Anyone use Brita filters

[No3odiesShad0w]

Anyone use Brita filters and notice that it makes the water very acidic?

My unfiltered tap water runs 186 ppm @ 7.3-7.5pH
When i filter the tap water through a standard Brita water pitcher filter the ppm gets reduced to around 130 but the pH sinks down to about 5.3.

I just calibrated my pH pen and i didn't need to because it was on point so I just wasted 3 packs of powders. To double check myself i even used the pH drops and you can clearly see the difference

Before 186ppm @ 7.3pH
After 130ppm @ 5.3pH

Anyone have this issue? This is why I've been buying gallons of water and just using lemon juice to lower the pH to around 6.2-6.5. I was hoping to save money by using the tap water but i think I'll do more harm than good by using it
I have the GH pH Up and Down but i read you're not supposed to use it with living soils. Trying to raise the pH of the water using baking soda works but also raises the ppm to around 440. Eventually that will cause nutrients lock out which is exactly what's happening with Droopy (refer to acidic Fox Farm soil thread)

[3Berries]

Don't use baking soda as it adds sodium. Use potassium bicarbonate. And you can get the GH pH calibration fluids in various grades and sizes that last as long as you keep them sealed up and uncontaminated.

If your pH range is 6-8 there is no need to calibrate at anything but 7.

[No3odiesShad0w]

Thanks for the tip about the potassium bicarbonate. I'm going to try that because I'm aware of the sodium issue with baking soda that's why i try not to use it unless i have to.

[dilvish]

Many growers use plain tap water. Just let it sit in an open container for at least 24 hours to dechlorinate it then PH it as required. Remember calibrating the pen requires distilled water only, not filtered water. Personally I use PH up/down all the time in soil. It has nothing to do with soil...it just works as directed.

[3Berries]

My well water is full of limestone (~90/10 Ca/Mg), near 500 ppm this time of year. I cut it 50/50 with rain water. Then use just rain water about every third watering.

[No3odiesShad0w]

I wanted to use my tap water since it's around 7.3 which is easy to lower. I'm aware about letting it sit for a day to get the chlorine out. Once i run it through a filter it drops to 5.3pH. I'm hoping with the new frizzlife filter I'm getting this year won't have that issue. I would love to just use my tap instead of buying gallons of water that i need to pH it anyways because it's around 7.5. A lot of extra work and money. .... What sucks is i have so many Brita filters. I was hoping it would be a win.

[No3odiesShad0w]

dilvish. The filters DO actually change the pH of the water. It says so on their site, although not by how much, plenty water testing lab results, etc. Not only that but as you can see in the picture, i used pH test drops. Unfiltered is clearly green but after running it through the Brita filter, the water tested almost orange with the drops. If the filter didn't change the pH it would have stayed green.

I have ph up and down but they're not recommended with super soil and living soil grow techniques. IDK maybe ppl used them and things were fine. I rather not risk it.
And i agree with the attention to detail.

[dilvish]

PH up/down is perfectly fine for use in supersoil. I've used it myself and have had no issues. The PH may be changed using a Brita filter but likely so marginal it isn't worth relying on. Tests strips are, in my opinion, a crap shoot. If you are planning on growing regularly, just invest in a decent PH tester. Some good ones can be had for as little as $30. The reason distilled water is used for calibration is because it is neutral PH and I'm not sure even Brita can make that claim.

[No3odiesShad0w]

Of course you need distilled water for calibration. That's just basic college chemistry 101 type stuff. My pH meter isn't the greatest in the world but everytime i go to calibrate it, it's still fairly accurate so i lucked out but I'm getting myself one of the Aparna meters with the calibration liquids and everything. Only 80$ not a bad gift for myself.

To make things short, I'm not going to be filtering water through the Brita filters. I'm just letting the tattoo water sit for a day or 2 and then pH it with lemon juice (20-30 drops) and i get water @ the correct pH, with all the cal-mag, copper, iron, zinc and whatever else is in metal piped water. I use it in my garden with no issues. I can use it with my plants. I thought i was doing good by filtering it but instead i was doing more harm than good

[3Berries]

Got to wonder what it filters out to change the pH that much?

[No3odiesShad0w]

Well according to some research that I did it's the hydrogen ions in the filter the caused the water to become more acidic. So I guess that's the answer because there's nothing else inside those filters that would change it

[No3odiesShad0w]

I'm curious how my plants would fare with pH'd tap water.
What if I filled some pitchers and let them sit a day or 2, then I pH it down to about 6.4 since my tap water runs at 7.3ish pH. Pretty sure the 186ppm for the tap water is stuff like calcium, potassium, copper, zinc etc. Normal minerals found in piped water.

Another thing i read, but i need to research more, everyone's fears of chlorine in the water. Apparently if the soil is rich in microorganisms, they readily and quickly break down chlorine molecules. Anyone hear of this? I'll try to find the link again and post it here to the article i read.