pH of tank located in basement, in winter running a wood stove?

[Reefin' Alaska]

Last winter here was very mild. We only really had a handful of days below zero, and only ran the wood stove a handful of times. Didn't really see much effect as little as we used it. I saw 7.94 on my Apex was the lowest it got.

This winter has been a more typical winter. We are running a wood stove 24 hours a day, usually 4-5 days a week. My pH this winter is diving into the low end of 7.7 at night on my Apex, and bounces off 7.6-7.7 on my Hanna tester. 7.8 during the day. This is in a basement, so fresh air thru a wall really isn't an option, neither is opening a window. There are 2 furnaces in the house, but the furnace downstairs doesn't run because of the wood stove. Nest app shows it ran a total of 4 1/2 hours the last 21 days - so there is not a lot of fresh air exchange.

Would a C02 scrubber help me in this situation? Is that the most practical solution? I'm not entirely sure of the effect the wood stove even has here? But it's the only thing I can come up with.

 

[OctaviusBrine]

A co2 scrubber will definitely help but it does get spendy with how often you have to replace media. I have a recirculating unit on my tank to try and help it last longer. Best case I get maybe two weeks out of it. Problem I have is I cannot get it in bulk it’s a lot cheaper that way. I have to resort in 3 pound bags.

 

[OctaviusBrine]

I just noticed you live up here too shipping sucks it really limits us.

 

[Reefin' Alaska]

I just noticed you live up here too shipping sucks it really limits us.

Yeah, it's brutal sometimes.

We are at mile 110ish of the Parks. Moved up here when I started working up north.

 

[OctaviusBrine]

I was in fairbanks when we first moved up here for a year. That’s all I could handle. We moved to Palmer 6 years ago. I thought shipping to me was bad it’s gotta be even worse for you.

Anyway to help answer your question the scrubber is great I hit 8.4-8.45 easily. If you have Amazon prime and don’t mind waiting to get the media that’s were I get it from. It takes atleast a week or so to get it. I recently installed a kalk stirrer and have been able to keep my swing between 8.4ish to 8.26 for an average of 8.3 so I’m pretty happy with that. Running it only at night I still dose a little two part to maintain.

 

[bobnicaragua]

If your demand for calcium and alkalinity are high enough, dosing kalk will give you a ph boost.

 

[Reefin' Alaska]

If your demand for calcium and alkalinity are high enough, dosing kalk will give you a ph boost.

Not yet. I dose small amounts of 2 part, but I really can probably maintain serviceable levels just with water changes. Not quite there yet.

 

[jda]

Before you do anything, test and check that pH probe. They are notoriously inaccurate and can drift.

Turn the fan for the furnace on and let it move the basement air to the rest of the home. If you don't have any windows, then this is the best way to move around air. Even a 12" square window can move in a LOT of fresh are in a few minutes.

Unless the wood stove is not sealed well and lets a lot of co2 and other gasses into the basement, the co2 from the humans will have more of an impact.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The wood stove itself is not a source of CO2 or a cause of low pH (unless the room fills with smoke lol), but the basement may otherwise have poor air flow and people, pets and any sort of unvented gas appliances will add CO2.

 

[A_Blind_Reefer]

The wood stove itself is not a source of CO2 or a cause of low pH (unless the room fills with smoke lol), but the basement may otherwise have poor air flow and people, pets and any sort of unvented gas appliances will add CO2.

I’m astonished that you didn’t recommend boost ph+ as it raises ph without raising Alk! Hahaha

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I’m astonished that you didn’t recommend boost ph+ as it raises ph without raising Alk! Hahaha

lol, there is always that option!

 

[Reefin' Alaska]

Before you do anything, test and check that pH probe. They are notoriously inaccurate and can drift.

Turn the fan for the furnace on and let it move the basement air to the rest of the home. If you don't have any windows, then this is the best way to move around air. Even a 12" square window can move in a LOT of fresh are in a few minutes.

Unless the wood stove is not sealed well and lets a lot of co2 and other gasses into the basement, the co2 from the humans will have more of an impact.

I've calibrated both as of Tuesday.

 

[Reefin' Alaska]

The wood stove itself is not a source of CO2 or a cause of low pH (unless the room fills with smoke lol), but the basement may otherwise have poor air flow and people, pets and any sort of unvented gas appliances will add CO2.

The initial start does put small amount of smoke into the room. You can smell it, but it's not substantial by any means. Once it warms up and the air starts flowing up the stack instead of circulating in the stove itself, there is no smoke ever.

There is no air flow or outside exchange in the winter. I have a purifier downstairs and that's what moves air. The furnace does not turn on downstairs when the stove is burning. That was why I was considering a C02 scrubber.

 

[bobnicaragua]

Why not crack a window or two upstairs? I have a co2 meter mounted on the wall next to the tank and keep an eye on the co2 levels in the house. Cracking a couple windows has really made a difference.

JDA had a great thread on this recently.

 

[Reefin' Alaska]

Why not crack a window or two upstairs? I have a co2 meter mounted on the wall next to the tank and keep an eye on the co2 levels in the house. Cracking a couple windows has really made a difference.

JDA had a great thread on this recently.

As I said in my OP, it's winter, in Alaska.

It was -17 3 days ago. The "high" was -10 for a 6 day stretch that started the middle of last week.

 

[bobnicaragua]

Because it was -17 3 days ago.

Good answer!

 

[Reefin' Alaska]

Good answer!

In the summer this is really not an issue. Windows are open 24/7.

Maybe it's just something I have to deal with 6 months a year. Lol.

 

[FUNGI]

Last winter here was very mild. We only really had a handful of days below zero, and only ran the wood stove a handful of times. Didn't really see much effect as little as we used it. I saw 7.94 on my Apex was the lowest it got.

This winter has been a more typical winter. We are running a wood stove 24 hours a day, usually 4-5 days a week. My pH this winter is diving into the low end of 7.7 at night on my Apex, and bounces off 7.6-7.7 on my Hanna tester. 7.8 during the day. This is in a basement, so fresh air thru a wall really isn't an option, neither is opening a window. There are 2 furnaces in the house, but the furnace downstairs doesn't run because of the wood stove. Nest app shows it ran a total of 4 1/2 hours the last 21 days - so there is not a lot of fresh air exchange.

Would a C02 scrubber help me in this situation? Is that the most practical solution? I'm not entirely sure of the effect the wood stove even has here? But it's the only thing I can come up with.

Run PVC pipe to furnace exhaust vent.....you can pull outside air from there into skimmer....sorry, I assume its a gas furnace, you have a skimmer and you wont be using the downstairs furnace, and its on its own exhaust......just a thought....

 

[FUNGI]

alot of assumptions LOL

 

[FUNGI]

or...Many homes have what is called “makeup air” this is always on the intake side of a furnace and is usually a small duct 4” or less connected to outside air in some way some pull from the attic so the air is not so cold.