Got pH meter today, found out something weird.

[Guest]

Hello, couple weeks ago I used some dropper pH kit, and it was registering my tap pH around the 7 mark, and i tested water inside a 18gal rubbermaid that was just tap water bubbled using an air pump and 1in. stone and it was registering about 8 so I thought it was weird, well I got my digital pH pen today and my tap is registering 7.4 like the dropper said and my bubbled water is 8.4, like the dropper test was saying. Is this right? What would cause plain bubbled tap water to raise a whole point? Is it the plastic rubbermaid? maybe the air being pumped through the stone is dirty? I dunno...just seems weird anyone have any ideas?

 

[hurricane]

I'm not an expert on the situation, but i wouldn't be worried, just add your nutes and adjust the ph as needed. The bubbling of the water is removing chlorine, and possibly other stuff, changing the makeup of the water. To me it seems to make sense the ph might drift up a bit.

hurricane

 

[Guest]

So is chlorine a acid substance? If so I guess that would make sense if it's bubbling away the chlorine and taking away the acidity.

 

[hurricane]

Yup, chlorine is an acid substance. I was reading recently something about how your water company usually adds something base to go along with the chlorine to keep the water at an acceptable pH. Just another reason its good to bubble your tap water before making any nutrient solution.

Hurricane

 

[gladysvjubb]

We distill our city water with a counter top distiller. You should see the muck that gets left behind in the kettle. It's like a thick plaque. No wonder people get cancer and gall and kidney stones! Me and my plants get distilled.

 

[Haps]

Water PH changes with temperature changes. Ground /tap water is 50-60 degrees, when you bring it to 70 m/l the PH can change, as it can from adding air.
H

 

[1stimer]

So is chlorine a acid substance? If so I guess that would make sense if it's bubbling away the chlorine and taking away the acidity.

It depends on the type of chlorine used. Liquid chlorine like what you put in a pool in a base, test some bleach and you will see. Gas chlorine and most granular or dry chlorines will have a low PH.