cheap HPA pump

freddy42

Member
btw does anybody know what happened to that organically derived colloidals, which was used as pest and algae, bacteria grow prevention? also aerofarms are using microfleece fabric probably for avoiding fast evaporation of mist and catching it on the fabric as you mentioned @LarsVegasNirvana microfleece is cheaper option than fabric pot, I think.
it would be a great diy If somebody would analyze that OCD and make a diy recipe . :)
@Atomizer on that vid was el cheapo or aquatec, you have a lot of stuff man :D , 136 is almost the same as when you would buy it from us with shipping, but still there are money saved on the customs fees. how did you homebrew 1,5 hp silent compressor :O? I think that vibrational pump needs only a good anti vibration surface , hopefully Im right :)
 
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Atomizer

Well-Known Member
The vid was the noise level of a blue chinese el cheapo, aquatecs typically only come in silver/grey. The compressor was simple, i just replaced the original head on my compressor with a 3/4hp commercial fridge compressor and later added a second. The vibration on the floorboards wasnt what you`d call bad but it had to be zero as it dont take much to pee folks off when its dead quiet at 3am. The bambi was easier to "float" as it only weighs about 30kg, the twin pot compressor is probably twice that but it sits on a concrete floor. My compressors kick in day and night but you cant hear them unless you are standing right next to one, my old pc makes more noise ;)
 
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freddy42

Member
can you share a link for that pump ? :) I dont know exactly if I get it right, you mean you got pressure tank, which is pressurized by el cheapo ? and with those other 2 pumps ? What a clever idea to use the compressor from fridge, I would be probably able to get some old fridge compressor which would be quiet enough, I never thought that something like this would be possible, so elcheapo 2+ older fridge compressors would be enough to pressurize the tank? or do you use some of the other pumps for that also? thats very cool that it is that quiet comparable to old PC.
@Atomizer r
 

Atomizer

Well-Known Member
I use the160psi 12v pump to charge the 100L (10 bar) accumulator with nutes for hpa use. The compressors provide air for the nozzles in the AA`s. I didnt use domestic fridge compressors as they`have feeble outputs, you need something designed for commercial refrigeration or a beefy AC compressor.
I would begin by deciding what you need chamber wise,planting layout etc,etc, so you can work up a design and a parts list. If you just pile into buying loadsa stuff without a definite plan, there`s a pretty good chance you`ll end up throwing good money after bad ;)
As far as i can figure, you plan to use sog and 10-14 nozzles. I`m not sure if thats for one chamber or perhaps the total for seperate veg and bloom chambers, which is unlikely as its sog. Having a rough idea of your chamber size(s) would be useful.
 
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freddy42

Member
This is too much for my brain I hope I get more advanced and I will figure it out after some time, weird shit happened to me yesterday when I heard someone typing through my headphones... I think someone hacked or some shit, Im not willing to take the risk,totally not worth it, Its hard but Im forced to quit what I planed for a long time. Hopefully I will see you you guys again soon, thx for the help, you are amazing guys.
Peace out
 

LarsVegasNirvana

Well-Known Member
That spinning air pressure thing sounds crazy. I'm sure it grows great plants but there is no such thing as a quiet air compressor. At least not in my tiny apartment.

Even if there was, it's out of my price range. This $35 pump nearly broke the bank. The shitty black chinese one from the OP was so loud it would have cost $100 in soundproofing equipment. Totally not worth it!

The way I see it because we only need a small flow rate we should be able to get away with very quiet and very inexpensive pumps. I figure a small gear pump with the right specifications would be way cheaper/smaller and still get the job done. Bringing the price of the pump down dramatically reduces the cost of building one of these things. Most people won't care if they have an underpowered pump that takes twice as long to charge the accumulator. As long as it's silent they won't even know the difference.
 

LarsVegasNirvana

Well-Known Member
LULZ, I spoke too soon. A software bug caused the relay to stay closed and dump the entire contents of my res into my sump, and then the pump MELTED once it started running dry. I had a vibration sensor I was going to use to prevent this from happening but I was too lazy to set it up.

Oh well. I guess I'm upgrading to an aquatech 8800. :)
 

LarsVegasNirvana

Well-Known Member
So can reciprocating pumps, its just that this one was spec'd out to have rest periods or else it melts. Oh well. At least I didn't burn the house down.
 
Hello, complete noob on aeroponics but i figured i would try to make a system that can be monitored/controlled with arduino.
However i ran into trouble deciding on the pump. i don't have much money so i was planning on getting the chinese HP pump but after reading the thread and those things being noisy i've found an espresso machine pump that costs like 20$.
I plan to use these mister heads - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Easy-micro-Mister-1-2-thread-connector-for-garden-watering-20pcs-pack-Free-shipping/2026703144.html since they seem to have good properties.

However the pump's description reads that it operates average on 15 bar and these mister heads say 2-3 bar....I'm guessing that's the minimum pressure they need to work properly and if i have more bars it shouldn't cause problems?
And another point that im worried about is that the pump pumps 650 cc/min and these misters need 6-8 l/ph or about 0.1-0.13 l/min.

The setup i'm considering is small. I'm thinking about 4-6 misters for the tote and it won't have an accumulator tank. Is the pump powerful enough for that kind of setup? The pump itself is Ulka EP-5
 

Atomizer

Well-Known Member
The flowrate should be ok, reliability is the unknown quantity. According to the spec i found, the noise level is 64.5 db (A)

As a comparison here`s the noise levels at 1ft,5ft,10ft and 15ft from a homebrew silent air compressor.

there is no such thing as a quiet air compressor. At least not in my tiny apartment.
Trust me, they do exist ;)
 
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