Kalkwasser

[rmorris2250]

Can Kalkwasser go bad? (BRS brand) I just started using it. I am currently mixing it in my ATO water, I have a 15 gal tank and no matter how light I mix it, the water never clears up. I have put a circulating pump in and still cloudy?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It can take a day or more of no stirring for insoluble particles or undissolved kalk to settle out.

 

[Luke Schnabel]

You want to mix your kalk as much as possible, then let it settle for 12-24 hours. You do not want to suck up the particulate that settles to the bottom. Since you are using an ATO system as the means of dosing, I suggest having your ATO pump off the reservoir bottom so it will not pull the settled kalk.

 

[rmorris2250]

You want to mix your kalk as much as possible, then let it settle for 12-24 hours. You do not want to suck up the particulate that settles to the bottom. Since you are using an ATO system as the means of dosing, I suggest having your ATO pump off the reservoir bottom so it will not pull the settled kalk.

Thank you, will do

 

[exnisstech]

When I used kalk I mixed it at full saturation. I never mixed it more than a few minutes and let it settle. It always has a lot of residue that settles to the bottom and never mixes what I would call clear. Some people just give it a quick stir and let it settle. I always make sure the tube pulling is suspended above the bottom so your not adding slurry.
This tank ran on nothing but kalk and WCs for 6 years. I was dosing 7200 ml of kalk daily which was just under my evap rate. I tried using the ATO but evaporation rates varied too much to keep it consistent.

 

[X-37B]

I mix in a 5g bucket, let settle over night, and fill my res the next morning.
Whan adding it will mix up the bottom and settle out in a few hours. Kalk runs 24/7 and I dump and clean the bottom every couple months.
Keep the intake a few inches off the bottom and your good.
This is a kalk res and not my ato.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Generally, mixing does not take long 10-15 minutes is usually plenty, then stop stirring.

More stirring is bad as it drives in CO2, depleting the kalk and making more precipitated calcium carbonate.