible that when i buy the Walmart brand of "Sodium Free, (Distilled Water), Carbon Filtration, Reverse Osmosis, Distillation, UV Treatment, Microfiltration, Ozonation" ...

that it is -8.8- in pH ?!?! shouldn't at least one of these processes remove EVERYTHING that would cause water to be anything other than absolutely pure; 7.0 pH?

can anyone explain this to me... it seems like they are running a scam or something.
 

topfuel29

Well-Known Member
Ph8.8 wow, thats high for distilled water.
My city tap water is Ph8.2, 240ppm
Did you check how many PPM

IGA - distilled water Ph7.0, 0ppm
 

DaGambler

Well-Known Member
i don't have a ppm/tds meter.. just a pH meter right now, but i buffer checked it in 7.0 solution several times now while testing my tap vs. this Walmart water. I'm just not understanding it.
 

Hydrokronics

Well-Known Member
the purity of the water doesnt have much to do with the PH of it. (I dont think :/ ) The levels of acid to alkaline change without the PPM changing much. That is weird that it is so high right out of the bottle. I know that Tap Water's PH is raised by the water supply companys so that it doesnt corrode the metal pipes(If you have city water). But there is no reason for that waters PH to be changed by them?
 

topfuel29

Well-Known Member
Tomorrow, I'll go to wally world and get a gallon of distilled water.
n check out the Ph & PPM.
 

Hydrokronics

Well-Known Member
i don't have a ppm/tds meter.. just a pH meter right now, but i buffer checked it in 7.0 solution several times now while testing my tap vs. this Walmart water. I'm just not understanding it.


Most distilled water has a PPM of 30-60. at least thats as low as ive ever seen it. Im sure RO would get lower
 

switch10

Well-Known Member
The RO water I buy for $.80/gallon, has a ph of 7.0 exactly and a ppm of 0. spring water is way different than RO water...
 

DaGambler

Well-Known Member
i'm hoping topfuel chimes back in with his results...

and RO -is- one of the methods they claim to be using right on the gallon jug label.
 

Hydrokronics

Well-Known Member
i'm hoping topfuel chimes back in with his results...

and RO -is- one of the methods they claim to be using right on the gallon jug label.

on he distilled they claim this? because im petty sure they "distill" distilled water to purify. but i could be wrong
 

DaGambler

Well-Known Member
ya the first post states all of the claims made on the Walmart brand of Distilled Water. They list like 7 different processes the water goes through. My city tap is 8.7 and the dang Walmart water is 8.8

vinegar doesn't seem to work very long either, i can pH something down one day, and the next day it has creeped back up again, with both city tap and walmart brand.
 

marchold

Well-Known Member
Apparently a lot of bottled water is just Tap water. They are not telling the truth, Buy your water elsewhere.
 

AeroKing

Well-Known Member
I run an RO/DI unit. I adjust TDS to 200 ppm (with whatever nutes would make most sense for the purpose) before ph'ing or ever letting it touch a plant.
0ppm water, or close to it has no buffers to keep it at a steady ph.
See http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/chem03/chem03573.htm.
This article states: it takes less than 0.1ppm of a weak base to cause the fluctuation you're seeing. If there are buffers in the water, swing is far less eminent.
My RO/DI water measures in at 10-20ppm (WTF, right?). I don't bother testing the ph anymore, because it changes constantly. Even temperature changes cause ph swing in low ppm water due to the loss/gain of dissolved CO2.

I'd buffer it, then PH it -- after you verify the quality(tds) of the water you're using. Before I had the filter system, I used Wal-mart distilled water, it was about 35ppm, PH fluctuated...
 

Hydrokronics

Well-Known Member
once the same water has been in you system for a few days, and you have adjusted it atleast twice a day to what you want, it usally stays. It shoots up alot when the airstone is first added. PPM isnt effected by air though
 
Top