Brita filters
- Thread starter skylined
- Start date
DRKN_MNKY420
Member
GOOD TOPIC!
I have some questions about Brita Filters also. I think we need some more discussion on this topic, so any good input would be appreciated.
I just bought my first pH digital tester and I am finding out some interesting information. For instance my tap water measures at 8.7-8.8 all the time. I also found out that Brita Filters lower the pH of my water after I run it through.
Why does a Brita Filter change the pH from 8.8 down to 7.1? Every time I run some through I get the same results.
Now I get some different results from using my airstone. I bubble my tap water before I water or feed. I tested the Tap water out of the tap at 8.7-8.8, I tested it after bubbling 24hrs and got 8.7-8.8. The Same as out of the Tap! Then I ran this water through the Brita Filter and it tested at 7.1. Then I decided to bubble that water again to see what would happen, and I got a test of 7.7 after 24 hours of bubbling.
So why does the airstone make the pH go up after the filter, but not before the filter?
I don't know, I am thinking of using this water right out of the brita filter at 7.1pH.
I use Fox Farm OF soil cut w/ 30% perlite and 1-2tsp of lime/gallon of soil.
Hmmmmm...
Drkn_Mnky420
I have some questions about Brita Filters also. I think we need some more discussion on this topic, so any good input would be appreciated.
I just bought my first pH digital tester and I am finding out some interesting information. For instance my tap water measures at 8.7-8.8 all the time. I also found out that Brita Filters lower the pH of my water after I run it through.
Why does a Brita Filter change the pH from 8.8 down to 7.1? Every time I run some through I get the same results.
Now I get some different results from using my airstone. I bubble my tap water before I water or feed. I tested the Tap water out of the tap at 8.7-8.8, I tested it after bubbling 24hrs and got 8.7-8.8. The Same as out of the Tap! Then I ran this water through the Brita Filter and it tested at 7.1. Then I decided to bubble that water again to see what would happen, and I got a test of 7.7 after 24 hours of bubbling.
So why does the airstone make the pH go up after the filter, but not before the filter?
I don't know, I am thinking of using this water right out of the brita filter at 7.1pH.
I use Fox Farm OF soil cut w/ 30% perlite and 1-2tsp of lime/gallon of soil.
Hmmmmm...
Drkn_Mnky420
skylined
Member
If the Brita is capable of removing dissolved solids that might be one possible explanation of the pH fluctuation. I am uncertain whether or not activated carbon filters can even do that....I can't figure it out either way. We definitely need more research especially since I'd rather use Brita than be hauling in 7 gallons of fucking spring water every week. Id watch that water pH, 7.1 seems too high to me. An interesting test would be to compare raw water, 1 filtration, 2, then 3. See if that changes things when you filter the water sample through more than one time.
Peace,
~Skylined
Peace,
~Skylined
I'm guessing here but high ph water is often high in Ca, Mg, and Fe and is considered "hard", typically it has high ppm count from the tap like around 300+.
If these filters do indeed remove positivivley charged particles then ph will lower.I filter my tap water and it lowers the ppms about 50-100 points.
Sometimes I will pass the same water through a few times when I am flushing coco or for seedlings.
I like that counter top water filters don't remove everything like an RO unit, then you have to pay for nutes to put Ca and Mg back in the water
I have had good results with ~100-150 ppms, it makes for a ph of 6.6.
I've been doing a run in coco so I've had the old pen out
Good topic.
S
If these filters do indeed remove positivivley charged particles then ph will lower.I filter my tap water and it lowers the ppms about 50-100 points.
Sometimes I will pass the same water through a few times when I am flushing coco or for seedlings.
I like that counter top water filters don't remove everything like an RO unit, then you have to pay for nutes to put Ca and Mg back in the water
I have had good results with ~100-150 ppms, it makes for a ph of 6.6.
I've been doing a run in coco so I've had the old pen out
Good topic.
S
DRKN_MNKY420
Member
I took a sample of my tap water over to the hydro shop so he could give me a ppm reading on it. It read between 160-165, he said this is good, but he also told me my pH was fine, which read at 8 using the GH pH kit, it was green after he added the drops. I don't have a kit w/ color strip, but he said green was good?
I still bought some pH down. Even though he said I didn't really need it. He tried to tell me Fox Farm OF soil takes care of pH issues, I told him my runoff was like 7.7? LOL. I dunno, those two guys that run this place are too funny!
Thank God for forums and the internet.
I still bought some pH down. Even though he said I didn't really need it. He tried to tell me Fox Farm OF soil takes care of pH issues, I told him my runoff was like 7.7? LOL. I dunno, those two guys that run this place are too funny!
Thank God for forums and the internet.
BudLove
Member
My experience with brita filters is they are kinda a waste of time... unless you're trying to use pond water.
