RO vs DI vs Distilled .. Oh my..

StreetRider

StreetRider

Active Member
I see more and more Reverse Osmosis setups coming with DeIonizing stages in them.

Is that over kill?

Can your water be too pure?

D.I. water will attack metal and leach particles of them metal in an effort to become less pure. I am not sure of the technical terminology for it, but pure water does not want to be pure.

Now, I know we add nutes, but....

How pure is pure?

I have a little distiller that I am burning out trying to keep out, and the prices of RO units are so high.
 
hippiepudz024

hippiepudz024

Well-Known Member
i currently use reverse osmosis, and mine doesnt have a DI that came with it, and my plants do just fine, they seem to love the RO water, but the only thing i dont like about it, is that it only takes the E.C. away from your water and the P.H. will still be high in my water although without the E.C. (thanx to the RO) it makes for easy P.H. adjustment
 
H

highpsi

Well-Known Member
hippiepudz024 said:
i currently use reverse osmosis, and mine doesnt have a DI that came with it, and my plants do just fine, they seem to love the RO water, but the only thing i dont like about it, is that it only takes the E.C. away from your water and the P.H. will still be high in my water although without the E.C. (thanx to the RO) it makes for easy P.H. adjustment
Click to expand...
If your PH is still high, then your R/O system isn't very effective or isn't working correctly. I tested my water source and got a PH of 8.2 and a TDS of 140 ppm, once I ran it through my R/O system, I got a PH of 7.0 and a TDS of 14 ppm. A properly working, high quality, R/O system should give you near (99.9%) pure water, and pure water has a PH of 7.0. If your PH is still high, then there's something still in your water.
 
hippiepudz024

hippiepudz024

Well-Known Member
i wonder if its because my house has a salt water softening system in it, but we dont put salt into the container, we put in natures own Potassium softner
 
StreetRider

StreetRider

Active Member
I am right that Distilled is the most pure for? I have been using the alone for some time. I wonder if "a little" tap water mixed in would be a good thing. Add some calcium and such. Our water sucks. Ppm'ed at 180. So I run a little 1.5 liter distiller around the clock trying to keep up, but it is getting impossible now.
 
D

Dirty Harry

Well-Known Member
I have a RO+DI and I run RO+DI water in my ebb & flow. The RO water, from what I have read, removes micro nutrients that is normally in water. Because of that I add GH Flora micro into my tank. And that is another chemical and another cost.

My tap water exceeds EPA water standards and comes out of the tap at 700+ PPM (Small town pulling water from a well/aquifer and I think they only add chlorine). Some have said I could get lockout due to that high PPM.

I found what works for me is every other tank change I use tap water. In between I use RO. Since I bounce back and forth, I am not even sure if I need the Flora micro but I use it anyway in my RO water.

I do know that RO takes very little PH down to manage the PH. With tap water, it takes tablespoons of the stuff to bring it down to 5.5 and takes more to maintain it.

I think soil provides the micro nutes if you water with RO but in a rockwool grow, the plants can only get what is in the water.
 
StreetRider

StreetRider

Active Member
I'm using General Hydroponics 3 part anyways. So I add Micro every tank change. Because of the ph issues I have been using only distilled water.

They seem prone to mineral deficiency. I keep trying, but they seem to all get a little damage at some point. Keep the ph between 5.7 and 6.3. With most days not needing any adjustment at all. I just allow a slow drift some times and then slowly bring it back but, but the spots on the leaves really piss me off.

No real chance of it being lockout, and I change often. They seem to want more nutes, but then they are already dark green and tips burning.

I feel like I am still at that stage of learning where I get it right, it goes wrong, I fix it.. Repeat.
 
Slothrules

Slothrules

Member
StreetRider said:
I see more and more Reverse Osmosis setups coming with DeIonizing stages in them.

Is that over kill?

Can your water be too pure?

D.I. water will attack metal and leach particles of them metal in an effort to become less pure. I am not sure of the technical terminology for it, but pure water does not want to be pure.

Now, I know we add nutes, but....

How pure is pure?

I have a little distiller that I am burning out trying to keep out, and the prices of RO units are so high.
Click to expand...
Hey streetrider.. I had heaps of probs sorting out my water and i live somewhere with the cleanest spring water on the planet!!! unfortunately full of sodium!!!

So here is a bit of info that helped me out, might be of help/interest to you....

http://www.crophouse.co.nz/files/CG_W01-Reasons_for_water_treatment-view.pdf

http://www.crophouse.co.nz/files/CG_W02-Quality_of_source_water-view.pdf

http://www.crophouse.co.nz/files/CG_W03-Water_volumes_to_be_treated-view.pdf

http://www.crophouse.co.nz/files/CG_W07-UV_sterilisation_part1-view.pdf

http://www.crophouse.co.nz/files/CG_W08-UV_sterilisation_part2-view.pdf

Got a few more if you are interested...

Have fun... Happy growing!!!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top