As we know orchids like nice clean water. Water districts send out annual
reports, ours state the water around here ain't bad. So why can't I grow
orchids better? I kept thinking it was the water quality, and almost put in
a reverse osmosis system. Those of you with long memories know that I just
can't stomach the waste water these generate. I've xeriscaped my yard so no
need for watering there either.

To make a long story short water pressure in my house really started to
suck, so I tackled a plumber I could trade services with. Today he opened
up some walls and here's what we find.

Small wonder the water was pinkish when a pot is filled for boiling
spaghetti. Small wonder orchid roots burn. Consider the source. Or at
least the pathway from the source to my orchids.... John G. Talpa will
spin!

K Barrett

That's the complete opposite of our problem!

The pH of my well water runs between 4.7 and 5.3, so not only do we never
get precipitation in the pipe, unless we neutralize the acidity, the pipe
wall gets thinner over time - typically thinner than a sheet of paper when I
replace pieces. Nobody in my family is suffering from a copper deficiency!

Wastewater should be no reason to hold back from an RO unit. Simply get one
of the "zero-waste" models that pumps all of the water through the membrane.
Yes, it means replacing the membrane more often, but that beats the hell out
of wasting the water.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies. Books, Artwork, and lots of Free Info!


"K Barrett" wrote in message
. ..
As we know orchids like nice clean water. Water districts send out annual
reports, ours state the water around here ain't bad. So why can't I grow
orchids better? I kept thinking it was the water quality, and almost put
in a reverse osmosis system. Those of you with long memories know that I
just can't stomach the waste water these generate. I've xeriscaped my
yard so no need for watering there either.

To make a long story short water pressure in my house really started to
suck, so I tackled a plumber I could trade services with. Today he opened
up some walls and here's what we find.

Small wonder the water was pinkish when a pot is filled for boiling
spaghetti. Small wonder orchid roots burn. Consider the source. Or at
least the pathway from the source to my orchids.... John G. Talpa will
spin!

K Barrett

Holy Batman, Kathy! What a mess! How old are the pipes?

Diana

"Ray B" wrote in message
news:6u3%i.32257$763.30045@trnddc07...
That's the complete opposite of our problem!

The pH of my well water runs between 4.7 and 5.3, so not only do we never
get precipitation in the pipe, unless we neutralize the acidity, the pipe
wall gets thinner over time - typically thinner than a sheet of paper when
I replace pieces. Nobody in my family is suffering from a copper
deficiency!

Wastewater should be no reason to hold back from an RO unit. Simply get
one of the "zero-waste" models that pumps all of the water through the
membrane. Yes, it means replacing the membrane more often, but that beats
the hell out of wasting the water.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies. Books, Artwork, and lots of Free Info!


"K Barrett" wrote in message
. ..
As we know orchids like nice clean water. Water districts send out
annual reports, ours state the water around here ain't bad. So why can't
I grow orchids better? I kept thinking it was the water quality, and
almost put in a reverse osmosis system. Those of you with long memories
know that I just can't stomach the waste water these generate. I've
xeriscaped my yard so no need for watering there either.

To make a long story short water pressure in my house really started to
suck, so I tackled a plumber I could trade services with. Today he
opened up some walls and here's what we find.

Small wonder the water was pinkish when a pot is filled for boiling
spaghetti. Small wonder orchid roots burn. Consider the source. Or at
least the pathway from the source to my orchids.... John G. Talpa will
spin!

K Barrett

On Thu, 15 Nov 2007 13:08:32 -0800, K Barrett wrote
(in article ):

As we know orchids like nice clean water. Water districts send out annual
reports, ours state the water around here ain't bad. So why can't I grow
orchids better? I kept thinking it was the water quality, and almost put in
a reverse osmosis system. Those of you with long memories know that I just
can't stomach the waste water these generate. I've xeriscaped my yard so no
need for watering there either.

To make a long story short water pressure in my house really started to
suck, so I tackled a plumber I could trade services with. Today he opened
up some walls and here's what we find.

Small wonder the water was pinkish when a pot is filled for boiling
spaghetti. Small wonder orchid roots burn. Consider the source. Or at
least the pathway from the source to my orchids.... John G. Talpa will
spin!

K Barrett

Yuk!
You should be very glad that's only in your water pipes, and not your
coronaries!

Tom
Walnut Creek, CA
Nikon D200

"tbell" wrote in message
.com...
On Thu, 15 Nov 2007 13:08:32 -0800, K Barrett wrote
(in article ):

As we know orchids like nice clean water. Water districts send out
annual
reports, ours state the water around here ain't bad. So why can't I grow
orchids better? I kept thinking it was the water quality, and almost put
in
a reverse osmosis system. Those of you with long memories know that I
just
can't stomach the waste water these generate. I've xeriscaped my yard so
no
need for watering there either.

