Drip Drip Goes The Uniseal (Leaking!)

firsttimeARE said:

I doubt the lines are too small. I think your issue is not enough of them. It's all bottle necking back thru the same lines.

My sketch shows multiples paths for the water to flow back.

When I turn my pump on all my buckets are level even the control. So that means they are draining and filling at an even rate.

Click to expand...

Mhmm... I'm starting to think you got this figured out!

firsttimeARE said:

Smaller the line the faster the water flows. The larger the line the slower. I believe UC does the large lines so to create the same flow but at a slower rate so to not suck roots in because their containers are tiny.

Think of flow as a constant determined by pump size. The variable is the velocity. Smaller pipe faster velocity. Bigger pipe slower velocity

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AH! That helps me makes sense of it better in my mind!

Cold$moke said:

Yes thats why an undercurrent is so spendy lol
They work right outa the box

If you ever want to try the brute thing again ill help out.

As to running multiple smaller lines i wouldnt know as i havent tried .

But makes sens to me as enough small pipes will equal bigger pipes.

But when i build a set up i cringe whenever i make a potential leak point

Hope you get it sorted

Click to expand...

Thanks mate! I will be back on that one in some time. Putting pipes in uniseals is no easy job, and I can barely lift bag of soil. My buddy helped me put it together and then take it apart, and then put together the hdx. Don't think they'll want to do that right again, but I will slowly start getting things figured out once I have a little bit of spare time will get started again slowly.
If I can get the Brutes to work they'll be a mean flowering system, and then I can use my HDX to veg.

(But for now, I need to get this HDX system working correctly!)

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If I keep the pump on the bottom where it is, but add feed lines to each side, do you think that would be enough to allow me to use my (small 300gph) pump at full speed? Currently running it restricted (pressure is like when you leave a faucet on low) and that's the only way the buckets stay levelled right now.

>New lines would be the same 3/4" bulkheads with 3/4" piping, like in between the containers currently.
> If it does work would you recommend I put the pump in the res and top feed, or would it be fine just the way it is with added lines on each side?
> and my temp has been a solid 64.4F/18C for a week now and I don't expect it to get any warmer here (if anything it will get colder)... is it safe to say I can get rid of my water chiller?

My buddy is worried adding more bulkheads to the containers will cause problems/leaks/ containers won't hold up? (he's not a hydro guy... just a good friend and muscle.)

You guys like the complex plumbing

Watch some videos on fluid dynamics
Laminar flow ect.

Youll stop wanting to have some many webs of piping

Just one guys 2 cents

I don't see any other way to make this hdx system work, and have levelled buckets while being able to run my pump at full speed.
> Increase pathways of flow? More smaller lines like above.
> Increase the size of the 3/4" piping in my current design to a 2" or 3"? Too costly at this point in time.
> Leave it as it is, with the pump inlet restricted. Pump is probably pushing like 100gph maybe less?

What I really wanted to do was the Brute, fairly simple with good flow, but adapt or perish right....

Have any of you tried using Silicone grease to stop a leak like this? I used it all the time on my aquarium bulkheads when tank makers would drill sloppy holes with wide chips, the silicone worked every time.

No I have not, thanks for the tip! Is grease better than sealant?

I had purchased something like this one below... but the way the 100+gallons of water would bow the brute-bucket slightly, it would make the uniseal want to push out a little. They really did not want to stay in even though they were in.. and it were the two that looked in fine that were actually leaking. My buddy suggested I was better off putting the money towards the hdx. (the hdx cost me the same as the silicone).

The grease does not cure and dry like the sealant. It's like Vaseline where it stays in that consistency for a long time. I used it on bulkheads and when I took them apart 2 years later the grease was as good as the day I applied it.
Here's what the stuff looks like.

As long as water pressure wont push the grease in i could see it working.

Whats your gph on the pump 300

Thats tiny bro. It will only ever trickle

Wich technically is all you really need but you will run into dead spots and flow problems in my opinion with that maze of piping .


So many rdwc builders here run the square tote for the sake of uniseals not leaking.

But in my head you will always have a dead spots
In a square container unless you have a big pump.



Why dont you put a drawing up of how your set up is plumbed right now .


Your spending way to much on bulkheads haha
Personally im getting away from rdwc depending on my side by side test

and will be regretting all the shit i bought lol

It's an ActiveAqua250 .. rated at 300GPH. With the washer restricting flow, it literally only trickles like you have you tap on low. It's crucial at the very least, even with the air stones if I unplug the pump my girls start to droop a little, with the trickle they're fine.

