[Greenbuilding] Acidic Water

[Keith Winston]

Hi Dan & all,

I don't have nearly the time & attention to do any real chemistry, which 
is a weak suit that I have to be very deliberate about, if I don't want 
to chew on my own foot too much...

BUT: I think I know that one can set up a buffering solution (and 
perhaps a buffering bed of somewhat-soluble-material), that does not 
simply neutralize in one direction, but actually tends to buffer (either 
up or down) towards a neutral pH. Perhaps this is (inaccurately) the 
idea intended to be conveyed by a neutralizing "filter?"  I'm too tired 
to think about details, alas.

Keith



YankeePerm at aol.com wrote:
> OK, I can see how adding ozone (which is unrelated to filtration) can cause 
> chemical reactions that affect pH.   After all, you add the ozone so it will 
> react with organisms & kill them.   It is exceedingly reactive.   Just hope that 
> none is left in the water before you drink it!
>
> Your description of a "neutralizing filter" is NEWSPEAK from the book 1984.   
> You are adding chemicals to neutralize the water.   So you increase 
> contaminants.   Then you try to filter the larger amount of gunk out of the water.   
> The filter is absolutely independent of neutralizing.   And you only neutralize 
> if you guess right about the rate of basic chemicals to add to react with the 
> acids.   
>
> I sympathize with your copper story.   In acid rain country, rain can 
> sometimes, though not often, be more acidic than battery acid.   Obviously acids eat 
> metals.   In my poor uninformed opinion, copper ions are suspect in nervous 
> disorders and muscular control disorders.   When I lived in Orange, Mass (USA), 
> the tap water in the tub was blue, strongly blue, from the copper dissolved 
> between the main and the tub, not a long run.   (Of course maybe if we took 
> baths oftener, it would be lighter, having less time to eat away the pipes.)   
>
> By the way, males can indeed get too much iron.   An excess of iron can 
> support plaque formation in the arteries.   Women, due to menstruation, do not 
> accumulate iron, but males, unless we get wounded a lot, do.   Apparently the body 
> does not have a good mechanism for disposing of excess iron.   (I could 
> speculate on the evolutionary reasons for this, but I don't have time for a 
> discussion with the rabid politically correct set.)
>
> Thanks for the info.   We've got some contraption that must be what you are 
> talking about in one of our houses and I bypassed it.   Now I'm especially glad 
> that I did.
>
> Dan Hemenway
>
>
> In a message dated 7/21/06 12:41:29 PM, jefro at jefro.net writes:
>
>
>   
>> I live in the redwoods and have some experience with this.
>>
>> An ozonating filter can cure some minor pH issues (how?  beats me, but
>> the pump guy says so).  However, to really resolve them you need what
>> others have called a "neutralizing filter".  This is essentially a tank
>> that you fill with mineral salts.  The acidic water passes through the
>> salts, which neutralize the pH.  Then you have lots of precipitated
>> matter in your water, so you have to filter that out unless you like
>> cloudy (but balanced pH) water.  You have to refill it with salts every
>> so often.
>>
>> That said, beware also that getting the acidic water from the well to
>> the neutralizer involves pipes as well.  If you use copper, it will
>> eventually go away.  Ours was made with thick-wall copper pipe about 30
>> years ago.  I replaced a run last year between the well and the
>> neutralizer.  It was as thin as foil, which I discovered when it formed
>> a pinhole leak that I tried to fix with a gasket and clamp.  (clamp -
>> crunch - big squirting noises - profanity from wet amateur plumber)
>>
>> I replaced that section with PVC, not knowing what else to do with it. 
>> If we were staying here I'd probably replace it with black iron or even
>> galvanized pipe, on the assumption that zinc oxide is non-toxic and iron
>> is actually healthy, although those pipes would go away in 30 years as
>> well.  Such is the way of nature.
>>
>>     
>
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------
> Barking Frogs Permaculture Center
> www.barkingfrogspermaculture.org
>
> Our 11th Annual Permaculture Design Course Online begins Nov. 5, 2006. The 
> protocol for our Annual Permaculture Design Course Online is at 
> http://www.barkingfrogspermaculture.org/Protocol7_05_06.pdf
>
>
> A list by topic of all Yankee Permaculture titles also may be found at
>
> http://www.barkingfrogspermaculture.org/YPCpublicationsbycategory.pdf
>
>  
>
> _______________________________________________
> Greenbuilding email list
> List info: http://listserv.repp.org/mailman/listinfo/greenbuilding_listserv.repp.org
> List email: Greenbuilding at listserv.repp.org
> Managed by BuildingGreen, Inc. http://www.buildinggreen.com
>       publisher of Environmental Building News and GreenSpec(r)
> Hosted and archived by REPP / CREST http://www.crest.org
>
>
>
>
>   

-- 
Keith Winston
Earth Sun Energy Systems
3927 Madison St.
Hyattsville, MD 20781
301-980-6325
keith at earthsunenergy.com
www.EarthSunEnergy.com