pHairway - FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is pHairway?

A. pHairway water treatment amendment when used as a turf grass management tool, lowers irrigation water alkalinity and improves water penetration of the soil. Water treatment with pHairway improves overall water quality and releases nutrients tied up by high pH soils.

pHairway is MCDS (Monocarbamide dihydrogen sulfate) with anticorrosion inhibitors and other proprietary adjuvants added. pHairway is a safe, non-regulated, non-hazardous material, and is the only water treatment amendment that is guaranteed for use in golf course irrigation systems. pHairway’s unique chemistry consists of an acid group and a base group held together by an oxygen molecule.

Q. How does pHairway work?

A. The injection of pHairway into an irrigation water stream starts a complex series of reactions. The first reaction is with the contained minerals in the water source, such as bicarbonates. The second reaction occurs in the soil, where the pHairway treated water is applied.

Q. What does pHairway do in the water?

A. As pHairway is diluted during injection, the contained acidity reacts with the minerals in the water, primarily bicarbonates. It is important to understand that of all the mineral constituents (dissolved salts) and bicarbonates are usually the most important water quality management issue in terms of their potential for damaging irrigation equipment, damaging the soil structure and damaging the plants being watered. This damage occurs because bicarbonates react with other contained minerals, especially calcium, to form insoluble salts, specifically CaCO₃ (limestone). Problems associated with high bicarbonate water are:

It causes a white precipitate to form on irrigation equipment, which can lead to corrosion and plugging.
This white precipitate leaves a white residue on plants and structures (fences, buildings, etc.)

Some of the active ingredients in pHairway reacts with the bicarbonates in the water and produces carbon dioxide and water. This reaction reduces the potential for forming lime deposits. In place of the bicarbonates and CaCO₃, the water becomes a diluted solution of calcium sulfate or gypsum, which is a well-known soil amendment.

The chemical reaction by which pHairway reduces bicarbonates in irrigation water is as follows:

CO(NH₂)₂ • H₂SO₄+	2HCO_3-	→	CO(NH₂)₂ +	SO₄^-2 +	2CO₂ +	2H₂O
pHairway (MCDS)	bicarbonate ion		urea	sulfate ion	carbon dioxide	water

Q. What does pHairway do in the soil?

A. As the pHairway treated water reaches the soil, several additional reactions take place. The diluted solution of calcium sulfate (gypsum) will increase the soil’s aggregation. This happens when soluble calcium reacts with soil particle surfaces, causing them to release unwanted salts such as sodium, while acting as a chemical adhesive to build soil structure. This produces several related benefits:

Sodium is associated with alkalinity or high pH. Alkalinity is undesirable because it causes many of the necessary soil contained nutrient minerals to be unavailable for plant uptake and use.
Sodium causes soil particles to breakdown. This physical breakdown of the soil structure prevents water penetration and proper aeration. The results are the plant roots do not get enough water or enough oxygen, and the accumulated salts do not get leached down and out of the root zone.
At the same time, much of the applied water runs off because it cannot penetrate the soil. The addition of pHairway can solve these problems by providing soluble calcium to reform or maintain the soil structure for good water penetration and aeration, while removing the sodium and the associated alkalinity and excess salts.

Additional ingredients in pHairway act as a timed-release source of acidity. The availability of this acidity is dependent upon the rate of biological processes in the soil. The release of the "in place" acidity is important in inhibiting the formation of alkali layers below the soil surface, and maintaining readily available mineral nutrients. Ultimately, all of the contained ingredients in pHairway are utilized as plant nutrients.

Q. How do I know if I need to use pHairway?

A. The best way to determine if you need to use pHairway is to do a water test. By looking at the water pH and the parts per million (ppm) of bicarbonates, you can determine if a pHairway injection system could be a beneficial tool for your turf management.

Q. What is pH and why is my water pH important?

A. Under the Bronsted-Lowry definition, both acids and bases are related to the concentration of hydrogen ions present. Acids increase the concentration of hydrogen ions, while bases decrease the concentration of hydrogen ions (by accepting them). The acidity or basicity of something therefore can be measured by its hydrogen ion concentration known as pH.

Many water supplies have high pH levels. Continuous application of this water will tend to raise the pH of many soils. By adding pHairway to the irrigated water, the pH of “hard water” can be lowered thus reducing the possibility of the soil pH drifting upwards. pHairway treated irrigation water breaks down calcium bicarbonate, the primary cause of alkalinity.

Q. What are bicarbonates and how do they affect my water?

A. Bicarbonates are an HCO₃^- ion that attracts calcium ions forming a Ca(HCO₃) ₂ molecule. Large amounts of bicarbonate ions in irrigation water will precipitate calcium. When the high bicarbonate irrigation water reaches the soil, the calcium can be removed from the soil particle. Sodium can then take the calcium’s place at a rate of two sodium ions to every one calcium ion. In this way a calcium-dominant soil can become a sodium-dominant soil by the use of high bicarbonate irrigation water.

Q. How much pHairway do I need to use to amend my irrigation water?

A. Once you get the results of the water test, you will know the pH of your water. If you are pumping irrigation water from several different sources, it is recommended that you test the water from each source. The Demand Curve for Irrigation Water Chart shown below, gives an approximate rate of pHairway need to adjust the pH of the water.

By reducing the pH of the irrigation water to approximately 6.5, an estimated 50% to 65% of the bicarbonates will be neutralized (see the chemical reaction equation above).

Q. How can I get a pHairway sales specialist to do a needs assessment to determine if pHairway is right for my irrigation and turf management situation?

A. Click here for a list of retailers.

Q. My question regarding pHairway was not answered here, where can I get more information?

A. Click here to contact us. You will receive a prompt response. Thank you.