I had a bad problem and thought I could save everyone the headaches. Purchased some new 5 gallon buckets from Lowes. Cleaned them out good and wiped them out with peroxide. I mixed up a batch of nukes like a hundred times before. Water is RO 0 ppms.Turned my bubbles on to mix it. Shut the bubbles off to check the ppms and ph. Ph was 6.5 the ppms were 2040. Make a long story .The 0 ppm water shot up to 550 after I put it in the clean buckets. I have 8 of them and they all do the same thing. I check the water coming out of the RO and it 0 ppm. 6.0ph. I’ve used Lowes 5 gallon buckets for 15 years and never had this issue. The only thing I can figure is the peroxide I used to wipe the buckets out with did something to the plastic. I’ve used peroxide for years to clean with.
I bet it’s the sanitizer they use before putting out for the public. Call them and ask what they are using. Most retail places have a plan in place for such a thing these days.
You have to make sure you get FOOD GRADE or the leaching raises the TDS. It is a profit / greed thing. The buckets USED to all be food grade but now that is a separate entity
So glad this thread occurred. I was just talking to my hubs about the need for some buckets. I’ll just go hit up some restaurants, I guess.
@Charles yeah man @Mrb53004 is spot on. Quality has gone way down over the years and now if you want something that used to be a quality standard you’re going to have to pay unreasonable prices.
The regular cheapo buckets at my home depot are only $5 each. The food grade ones with lids are like $30 each. It’s definitely a far cry from the cost to quality we used to get a decade or two ago.
Now they have something called “FOOD SAFE”. I am not sure if that means there is no leaching but here is a link for 3 at $16
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Leaktite-5-Gal-Blue-Bucket-Pack-of-3-209334/203924937?MERCH=REC--pipsem--300197644--203924937--N
Blue…so you do not have the transparency that can cause excessive algae growth
Its definitely a down grade. I’ve bought my buckets there at the same store for 10 years. They have the food grade but they are white. I like the black or blue buckets because of the algae.
@Charles buy the white food grade ones and then paint them black or wrap them in some blackout fabric. Problem solved.
@Charles i’ve emptied buckets to checked root growth after every grow for all but 14 years of my life and i’ve never seen algae in even one
80 Watts
You are only 14? Are you even allowed to be on this site? 
@kmac03 14 years old? 
read again cuz i’m 67 and i read this post wrong when i replied they were speaking Nute Buckets not soil buckets
I’m really awful at jokes. 
That is a good idea, if they’ll give it to you. Those things are expensive. I’m gonna check at a local restaurant supply store.
Yeah, my hubs (who used to be a cook) said that buckets are a hot commodity in the restaurant biz and I probably wouldn’t score any. Thing is, unless I ask, the answer will still be no, so it doesn’t hurt to try. I’m stubborn. 
I would love to hear about your non-profit one day. 
You may regret that lol. I’ll have to email my phone # ; we can chat all this typing ugh