The WATER you use in incubater ?

[Denninmi]

Quote:
Yup, same here. My well water, even through the softener, still leaves a mineral film/crust on everything in short order. I just use distilled water in my Brinsea. It takes only about half a gallon, maybe a little less, to fill the reservoir tank at first set up, and generally takes less than half the remaining gallon to finish off a hatch (depending upon what I'm hatching -- obviously, uses more water to hatch duck eggs at 28-30 days than quail at 16-18 days).

 

[SilkieTime]

Good point, I use oxine water. This has got me thinking.

 

[aprophet]

I have city water for drinking and cooking I have well water for the garden and the yard I have used both I do not see any difference, the well water is high in iron around here if I used it all the time it would stain the plastic pan in my styro bator ( HB)

 

[Ridgerunner]

Quote:
Tap water does not contain enough chlorine to be a problem. It also does not contain enough chlorine to disinfect anything. If the water treatment plant is managed properly, most of the chlorine has evaporated before it goes in the system. Not all water systems use chlorine anymore. Many still do but not all.

So, from a chlorine issue, it is not going to help or hurt to use tap water, if your water system even uses chlorine.

The hard water issue is something else. If you have hard water, using distilled water may be a real good choice, depending on your incubator. If you just pour water in wells it is probably not a big deal, but if you have tubing it flows through, that can get clogged up. In theory you can run vinegar through a coffee pot or soak a shower head in vinegar to clean the deposits, but I have had less than perfect success with those methods. I'd think prevention is better.

 

[aprophet]

I,m not sure what the problem here is with the water we get but when I turn a spigot on I can smell the chlorine the well water smells good the tap water much like chlorax LOL

 

[Ridgerunner]

Then I suggest you talk to your water works and ask them to check it. There are limits as to how high that chlorine level should go, EPA limits I think, and that limit is below what you should be able to smell. Again, going from memory that is not real great all the time, I think that limit is 5 parts per million. If they give you the run-around when you call (a real possiblity) try complaining to the state department that monitors environmental quality. Glitches happen, but some water works are just managed wrong.

 

[Elly_Mae]

Not sure about the bacteria part but I too have well water and while it tastes and looks just like bottled spring water it is very hard water.

The first time I used my incubator there was quite a bit of mineral deposits remaining. Since then all I ever use is distilled water.

If you have hard water, well or tap, distilled water is the way to go to extend the life of your incubator.

Although, I know nothing about reverse osmosis water, it may be just as good.

Personally, I would go with distilled.

 

[MuranoFarms]

Quote:
I agree with this! Well water could contain bacteria. You have absolutely no idea what kind of bacteria it may be, so why take the chance? I think a gallon of distilled water is around $1. I would definitely use it if you don't have a water treatment system....not just a filter.


ETA: most Home Depot's have a water company they work with. You can usually pick up a little container to bring back with a water sample in it and they analyze it for free. Of course they try to sell you a system...but you can just use the info to see what's actually in your water. Bacteria is funny though, it can be there some times and not others.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Good point on the testing. Depends on the state, but you can sometimes get well water tested by the state for little or nothing. Your county extension agent, in the phone book under county government, should be able to help with this.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

I use the same well water that we drink but I put half a teaspoon of plain laundry bleach in each gallon.

I wash and sanitize the eggs before setting them as well.