UrbanChameleon
New Member
Hey I'm just curious if I could use RO water in my mister. I've been using Distilled because I didn't want it to clog. I would much rather use RO but I won't if it will ruin the mister. What should I do?
Mister Water
- Thread starter UrbanChameleon
- Start date
Solid Snake
Avid Member
RO is the BEST route you can go really.
It will PREVENT clogs in the system, and is much cheaper long run than distilled.
It will PREVENT clogs in the system, and is much cheaper long run than distilled.
ChappyMcChap
New Member
Shoot in the Appalachian foothills you could make yourself a distillation setup for about 50 bucks! Just make sure Johnny law don't find out.
ChappyMcChap
New Member
Well water is chock full of dissolved minerals and would likely cause the same thing. A water softener can kinda help this. Or frequent cleanings with white vinegar.
PantherEnvy
Avid Member
Reverse Osmosis is fine.
brandon1
Established Member
Ok thanks. I'll just stick with distilled.
reverse osmosis is fine. its almost the same as distilled
ro is pushed through a membrane and distilled is turned to steam so that the solids are left behind
cool thing about RO is taht you can run it directly to your misters. just have to put a valve inline on a timer and youre ready to mist.
ro is pushed through a membrane and distilled is turned to steam so that the solids are left behind
cool thing about RO is taht you can run it directly to your misters. just have to put a valve inline on a timer and youre ready to mist.
Panthergirl11
New Member
What about Brita filtered tap water?
ChappyMcChap
New Member
Probably takes most of the dissolved large molecule solids, but you may have some stuff left over as it isn't as thorough as membrane or distillation. How can RO and distiller water be different? You've got water molecules and nothing else with both methods. If anything it's on extreme small amount.
serenitystarlite
Established Member
I've been using spring water in my mist king and drippers and they have not clogged. I've heard people say distilled is fine to drink and others who say it is unhealthy. Since there's no question that spring water is fine to drink, I am not going to risk it.
RunCode3
New Member
about dist water being unhealthy,
I got a distiller about 3 months ago. The water tastes great! As for it being unhealthy, living in the 21st century I think we don't absolutely need the trace minerals found in tap or ro water. Most of the food items we consume are not made with good water any who, so I'm sure you are eating what ever garbage you arent drinking! Tobias seems to enjoy it too. However this week he has been quite a grumpy McGrumperson.
I got a distiller about 3 months ago. The water tastes great! As for it being unhealthy, living in the 21st century I think we don't absolutely need the trace minerals found in tap or ro water. Most of the food items we consume are not made with good water any who, so I'm sure you are eating what ever garbage you arent drinking! Tobias seems to enjoy it too. However this week he has been quite a grumpy McGrumperson.
UrbanChameleon
New Member
That is great news! Thank you. I've been using distilled since I've had him, but RO always sounded so nice.
I'm super excited to get RO here in the next few days. I don't think distilled is necessarily unhealthy, but at the same time I don't feel that it is healthy. And that's just because you don't get anything from it. I don't know any humans that drink distilled, so why give it to my Cham? I think it for sure does the job, but RO just sounds like a better option for me. And yes.. I probably could make my own distillation living in KY. Lol. Sadly I live in the city, not the woods.
I'm super excited to get RO here in the next few days. I don't think distilled is necessarily unhealthy, but at the same time I don't feel that it is healthy. And that's just because you don't get anything from it. I don't know any humans that drink distilled, so why give it to my Cham? I think it for sure does the job, but RO just sounds like a better option for me. And yes.. I probably could make my own distillation living in KY. Lol. Sadly I live in the city, not the woods.
Distillers do not nutrilize chloramins (chlorine and ammonia bonnded together), somthing about the boiling point of chloramin. too low i think so it gets vaporized with the water.
