4 Reservoirs… 1 Chiller

[budleydoright]

My water tanks get well into the 80s in the summer. I just can't bring myself to run warm water over my plants. The root zone is normally cooler than the air. I didn't do it for 2 years and now I do so I know it isn't absolutely necessary but neither is a perfect environment with 3X the environments level of co2. I strive to run that as well.

 

[ttystikk]

Consider yourself lucky. This not a myth it is chemistry. I'll try to dig up my conversation with a chemical engineer regarding this. He explained exactly what happens and why.

And while I do agree about the condensate water I will tell you I had condensate become toxic for some reason. I'm guessing it etched something off the evaporator that caused my ph to drop to sub 4 at times.

So how you been still verticle?

Straight up!

 

[TWS]

idc what anyone says they may not be 100% needed at 75 but over 75 and you definitely want a chiller to keep the water oxygenated and to keep the water as clearly from root issues as possible. you have a separate chiller for each res you have?

yes

 

[TWS]

I temp mine daily. No problems, even when water temps hit 78. The reason is that the water drains away and thus doesn't allow the pathogens to set in.

Don't aerate it, either. The plants don't see it for long enough to care so the only things you're benefiting are potential pathogens in the res.

I use the air so I don't have settlement.. ?

 

[ttystikk]

I use the air so I don't have settlement.. ?

Ahhh an airstone is a good way to keep the res circulating and prevent nutes from settling out... except that if you find modern hydroponic nutrients are settling, something is wrong.

 

[TWS]

yea I probably wouldn't have any using what I use. So Im gonna try and save some electricity and noise and turn off my chiller pumps and air. Hope nothing happens.

 

[ttystikk]

yea I probably wouldn't have any using what I use. So Im gonna try and save some electricity and noise and turn off my chiller pumps and air. Hope nothing happens.

On the bright side, now you could build a kick ass RDWC system with all that extra gear laying around!

 

[TWS]

LOL. that's basically why I bought all that stuff. Im liking the Ebb and grow though. Pretty much hands free.

 

[Aeroknow]

I run strictly flood and drain and have never needed a chiller. Like @ttystikk said, find a different real problem and fix that instead.

I've never either. I do usually have small circulation pump going in my rezys. But even that is not a must.
But never have I used a chiller in flood and drain.

 

[two2brains]

I ran a dyi chiller with 3 different areo rez's with a small cooler as the chillers rez and a really small pump that would fit in the palm of your hand feeding three stainless worts in the aero rez's.

You can prevent so many problems in aero and and dwc/rdwc etc with water temps around 60-65. I agree that with flood drain you shouldnt need it as long as the roots are gettng plenty of air by fan. If your using plastic pots i would drill alot of small holes in them but smart pots are made for flood drain imo for best results.

 

[Aeroknow]

I ran a dyi chiller with 3 different areo rez's with a small cooler as the chillers rez and a really small pump that would fit in the palm of your hand feeding three stainless worts in the aero rez's.

You can prevent so many problems in aero and and dwc/rdwc etc with water temps around 60-65. I agree that with flood drain you shouldnt need it as long as the roots are gettng plenty of air by fan. If your using plastic pots i would drill alot of small holes in them but smart pots are made for flood drain imo for best results.

I absolutely woudn't fire back up my tubes or run a dwc without rez chillers

 

[DOMSWOOZ]

LOL. that's basically why I bought all that stuff. Im liking the Ebb and grow though. Pretty much hands free.

I would agree on the hands free not to steal thunder or anything but check my grow might give you an idea I've been running that way for a long while now, cheers

 

[jronnn]

Oh yea it will work. Be hard to get them all the same temp running in series like that though. Might be better to run a manifold with a separate cooling line going to each reservoir so they each get cooling water at the same temp.

Copper is great with fresh water, it's the mineral salts that react and create a toxic soup in your Rez.

yessir already thought of that and thats the new plan is the manifold. so you used the stainless steel before? still works good?

 

[jronnn]

MYTHBUSTER TO THE RESCUE!

I've been running copper heat exchange coils in my RDWC control buckets for YEARS, no problems.

If plant roots touch the copper they die, so don't put copper lines in buckets WITH the plants. Other than that, it's fine.

Another myth; condensate water is bad for plants. BULLSHIT- at 0.0 EC, condensate water is as soft as it gets. Just don't let it sit around too long or it will grow a funk. A few drops of bleach per 5 gallons will keep it clean if you need to let it sit for more than a day or two.

so you do the same thing I'm talking about but with rdwc? also can you explain what you mean with the condensate water part? i don't even know what that is. are you saying airstones aren't needed?

