The Quest for a Better Aero!

[Atomizer]

Nozzles with twice the flowrate will give you less control over the mist and are likely to produce larger droplets. You have the option of using a longer pulse with lower flowrate nozzles.

Running at 70psi / 80psi gives you 2 gals from a 19gal tank. 60psi / 80psi will be 4gal and 80psi / 100psi will be 3.3 gal. You should set the air precharge 2psi below the pump cut-in so the tank never quite runs out of water before the pump fires up.
You may struggle to find a pressure switch that can adjust down far enough to give you a 10psi differential, the minimum is usually around 20psi.

 

[tree farmer]

I decided to take a peek at the manual for the accumulator, and saw that I was charging it too high. I dropped it to 40psi, and it took up 5 gallons, but wouldn't get over 60 psi. Looks like a new pump is in my future.

I'm shooting for 60/80 psi cut in/out, thought that might not be enough for the biocontrol nozzles, I have not yet purchased nozzles for this reason. Would the .025 orifice work better for this psi? The .025 has double the flow rate, but same psi requirement as the .016 (80-100 psi)

Could I set a pressure switch to do 70/80 cut out/in?

i have used both bio nozzles and they have both performed about the same as far as root development. As atomozer said the lower flow ones give better control but niether the low flow or ultra low flow with perform well below 80psi. they really need to be fired in the 80-100psi range. in this range they see most of the firing in psi ranges higher than 80. ive been able to adjust my regular sqaure d type PS to operate at 85-100psi which worked well with the nozzles. one thing about the bio nozzles just to let you know is that id say at least 1 out of 10 nozzles will not spray worth a shit. they are made out of plastic and sometimes the impingment pin is not aligned right and the nozzle just delivers more of a spray than a mist. just something i learned to suck up but was not real happy with. but the 9 out of 10 work well its just that one every now and then that doesnt. i suppose you could ask for a exchange but i never did.

 

[Mike Young]

My tank says "tested to 100 psi." I know it would be alot better if it said 200, but is there any risk in running it at 100? I wouldn't think the tank would burst. It looks to be about the same gauge as a propane tank. Bladder might not hold up so well. Thoughts?

I was hoping that my pump would get some extra psi's bypassing the switch, but did nothing more than the 60 psi/4.1 bar printed on the label.

Somehow I knew I was going to have to buy another pump. Seems like the 6800 is the way to go. I paid more for my sureflo.

ISE is taking their sweet time getting me my timer. I placed my order over 2 weeks ago, and it still shows "in progress" on their website. Anybody else have problems with them?

I have not been working on this as much as I'd like, but I WILL have a working system before too long. Oh, are you guys 100% no brass in your systems, and does the check valve before the shitty brass component actually work?

Thanks!

Edit: Just purchased 6 misters/fittings & aquatec pump. Really hope my tank will work out. I can return it, but I really liked the $149 pricetag.

 

[Atomizer]

I have 6 brass stop end fittings in the chamber, needs must when you buy nozzles with weird thread types and have to fabricate your own adapters I have a check valve located between the pump and the pressure switch, its not 100% necessary but i had one so in it went.
The valves in the pic are adv`s.. if they didn`t work i wouldn`t have installed them

 

[Mike Young]

How about your thoughts on the tank? My way of thinking is if flotec tested it to 100 psi, they aren't telling me not to do it. And does that mean they pumped 100 lbs of air into it, or 78 lbs of air & 100 in the bladder?

 

[Atomizer]

Tanks usually state the "maximum safe working pressure" but are pressure tested to 150-200% of that figure. To be safe i would contact Flotec and find out what the definition "tested to 100psi" actually is.

 

[Mike Young]

Pump & misters came in yesterday, and I got my first taste of 100 psi mist! to be honest, I'm not sure I like the way the misters perform. I tried several, and all the same. Mist seems pretty high velocity close to the mister, and they piss drops. TF/atomizer, anybody? I tested these http://www.sprinklerwarehouse.com/DIG-Drip-Irrigation-Fogger-p/07-044.htm that I had (home depot) and they produced what looked like a much more controlled pattern, with no dripping. They are only rated for 50-80 psi, but I will let them run for awhile to see how they hold up. They didn't cover as large an area, but I'd say the droplets were better.

Is it that bio nozzles can get away with a larger orifice, that you use them (TF), (less clogging)? I can pick up 5 of these nozzles for $5, and they are 10 minutes away. The tip screws off, so I could change one out in about 5 seconds. I didn't know if tape was to be used on the threads of the bio nozzles, and broke one right out of the gate trying to tape it. Screwed them in without tape, and hey seemed to work.

Timer is the only missing piece from the puzzle. They said they will ship it to me Friday!

I am amazed at how the aquatec pump runs. Low RPM, never even got warm. Love it!

Thanks!