RO units are the same. but most have a activated charcoal or carbon filter which absorbs the what the membranes missed.
most distillers will run the water through a carbon membrane anyways.
the difference for me is the price
RO units are easier to install inside a house and per gallon (depending how you look at it) is cheaper. there is a lot of waste water usually 4-5 gallons of waste per gallon of good. unless you get a unit with a booster pump
or add one later. these pumps force water through the membrane at a higher psi therefore creating a more even good to waste water ratio. Most will run this "waste" water out to the garden and drip irrigate. I save it for my African Cichlids.(they like the hardwater and all i have to do is dechlorinate it)
UrbanChameleon
New Member
Distillers do not nutrilize chloramins (chlorine and ammonia bonnded together), somthing about the boiling point of chloramin. too low i think so it gets vaporized with the water.
RO units are the same. but most have a activated charcoal or carbon filter which absorbs the what the membranes missed.
most distillers will run the water through a carbon membrane anyways.
the difference for me is the price
RO units are easier to install inside a house and per gallon (depending how you look at it) is cheaper. there is a lot of waste water usually 4-5 gallons of waste per gallon of good. unless you get a unit with a booster pump
or add one later. these pumps force water through the membrane at a higher psi therefore creating a more even good to waste water ratio. Most will run this "waste" water out to the garden and drip irrigate. I save it for my African Cichlids.(they like the hardwater and all i have to do is dechlorinate it)
Wow. Thanks for the info. It really does make more sense in the long run. I finally bought my first RO today and will put it in his mister tomorrow. I don't think I will see a difference, but it just feels better.
summoner12
Avid Member
The ratio of permeate to brine isn't so much determined by water pressure as it is by the brand of membrane. Optimal pressure, water temp and TDS all play a roll. Booster pumps are more to do with the production rate than waste ratio. waste ratio is based more on the flow restriction on the brine output and the type/brand of membrane being used.
Booster pumps are most effective in low pressure applications. If your home has a high pressure, booster pumps won't help. Booster pumps are also very handy when you are trying to push water into a pressurized storage tank. If you are storing water at ambiant pressure, booster pumps aren't as important if you have low water pressure in your home because you aren't trying to overcome the pressures in a pressurized storage tank. Most home RO units use a pressure tank. People in the fish world generalyl store RODI water in ambiant tanks.
it all revolves around the application.
Booster pumps are most effective in low pressure applications. If your home has a high pressure, booster pumps won't help. Booster pumps are also very handy when you are trying to push water into a pressurized storage tank. If you are storing water at ambiant pressure, booster pumps aren't as important if you have low water pressure in your home because you aren't trying to overcome the pressures in a pressurized storage tank. Most home RO units use a pressure tank. People in the fish world generalyl store RODI water in ambiant tanks.
it all revolves around the application.
Distillers do not nutrilize chloramins (chlorine and ammonia bonnded together), somthing about the boiling point of chloramin. too low i think so it gets vaporized with the water.
RO units are the same. but most have a activated charcoal or carbon filter which absorbs the what the membranes missed.
most distillers will run the water through a carbon membrane anyways.
the difference for me is the price
RO units are easier to install inside a house and per gallon (depending how you look at it) is cheaper. there is a lot of waste water usually 4-5 gallons of waste per gallon of good. unless you get a unit with a booster pump
or add one later. these pumps force water through the membrane at a higher psi therefore creating a more even good to waste water ratio. Most will run this "waste" water out to the garden and drip irrigate. I save it for my African Cichlids.(they like the hardwater and all i have to do is dechlorinate it)
Whatcamo
New Member
A quality booster pump is great for a DIY misting system as well so a lot of the time if you need both a Ro unit and a misting system find a Ro unit that has a built in booster pump as this will also give you enough pressure to run up to 10 nozzles that's what I have and currently running 6 nozzles on my new free range and I have and good of pressure through them all as I would with one
Also you shouldn't need a booster pump on your Ro unit if your household water pressure is above 60psi so you can remove the booster pump from your Ro unit and use it directly as the pump for your misting system
Also you shouldn't need a booster pump on your Ro unit if your household water pressure is above 60psi so you can remove the booster pump from your Ro unit and use it directly as the pump for your misting system
