DWC System - I Need help please !

K

kmac9119

Member
Ive recently decided to go from soil to a DWC system. Im now having a problem , i kind of made a DWC , Ebb & Flow hybrid. I Dont have pictures right now , so ill do my best to explain my system. Its a 6 bucket system , with 1 res. (Nute bucket or whatever you wanna call it) . I have 2 sets of three buckets in a row (As the number 6 is on a set of dice). With the res at the end in the middle . I have 1/2 Flex tubing going In & Out of each bucket , in one side ... out the other just like the Ebb n flows but not with 2 1/2 Pvc .

Its kinda like this ....but without the return down the middle . Its just all connected to one another

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/5702/showgi.jpg


I figured i could just hook up the water pump to the fitting inside of the res bucket , and it would just pump the water and it would flow evenly.... i found out i was totally wrong. THe pump pumps into the first bucket and overflows before running into the next bucket , can someone PLEASE help me out , how can i fix this ? I like the idea of having a whole system , where i can check the PH and nute levels in one bucket , not 6 . But i dont want to go with the whole ebb n flow idea. Again , please help me with ANY ideas or anything...
 
m420p

m420p

Well-Known Member
kmac9119 said:
Ive recently decided to go from soil to a DWC system. Im now having a problem , i kind of made a DWC , Ebb & Flow hybrid. I Dont have pictures right now , so ill do my best to explain my system. Its a 6 bucket system , with 1 res. (Nute bucket or whatever you wanna call it) . I have 2 sets of three buckets in a row (As the number 6 is on a set of dice). With the res at the end in the middle . I have 1/2 Flex tubing going In & Out of each bucket , in one side ... out the other just like the Ebb n flows but not with 2 1/2 Pvc .

Its kinda like this ....but without the return down the middle . Its just all connected to one another

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/5702/showgi.jpg


I figured i could just hook up the water pump to the fitting inside of the res bucket , and it would just pump the water and it would flow evenly.... i found out i was totally wrong. THe pump pumps into the first bucket and overflows before running into the next bucket , can someone PLEASE help me out , how can i fix this ? I like the idea of having a whole system , where i can check the PH and nute levels in one bucket , not 6 . But i dont want to go with the whole ebb n flow idea. Again , please help me with ANY ideas or anything...
Click to expand...
I have a similar setup, try running the pump to each bucket by splitting the outlet hose of the water pump with T's and more hose, this should help in your situation. Another option is a smaller pump or use bigger tubing than 1/2 inch. Those are my thoughts.
 
K

kmac9119

Member
So your saying to drill another hole in the buckets and run the pump into those? Bad thing is i bought all the 1/2 Grommets and tubing :( . Was hoping to make this work with this tubing , as for the smaller pump .. this could work too.
An idea i had was to drill 1/4 holes at the top of the water level i want to keep in the buckets and run 1/4 air line (or 3/4 if need be) back to the res bucket? That way if it overflows , it will just run back to the res ??
 
R

Roobyracks

Member
Yeah, I bet your volume of gph into bucket is higher than can exit.
even though hoses are same size. The pumps force is being restricted
by the gap of bucket.
 
K

kmac9119

Member
No sir no dial , one speed :( . What about having a smaller input hose (From the pump) to the buckets? That way the output would be larger hose than the input from the pump?
 
K

kmac9119

Member
Or .... what about taking the hose that connects the pump the the res. bucket (on the inside) , and poking holes in it? Think this could be a way to sort of control how much gets pumped into the first bucket?
 
m420p

m420p

Well-Known Member
Actually I'm not sure running the pump to all the buckets will help, I'm pretty high so it's hard to think about shit like that, lol but I'm pretty sure it will just make it overflow slower.
Did your pump come with a fitting for the intake part of the pump where it has the nipple so you can connect a air hose to it so it will pump both air and water. You don't need a air pump it just uses the force of the pump to pull air into the flow of the water. This would displace some of the water and lower the gph of the pump. Get what I'm saying?
 
K

kmac9119

Member
M420 - Im not sure what your saying ? My pump didnt come with a nipple adapter :\ .


Rooby - What exactly is a hyrdoport ?
 
K

kmac9119

Member
Rooby , i just googled it and i kinda get what your saying . Never thought of a drip system , nor do i know how one works ... would you care to help me out and explain how to hook one up and what i would need to do so? I see what you mean by my tubes becoming returns tho
 
R

Roobyracks

Member
What I'm planning is similar. 5 gallon buckets with 1" tubing, with inline shutoffs, connected to my control bucket.
these are my return lines. To feed the plant buckets, I plan to do the following.....
 
R

Roobyracks

Member
Connect the raindrip manifold to my pump with 1/2" tubing, pump to 1/2" hose.
then, use the raindrip manifold to feed the plant buckets with 1/4" hose.
im planning to use 2 1/4" hoses to each bucket.
1 for a drip ring, the other to flush water to bucket to keep water moving and heavily oxygenated.
 
R

Roobyracks

Member
After you connect pump to manifold with 1/2 hose, with an adapter. Then you connect other end of submersible pump to hose.
drop it into your control tank. The individual ports can be adjusted for flow rate.
 
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