Charles, The least expensive RO systems I have purchased lately have been on eBay. There are several vendors there selling very inexpensive units. I have purchase two for myself and two for friends to use and I helped them install the units.
If you are only looking for a small quantity of very pure water, why don't you collect condensate from your dehumidifier, or rain water. I started out doing that and found the benefits of it for all my plants that I went to RO water. I can not collect enough rain water some years to keep my plants going. I purchased 5 gallon plastic carboys from a beer/wine making supply house to stored my water in. I could keep almost keep a years supply of water for the 40 plants I watered with it to begin. I got ten of the carboys 25 years ago and I still have four of them. I think they were high density polyethylene 5 gallon carboys. I would not worry about heating the water, just set a container you will water from in the plant area the night before you water and it will be at room temperature for the plants. Or keep a carboy on a shelf that in the plant area so you always have room temperature water to use on the plants. I did that and had a series of tubes going out of it I could water from. The carboy was higher than the plants so simple siphon action moved the water for me. Tom Hillson At 4:51 PM -0500 3/15/06, Charles Ufford wrote: >Hello all, > > Question for North American members: I am looking to purchase a >small reverse-osmosis system to be shipped to Upstate NY and am >wondering where you have seen and purchased units, best units and >best prices. It won't have to be a large capacity system as I am not >a greenhouse grower. I'll probably store in a large garbage can, and >will also need info about a submersible pump that I can hook a garden >hose to, or at least has that size fitting. Will most likely use a >submersible water-heater aquarium type to keep temps up in Winter. > > I have had some problems with a few species that probably didn't >like the chlorine in the municipal water supply, so bought a water >filter that is supposed to remove 'virtually all chlorine'. Problem >is that I've seen discoloration and plant death and other negative >results that lead me to believe that my filter is of the type >discussed on this forum months ago, and the water has less chlorine >but now more sodium and such in it. Things looked better before the >filter........ This area is supposed to have good water quality but >the chlorine bothers things. I the water were r/o, then I know that >would be one problem eliminated. > > Along other lines, there are chemicals in the aquarium trade that >remove chlorine and chloramines from tap water that is going to be >used for fish/plants in an aquarium setting. Is there anybody out >there that knows about these chemicals and that if the treated water >were used on orchids, it wouldn't hurt them? I know that they are >supposed to be safe for the fish and water plants, but then of course >my orchids cost alot more than the fish I have bought in the past, >and I don't feel like making an assumption that could jeopardize my >collection! (of course reef systems are much more expensive so a >chemical would have to be safe for them as well) > >thanks for your help, >charles >-- >Charles Ufford >Oriskany, NY USA >IPA, Central NY and Southern Tier Orchid Societies >www.cnyos.org >www.geocities.com/charlesufford > >_______________________________________________ >the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) >[email protected] >http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com -- --Tom /---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Tom Hillson Agriculture Computer Services Manager |(515) 294-1543 College of Agriculture | Iowa State University ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |"The only thing I have too much of is too little time" _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
