Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.
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July 19, 2013 | #1 |
Tomatopalooza™ Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: NC-Zone 7
Posts: 2,186
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"Soapy" Water from hose
I have a long garden hose that I use to run water out to the
back of my property to provide a source of water for the garden. It's ~100' in length. I've noticed more so this year that when I fill up a water can from this hose in the garden, the water comes out very "bubbly", almost to the point of resembling soapy dish water. The water source is city water and comes out of faucet clean. Any ideas why this is occurring? Is it exclusively from the hose, or could the connecters (brass and aluminum Y-connectors) be part of the issue? Thanks for the insight! Lee
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July 19, 2013 | #2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: N.O., LA (Zone 8b)
Posts: 136
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All the Googling I did suggests one or all of the following things:
Turbulence/oxygen in hose/water chemical leeching from the hose bacterial gas buildup in the pipes Most suggestions were to let it run a while, replace the hose, or run some bleach through the pipes to clear out bacteria buildup. Hope this helps!
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July 19, 2013 | #3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 6a - NE Tennessee
Posts: 4,538
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If your water supply uses gaseous chlorine, then it's probably that. When the hose lays out there or hangs on a reel in the sun, the water heats up and the chlorine will come out of solution quickly. The city water here does the same thing and that's the answer I got from them. I'm not totally sold on that answer, but I have noticed that I see the bubbles more in the summer. I also see more from the hot water and rarely from the cold side.
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July 19, 2013 | #4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: California Central Valley
Posts: 2,540
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I see lots of bubbly water from some of my hoses, too, and the local water is treated with chloramine, not chlorine.
fwiw, I don't recall seeing the bubbly water when I'm using a breaker-type nozzle, even if the water is almost boiling hot. But I do see it from a regular sprayer-type nozzle no matter what the water temperature. |
July 20, 2013 | #5 |
Tomatopalooza™ Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: NC-Zone 7
Posts: 2,186
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Thanks for the feedback everyone!
I hope to spend some time today to figure out a good solution, if one exists. Ideally, I should have had a "real" water pipe added and buried underground to provide a water source in the back of the lot near the garden. But alas, I've never had the time to "do it right". Thanks! Lee
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Intelligence is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put one in a fruit salad. Cuostralee - The best thing on sliced bread. |
July 20, 2013 | #6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Durhamville,NY
Posts: 2,706
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If you figure it's the hose then you can buy drinking water safe or food grade hose. If you have a long run of hose it may be coming from just one piece of it.
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July 20, 2013 | #7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
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Cavitation look this up and see what you think.
Worth |
July 20, 2013 | #8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: zone 5b northwest connecticut
Posts: 2,570
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guess i forgot to post, i wrote this up a couple of days ago.
i get that too and i'm on a well. i think it is from the hose baking in the sun, after the water is running cool it stops. tom
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