Filtering water

[Smokey Mcpotster]

I have hard water at my house. My ph is 7.8- 8.2 ppm 256. Is there a inexpensive set up I can buy or am I stuck with RO?
Not sure if I can afford an RO system. Plus I'm not a fan of the 4 to 1 ratio of RO. Anyone have any luck with other systems or is there a cheap RO system available?
As always thanks for the help.....

 

[mr.greengenes]

Yo Smokey,

I presume you are referring to domestic water produced in the United States. The most cost efficient way for most consumers to lower the TDS/hardness of their tap water is to either install a water softener for about $500 or pay for a monthly service to replace the ion exhange cannisters (off site recharge). In either case, the ion exchange process replaces calcium ions with salt ions. As you may know, salt is not very good for plants. However, you can then remove the salt with an RO device. Or you can just install a RO unit to remove the calcium, but minerals are much harder on RO membranes than salt ions from what I've been told. I purchase distilled water because my crop is small, 6 plants or less as MMJ in California. I monitor the pH and will supplement the distilled water with tap water between 10 day water exchanges. So far, so good. The plants I started in bubbleponics on July 1 are now 2 ft tall and healthy. I plan to exchange the water today and change nutes to bloom as I went 12/12 as of last week.
Best,

Greengenes

 

[Smokey Mcpotster]

Thanks Greengenes.I'm in the US guess I kinda forgot what 2 of the w's stands for in www. lol I'm small time as well, I would like to harvest one plant a month eventually. It's my First grow so, I have 8 sprouted, hoping to get a mother of each flavor. Then clone for a sog. I do have soft water, I did'nt test that because of the salt issue, guess I should. I think I may have to look at an RO system, over time it will pay for itself. I'm using hempy buckets so I won't go through much water until flowering I guess.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

There is really not a simpler solution to remove dissolved solids from your water than an RO system. I do have to say that I am also not crazy abnout the amount of water an RO system wastes. Be aware that an RO system will do little to change the pH of your water.