^I know! that's why I can't get anything bigger than a 3/4" bulkhead right now if I need them and even that's a financial stretch.
...3" hayward bulkhead = $70 EACH! (I'm not using them, they were mentioned in the thread earlier.)

What are you split testing? Rdwc beside ...?

Here's what it currently looks like.
The Red Stars are 3/4" bulkheads with slip. I push the pipe onto them.

Much simpler.

I cant speak for the restriction of you pipes "trying to increase" velocity sure it might but what does the speed matter if it can only flow so many gph anyways?

Is my pump going to magically pump water faster cause i try to shove it through smaller holes? Not in my mind lol

It just works the pump harder in my opinion but im not a know it all so i couldnt say

Joint Monster said:

It's an ActiveAqua250 .. rated at 300GPH. With the washer restricting flow, it literally only trickles like you have you tap on low. It's crucial at the very least, even with the air stones if I unplug the pump my girls start to droop a little, with the trickle they're fine.

^I know! that's why I can't get anything bigger than a 3/4" bulkhead right now if I need them and even that's a financial stretch.
...3" hayward bulkhead = $70 EACH! (I'm not using them, they were mentioned in the thread earlier.)

What are you split testing? Rdwc beside ...?

Here's what it currently looks like.
The Red Stars are 3/4" bulkheads with slip. I push the pipe onto them.
View attachment 4115707

Click to expand...

Ok bud basically at least in my humble opinion

You can make what you got work
As i have a set up running a small pump as well

But you have to top feed it in.

This uses water displacement to keep all buckets dead level

Cause thats what water wants to do
Hang on ill doodle on your pic

Except in your case i would make the top line a little different

Make a spill over design that way it stays pretty even since water self levels

Joint Monster said:

It's an ActiveAqua250 .. rated at 300GPH. With the washer restricting flow, it literally only trickles like you have you tap on low. It's crucial at the very least, even with the air stones if I unplug the pump my girls start to droop a little, with the trickle they're fine.

^I know! that's why I can't get anything bigger than a 3/4" bulkhead right now if I need them and even that's a financial stretch.
...3" hayward bulkhead = $70 EACH! (I'm not using them, they were mentioned in the thread earlier.)

What are you split testing? Rdwc beside ...?

Here's what it currently looks like.
The Red Stars are 3/4" bulkheads with slip. I push the pipe onto them.
View attachment 4115707

Click to expand...

Do you have issues with roots clogging smaller lines?

With spill over you dont need ball valves

As to your question about the side by side
Im going to build a table set up
Im modeling it after meniscus membrane nft
With a few tweaks.
If it works it will be much more worry free then rdwc no leaks, chillers, air pumps optional, less water usage, drain to waste optional
No media to buy or chuck lol
ill be building it soon my room is full atm

May I ask why every design I see has the plumbing coming out of the sides? Why don't people design systems with the plumbing running underneath, all you would need to do is put your buckets on a 6" riser. You could utilize overflows in each bucket helping create more oxygen naturally as well. Bottoms of buckets are typically flat so it would be much easier to install a bulkhead on versus a rounded side.

nc208 said:

May I ask why every design I see has the plumbing coming out of the sides? Why don't people design systems with the plumbing running underneath, all you would need to do is put your buckets on a 6" riser. You could utilize overflows in each bucket helping create more oxygen naturally as well. Bottoms of buckets are typically flat so it would be much easier to install a bulkhead on versus a rounded side.

Click to expand...

interesting idea for sure

nc208 said:

May I ask why every design I see has the plumbing coming out of the sides? Why don't people design systems with the plumbing running underneath, all you would need to do is put your buckets on a 6" riser. You could utilize overflows in each bucket helping create more oxygen naturally as well. Bottoms of buckets are typically flat so it would be much easier to install a bulkhead on versus a rounded side.

Click to expand...

Some people do look up dutch buckets on you tube

Its out there.


The only reason i didnt was because i didnt want to build a base .

Plus the small mabey gal or 2 that sits in yhe bottom acts as an emergency res?

using this method you can put a res anywhere which will also act as an ATO(auto Top off) the overflow setup will create a constant water level in buckets which won't alter unless power goes off. I looked up the dutch bucket and its not what I'm trying to describe. Here is a video of an overflow in action so you can see how it creates a waterfall effect. Skip to 9:30 to see how it fills up and performs, I think using a method like this inside a rdwc bucket would have very efficient results. No need for air stones just one pump that can handle the system, If you want to go crazy you can buy an ecotech DC pump which can be hooked up to a battery backup so even in a power outage your rdwc keeps on running.

I said dutch bucket cause lots of people plumb them from the bottom

I have seen other guys do bottom drains
Will try to watch the vid