# Water Conditioners



## crstude (Jun 21, 2019)

Does anyone use well water as their carrier when spraying? I have not done a ph test but sprayed all last year using well water, which I am assuming is hard water. Does anyone use a water conditioner? Equally, I know the water that comes from the city is hard water as well. I don't plan on spraying glyphosate, which from reading, is what most would use a conditioner for as to not "deactivate" that product. I'm spraying the usual, preM, PGR's, Ferts, fungicides, some certainty or revolver to take out my ryegrass overseed in early spring.

Am I over the top in looking at water conditioners, or is there valid concern that the hard water and assumedly higher ph will lock up some of the nutrients in the items i'm wanting to put down?

Also, I've read some about using conditioners with and without ammonium sulfate. Where can you even buy either type? All I see is an Alligare brand on domyown.com. Most conditioners seem to be targeted towards farmers or folks trying to correct issues with ponds/pools.


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

I don't think you need a water conditioner just to spray chemicals. I think your best bet is to get a good pH tester and see what you are working with. I know they make additives you can buy to adjust your pH up or down and that's what I would go with as I would think it would be more cost effective.


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## ABC123 (Jul 14, 2017)

If you want a low ph, you could use RO water and let it sit open for a few hours, it should go from 7ph to around 5.5ph. If you have a whole foods they sell it at a fill station with reusable gallon for about 35c/g.

I would also test what you have and see what the ph is. If its low or high it doesnt take a lot of nutrients to fix it, its like 2-4ml per gallon depending on where you start.


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## dicko1 (Oct 25, 2019)

What do you mean when you say "water conditioner"? A water softener?

In my opinion, trying change the pH of well water is a fools errand. Well water is chock full of Calcium Carbonate, aka dissolved limestone. Carbonate is a well known ph buffering agent. This means that water that is loaded with carbonate will maintain a fixed pH regardless of what acid/base is added to the solution. If you are trying to change the pH of a carbonate solution you must add enough acid/base to deplete the capacity of the buffer at which time the pH of the solution's pH will jump radically depending on the pH of whats being added.

Another thing, a water softener does not remove the carbonate from the well water. Regardless if the water is softened or unsoftened the buffering capacity remains the same. The pH of water with dissolved carbonate is usually above 7 (basic) which is a good thing because if it were below 7 (acidic) all your copper plumbing pipes would be dissolved away.

If you are still concerned about pH, pet stores catering to the aquarium crowd will sell pH water test kits as well as pH up and pH down solutions to change pH. They will also sell kH test kits to measure the total carbonate load in the water.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

There is an easy and inexpensive way to lower your carrier pH, citric acid. Yes the one sold in the canning section of your local super market or at amazon. A bit goes a long way to lower the pH. Another option (not as effective) is to use ammonium sulfate into the carrier. Either one has to be applied to the water before any other product.

Some herbicides (round up) are more effective at lower pH. I use citric acid when I'm spraying ferrous sulfate (to chelate it and lower the carrier pH to avoid precipitates).


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## StuMPie82 (Oct 27, 2020)

@g-man What pH should glyphosate carrier be? Also what pH should FAS carrier be?


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Below 7 and above 3.5


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## dicko1 (Oct 25, 2019)

g-man said:


> There is an easy and inexpensive way to lower your carrier pH, citric acid. Yes the one sold in the canning section of your local super market or at amazon. A bit goes a long way to lower the pH. Another option (not as effective) is to use ammonium sulfate into the carrier. Either one has to be applied to the water before any other product.


g-man
Your comment about citric acid triggered a memory. There is actually a citric acid based water conditioner on the market.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0042A8HFY?tag=thewaternerd03-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1

It injects citric acid into the water system and chelates the minerals in the water. I'm not sure I'd buy it though. The comments arent very promising with a lot of people reporting blue water (too acidic).

My water's ph is around 8.5. I dont really worry about it when spraying. The weeds always die.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

This bag is inexpensive. A teaspoon will be enough for a gallon when used in a tank mix. When spraying iron, it helps.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EYFKNL8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_ArG7FbJFT590X


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## crstude (Jun 21, 2019)

Thanks all! My only concern was using well water with typical DIY'er inputs- ferts, preM, some selective herbicides and losing efficacy due to a high ph. I'll get a test done and start there on the well water. Worst case, just use the faucet water. I had thought moving the ph down may get better mileage out of some of the inputs.


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## Pete1313 (May 3, 2017)

Search "hard water antagonism" and "alkaline hydrolysis". I know i have talked about hard water issues in the past. Here are some charts I have posted as well. For fertilizers I like to keep my spray ph around 5-5.5. Unless research shows otherwise, 5-5.5 is a good target ph for the tank.


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## Pete1313 (May 3, 2017)

****o1 said:


> In my opinion, trying change the pH of well water is a fools errand.


I can easily drop my well water ph to whatever number I want when spraying.


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## crstude (Jun 21, 2019)

Pete1313 said:


> ****o1 said:
> 
> 
> > In my opinion, trying change the pH of well water is a fools errand.
> ...


@Pete1313 Those charts are great info for what I was looking for, THANKS! If you were to want to bring the Ph down, what products have/would you use?


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## Pete1313 (May 3, 2017)

They make spray tank buffer products as well as acidifier ones. I use citric acid now and have used an acidic iron/nitrogen product, FerromecAC, in the past to help drop tank PH. FerromecAC is not specifically meant for tank PH reduction, but worked well in certain tank mixes. The two i mentioned would be considered acidifiers.


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