 

[jronnn]

I ran a dyi chiller with 3 different areo rez's with a small cooler as the chillers rez and a really small pump that would fit in the palm of your hand feeding three stainless worts in the aero rez's.

You can prevent so many problems in aero and and dwc/rdwc etc with water temps around 60-65. I agree that with flood drain you shouldnt need it as long as the roots are gettng plenty of air by fan. If your using plastic pots i would drill alot of small holes in them but smart pots are made for flood drain imo for best results.

so you basically did the same thing I'm talking about and it worked?

 

[jronnn]

I run strictly flood and drain and have never needed a chiller. Like @ttystikk said, find a different real problem and fix that instead.

im not doing it unless i need it obviously i just want a plan ready for when the time comes and i feel like i need it

 

[two2brains]

so you basically did the same thing I'm talking about and it worked?

Yes worked good. You dont need a big pump either as long as the water is flowing.

 

[jronnn]

Yes worked good. You dont need a big pump either as long as the water is flowing.

thanks for your response dude

 

[ttystikk]

so you do the same thing I'm talking about but with rdwc? also can you explain what you mean with the condensate water part? i don't even know what that is. are you saying airstones aren't needed?

Yes. All the water flows through my control bucket where the pump is. Sitting in that bucket with the pump is a coil of 1/2" od copper HVAC line, with cold water from my chiller running through it. The pump draws water from that control bucket and pushes it down a manifold that sends water to each tubsite. Since it drains from above the waterline, it's caked waterfall aeration. If the line dumps water directly into the plant's netpot, that's called topfeed.

The very best thing to do with all those airstones, lines and pumps? Craigslist...

 

[redi jedi]

Condensate is water vapour that has condensed to a liquid

 

[Alaric]

1 - 1/2HP water chiller
2 - water pumps
1 - 75 gallon tote for chiller & water pumps
4 - 50 gallon totes for flood and drain tables
4 - copper immersion wort chillers (25’ of coiled copper, 1 in each 50gal tote)

hey guys, heres the plan… I’m going to have a 1/2 HP water chiller with its own reservoir&pump that is recirculating 24/7 so the 75gal tote is always cold as fuck… then i am going to have another pump in the chillers reservoir thats connected to the 4 copper coils (1 in each 50 gallon res) through hose so the cold water runs through each coil/res and then once it flows to the last coil/res it just gets pushed back to the chillers res and then recirculated over and over again…

but my question is, how powerful of a pump should i use to run through the (approx.) 110ft of tubing/hose? I’m not sure if i should keep a high pressure flow of water going through the coils or a low pressure, any thoughts? and also, what would be the best material for a coil.. stainless steel or copper? thanks for any advice!!


heres the immersion wort chiller copper coils I’m talking about in the link below...

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/immersion-wort-chiller-w-garden-hose-fittings.html

Suggestions:

1) Get those heat generating pumps out of the liquid you're cooling----inline pumps.

2) Eliminate medium, except for starting seed-----instead use mechanical plant support / trellis.

Question:

Ever used the same nute mix for veg and flower (after around 18" tall)?

A~~~

 

[jronnn]

Suggestions:

1) Get those heat generating pumps out of the liquid you're cooling----inline pumps.

2) Eliminate medium, except for starting seed-----instead use mechanical plant support / trellis.

Question:

Ever used the same nute mix for veg and flower (after around 18" tall)?

A~~~

id have to look into the inline pumps i never seen those, i suspect they stay out of the water and have a hose in the water that sucks the water through it and sends it through the coils? also, could you explain what you mean my #2? and no i haven't but i plan on it with maxi bloom from clone to harvest, why do you ask?

 

[Alaric]

id have to look into the inline pumps i never seen those, i suspect they stay out of the water and have a hose in the water that sucks the water through it and sends it through the coils? also, could you explain what you mean my #2? and no i haven't but i plan on it with maxi bloom from clone to harvest, why do you ask?

I run an Iwaki pump model MD 40 inline for my chiller. See link below.

http://www.iwakipumps.jp/en/products/magnetic/135/md

Reason for my question #2-----If your assumption is the feed schedule of different stages of growth is absolutely required----IMO, NO.

So I ran this experiment-----link below.

https://www.rollitup.org/t/same-rez-experiment-for.861439/

A~~~