Issue with pH drift, Jack's going cloudy

Troubleshooting
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Didn’t want to make a new topic, buuut I’m having a couple of sudden, unexplainable issues after mixing Jack’s A& B. I use city tap water with ppm’s that fluctuate between 175-185, and pH between 7.7-7.8.

For the last 3 months, I’ve filled a 5 gallon bucket outside, and let it sit on the porch overnight. I take it inside the next morning, where it sits for another day. It stays covered with a lid that I drilled small holes in for the chlorine and any other gases to escape. After those 2 days, I mix in my Jack’s at whichever ratios the plants may need. The pH has always fallen between 6.44-6.53, with ppm’s between 995 and 1,100. pH drifts up about .05 per day and it’s all used within 72 hours.

The last 2 buckets I’ve mixed, the pH is landing at 6.8+, with no change in ppm’s. I pH’ed it with citric acid crystals down to about 6.45, but by the next morning it’s up to 7.1 and ridiculously cloudy, with a film on the top, forcing me to dump it.Normally, with the citric acid crystals, I only have about a .1 upward drift a day, but this crazy drift and suddenly turning into swamp juice has me stumped.

I was close to the bottom of parts A&B, so I trashed them and got some new bags that I have. I figure maybe moisture got into the older bags and messed them up. No clumps or chunks, but still being precautious.

I cleaned a bucket really well 2 days ago, because of the issue, and filled like normal. Dropped the wavemaker in the bucket, mixed the Jack’s at normal strength, stirring each part with the wavemaker going for much long than normal to make sure it was all well dissolved. Looks clear, so I calibrate the Apera pH 60 and we’re at 6.82. Ph’ed it to 6.41 and going to check it tomorrow.

I don’t know what gives. Jack’s at the normal ratio has consistently landed my tap at 6.52-.53 for nearly 3 months, then in the last week or so, I’m 3 points higher and getting swamp juice by the next morning. My ppm’s don’t change.

A home water filter system is outta there, so a cheap hose filter with a million reviews about leaking or not changing ppm’s at all is on the way.

I am going to fill a couple of jugs at the filtered water dispenser down the road and add silica before mixing Jack’s. It’s what I use on water only days and 10 gallons is only $2.50.

Sorry so long.

And Happy Father’s Day, gentlemen!

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Oh ya, I meant to ask if anybody has any possible solutions, and potential reasons, for the issues above. Sooooo, anybody have any possible soultions, and potential reasons, for the issues above?

Thanks again.

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Similar same happened with me 2 months ago but it came out to be the city was doing alot of work on main water lines and had to wait like 3-4 weeks before mine got back normal

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Acouple of my resevoirs have done the cloudy thing and have seen what appears to be an oil slick on top.
The cloudy i figured i didnt mix the part a thoroughly enough and or issues with the silica mixing properly.
The oil slick is a mystery. To remove i take a paper towel and lay it on the surface and it absorbs the film and i toss it. Im wondering if the film is the result of blowing nose and the tissues have lotion in them, or the gloves i sometimes wear or the soap that may or may not have some kind of oil or lotion. Just my thoughts. Doesnt seem to bother the plants either way

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Do you know your city’s water source? Recycled, well, spring? I have a well down over 300’, fed by an underground river and filtered up through limestone…delicious but unstable ph. I know this from managing my pool chemicals…ph can be 8.8 one year and 4 the next. All dependent on weather and natural run off. So if your source is from a well, that could explain it. For this reason i make plant water with my dehumidifier. You could always call peters (jacks). Their customer service is great.

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It’s well water that goes to a treatment center. We have had mid-high 90’s (f) for a month and a half, several days in the 100’s, no rain, and we also got the brute of the Saharan Dust Storm. They are doing a ton of construction on drainage (live right by bay in SE TX) around me, but not sure what they’ve done as far as water supply.

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Thing that sucks is I got my last Jack’s kit on eBay. I guess I could shoot the issue to them in an email and see if they have suggestions. Thanks for the info!!!

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I bought my jacks from a nursery store in michigan. I emailed peters/jacks questions and they called me back same day. Followed up with emails and rep still checks in to see how things are going! Its a great family business out of PA.

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Assuming you pushed the “ON button” and did the simple and filled up a glass or a ball jar with just tap, to see if the cloudy is straight from the tap. Do you see any Fire hydrant or buffalo box/street valve work in the area, this can cause air entrainment, most municipal water is at least 40PSI and that can pseudo carbonate if Air is trapped in the piping it can get absorbed. Saying this the wavemaker should free it. The biofilm/or oil, could also be an indicator of work on you muni system, food grade silicone lubricant is used frequently on rubber seals and fittings, valve packings.

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It just dawned on me. They did work on a main at the end of the neighborhood, about ½ mile down the street, just last week. Actually, there’s been a couple places they’ve done work this last month. The heat is also messing with the numbers.

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I just checked the ppm’s at the hose bib. I have a splitter so I hooked the RV filter up to one side. Holy shit. Sorry for the language, but holy shit. My ppm’s without the filter were over 600 FROM THE TAP. The filtered side was 405. So I know the filter works at least. I waited until the water started running cold also. This ain’t cool. 500 is considered max for drinking levels, 1000 is unsafe.

Guess I’m gonna be making a couple trips to the fill-up station every week for a couple of months. The ppm’s are very low in the water from it. My friend Bobbie Boucher would say, “It’s clear, it’s cool… Now that’s what I call high quality H2O.”

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