Re: [compost_tea] Re: Chlorine in Municipal Water

From: Chuck Lund <north32nd_at_yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 10 Jul 2011 01:14:36 -0700 (PDT)

>From my experience, chlorine works pretty much as advertised, it kills bact=
eria.  I have seen this under the microscope so am both glad and surpr=
ised someone has seen conspicuously different results. Now I wonder why? =
And will look some more...

I have experimented with lots of filters trying to come up with a satisfact=
ory way to water the garden and have found the inexpensive charcoal filters=
 work nearly as well as the very expensive ceramic filters (neither takes o=
ut all of the chlorine - but most of it).  The basic problem I found i=
s they are too slow for hand watering and don't last very long either, even=
 with repeated back washing/flushing. They need to be accurately tested af=
ter a few hundred gallons or so.  

I tried using chlorine test strips and spa and pool chlorine test kits and =
found neither accurate enough to effectively test chlorinated municipal wat=
er.  I now use a Hatch pocket colorimeter for chlorine. 

I have also taken water samples from many kinds of sprinklers at various di=
stances and flow rates, and spray patterns.  In my experience I found =
the sprinklers that seem to dissipate chlorine most effectively are the sma=
ll sprinkler heads you can find in hardware stores for use in installing yo=
ur own in ground sprinkler systems.  They have various spray pattern o=
ptions and put out a fairly fine spray.  They have standard pipe threa=
ds so will fit many ready made sprinklers (or copper or galv fittings)Â=
  I use quick disconnects (for changing spray patterns) and sprinklers fr=
om ground level to one that is six feet tall.  The tall one will effec=
tively spray about a forty foot circle. The fine spray dissipates almost a=
ll of the chlorine, even on the lower ones used for spot watering.  Ev=
aporation could be a problem on the taller ones...

I have tried filtering city water for use in making tea and found it unsati=
sfactory. I have also aerated the water and found it actually takes a few =
days to get rid of enough of the chlorine to make tea, rather than simply r=
unning your brewer overnight.  It is easier for me personally to harve=
st and use rainwater.

I have run water through vortex tubes/nozzles used by Boeing in their paint=
 department but I can not tell for sure if the small amount of chlorine dis=
sipated is because of the vortex action or the simple aeration between the =
end of the nozzle and the bucket. I'll keep working on this one because I =
believe it has great potential.

I am also wondering if an aerating shower head could be an effective (getti=
ng rid of chlorine) hose end watering nozzle?

The shower heads with chlorine filters only get rid of about 80% of the chl=
orine - and that is when they are new.

I have not tried simple molasses but will for sure.

Thanks for the thread,
Chuck Lund


 

 

--- On Fri, 7/8/11, sue_plezia <sue_plezia_at_yahoo.com> wrote:

From: sue_plezia <sue_plezia_at_yahoo.com>
Subject: [compost_tea] Re: Chlorine in Municipal Water
To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
Date: Friday, July 8, 2011, 9:49 PM















 
 



  


    
      
      
      Sorry, I don't notice any chlorine smell, either with or without the =
filter, but I have a rather poor sense of smell -- it's got to be as concen=
trated as the chlorine in a swimming pool before I notice it. I did check =
with the water company, and we have chlorine, not chloramines. I water wit=
h a hose and will gradually switch to drip, and I have too little space for=
 barrels of water for off gassing chlorine. Summer in the desert means I n=
eed enough water to water daily.



I leave a few vases of water sitting in my kitchen window, letting the chlo=
rine evaporate, for watering my house plants.



Sue



--- In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com, "Deight" <deight_at_...> wrote:

>

> I took a look at the website for the Chlorgon filter. I would have liked=
 to

> see them present some data , such as, a before and after chlorine readin=
g.

> How about a smell test, have you noticed any chlorine smell after the

> filter?

>

>

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>

> Cheers

>

> Deight

>

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>

>

> From: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com [mailto:compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com] On

> Behalf Of sue_plezia

> Sent: July-08-11 4:38 AM

> To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com

> Subject: [compost_tea] Re: Chlorine in Municipal Water

>

>

>

>

>

> I recently bought online a Chlorgon filter from Charley's Greenhouse for

> both of my water spigots outside. There isn't a noticeable decrease in wa=
ter

> flow. I haven't had it long enough to notice any difference. I've already

> been using a chlorine filter on my shower and a water distiller for drink=
ing

> water.

>





    
     

    
    


 



  











Received on Sun Jul 10 2011 - 14:23:47 EDT

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