 

[Atomizer]

Hi Mike
Are you sure you have 100psi? The aquatec`s are usually factory preset at 80psi so you may need to crank it up a little. 80psi is the minimum recommended pressure for the bio nozzles.
The pump could get slightly warm...after its been running for an hour at maximum pressure

 

[PetFlora]

The mist head assemblies I buy from Reptile Basics include the fitting, articulating arm and mist head. They are available in single double and quad heads for greater coverage and positioning.They fit the high pressure tubing also supplied by RB. Inexpensive, easy to install and flexible. hth

 

[Mike Young]

I cranked the pump up first thing. I do need to get a liquid filled gauge though. I dunno if I got a bad batch of nozzles from them or what. It just seemed like too much stray (larger) droplets, and some steady dripping.

I only tried 3 of them. Maybe I'll try again today. I'm pretty happy reguardless. I am so close I can taste it. Thanks alot everybody for the help. I couldn't have done it without you!

 

[Atomizer]

Did you test them using the accumulator and solenoid or just by hooking the pump up to them directly? The former will give completely different results to the latter.

 

[Mike Young]

I tested with only the acc yesterday. Today, I piped up the solenoids minus timer and did a side by side comparison. Unfortunately, I might have ruined one of my solenoids (reversed the polarity): It worked the first couple of times, then developed a delay, now barely works at all.

The bio nozzles made everything really wet quick, and it didn't take long for things to full sized "drops" to form. The dig nozzle made a really nice mist that when I stuck my hand under, the tiny hairs on the back of my hand looked like I want my roots to look. Swollen with tiny droplets. The bio, made my hand mostly wet, but had some tiny droplets on the hairs as well, but not as much. I'll try to get a decent video, or at least a macro pic of the mist that forms on my hand hair from either nozzle. Camera batteries need to charge.

 

[Mike Young]

Here's a short clip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8caNflZit4

I really wanna take a macro pic so you can actually see what I'm talking about...

Edit: The first is the dig nozzle, second is the bio.

 

[MediMary]

sick thread buddy

 

[tree farmer]

the bio nozzles are not 360 degree nozzles. i believe they are 120 degree so they spray more out to one side. if you have it facing something that this spray hits it will form drops and drip off whatever its hitting.(the side of the container lid etc.) any nozzle will make your hand feel wet if held under it for longer than a second unless the droplet size is really small like ultrsonic and these small of droplets IMO wont do any good. you have to be very careful with the bio nozzles as they are fragile. dont bend the impingment pin or slip with the wrench while installing them as they can easily be distorted. and like i said you do sometimes get one that wont mist worth a shit. they need to be fired in completly open space. i dont use teflon tape on them but after a week or so you will have to retighten them as they will loosen slowly. i had a video of the bios firing but dont know if i can locate it but ill have a look.

the coil slips right off those selonoids if you fried it some how and replaces in less than a minute by just turning the top nut off. dont overtighten this nut as it can ruin the selonoid they should be just hand tightened then a 1/4 turn or so with a wrench no tighter.

 

[tree farmer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Od9xn2munwo&feature=player_embedded

 

[Mike Young]

the bio nozzles are not 360 degree nozzles. i believe they are 120 degree so they spray more out to one side. if you have it facing something that this spray hits it will form drops and drip off whatever its hitting.(the side of the container lid etc.) any nozzle will make your hand feel wet if held under it for longer than a second unless the droplet size is really small like ultrsonic and these small of droplets IMO wont do any good. you have to be very careful with the bio nozzles as they are fragile. dont bend the impingment pin or slip with the wrench while installing them as they can easily be distorted. and like i said you do sometimes get one that wont mist worth a shit. they need to be fired in completly open space. i dont use teflon tape on them but after a week or so you will have to retighten them as they will loosen slowly. i had a video of the bios firing but dont know if i can locate it but ill have a look.

the coil slips right off those selonoids if you fried it some how and replaces in less than a minute by just turning the top nut off. dont overtighten this nut as it can ruin the selonoid they should be just hand tightened then a 1/4 turn or so with a wrench no tighter.

Ok, so that makes a ton of sense. I just pointed them, but they still drip straight down. I was testing them yesterday in a bucket, outside, and the same. They aren't leaking from the threads. My pressure gauge is not that great, but pumped the acc upto 78 psi with air, and the pump still puts about 4 gallons of water in the 19 gallon tank, so I think it can't be that far off. I may have just got a bad batch. I am seriously thinking about using the others though, out of ease.

Will the mist float upward to the top of the chamber, where the mist isn't directly involved? I was thinking I could start clones start to finish in these.

 

[Atomizer]

My pressure gauge is not that great, but pumped the acc upto 78 psi with air, and the pump still puts about 4 gallons of water in the 19 gallon tank, so I think it can't be that far off..

4 gallons would put the tank pressure at 78psi-102psi, 103psi tops.

 

[MediMary]

tree farmer + rep love you HP thread...I don't do aero but love reading and learning about hydroponic techniques.

u guys heard from bobby lately?

 

[tree farmer]

tree farmer + rep love you HP thread...I don't do aero but love reading and learning about hydroponic techniques.

u guys heard from bobby lately?

yea ive been wondering what happened to him also. hope he didnt get pinched