My water softener will kill my plants!

Find out why you should never use softened water for hydroponics. I show you how I set up my greenhouse to use the very hard water coming into my house.

[@xaverbishop6506]

What a pain in the ass. I will need to bypass water softener somehow to water plants. Why do you not have like 100k subscribers?

[@andrewpayne8659]

I love this guy lol. You’ve got a friend in me pal.

[@saeed6811]

Salt main purpose is to clean the resin so thtt it doesn't clog. Slat is not intended to go to the softened water. Some salts will go but doesn't mean that the brine will.

[@OldRustySteele]

That’s correct. The resin attracts the calcium and magnesium ions which is why hard water is “hard”. Once the surface of the resin beads can’t absorb more, you have to rinse with salt water to flush those minerals (ions) away. In a well controlled system, not much sodium chloride (salt) gets into the tap water. It’s flushed out on the regeneration cycle.

[@saeed6811]

@@OldRustySteele you are right. Actually I was wrong while explaining. The salt will recharge the resin after washing out the metals. I now don't use mines. Instead, I dose antiscalant on my 250L/Hr whole house RO. Auto membrane washing set after every 30 minutes . Wash time 140 seconds. I am happy with it. TDS from 2300 ppm to 65 ppm.

[@OldRustySteele]

@@saeed6811 I thought about doing it your way, or some other way that would not use a traditional salt-based ion exchange softener. But here in the Texas Hill country, our water percolates through virtually 100% limestone and becomes extremely loaded with CaCO3 (calcium carbonate). That material forms on the inside of pipes, appliances, faucets, etc and ruins them quickly. So, I just keep using a traditional softener. Easier to change it out every 10 years than changing out expensive faucets and appliances every 3 years.

[@saeed6811]

@OldRustySteele what are the total dissolved particles readings with your raw water? Actually your water and my water here in the middle east are likely the same. I can see the CaCo3 in the raw water tank floating. That's why I wanted to know the TDS. The liquid antiscalant am using is unbelievable. I was scared my membrane would clog in two days but it didn't. Am dosing 2 liters per hour. The mix is 1.5 liter of antiscalant is mixed with 150 liters of water. I use this mix for all most two weeks at a rate mentioned above. A specialist from PEPSI advised me that I shouldn't keep the mix for more than five days as it will make the water bitter. For now I don't use this water for drinking, so I ignored that. Easiest thing about antiscalant us that it's easy to handle. My RO is up on the pent house which is on the third floor. Carrying bags of salt is tedious. Another things is that the 25 liter can is enough for me for months. I find it more convenient than the salt. If my RO was on the ground, I would have probably used the salt softner l. If you ever use the antiscalant softener, dosing point and back washing time are two very important factors or else the whole thing would fail. I feel lucky to be guided by this friend who didn't hesitate to get me going.

[@saeed6811]

The mountains are the same as those in the video😂. If in Texas then the temperature is almost similar. With sun and temperature, the floating of salts is even more worse.

[@Umar_mujeeb]

If you put potassium pellets instead, could you then use the soft water on plants then? (Granted the potassium are more expensive)

[@sheckyfeinstein]

I learned the hard way after my burr oak died on me. It recovered late the following spring to my great delight. Ain’t the Utah parks nice?

[@OldRustySteele]

Best approach, but you need to do it when BUILDING a new home: Have 2 faucets outdoors. One is treated soft water for washing cars and the other hard, untreated water for watering plants and lawn. This will also save the homeowner money since you’re not wasting water softener salt on irrigation water.

[@JesseALwood]

Maybe do a mix of hard and soft water?

[@julianchoque7402]

hydroponics are a 2nd thought .....what about drinking water? could u explain?

[@heathhill7802]

You got nothing on me , my water is so hard The rock float to the top

[@conman20000]

How do I raise my KH and GH without Rasing my PH?

[@pedclarkemobile]

What is KH? and GH? If you want to add a nutrient that will lower pH use nitric acid or phosphoric acid.

[@The_Real_Indiana_Joe]

Good Lord! I fell off the cliff in the video 😯

[@sheckyfeinstein]

You were found by backpackers three months later. Sorry.

[@Jellis22]

Playback speed 1.25x

[@gretchenbell9340]

1.75

[@conman20000]

@@gretchenbell9340 2