DWC res water to hot

[Flagg420]

The only reason I suggest "get a chiller" is that I spent months dicking around with dyi methods and warm res's. My plants didn't like. Got a chiller for both veg and flower rooms and the plants took off. Thick white roots and lush growth. It could be all the other things I do as well, O2, nutes , etc. it worked well for me, and I wasted time and $$$ on other solutions.

That a chiller for each, or is one large chiller able to be used for both?

Basically, Im asking is the chiller pumping nute solution directly, or is is water being sent thru a wort chiller type submerged radiator?

My temps are hitting the 80 range, and I am planning to extend the RDWC from a 4 pot to a 6 pot in veg, and 8 for flower. (8gal totes, bout 5gal each) [actual cch2o current culture UC4, won it in a raffle from local grow show]

 

[Organic Miner]

That a chiller for each, or is one large chiller able to be used for both?

Basically, Im asking is the chiller pumping nute solution directly, or is is water being sent thru a wort chiller type submerged radiator?

My temps are hitting the 80 range, and I am planning to extend the RDWC from a 4 pot to a 6 pot in veg, and 8 for flower. (8gal totes, bout 5gal each) [actual cch2o current culture UC4, won it in a raffle from local grow show]

I had 2 separate systems: 1 for veg, 1 for flower. The chiller set next to the resivour and had the system water/nutes continually pumped through it. I had a valve to adjust the amount of feedback flow through the chiller. Was able to keep a 16 5gal bucket system at a constant 68 degrees! Of course all of the buckets were covered with flexible insulation.

If I can find some photos I will upload. I think they may have gotten lost in my move.

 

[JSB99]

An inexpensive solution is to use a fan to blow across the surface of your reservoir water. This is "evaporative cooling". It can drop temps 5 to 10 degrees. Mine drops from 80 to 70 doing this.

 

[JSB99]

Personally, I find that my water temps stay about 2-3 degrees below the room temp....so if you lower your room temp to 75 degrees, your res temps should go down accordingly. Then invest in some Hydroguard, it is a preventative root inoculant, and in my own experience, blows h202 treatments and "sterilizing the root zone of all bacteria" out of the water, as well as creating massive root growth. It can be simple as you would like, but you have to create the right conditions....
P.S. - A fan blowing on your rez can help a couple degrees, as well as another fan blowing on your air pump...I keep a mounted fan blowing on my air pump 24/7 because it is a 110L/Min pump and on warm days can get very hot. Happy growing bud, do not get discouraged.....

I've got my 4", 190cfm tent exhaust fan blowing directly on my commercial air pump, and the pump stays cool to the touch. This translates into lower temperature air going to your air stones, and into the water.


Fan blowing across the surface of the reservoir water drops my temps from 80 to 70, even on warmer days. It evaporates the water, so it needs to be topped off a little more often, but it's worth it.

 

[Jypsy Dog]

Use a cooler. Throw ice packs in and make a floating lid from sheet styrofoam.

 

[Niblixdark]

My old setup was a res chilled by A.C. air vent. Isolated in a room within a room 64 to 70F varying.. afterwards I used a pelt cooler heatsync... finally I just use a chiller now.

 

[Flagg420]

Just insulated my RDWC tubs last week.....

Dropped my temps by nearly 5 degrees (f)

With proper bennies I may be able to avoid a chiller for the veg room

 

[Stltoed]

Just insulated my RDWC tubs last week.....

Dropped my temps by nearly 5 degrees (f)

With proper bennies I may be able to avoid a chiller for the veg room

What did you use for insulation?

 

[Flagg420]

just went to lowes n bought a roll of attic insulation for now, was cheap m simple to cut n stuff in place.

 

[Stltoed]

I bought a couple of Thermarest sleeping pads and cut them up to fit my tubs. My tubs are hexagonal and have steps in the sides, so at the lower levels theres more than one ply. I have it all cut up, but havent put it together yet... got busy growing and never got around to it. Gonna stick it together with Aluminum tape. I was just curious how you did it. Sounds like it worked out.

 

[William1976]

I have a 6 bucket DWC in the 1st week of growth. 5 gallon buckets with 4 gallons of water each. 5x5 grow tent, two 600w HID with air cooled hoods, 6 inch fan, charcoal can filter. From the beginning I felt i was going to have a problem with rez temperatures being to high. That is what is happening. Room temp 80, rez temp 77. this looks like a perfect eviroment for algae, root rot, etc etc. The whole idea of going DWC was so that I would not have to pump water. Looked real simple for my first aqua grow. Using frozen water bottles might work but i am not prepared to change out ice bottles 2-3 times a day. What happens when using ice bottles later in the grow when the bucket is full of roots. Ice bottles touching the roots can't be a good thing, major shock and stress i would think. This was supposed to be simple. Everything is working just like advertised but no one really mentions that the water temp would be to high. i can't see in ANY DWC (not rdwc) that water temp would not be a problem. Water chiller doesn't seem to be an option as they are expensive and i would need 6 of them. I have tried running the air lines thru a cooler full of ice hoping that running cold air thru the air stones might help but it only dropped by one degree. What other options do i have?
Smokey57

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I put my plants in a orange water cooler, like water dispensing cooler at ball game. I don't. use buckets. Then a couple times a week I throw a scoop of ice in there as needed when I top off. Keeps it cool. And no, it don't hurt roots. Just wet the
ice so it don't stick to roots initially.