Coolest running pump for aeroponic setup? Need recommendations...

[gcvt420]

I have an aeroponic cloner and I am looking for recommendations for the coolest running pump available. The box is a 20 gallon tub holding ten gallons of water/nutes and is running 20 spray nozzles. The current pump is a 535 gph unit - aside from being total overkill for a system of this size, it's heating up the nutrient solution to over 85°F.

So, I'm looking for a very cool running appropriate sized pump with a 1/2" threaded output.

Anyone got any thoughts?

 

[Aleister93]

I would use a "swamp cooler" pump, also called an evaporative cooler. these are non-submersible pumps, mounted with the motor above water line. they add almost no heat to the water at all.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ADOBE-CP200B-12-AIR-EVAPORATOR-COOLER-PUMP-85751_W0QQitemZ200402927601QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2ea8f1fff1
that one is overpriced, imo. i routinely buy them at the hardware store locally for 20 bucks, sometimes on sale for ten.

 

[smppro]

EcoPlus 396, only like $25, will work for cloner veg and flower

 

[Ace Smoking]

EcoPlus 396 all the way. Buy a 2" slip joint and connect it with east to any 2" PVC pipe.

 

[gcvt420]

Thank you for the advice!!

Now for some stupid questions. It's hard to tell from the pics I pulled up...is this a threaded or barbed output I'm looking at? Are these pumps the ones that you can remove the entire output and it turns into a threaded female outlet? Just trying to figure out how to adapt this to my current PVC plumbing.

I've searched the websites of all my local stores and no one appears to stock EcoPlus pumps, so I'm stuck asking questions about them here since I can't go see one in person.

Lastly, using the RainDrip 360° sprayers on 1/2" PVC, is 396gph necessary for a container this small?

 

[smppro]

Heres a link
http://www.sunshinehydro.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=257_264_274&products_id=17000
You can remove the filter part and make it an inline filter, 1/2" thread in and out

Oh and as far as the misters go almost everyone says these are the best and wont clog like the others.
http://www.sunshinehydro.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=257_266_128&products_id=16996

 

[gcvt420]

Okay, I went and picked up an EcoPlus 396. The things I like about it are the threaded 1/2" outlet, foam filter, and the fact that it can be run inline.

However, my temps are still high at 75° - better than the 85-90° I had, but isn't that still ten degrees too high? Am I going to have to run this pump inline to get the temp down further?

 

[smppro]

You can get away with temps above 70 and for a cloner you can run higher to get faster roots

 

[gcvt420]

If you were in my shoes, what would you do? The lowest solution temp I've seen with the new pump is 73°. When you say I can 'get away with' slightly higher temps, would you do that or keep looking for cooling ideas? I rather enjoy little plumbing projects so I'm not against doing the work necessary to run the pump inline. I just wonder if the potential decrease in temps would be worth it - if I could get the temp down 5+ degrees I'll go for it. One or two degrees probably wouldn't be worth it. Being the gearhead that I am, I was thinking about plumbing the solution through a small motorcycle radiator with a PC fan stuck to the side. Hmm.

Also, these will be going from the 20g tub to a 33g tub for veg...same 1/2" PVC style plumbing, etc. Another 396 for that tub, or go bigger?

 

[dbo24242]

well 85F is way too ho0t. 73 isn't bad. I would cover the reservoirs with aluminum foil / foil tape to thermally insulate them, since they are probably dark in color this will help for maybe up to 8 or 10 degrees.

 

[smppro]

Im about to start a new aero setup and plant on my temps being around 75. I run an outdoor hydro tower with 20 different veggies, outside temps get around 95 water temps in the upper 80s, never had a problem.

 

[dbo24242]

Im about to start a new aero setup and plant on my temps being around 75. I run an outdoor hydro tower with 20 different veggies, outside temps get around 95 water temps in the upper 80s, never had a problem.

cool, aero may besuited for higher temps than DWC but I would imagine if you stuck the reservoirs in the ground it wouldn't be over 80 haha. That would be great but wouldn't want them flooding with rain water.

 

[smppro]

cool, aero may besuited for higher temps than DWC but I would imagine if you stuck the reservoirs in the ground it wouldn't be over 80 haha. That would be great but wouldn't want them flooding with rain water.

I imagine you'll be fine with a much smaller pump.

Absolutely, not having the roots sit in the water and having the water constantly moving will allow for higher temps in my experience. I have a 25 gallon res, once it gets cold here ill just pop a water heater in the water and wont even have to cover them when its cold.

 

[gcvt420]

well 85F is way too ho0t. 73 isn't bad. I would cover the reservoirs with aluminum foil / foil tape to thermally insulate them, since they are probably dark in color this will help for maybe up to 8 or 10 degrees.

If I did that, wouldn't that just serve to hold more heat in?

 

[Someguy15]

If I did that, wouldn't that just serve to hold more heat in?

Black absorbs = heat
Silver/White reflects = less heat

Insulating is not your goal, reflection is.

 

[gcvt420]

Black absorbs = heat
Silver/White reflects = less heat

Insulating is not your goal, reflection is.

But the source of the heat is the submersible pump...the heat source comes from within, in this case. If the source of heat was the light(s), I could understand the reflection idea. The problem here is that the heat generated by the pump is heating up the nutrient solution.

 

[kushRx]

the heat comes from your pump being on 24/7 when it only needs to be on for 1 on 5 off, i run all my aero units and cloner off of a CAP ART-DNe timer 70 bucks brand new. ive seen so much improvement after i got this thing, i think it is a must. i dont use any chillers.. and saves power

 

[Alaric]

I agree with Kushrx,

My clonners are run with a cyclestat ($100 us) 15 seconds on/15minutes off------keeps the heat within range.

Another thing to try if that's enough----ice probe chiller ($120).

A~

 

[fatman7574]

External pump! Use a soenoid and timer and a T fitting. When the solenoid open the water returns staright to the reservoir. When the solenoid is closed the water is pumped to the plants. The plants roots should just be moist not submerged in standing water. The easy way is to spray the top of the growing media with a nmist of water tha then flows over the media and roots in a thin film otf water. it is simply called thin film membrane. It is almost lke a full aero sytem. Much better than hydro or tube type aero. Just spray about 15 or 20 seconds every 10 or 20 minutes. Spray as little as possible. You just want the media and roots to stay moist. As londg as you have a nice open media will lots of open pore space for air then the roots will get all the oxygen they need regardless of the water temperature or DO level.

Use your search engine and look up trickle filter. Basically a thin film menbrane system is just a trickle filter with the plants roots growing in the filter pore spaces around the wetted media.