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Thread: Definitions of interest about water-related stuff

  1. #1
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    Default Definitions of interest about water-related stuff

    Hi all,
    I thought I would put some definitions down for all to read about water-related subjects(I know Karen, I'm a total dweeb! *;D *). These come from a US Filter catalog glossary and are very helpful in understanding things.

    Acidity- An expression of the concentration of Hydrogen ions present in a solution.

    Buffer- A chemical that causes a solution to resist changes in pH, or to shift the pH to a specific value.

    Chloramines- Compounds formed when Chlorine and Ammonia are mixed in water. Used to kill bacteria in water, Chloramines can be inadvertently formed in Chlorinated water supplies that contain nitrogenous impurities. Can be removed by activated carbon. Chloramine level can be determined by subtracting the free Chlorine level from the total Chlorine level.

    Conductivity- The electrical measurement of the water's ability to pass electric current. It is dependent on temperature and total concentration of ionized substances in solution. The lower the level of ionized substances, the lower the conductivity. Conductivity is inverse of resistivity and is measured in microsiemens/cm

    Hardness- The solution of Calcium and Magnesium as cations independent of the nature of anions present. Generally expressed in terms of Calcium Carbonate.

    Micromho(microsiemens)- One millionth of a Mho. Unit of measurement for conductivity(equivalent to the inverse of 1 million Ohms of resistivity). Water quality is measured by its conductivity in micromhos per centimeter. The higher the quality the lower the micromho reading.

    pH- An expression of the acidity of a solution. The negative logarithm of the Hydrogen ion concentration. A pH of 1 is very acidic; pH 7 is neutral; pH 14 is very basic.

    Parts per million(ppm)- A measure of concentration. One part per million of water is equivalent to 1mg/liter of liquid. This is also equivalent to 0.0584 grains/U.S gallon. 17.1 ppm is equal to 1 grain per gallon.

    Resistivity (of water)- The electrical measurement of the water's ability to resist the flow of electric current, and is dependent on the temperature and total concentration of the ionized substances in solution. the lower the level of ionized substances, the higher the resistivity. Resistivity is the inverse of conductivity, and is measured in megaohms per centimeter.

    Reverse osmosis- The process by which a solution under pressure(in excess of osmotic pressure) is forced through a semi-permeable membrane from a more concentrated to a less concentrated solution.

    Softener- Ion-exchange device that removes hardness from water by exchanging Calcium and Magnesium in the water for Sodium ions. The softener is regenerated with Sodium Chloride, and the Calcium and Magnesium salts are rinsed to drain.

    Total dissolved solids(TDS)- The total of all dissolved matter(both organic and inorganic) present in a water sample.

    I'll post some more later.


    * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Steve

    © 2003 United States Filter Corporation
    Materials supplied by permission of owner



  2. #2
    Administrator brewmaster15's Avatar
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    Default Re: Definitions of interest about water-realted st

    Great idea!! Thanks Steve!!!

    -al

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    Default Re: Definitions of interest about water-realted st

    Al,

    Why don't you tack this one up at the top of this section so those who might need to can refer to it at leisure?

    John

  4. #4

    Default Re: Definitions of interest about water-realted st

    Thanks Steve!!  I learned some new things reading through there.

    John, excellent suggestion.  I would hate to see this great information get burried!

    Jeff
    Oregon

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    Default Re: Definitions of interest about water-related st

    Steve,

    Very nice definitions--but I have one correction.

    Chloramines or at least the ammonia component of chloramine can not be removed by activated carbon.  One can readily read the ammonia component of chloramine treated water right out of the tap using a total ammonia test kit.  In my water the ammonia concentration out of the tap is 3-4 ppm on a Tetra test kit--comes out closer to 1 ppm on a Hach test kit.  When I pass our house tap water through three cannisters of activated carbon I can remove >90% of the total chlorine but it has no effect on the total ammonia readings (using either Tetra or Hach test kits).  The result is water with enough ammonia (1-4 ppm depending on which reading you believe)  to kill or at least burn the gills of any Discus it encounters.  I have checked with several water purification experts who assure me that normal activated carbon or carbon block is not effective at removing the ammonia component of chloramine.


    I only wish carbon would remove chloramines!


    Pat

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    Default Re: Definitions of interest about water-related st

    Hi all,
    Hey Pat, thanks for the correction and proof-read. I forgot to add in MY comment of "This has NEVER worked for me!"  after this claim!  Maybe with tons of the carbon it works, but I personally have never been able to remove the Ammo with carbon. Interesting comment in another thread about plants possibly removing ammonia. I read on some site a week or so ago about the philodendron and a few others having the capability of removing Ammonia, Nitrates, etc. Don't know about these claims, but I do have some Philo's roots in my tank to uptake nutrients!

                                                             Steve

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    Default Re: Definitions of interest about water-related st

    Great Job, Steve

    Thanks for helping me 'cause i always question about these stuffs. ;D

  8. #8
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    Default Re: Definitions of interest about water-related st

    Steve I was reading the comments about ammonia.You could answer this problem in a number of ways . First ion exchange  there is a natural occuring media that absorbs ammonia. You could place a cannister filled with it in line after your carbon filters to remove the ammonia. We built filters for Surfside Aquatics back in 198? something . The filters were actually a water softener with media in them . Surfside Aquatice recycled their water and had  a very real problem . They bought a system for every line they had .
    Reverse Osmosis D.I , if equipped with an adequate carbon pre-filter system should give you water of excellent quality and you should not burn any gills.
    Activated carbon comes form two sources Coal and roasted cocnut shells. I think you will agree that the roasted shells are the way to go.
    Carbon is time sensitive . Either you have lots of carbon and a short treatment time or smaller amounts of carbon with very long treatment times.

    I hope this helps .
    The h2o Guru

  9. #9

    Default Re:Definitions of interest about water-related stuff

    Thank you for sharing your experience with us!
    For me ,it really helps!
    8)

  10. #10
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    Default Re:Definitions of interest about water-related stuff

    conductivity...hmm does that mean I would get less of a jolt in very cold, very soft water than in my warm and very hard water?

    I happened to think of this when I read it because I dropped a strip light in the tank the other day?

  11. #11
    Registered Member ronrca's Avatar
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    Default Re:Definitions of interest about water-related stuff

    Ummmm! A shock is a shock and something not really to be measured if its slightly less or more in hard/soft water! In numbers it may varied but something not to play with! Always remember safety first!

    Electricity and water mix TOO well together! Always, always unplug please! Otherwise I will have to get my and :spank:!

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