by Bill Strubbe | iStock/Thinkstock
For hydroponics and vertical farming, purified water with precise formula of minerals and nutrition is absolutely essential for success. After all, water is the primary carrier of nutrients in a hydroponic system. Now’s a good time to ask these essential questions:
Are you using the right water for your plants?
It is essential to use water with just the right pH - slightly acidic to neutral, and low TDS (total dissolved solids) levels.
If you have been using tap water to make your hydroponic solution, you might be surprised to know that even tap water can possess undetected contaminants that can seriously harm your plants.
Visible clarity can be highly misleading when it comes to judging the purity of water. And, tap water can fluctuate in quality quite a bit. The last town or city down the river may have added numerous unwanted items in your water. Plants are susceptible to such fluctuations, more-so than humans.
Consequently, it becomes essential to have stable water quality. With it, you can adjust the pH while adding and maintaining nutrients according to your needs.
Acquiring Water That Is Consistently Clean & Pure
For this, the reverse osmosis water filtration system is the ultimate standard to generate ultrapure water. A good RO water filtration system will progressively remove major contaminants and minimize fluctuations in tap water quality. From there on, you fortify the purified water with the right nutrients and adjust its pH.
The science behind RO filtration is solid and reliable - reverse osmosis means pushing water through tiny pores. Such filtration does not leave much scope for any unwanted elements to persist in the filtered water.
It is not surprising, then, that RO systems have been widely used in areas where natural water has been contaminated with herbicides, pesticides, and other hazardous substances, or where clean water is hard to get - during disaster relief, for instance. In fact, the US military has used RO filtration systems to make saltwater drinkable for troops. The more you know!
But, not all RO filtration systems are created equal. They can vary vastly in their filtration strength - how effective they are at filtering the harmful contaminants and how much water they “waste” to produce a gallon of drinking water.
Are you choosing the right reverse osmosis filtration system for hydroponics?
First, you should have the right mindset. The aim of getting clean RO filtered water is to have a consistent water quality that can be adjusted for nutrients and pH. This will make your plants healthier and reduce plant loss.
A water filtration system for hydroponics is not going to increase your profits directly. Instead, it is a tool to minimize losses. So, it would be best if you considered your investment accordingly.
Also, sometimes your water might be hard; that is, it has a high concentration of magnesium and calcium ions. Reverse Osmosis Filtration Systems filter and soften the water a smidge, but if hardness is too much, you might also need a water softener. They work exceptionally well in tandem - RO filters the water, the water softener cannot filter impurities. At the same time, water softener softens the water much more effectively.
So now you know how you should approach water concerns - identify accurately what they are and then implement the right solution. Let’s go on to discuss how to decide on a specific water filtration system.
When buying a reverse osmosis water filtration system for hydroponics and vertical farming, you should consider these factors:
- 1. High-efficiency RO membrane - this is the whole point, to remove the maximum number of contaminants. Double-check the pollutants that are claimed to be filtered.
- 2. The number of stages -Check what is being filtered at each stage. Additional stages don’t necessarily correspond to better filtration. What matters is all undesirable elements are filtered out.
- 3. Ease of installation - this will save the costs of hiring a professional.
- 4. Ease of repair and affordable maintenance - in hydroponics, margins can be tight, so this is a key point to make a positive return on your investment.
iSpring CRO1000 4-Stage Tankless 20-Inch Commercial Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Filtration System
At iSpring, we understand the needs of hydroponics and vertical farming. We have built an innovative reverse osmosis water filtration system that checks all boxes.
High-Efficiency RO Membrane
Our RO water filtration system removes up to 99% of over 1,000 contaminants, including but not limited to:
- 1. Lead
- 2. Chlorine
- 3. Fluoride
- 4. Arsenic
- 5. Asbestos
- 6. Calcium
- 7. Sodium
This core of CRO1000 beats contaminants and provides you with clean water up to 1,000 gallons per day - your plants will never run low on purified, high-quality water.
High performance - Built to last - Low water waste
We understand that you need a product that is reliable, performant, and durable. At the same time, it should be economical and minimize waste.
Our top features:
- 1. CRO1000 is a true commercial-grade high output, 1,000 GPD, reverse osmosis water filtration system.
- 2. It features a tankless design with high production of on-demand clean filtered water. Its built-in water inlet and outlet gauges for easy pressure monitoring.
- 3. CRO1000 membrane is rated at 1,000 gallons per day with up to 1.5:1 pure water to wastewater ratio and a flow rate of up to 0.7 gallons per minute.
- 4. Due to low water wastage, your water bill will thank you!
4-Stage Water Filtration
To ensure that you get ultrapure water, we use a rigorous filtration process comprising four stages:
- Stage 1 (FP25B): The polypropylene sediment filter removes sediments, dust, sand, large particles, silt, dirt, and rust from water, preventing clogs and pressure loss.
- Stage 2 & 3 (FC25B): iSpring carbon block filter removes up to 99% of chlorine as well as taste and odor compounds, pesticides, herbicides, and more.
- Stage 4 (MCRO1000): The 1000 GPD RO membrane removes up to 99% of over 1,000 contaminants, including lead, chlorine, fluoride, arsenic, asbestos, calcium, sodium, and more.
Easy Installation & Maintenance
The instructions are straightforward to follow. We also offer tech and CS support via phone and email from Atlanta, GA. Contact our responsive and professional team for further questions.
We have smart maintenance and replacement schedules:
- 1. Replace 1st stage filter every 3-6 months.
- 2. 2nd stage and 3rd stage filters every 6-12 months.
- 3. Replace the RO membrane every 2-3 years.
Kindly note, the filter replacement schedule depends on the source water quality.
We hope you found some useful information to improve your hydroponics garden. Excellent quality water can make a world of difference to your crops with its various benefits. Using our filtration products, you can improve plant health, reduce crop and plant loss, and heighten your next project.
If you have any questions about any of our products, or if you need a personalized product recommendation, please feel free to contact us at 678-261-7611 (M-F, 8:30 - 5:30 EST) or email us at support@123filter.com. We are happy to help!
