Re: [AGA Member] Soft water management

["Dennis Sheridan" <dilvish@pacbell.net>]

From: "Roger Miller" <roger@spinn.net>

Thanks, Roger.

> The amount of sodium hydroxide that it takes to increase the pH of
soft water
> to 8 or so is completely benign.  The hydroxide reacts with carbon
dioxide to

I didn't mean to suggest otherwise. I don't doubt it's considered
harmless at the levels we're talking about  But I worked with
caustic soda for close to 20 years. The epa, osha, and a state
agency insisted I know something about its properties; and then
they'd come and check the soil around my shop. Now, that was in the
context of industrial usage and disposal. I was using lbs per gal at
high temps. Water treatment or byproducts in a tank is a totally
different fish.  Nonetheless, I would not want any part of it coming
into a closed system. But that's just me.

> Take care.  The boron in borax is an essential trace element, but
it is also
> toxic to plants in concentrations less than 1 ppm.  I don't know
what

Yep, I have some help though. I got the idea while visiting a forest
research station. They were using Borax to treat fungal infections
and disease on trees. They also use it as an herbicide/pesticide.
Forest Service data sheet is here -
http://www.infoventures.com/e-hlth/pestcide/borax.html   I'm sure,
though, that if there was a treatment, we'd already know about it. I
can't imagine no one has tried this yet.

> want to be careful to rinse the excess borax off the plants before
they go
> back to your tank.

Yes, absolutely.  They need a good bath after that.

> Paul Sears (a chemist by profession) believes that the carbon
electrode CO2
> systems are pretty much a scam; they generate CO2 entirely from
the
> bicarbonate in your water, not from the carbon in the electrode.

Let's see.. I'm sure there's a sodium hydroxide joke here
somewhere... <g>  Ok, so what is the scam part? I mean this thing
was pretty cheap, around $50 I think. It'll last me 2 years probably
at the current rate. It makes co2. I'd guess the carbon reacts via
electrolysis with the bicarbonate to make co2?  What is the down
side?

Regards,

Dennis

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