letting tapwater sit out before use

gogrow

gogrow

confused
i have read on several posts people advising others to let their tapwater sit out for a day or two before using it on your plants. what is the purpose of this? thanks in advance.
 
jeremy

jeremy

Well-Known Member
It lets the chlorine evaporate out of the water when you let it sit out uncovered before using it to water with :)
 
Schmidty

Schmidty

Asshole Patrol
Just remember to check your PH after letting the water sit out. As the chlorine and other chems evaporate off the water, your PH may increase slightly. I've had mine jump from 7.0 - out the tap - to 8.0 - after 24 hours.
 
gogrow

gogrow

confused
i run off of a flow well, so i shouldnt have any chlorine in my water, but probly do have outrageous concentrations of minerals, would letting my water sit still help me?
 
email468

email468

Well-Known Member
you should check the EC or PPM of your water. If it is over 300, you may want to consider investing in an RO set-up. Or you could do what I do, which is use Flora Micro hardwater. You may also consider using just your well water - the plants may really like it.
 
tahoe58

tahoe58

Well-Known Member
yea what email said....the quality of grondwater wells can vary dramatically...salts, minerals, andlots of other stuff. It would be good for you to know what your baseline is so that you can be more certain of your feed quality to your girls! :blsmoke:
gogrow said:
i run off of a flow well, so i shouldnt have any chlorine in my water, but probly do have outrageous concentrations of minerals, would letting my water sit still help me?
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email468 said:
you should check the EC or PPM of your water. If it is over 300, you may want to consider investing in an RO set-up. Or you could do what I do, which is use Flora Micro hardwater. You may also consider using just your well water - the plants may really like it.
Click to expand...
 
gogrow

gogrow

confused
tahoe58 said:
yea what email said....the quality of grondwater wells can vary dramatically...salts, minerals, andlots of other stuff. It would be good for you to know what your baseline is so that you can be more certain of your feed quality to your girls! :blsmoke:
Click to expand...
which would you suggest, the ec or the ppm meter? or both? also would you know where i can get a cheap one? times are tough at our house at the moment.
 
email468

email468

Well-Known Member
EC and PPM (electrical conductivity and parts per million) are both ways to measure TDS (total dissolved solids). Most quality meters use EC and then do some math to display PPM. Some folks have had luck with a cheap PPM/pH meter but i have not - had to spend some money before i got one that i could trust. your mileage may vary.
 
Jakebakingcake

Jakebakingcake

Chillaxn'
it works well for me i just bought one of those seven dollar ph testers from the hydro store. you take some of the water thats been sitting out and test it by putting a couple drops of the ph tester in the water. if it turns light green it means ph is at 7.0 and your ready to water..
 
bongspit

bongspit

New Member
When I fill my water jugs, I fill with hot water...I read somewhere this makes stuff dissipate faster...
 
email468

email468

Well-Known Member
Jakebakingcake said:
it works well for me i just bought one of those seven dollar ph testers from the hydro store. you take some of the water thats been sitting out and test it by putting a couple drops of the ph tester in the water. if it turns light green it means ph is at 7.0 and your ready to water..
Click to expand...
Aren't we discussing PPM?
 
email468

email468

Well-Known Member
bongspit said:
When I fill my water jugs, I fill with hot water...I read somewhere this makes stuff dissipate faster...
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I learned working in kitchens, hot water shouldn't be used for cooking (and i would extend this to growing) cause it sits in a hot water tank for a long while absorbing whatever crap has been gathering in there.
 
gogrow

gogrow

confused
email468 said:
I learned working in kitchens, hot water shouldn't be used for cooking (and i would extend this to growing) cause it sits in a hot water tank for a long while absorbing whatever crap has been gathering in there.
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very good point, never thought about that before, i use warm water sometimes when it is cold out. will def. keep that in mind tho.

i know ppm is parts per million, understand that concept, but what is ec? and which would be better if you only had one. after this is established, does anyone know where i can buy a really cheap one.
 
email468

email468

Well-Known Member
you can get a decent? cheap one from any online (or brick and mortar) grow shop.

EC is electrical conductivity and is used to measure TDS. In fact, most PPM meters have two metal prongs that measure the EC and then convert the EC number into PPM. EC is more accurate but provided you use the same meter, the PPM reading works just as good and is more easily understood by other growers.
 
bongspit

bongspit

New Member
email468 said:
I learned working in kitchens, hot water shouldn't be used for cooking (and i would extend this to growing) cause it sits in a hot water tank for a long while absorbing whatever crap has been gathering in there.
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I have a tank-less water heating system so I do not think that is a problem for me...
 
gogrow

gogrow

confused
email468 said:
you can get a decent? cheap one from any online (or brick and mortar) grow shop.

EC is electrical conductivity and is used to measure TDS. In fact, most PPM meters have two metal prongs that measure the EC and then convert the EC number into PPM. EC is more accurate but provided you use the same meter, the PPM reading works just as good and is more easily understood by other growers.
Click to expand...
thank you email, will be trying to get one of those as soon as possible
 
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