To make a long story short water pressure in my house really started to
suck, so I tackled a plumber I could trade services with. Today he
opened
up some walls and here's what we find.

Small wonder the water was pinkish when a pot is filled for boiling
spaghetti. Small wonder orchid roots burn. Consider the source. Or at
least the pathway from the source to my orchids.... John G. Talpa will
spin!

K Barrett

Yuk!
You should be very glad that's only in your water pipes, and not your
coronaries!

Tom
Walnut Creek, CA
Nikon D200


Indeed! There are a few pipes where the diameter was clogged down to an
opening about 1/4 in.... small wonder we had no water pressure. The house
once had a water sofener (Culligan) and I'm sure the NaCl corroded the
galvanized pipes. The house (constructed in 1975) is a curious mix of
copper and galvanized pipes. Don't ask me where the savings was in the
construction costs..... plumber says it makes no sense whatsoever.

I thought I had one of those zero waste units, but it ran the waste back
into the house/hot water heater.... much too much plumbing for me to deal
with. Some things I'll do and somethings I won't. Plumbing is one of the
things I won't do. *G*. Some of these galvanized pipes are very thin too.
They crack when you put a wrench on them. Boy am I glad this maintainance
is getting done!

K

"Ray B" wrote in message
news:6u3%i.32257$763.30045@trnddc07...
That's the complete opposite of our problem!

The pH of my well water runs between 4.7 and 5.3, so not only do we never
get precipitation in the pipe, unless we neutralize the acidity, the pipe
wall gets thinner over time - typically thinner than a sheet of paper when
I replace pieces. Nobody in my family is suffering from a copper
deficiency!

Wastewater should be no reason to hold back from an RO unit. Simply get
one of the "zero-waste" models that pumps all of the water through the
membrane. Yes, it means replacing the membrane more often, but that beats
the hell out of wasting the water.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies. Books, Artwork, and lots of Free Info!


"K Barrett" wrote in message
. ..
As we know orchids like nice clean water. Water districts send out
annual reports, ours state the water around here ain't bad. So why can't
I grow orchids better? I kept thinking it was the water quality, and
almost put in a reverse osmosis system. Those of you with long memories
know that I just can't stomach the waste water these generate. I've
xeriscaped my yard so no need for watering there either.

To make a long story short water pressure in my house really started to
suck, so I tackled a plumber I could trade services with. Today he
opened up some walls and here's what we find.

Small wonder the water was pinkish when a pot is filled for boiling
spaghetti. Small wonder orchid roots burn. Consider the source. Or at
least the pathway from the source to my orchids.... John G. Talpa will
spin!

K Barrett

Ooooh! Pink spaghetti! I am more curious about the trade in services?
wink
Cheers Wendy

"K Barrett" wrote in message
. ..
As we know orchids like nice clean water. Water districts send out annual
reports, ours state the water around here ain't bad. So why can't I grow
orchids better? I kept thinking it was the water quality, and almost put
in a reverse osmosis system. Those of you with long memories know that I
just can't stomach the waste water these generate. I've xeriscaped my
yard so no need for watering there either.

To make a long story short water pressure in my house really started to
suck, so I tackled a plumber I could trade services with. Today he opened
up some walls and here's what we find.

Small wonder the water was pinkish when a pot is filled for boiling
spaghetti. Small wonder orchid roots burn. Consider the source. Or at
least the pathway from the source to my orchids.... John G. Talpa will
spin!

K Barrett

On Fri, 16 Nov 2007 12:27:56 -0800, "K Barrett"
wrote:


Indeed! There are a few pipes where the diameter was clogged down to an
opening about 1/4 in.... small wonder we had no water pressure. The house
once had a water sofener (Culligan) and I'm sure the NaCl corroded the
galvanized pipes. The house (constructed in 1975) is a curious mix of
copper and galvanized pipes. Don't ask me where the savings was in the
construction costs..... plumber says it makes no sense whatsoever.


My son's 1907 has that mix. They were told all the pipe in the wall
was now Copper. HA! When they started investigating -- it ain't so.
The inspection was bad. '75 - I am shocked. 07 or 05 I can
understand.
SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/main.php

In article ,
"K Barrett" wrote:



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[Image]

end

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[Image]



um, gack.

--j_a

"unknown" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"K Barrett" wrote:



begin 666 DSC00065.JPG
[Image]

end

begin 666 DSC00066.JPG
[Image]



um, gack.

--j_a

The ice from the automatic Ice maker is cleaner already! Like crystal!

K