Brita water okay? - Orchid Board

Connie Star · #1 01-23-2011, 05:15 PM

Does anyone filter their tap water in a Brita or Pur type filter for use on their orchids?
I have hard well water and no easy way to put in RO. I've been collecting rain water during the warmer months but I'm getting tired of melting snow.

Zoi2 · #2 01-23-2011, 07:19 PM

This has been discussed a couple of times on the board but I can't remember the threads. It seems the consensuses was that it really doesn't filter enough to bother using them. I could be totally out in left field, this is based on memory and that sometimes is dangerous

Joann

rangiku · #3 01-24-2011, 12:15 AM

IIRC, Ray said it doesn't do much besides taking out chlorine. Ray, please correct me if I misquoted you.

Connie, I Brita my water for drinking water, orchids and humidifier. I'm very sensitive to the taste of chlorine and it really cuts it out. Also, the humidifier spews out very little white mineral deposits now.

Tindomul · #4 01-24-2011, 12:36 AM

So then i guess it works. I use it when I run out of distilled, and I have been lazy in bringing distilled water home from work lately (last 14 months or so). But don't tell anyone I said that.
However, let it not be said I am totally laxed on this issue. My pleuros and masdies only receive distilled water. No substitutes permitted for them.

rangiku · #5 01-24-2011, 01:09 AM

Brita water seems to work fine with my phals and neos. Won a Lc X C at a raffle at the orchid club that seems to be fine with it well. I have no idea what I am doing with that catt.

camille1585 · #6 01-24-2011, 04:19 AM

Normally the Brita filters will filter out chlorine and also the minerals that cause limescale deposits. So I would assume that you're water will be not as hard. But how large the effect on water hardness, that I don't know. If you have any salt sensitive orchids I would find another source of water for those, but I think the filtered water will work for everything else.

pedidiva · #7 01-24-2011, 08:26 AM

I live in an area where there is little precipitation, thus I cannot collect rainwater nor snow. I use my filtered water via PUR on the tap. No problems. the ploants are flourishing & flowering.

BobInBonita · #8 01-24-2011, 11:34 AM

Here's a link that compares water filters, including Brita and Pur
Water Filter Comparisons & Reviews

The claims are that they remove chlorine and organic contaminants. That seems like activated carbon filtration. I see no reference to removal of Calcium or Sodium (or their salts).

The Brita site talks about chlorine, copper and organics, but not about hardness or salts.
Brita Pitcher FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions about Brita Pitchers | Brita

If you are primarily concerned with hardness, it seems they won't do much. If you are worried about chlorine (which doesn't bother me), then they do a good job.

Ray · #9 01-24-2011, 01:46 PM

Connie, an RO system is not as burdensome as you might think. I am shipping one out tomorrow, and the system, bladder tank, installation kit, and extra filters I provide all fit nicely in a box that's 18" cubed.

camille1585 · #10 01-24-2011, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobInBonita

Here's a link that compares water filters, including Brita and Pur
Water Filter Comparisons & Reviews

The claims are that they remove chlorine and organic contaminants. That seems like activated carbon filtration. I see no reference to removal of Calcium or Sodium (or their salts).

The Brita site talks about chlorine, copper and organics, but not about hardness or salts.
Brita Pitcher FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions about Brita Pitchers | Brita

If you are primarily concerned with hardness, it seems they won't do much. If you are worried about chlorine (which doesn't bother me), then they do a good job.

Um, I'm not finding the same thing, and it's also on the Brita site:
http://www.brita.net/uk/faqs
"# Does the BRITA water filter cartridge remove all minerals from drinking water?
The BRITA water filter cartridge only partially removes the hardness from drinking water. This part is temporary hardness, which causes scale deposits during cooking. It does not remove all of the minerals from the water. It reduces the concentration of calcium and magnesium with cation ion exchange resins, but theses substances are not completely removed as in desalination systems or industrial plants that use reverse osmosis or distillation processes, for example."