Best bet is to take measurements and judge for yourself... take an EC reading then run that water through the filter. My results: EC remained the same. In other words, maybe filtering out chlorine but certainly not any dissolved solids.
BL
Best bet is to take measurements and judge for yourself... take an EC reading then run that water through the filter. My results: EC remained the same. In other words, maybe filtering out chlorine but certainly not any dissolved solids.
BL
raiders420
Member
I did some testing on my well water ran through a culligan water softener.
I have a Hanna PPM meter and a Hanna PH pen and double checked the PH with the PH drops.
With straight well water, comes out of the faucet with a brownish tint. The PPM's were 425 and the ph was between 7.2 to 7.5. When I add 3.4 strength PBP bloom and SM-90 the PPM's raise to about 850 and the PH is 7.0 to 7.3. I adjust PH down to 5.8 to 6.0. I check PH every night and adjust down when needed, which is every 3 to 5 days.
With softened water, comes out of the faucet clear. The PPM's were 475 and the ph was between 7.0 to 7.3. When I add 3/4 strength PBP bloom and SM-90 the PPM's raise to about 950 and the PH is 7.0 to 7.3. I adjust PH down to 5.8 to 6.0. check and adjust as needed.
I believe the water softener uses a sodium based filtration system, which to me sounds like it could add sodium, salt, to the water. After thinking about, I thought that maybe the sodium would cause nute lock out so I decided to use the water straight out of the well.
I was really unhappy with the crappy water so I decided to test water from a water store, cost $1 for 5 gallons. The PPM's were 25 and the ph was between 7.5 to 7.7. When I add 3/4 strength PBP bloom, cal-mag, and SM-90 the PPM's raise to about 450 and the PH dropped to 3.3 to 3.5. This drop in PH freaked me out, pulled 10 gallons out and diluted with well water and PH stabilized at 6.0.
I have a Hanna PPM meter and a Hanna PH pen and double checked the PH with the PH drops.
With straight well water, comes out of the faucet with a brownish tint. The PPM's were 425 and the ph was between 7.2 to 7.5. When I add 3.4 strength PBP bloom and SM-90 the PPM's raise to about 850 and the PH is 7.0 to 7.3. I adjust PH down to 5.8 to 6.0. I check PH every night and adjust down when needed, which is every 3 to 5 days.
With softened water, comes out of the faucet clear. The PPM's were 475 and the ph was between 7.0 to 7.3. When I add 3/4 strength PBP bloom and SM-90 the PPM's raise to about 950 and the PH is 7.0 to 7.3. I adjust PH down to 5.8 to 6.0. check and adjust as needed.
I believe the water softener uses a sodium based filtration system, which to me sounds like it could add sodium, salt, to the water. After thinking about, I thought that maybe the sodium would cause nute lock out so I decided to use the water straight out of the well.
I was really unhappy with the crappy water so I decided to test water from a water store, cost $1 for 5 gallons. The PPM's were 25 and the ph was between 7.5 to 7.7. When I add 3/4 strength PBP bloom, cal-mag, and SM-90 the PPM's raise to about 450 and the PH dropped to 3.3 to 3.5. This drop in PH freaked me out, pulled 10 gallons out and diluted with well water and PH stabilized at 6.0.
PureBlendPro is well buffered, if you had bubbled and waited a bit it would rise for sure, bubbling a solution like in a bubble or reservoir will raise the ph.
I ran PBPro in my bubblers and even at high ppm like 1000 after a day the ph was ~5-6 which is perfect for hydro.
That's why I mentioned a ppm count of 100-150 being perfect, there are enough dissolved solids in the form of Ca and Mg to buffer the ph swing.
A lower ppm water source will require ALOT less acid or base to swing the ph, that's why hydro growers love RO units, once you ph adjust it stays stable as there is no buffering affecting the ph.
S
I ran PBPro in my bubblers and even at high ppm like 1000 after a day the ph was ~5-6 which is perfect for hydro.
That's why I mentioned a ppm count of 100-150 being perfect, there are enough dissolved solids in the form of Ca and Mg to buffer the ph swing.
A lower ppm water source will require ALOT less acid or base to swing the ph, that's why hydro growers love RO units, once you ph adjust it stays stable as there is no buffering affecting the ph.
S
M
Microwido
I use a Britta faucet filter and I wouldn't water without it. If I drink it and prefer it over regular tap, so will my plants. Nouf said.
G
Guest
would these work well with dirty pond water? if so, is there anything you can use for outdoor use?
