I collected rainwater from the roof. Can I use it?

I collected rainwater from the roof. Can I use it?#299405

By Nandi -  Fri Jul 28, 2017 6:08 pm
Posts:  24
Joined:  Thu Mar 16, 2017 4:37 pm

- Fri Jul 28, 2017 6:08 pm #299405

I collected rainwater from the roof of the house but it's a bit yellowish. Can I use it safely? I don't have a TDS tester to test it.

Re: I collected rainwater from the roof. Can I use it?#299410

By KategoricalKarnivore -  Fri Jul 28, 2017 7:21 pm
Posts:  1769
Joined:  Wed Aug 24, 2016 5:00 pm

- Fri Jul 28, 2017 7:21 pm #299410

Get a meter and test it before you use it. That's the safest bet.

A garden to walk in and immensity to dream in--what more could he ask? A few flowers at his feet and above him the stars.
Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

Re: I collected rainwater from the roof. Can I use it?#299437

By Hungry Plants -  Fri Jul 28, 2017 10:33 pm
Posts:  1134
Joined:  Mon Nov 28, 2016 2:41 am

- Fri Jul 28, 2017 10:33 pm #299437

That's how I get my water for the most part. My roof water is 4 ppm. You and get a TDS meter for about $10-20 off amazon . There are cheaper but they come from China and take a while to get here.

Re: I collected rainwater from the roof. Can I use it?#299443

By riveraXVX -  Sat Jul 29, 2017 12:00 am
Posts:  1099
Joined:  Sat Apr 29, 2017 5:29 am

- Sat Jul 29, 2017 12:00 am #299443

I use a $20 meter on amazon I also collect from my roof dripline --- I usually let it rain heavy for a few minutes to wash a little gunk off, then I filter the water through an old nylon coffee pot filter, into funnel to bottles

but I test it usually each time I fill up.

Re: I collected rainwater from the roof. Can I use it?#299488

By Big-Jack -  Sat Jul 29, 2017 1:12 pm
Posts:  357
Joined:  Sun Jun 12, 2016 7:46 pm

- Sat Jul 29, 2017 1:12 pm #299488

riveraXVX wrote:I use a $20 meter on amazon I also collect from my roof dripline --- I usually let it rain heavy for a few minutes to wash a little gunk off, then I filter the water through an old nylon coffee pot filter, into funnel to bottles

but I test it usually each time I fill up.

Good advice. You want to let the roof rinse off for a while to flush away all the bird crap, leaves, asphalt oils, and itsy bitsy spiders

before you start collecting water for your VFT's.

Re: I collected rainwater from the roof. Can I use it?#299496

By riveraXVX -  Sat Jul 29, 2017 2:55 pm
Posts:  1099
Joined:  Sat Apr 29, 2017 5:29 am

- Sat Jul 29, 2017 2:55 pm #299496

yep, another user here (thanks Leo756!) detailed a bit of how he collects rainwater and that nylon filter was a great idea also! asked the wife and sure enough she had a few random ones from random machines over the years that weren't even used, helps filter a good bit of the random materials our water ends up testing out at 2-5PPM usually

Re: I collected rainwater from the roof. Can I use it?#302319

By jackjeckel -  Wed Aug 30, 2017 3:06 am
Posts:  72
Joined:  Thu Aug 17, 2017 12:51 am

- Wed Aug 30, 2017 3:06 am #302319

I was just about to ask the same question as last night it rained and I had moved my collection bottles off of the lawn as I had just put down some fertilizer and bottle closest to the roof runoff bottle collected a whole lot more than the other one.

I just ordered a tester and will have to stick with distilled water until I can test the roof runoff.

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