I’ve been loving my Distilled Water Maker - No problem on my grows for sometime, and no more store trips getting distilled water, or replacing filters for RO.
1 Like
@liddellOnus - that filter is interesting but does state in the advertising that it only eliminates ‘most’ of the chlorine (with each more expensive filter doing a better job than the lesser). If you already have an RO system it’s likely doing a better job at that. That’s an important point to note if using hydroguard or any beneficial bacteria, so it doesn’t get killed off automatically by the water itself. If you’re not using hydroguard or mycos (think recharge) it’d probably be fine.
I believe this filter is better used in outdoor and soil gardening than in water destined for a DWC reservoir; though if running a “sterile res” it’d suit the purpose though might not be as good as distilled or RO if there are other minerals/elements present (back to the prior point - composition of water from one area to another). When using that filter outside there’s a (better) chance that most of the beneficial bacteria will survive as most of the chlorine has been eliminated, but when the beneficial bacteria have to live in that water that’s another use case entirely.
@shadowcipher89, I had the exact same experience here (after purchasing distilled water maker) – mine has a tea bag sized carbon filter to change every 2-3 months but it came with enough spares for a year or so. I was buying 6x4L every week (so about $12/wk, or $50/month) and this unit only cost $89 so it’s definitely been a good investment from that standpoint too. There hasn’t been much of a difference in terms of TDS/PPM readings between the storebought and self-distilled, but that’s ignoring the fact that I have no idea what the last 25 PPM actually consists of. 
1 Like
How long does the distiller take… I assume hours
I live in Massachusetts. Apparently we have some really good water. I have an RO filtration system but from what I gather, the plant needs some of the things it removes like iron and calcium.
RE the distiller; mine runs for about 4 hours at a time for 4L.
It’s not the most efficient tool (basically like having an electric kettle on for that amount of time) but suits my purpose. The RO systems can be less expensive on the power bill – so that’s also a factor.
It also has a very loud fan on it and exhausts very warm air for about 3/4 hours. That could be a deal breaker for some.
1 Like
It’s desirable to remove most of those things, as bottle 3,4,5 are intended to provide it. In some cases having too much of one nutrient can lock out others, so I’d defer to the resident expert’s opinion on that:
I’ve been thinking about getting an RO system but am renting and low on space and shouldn’t be modifying anything under the sink. The distiller can be used and then put away afterward and is very simple to maintain which is why I went that route for now.
1 Like
If that’s the case how come the grobo didn’t automatically compensate for the lack of cal in my ro water… 
1 Like
That’s a good question. 
My guess would be that in your case the plant just needs a bit more and that they’ll adjust (in the running recipe) how much cal/mag is dispensed to compensate – but that’s just a guess.
The system doesn’t detect how much cal/mag there is, it just sees that the PPM reading is low enough to warrant adding “the amount the recipe calls for”. In most cases that’s likely either enough or a bit too much (I’d imagine this value was derived through testing), and in some cases it is not enough which requires intervention/modification.
I’d double-check all your hoses to ensure one isn’t pinched. Are the other 2 bottles (3,4) dispensing at all, or is one higher than the other?
Also are you using a generic recipe or one specifically for that strain/breeder – that’d also explain why the cal/mag calcs might be a bit off.
Almost forgot to mention this, as it hasn’t come up for me in quite some time:
When I first started using the grobo it occurred on me that during the first drain/fill the hoses themselves are empty, so the pumps will be “sucking air” for the first little while.
Doing a drain/fill may compensate for that if you think it might’ve under-dosed from one of the nutrient bottles (sans 1&2), but use new water when doing so as the original water will still contain the first dose – don’t double-dose them by drain/fill the same water.
2 Likes
It’s a cheese Auto recipe for canuk seeds. The first two fills I used distilled and then the last one was RO don’t know if that matters…
Bottle 3 is practically full the rest are all lower than 3 but, no kinks that I can see…
1 Like
That looks good, it appears to be using 3,4,5 as expected. I don’t think there’s much to worry about and please do share what story the data tells.
1 Like
Same here. I find I run mine a couple times a week, and I have plenty. I keep a 5 gallon water jug filled with the distilled water.
Also helps, as I have glycol chiller, liquid cooled computer, and a ton of house plants - All utilize distilled water. So get lots of benefit from it.
Mine is in garage, but noise is no louder then Grobo. Just clean it with some vinegar, and its relatively hassle free.
1 Like
You should not be switching water like that.
Plants need to be in a relatively stable environment, so whatever you do, stick with it.
2 Likes
Bump
Great advice @vegetato! Here is the skinny @liddellOnus…
- A new Grobo won’t have the nute lines primed yet, an extra drain/fill will help get the reservoir filled with the correct food.
- Without much food in the tank, it’s really hard to maintain a constant pH level. (Think echo of an empty room)
- Cal/Mag is best absorbed at a pH of 6.1-6.3, so even though your reservoir has it, the plant may not be able to eat it up if the pH is unstable/low/off.
TLDR; Drain & Fill to get your reservoir filled with food and able to balance pH better.
As I mentioned in the support email, your leaves won’t heal and can be removed when they are over 50% spotted.
Cheers,
Stephen
2 Likes
Not for another 2 weeks. Alot of leaves die off and fall off on their own too. Just pull em out then.
2 Likes
Update… the rustiest of leaves in the above pic I just cut this morning… but the spots are now showing on the next tier… new growth is untouched so far…
1 Like
The one in the foreground here you can cut near the base about 1/2 and inch or so back.
maybe in a day or two you cut the back one