questions about RO and hard water

[cymbaline]

If you have a RO unit and are on well water chime in here.
I have some questions regarding sediment filters.
Do you only use 1 sediment or 2 sediment filters?
How hard is your water if so?

 

[Dr.stickerdick]

If on well water that is not chlorinated, it should go through a softener then the R/O and the R/O needs only one pre filter . The worst thing to a membrane is hardness, it causes calcification of the membrane. Peace

 

[HappyGrower]

If you have a RO unit and are on well water chime in here.
I have some questions regarding sediment filters.
Do you only use 1 sediment or 2 sediment filters?
How hard is your water if so?

I got very hard water in my area @ 550ppm & .PH was at 8.0

Went on Ebay and spent $130
for a 6 stage RO System. Now the water has 10ppm & PH is at 6.5

Best money i ever spent. My plants responded better then i could of ever predicted. No more Nutrient lockup..

Take Care, Happy Grower :harvest:

 

[cymbaline]

Yea I don't have a softener which is why I'm wondering about adding a 2nd pre-filter.
I know the hardness will kill the membrane quickly if not addressed.
Why I posted to find out what others are doing.

 

[cymbaline]

Well now.
I guess us 3 here are the only people who are on well water that uses an RO unit?
quite boggling...

 

[launchpad]

RO with well h2o

hi farmers - I have well water and the first grow showed that i clearly needed to address the water issues. My PH was 7 on the button, but my salts were VERY high. I did not have them tested, but an old time farmer used a home testing method to determine they salts wer off the charts.

I invested in a stealth RO system with a 50 gal res tank. My plants responded immediately with positive results! I don't have a softner and I have not been blowing through filters.

Our well water is exceptionally clean and very plesant to drink. Well water quality and content very sooooo widely, this is my 3rd home with a well water and notably this is the best well water. Our first house had water softners and filters.

My advice would be to find a local grow store with someone who may have local knowledge about well conditions in your area. Another idea would be to add a pre-filter for the entire house water system.

 

[cymbaline]

Hey Launchpad thanks for your insight.
I hear you on wells quality vary widely.
Very good to hear you're not burning through filters or membranes.
(membranes being my biggest concern)
The whole house pre-filter is definitely in the scheme of things for the long term longevity of water heater and plumbing fixtures.

Do you know what your ppm is for your well water? If I understand correctly
you are not using any kind of filtering system in your house currently either?
(besides your ro unit obviously..)

 

[Nobodynobody]

Few things here. Carbon and sediment is a must for a prefilter. I hear mix reviews on having a softener for RO systems. Softener tend to add salt in the water i HEAR. I have 700ppm tap myself. I kept my over size softner with the large prefilters on my RO. You are going to want a vary good rejection %. It will be hard to find a good 2:1 or 3:1 due to you need to trash more of the BS out. keep away from the 1:1 i only see more trash in my clean RO tank.

 

[deacon1503]

Water softeners remove calcium and magnesium and replace them with sodium and potassium through an ionic exchange.

 

[Seamaiden]

Indeed, the most filtration I would recommend for going through an RO or RO/DI unit would be mechanical (particulate) and carbon, good quality. Get those prefilters installed!

Well now.
I guess us 3 here are the only people who are on well water that uses an RO unit?
quite boggling...

Nope, but not everyone is around 100% of the time to comment.

Use more pre-filters, save your membrane.