Cleaning tap water

[RosettaStoned]

So I've been reading on how to clean tap water efficiently. Seems vitamin c is the best way. Removes ammonia and chloramine apparently. I have been wanting reduce my RO consumption being mine is a 4/1. Pretty wasteful

[Californiakid]

What does vitamin c do to the ppm? Does it matter?

[dontknownuttin]

I use a RO filter

[RosettaStoned]

I need about 40 gallons at any given time. The system I use is more for drinking water, the spout by the kitchen sink. I can only get about 10 gallons in a day. Saving for a whole house filter but that won't be RO. Until then, I'll be doing the vitamin C trick. Californiakid I'll let you know what happens to the ppm. Not sure it would make much difference if it did raise it. It sounds like the reaction is pretty instantaneous. They talk about dissolving 1000 mg tables in your tub to remove it in there. Must happen pretty fast if you can still take a warm bath.

[alltatup]

Rosetta, I just use my tap water as is with no problems. The salts are incredibly low in my tap water, though. Have you checked the tds in the tap water?

[RosettaStoned]

My EC is about 400 which with my meter that brings to about 225 ppm

[Qwertywill]

For the ammonia part, it is drawn to the water. The only two ways i know to get rid of it is 1)a lagoon or b) a charcoal filter.... pending this is the true form of ammonia as what is used for an ice rink. Worked on several

[DW2]

Howdy RosettaStoned, If the water supply is safe to drink (meets EPA and FDA standards) then it is safe for the plants. Most of the minerals in tap water are ones used by the plants anyway, calcium, magnesium, potassium, manganese, as well as some more trace elements. If You can smell the chlorine or ammonia in the water, then there is a problem and needs to be corrected. I have been using tap water (our water is 'hard' due to being a mix of well and reservoir water) for all of my grows and have had no problems with it. I noticed that the growers who use R/O water have pH stability problems and have to use mineral supplements (like CALiMAGic and others). I have not had any mineral deficiencies with my plants using the 'hard' tap water.

[UrbZ]

I agree with this. I use well water, I also use water strictly from the well on a spigot that bypasses the softener(too much salt). The starting ppm's are near 400 almost 500 after adding enough pH down to get me at 5.5. So basically plain water days my plants are getting 500 ppms of food. Even seedlings as I use for full cycle of growth. I stopped using cal/mag in my waterings and only use it at 1/4 strength on feed days(just to be safe). But I've never showed a deficiency of either using my well water. Fortunately well water doesnt have the added chlorine like city tap so it is not an issue. No need to let it evaporate I fill a jug and use it immediately. I just make sure I let
it run a minute before filling my jug. Do to iron build up in the pipes.

[RosettaStoned]

Yes, I total notice the stability of the tap when I use it. It takes more pH up or down to get where I want, but it stays there for 2-3 days sometimes.....when I have the EC dialed in for the plant.

[RosettaStoned]

I don't have chloramine in my water according water report for my city. The ammonia would come from the break down of the chloramine, which turns into chlorine and ammonia. My report says I have .8 ppm of chlorine in my water. It's barely noticeable but there none the less. I evaporate it out but sometimes I just don't have enough.

[oldjarhead100]

My tap water is at 240 ppm but there is no chlorine in it at this time maybe they dont use much in the winter .I run my normal water though a filter to remove chlorine .this winter I'm trying to keep the root zone above 70 so I have been use tap water hot and cold at the same time the temp range is between 68 and 74 I dont know if this is helping but its what i'm doing lol

when you say bubbling do you use an air stone in it

[D.A.A.S.69]

Yes Ojh, I ain't got but a few plants growing, but I keep 4-5gallons, of water bubbling, with those air stones in the jugs at all times, I don't know if it works, but I ain't never had no water problems either. We never had no problems with water, we dipped out of the Mississippi River either, matter of fact they loved it, cause it was summer an hot weather, but our plants liked it.

[RosettaStoned]

Correct, airstones

[Californiakid]

I've seen charcoal filters for the garden hose. If its just chlorine and ammonia you're trying to eliminate, they should be sufficient and supply the volume you need.
I'll try to post a link. But I'm technically challenged.

[Californiakid]

Just Google garden hose filters...Amazon has a bunch. I just cant link them.