Aging Barrel

[Charlyc11]

I am curios if you can over aerate aging water in a barrel. I age mine in 55 gallon drums with a circulating pump that has a air hose attachment connected to a air pump. Before I had a air stone and a pump circulating the water. It seems that I manage to gas off most of the CO2 and raise the PH to 8.
I been testing any ware from 15 to 30 gallons of tap and the rest RO with similar results. The tap is well water with sodium carbonate injected with a metering pump to raise the PH of the household. The RO bypasses the sodium carbonate (soda ASH).

[pastry]

Chuck, at first I wanted to call you an over achiever and to stop bragging.... then I re-read post and got a massive brainfart. I have no idea, but curious...

[Charlyc11]

Sorry if I caused an unwarted brainfart but the main question was "Can over aerate aging water in a barrel?" forget the rest.

Chuck, at first I wanted to call you an over achiever and to stop bragging.... then I re-read post and got a massive brainfart. I have no idea, but curious...

[jeep]

Sorry if I caused an unwarted brainfart but the main question was "Can over aerate aging water in a barrel?" forget the rest.

No! RO should age to 7.0 but I have no idea why yours is 8. Have you checked gh/kh/tds? How old is your membrane?

Even though it tests at 8, I would still be concerned about stability...

[Charlyc11]

No! RO should age to 7.0 but I have no idea why yours is 8. Have you checked gh/kh/tds? How old is your membrane?

Even though it tests at 8, I would still be concerned about stability...

Membranes are fairly new bought the unit last November it's a 300 GPD commercial unit. The PH of 8 I get with the mix RO and Tap injected with sodium carbonate. I am still running test and doing extra water changes. I constantly checking cg/kh/tds
The mix of 25 gallons of Tap and 30 of RO gets me GH = 3 KH = 4 TDS= 170

[jeep]

Ok, I misread your first statement. I though you were getting 8 with pure RO. I would guess your water is pretty stabile at 8 with the mix you are making and a TDS of 170. Do you have a photo of the injection unit or a link to where you got it? I've been thinking of doing the same thing.

[Charlyc11]

Ok, I misread your first statement. I though you were getting 8 with pure RO. I would guess your water is pretty stabile at 8 with the mix you are making and a TDS of 170. Do you have a photo of the injection unit or a link to where you got it? I've been thinking of doing the same thing.

I will get pic when I get home later. The unit came with the house so I don't know where it was purchased but it's similar to below link.


https://www.cleanwaterstore.com/soda...20%7C%20%24849

Just a little older. I add 1 Lb. of sodium carbonate (soda ash) per gallon of water (25 gallon tank) and that is what gets injected to the pipes entering the house after sediment filter. I get 50 Lb. bucket at Amazon one a year before I started to use on the aging barrels now I don't know how much I will use.

[jeep]

Nice piece of equipment but a bit out of my range, lol. I'm wanting to add a refillable housing to one of my RO units... They run about $15...

[Charlyc11]

Nice piece of equipment but a bit out of my range, lol. I'm wanting to add a refillable housing to one of my RO units... They run about $15...

That's is for the whole house. You should be able to get a small metering unit from the reef stores just for the RO.

[LizStreithorst]

Chuck, I don't know, but I think may be so. Check it after 12 hrs and compare the reading to another you take 12 hours later

[Charlyc11]

Liz
I will get back to you on that but off the top of my head after 12 hrs. is around PH 7. I will do some recording this weekend when I do all the water changes. I have two barrels both will have 25 gallons of tap that was injected with sodium carbonate but I will fill the remaining 30 gallons one with RO the other with tap that was not injected with sodium carbonate. I know for a fact the the RO mixture will have a TDS of 170 and the other with straight well water a TDS 220.

Chuck, I don't know, but I think may be so. Check it after 12 hrs. and compare the reading to another you take 12 hours later

[bluelagoon]

Soda ash (sodium carbonate) is 11.3-11.8 PH. A lot more alkaline than baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) Ph 8. That's why you are getting a high ph after mixing.

[bluelagoon]

Wait for about 6 hours or so after you mix tap and RO aerated before testing, see what Kh it is. Try more RO less tap water see were that is after aerating for the same amount of time. Ro water sometimes can be slightly acid or about 7 ph in most cases.

[Charlyc11]

So aerate for the 6 hrs. after mix? and then check kh? Also air stone or pump with or without air input nozzle.
Thanks for your help Mervin

Wait for about 6 hours or so after you mix tap and RO aerated before testing, see what Kh it is. Try more RO less tap water see were that is after aerating for the same amount of time. Ro water sometimes can be slightly acid or about 7 ph in most cases.

[LizStreithorst]

Yeah, thanks Mervin. You're way more knowledgeable about water chemistry than I am.