BonsaiBud
Member
I have a Culligan pitcher type filter. My roomate has a Britta. Tap is 7.6 with ~90 ppm general hardness (probably mostly due to carbonate hardness). I run the tap water through my Culligan (GE or Wallgreens is same thing), it takes a long time, but it comes out 6.8 witch is perfect for my fish and my plants (soil). When I tested the Britta water, it was 6.0! WTF? It filters about 10 times faster than my Culligan. My guess is that the Britta just does an ion swap and gives you yummy acidic water. The Culligan probably uses more charcoal for actual removal of impurities and a slower, process to give water with less of anything. I'd like to do an EC test on the output of both...brb, DC power supply and multimeter.
tl;dr:
Culligan/GE/Walgreens FTW!
Britta for PH down.
tl;dr:
Culligan/GE/Walgreens FTW!
Britta for PH down.
BonsaiBud
Member
sniperscope: My fishtank water would beat out everything. I accidentally drank some one time LOL and it was delicious! If your pond has a lining then you could, with a ballanced ecosystem/ filtration/ temps/ ect. have the perfect source for pre-fertilized, PH-ballanced aquaponic pot plant water. You could even do a gigantic ebb-flow!
Short answere: no, these Culligan/Britta things are only good for "potable" tap water. You could probably get by with filling a 50 gallon plastic drum full of "dirty pond water" and hooking up a pump and UV sterilizer and recirc for a day or two. After you kill off every living thing in that dirty pond water you would be good to go. (test PH, make sure there is stuff living in the pond (no toxic chems or heavy metals))
Short answere: no, these Culligan/Britta things are only good for "potable" tap water. You could probably get by with filling a 50 gallon plastic drum full of "dirty pond water" and hooking up a pump and UV sterilizer and recirc for a day or two. After you kill off every living thing in that dirty pond water you would be good to go. (test PH, make sure there is stuff living in the pond (no toxic chems or heavy metals))
Country Mon
Active member
I was surprised to learn that the Brita faucet filter (something like $35 at various stores) removes 99.9% of almost everything, including chlorine.
That seems pretty damned good to me. My r/o unit is toast, and I am sick of the filter costs. Why pay so much more to remove that final .1%? The replacement filter for the Brita is about $15.
Unless you are running a big commercial situation, the Brita is a good way to go. Quick, easy, cheap, effective.
Also: ph 7 is neutral; just what one would expect from a fully filtered water.
That seems pretty damned good to me. My r/o unit is toast, and I am sick of the filter costs. Why pay so much more to remove that final .1%? The replacement filter for the Brita is about $15.
Unless you are running a big commercial situation, the Brita is a good way to go. Quick, easy, cheap, effective.
Also: ph 7 is neutral; just what one would expect from a fully filtered water.
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G
Guest
This is a valuable thread for people like me trying to get a lot for a little. Would love to see some more tests, I'm sure many people have thought about this.
Sooo, I'm bumping it, with much thanks to the contributors thus far. Going to definitely be running some tests; I drink the brita water, it's delicious, but I don't know how much it does to the tds and ph firsthand yet.
Sooo, I'm bumping it, with much thanks to the contributors thus far. Going to definitely be running some tests; I drink the brita water, it's delicious, but I don't know how much it does to the tds and ph firsthand yet.
If you cut open an old Brita filter it's easy to see that all they use is pellets of activated carbon. Sometimes there's a silica sand in there too depending on the product. There used to be at least, my info is a bit old, since I don't use them anymore. Still, I doubt they use anything other than carbon as the active media.
T
TroubleGuy
Brita Filters make excellent filters for your plant's water. I'm not talking about the kind that goes on your sink's nozzle, but the water jug kind.
I used one for 8 months or so and consistently had a pH of 6.0 to 6.5 while using it. Plants always looked perfect too, because they were at the right pH for optimal nutrient intake.
Also, water from the Brita filters tastes better than any bottled water I've had. It tastes clean and chemical free.
I used one for 8 months or so and consistently had a pH of 6.0 to 6.5 while using it. Plants always looked perfect too, because they were at the right pH for optimal nutrient intake.
Also, water from the Brita filters tastes better than any bottled water I've had. It tastes clean and chemical free.
M
moses224
man my ph is 8.3 out faucet.4ml ph dwon to stabilize at 7.0 You guys at seven gots it good of course when i add beastie and tiger bloom it levels out so in some ways its good.
Can the brita that hooks dirct to faucet work as well as first post mentioned?
Can the brita that hooks dirct to faucet work as well as first post mentioned?
Fascinating thread, but it should be in Hydro !
I have drunk Brita water for years, great, but had never used it in a grow, I was about to buy my first RO machine, but may well not now !
I have drunk Brita water for years, great, but had never used it in a grow, I was about to buy my first RO machine, but may well not now !
M
moses224
Come on my man dont keep us soil growers out of the loop we have to ph just as much if not more cause no resavoir. GOOD VIBES
You using one that hooks to sink?
