Any change need to be made when mixing sodium and potassium?

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Ifican

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Ive searched around a bunch understand there is an atomic weight difference with kcl vs nacl and that technically you would need more kcl (via brine solution) if going 100% of either. However what i am after is there anything that needs to be done with using a mixture of the two? Why one might ask? I get free salt for the next few years, potassium is expensive compared to salt and the spigot the wife uses to water the outdoor plants is softened. We are testing now with just salt, current belief is plants will die but I know it wont be overnight and may or may not happen. I would like to understand how to handle the addition of potassium to the brine take. Would first start with a 50-50 mixutre and adjust from there. If over time its determined we need to be 100% potassium so be it. Any insight if i need to change anything at all whilst testing different ratios? Then as a side, if not once i have my ratio is there a process to get the device to be as efficient as possible? The entire intent is to allow the boss to water with the spigot right where the plants live instead of having to make 10 trips with a bucket.
 

DonL

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You should verify the atomic weight just to make sure, And do not mix bleach with it.

Good Luck on your project.
 

Ifican

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That article on a quick browse is great thanks i will read it more indepth later today. No way to cleanly and neatly hide a run of anything to put a spigot close enough or to change that one. In my opinion i dont see an issue walking the 100ft each way to get non softened water. But bosslady who is naturally a couch potato because her dna allows it does not support the walk.
 

Ifican

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article is great, i am in southern california and temps rarely and issue. 1 or 2 weeks a year does it get what i would call cold at night, the rest of the time its low 60's as a low and thats dern cold if you ask me :). But in a nutshell i dont need to do anything initially. And thats all i really need to know. i suspect the plants are not going to have an issue but thats also a learning experience as well.
 

ditttohead

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Switching from NACL to KCL is as simple as adding KCL. Be sure to reprogram the valve to add more water to the brine refill. You may also need to add a little time to the brine draw cycle. I will try to add the article to my website next week and post a link to "Sodium vs. potassium".

But... most plants are sodium tolerant. It has more to do with the soil. Try it for a while, if the plants don't care, the only real problem is using a little extra salt.
 

Ifican

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Wish my ask is that simply. What i may ultimately need to figure out is how much sodium my outdoor plants can handle. I prefer not to switch to 100% KCL but a mixure of KCL and NaCL based on what the plants can handle. Sodium i get for free for the next 2 years. As much as they are willing to give me i will have a 4 year stockpile of salt. In all reality we dont use that much so the overall cost though 5 times or so greater then salt is not all that much, just my frugal nature has a very hard time with turning down free salt.
 

ditttohead

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The amount of sodium in the softened water is based on your hardness and your incoming sodium level. Many plants are sodium tolerant, but the chloride will damage them above levels of 100 ppm

Mixing sodium chloride and potassium chloride to balance the amount of sodium/potassium in the water is not likely to work. It depends on which one has a faster rate of being dissolved into the water, I have never tested it, but... why bother if your plants don't care anyway. I have seen many lawns and gardens improperly plumbed to soft water for decades, no harm to the vast majority of them, it is more of a waste issue rather than the plants ability to handle small amounts of sodium. Give it a try, see what happens.
 
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