Natural Spring Water - ooops

[YourPalCM]

I don't have an RO/DI unit, but I do live practically next door to a natural spring water place, so I thought I would be doing better than tap water if I filled my new 75g tank with Natural Spring Water.

Now I'm reading that Spring Water can be worse than tap water.

I've done nothing else so far except add about 70g of spring water and mixed the salt in the tank. Should I remove it? What should I test for to see if it's as bad as some people have told me it could be for my tank?

I've tested for PO4 and there appears be SOME phosphates but the low end of the scale is so hard to tell...it might be zero, or it might be something ever so slightly more than zero or my eyes are just playing tricks on me because now I'm paranoid about this.

I've tested for NO3 and it's definitely zero.

What to do?????

 

[melosu58]

Most spring water has alot of heavy metals in it. The only way to know for sure is to take a sample to your local gov. testing center and they will give you a full readout as to what is in it. You can also get a TDS tester and it will let you know percentage of metals in water. I would seriosly consider getting a RO/DI unit. Better safe than sorry.

 

[YourPalCM]

Most spring water has alot of heavy metals in it. The only way to know for sure is to take a sample to your local gov. testing center and they will give you a full readout as to what is in it. You can also get a TDS tester and it will let you know percentage of metals in water. I would seriosly consider getting a RO/DI unit. Better safe than sorry.

Well, I removed the Spring Water. I do have a TDS tester on the way, but I thought I'd remove the water anyway even before getting it. I dont' suspect I was going to get good results anyway.

I really don't want to get an RO/DI unit...I am the worse plumber ever. The idea of installing it is not pleasant.

I noticed that Wal-Mart has a Culligan RO dispensing station - 33 cents/gallon. That might be an alternative.

 

[melosu58]

[quote="YourPalCM
I really don't want to get an RO/DI unit...I am the worse plumber ever. The idea of installing it is not pleasant.

.[/quote]

How hard is it to attach your water hose to it. That is what I do. I make water in my tool shed and just hook the ole water hose up to it. Real easy.

 

[YourPalCM]

[quote="YourPalCM
I really don't want to get an RO/DI unit...I am the worse plumber ever. The idea of installing it is not pleasant.

.

How hard is it to attach your water hose to it. That is what I do. I make water in my tool shed and just hook the ole water hose up to it. Real easy.[/quote]

Not hard...However, I have no easy place to do it. I could easily hook it up to the kitchen sink, but my wife wouldn't be happy about that. There's no easy way to hook it up to the bathroom sinks because of the stupid faucets we have. The outside spigots are at an inconvenient place for running the hose into the house, and wouldn't work in the winter.

However, you make a valid point...I need to find a way to make that work.

 

[roka64]

I could easily hook it up to the kitchen sink, but my wife wouldn't be happy about that.

She and you would definitely enjoy the fresh water! Take her to HD or Lowes and show her what they look like. They shouldn't take up too much space and will be easy to hook up.....