Drippers vs Sprayers vs Emitters...

Recently became interested in adding some form of top feed "drain to waste" system to my setup. What I have planned out so far is just to use some spare 3x3 flood tables with 4, or 6, 2 gallon pots filled with strait coco. I will just be using a simple manifold made from 1/2 inch pvc pipe. This is where I'm undecided/unsure in which route to take.

Drip rings seem to offer better uniform watering to the medium whereas regular drippers look like they would do just the opposite, nutrient solution wanting to drip strait through the medium. But I've also seen drip rings with 4 drip emitters around the inside of the ring, these look better but would drip rings work just the same? I've also seen sprayers, things like "top hat" emitters that spray the solution over the top of the medium. Seems like a good application but again, unsure if they're any good. Anybody have any experience with spray emitters in a top feed set up? Or just using the little aeroponic style spray emitters around a drip ring?

Overall I'm basically looking for pointers and anything to save me from all the trial and error of setting one of these systems up. I pretty much have all the other details planned out except which direction to go with how to feed my "top feed" set-up. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

I'm eagerly awaiting responses to this as well.

Hot Diggity Sog said:

I'm eagerly awaiting responses to this as well.

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Every response will help. You looking at a drip system as well?

DirtyMcCurdy said:

Every response will help. You looking at a drip system as well?

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Yup

the spray stakes have been working flawlessly for me so far. you just have to make sure to get a pump that can maintain over 20 psi.

If you're running coco or rockwool my advice won't apply, but in grow rock style media like hydroton I run a continuous topfeed through large emitters; the ones I'm using are actually half inch elbow fittings from the irrigation section.

As you can probably guess, it isn't drain to waste, either- but I think that's pretty wasteful so I don't do it. Instead, it's my RDWC water, pumped in and cycling continuously.

As you can probably guess, it isn't drain to waste, either- but I think that's pretty wasteful so I don't do it. Instead, it's my RDWC water, pumped in and cycling continuously.[/QUOTE]

ttystikk said:

If you're running coco or rockwool my advice won't apply, but in grow rock style media like hydroton I run a continuous topfeed through large emitters; the ones I'm using are actually half inch elbow fittings from the irrigation section.

As you can probably guess, it isn't drain to waste, either- but I think that's pretty wasteful so I don't do it. Instead, it's my RDWC water, pumped in and cycling continuously.

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Yeah, it will be a drain to waste system. From what trial and error I am doing it's not that wasteful, at all. Dumping a reservoir every week or two, that always seemed wasteful to me. This way the plants will get fresh nutes every time and no worries about root diseases from recirculating either.

Just an update. Put together a makeshift manifold and dripper system. Already had problems with one of the drippers partially clogging. So now leaning towards drip rings. Will post a picture of the experimental setup next time I'm at the house.

Anybody use any good drip rings or make their own?

Here's some shots of the testing setup. A few random plants I put on a spare flood table in one of my old tents.

Basic pvc manifold that's about as simple as it gets. Other than the union its just pipe with 3/8" holes drilled in it. Used top hat grommets and your basic 1/4" iirrigation tubing . The 5 gallon bucket reservoir is just temporary, along with everything

What kind of drippers are you using?

guerrilla medic said:

What kind of drippers are you using?

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Raindrip 1 gal/hour. The bigger pot has 3 as 2 wasn't enough. It runs for 1/2 hour. So 1 gal in the rose pots and a 1 1/2 in the bigger pot. Once a day, for now anyways

guerrilla medic said:

the spray stakes have been working flawlessly for me so far. you just have to make sure to get a pump that can maintain over 20 psi.

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Which spray stakes are you referring to? I am not sure about sticking with the drippers. Leaning towards rings.

netafim 5 gph spray stakes. mack was using some similar ones in his thread. i basically copied what he was doing with a couple slight variations. so far its been working so well its almost boring.

I just throw a T fitting on the end of my drip lines and stake it in place. Never clogs and soaks the entire pot with easy.

What size pots are you using? Just 1 tee per container?

I run 2 gallon pots. Yep just one T each. Although I'm thinking next run I'm going to try out some hydro halos. My buddy has some and they're legit. They soak the pot real nice.

guys said:

I run 2 gallon pots. Yep just one T each. Although I'm thinking next run I'm going to try out some hydro halos. My buddy has some and they're legit. They soak the pot real nice.

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I've looked into those as well but wasn't sure how well they worked.

heyguys said:

I run 2 gallon pots. Yep just one T each. Although I'm thinking next run I'm going to try out some hydro halos. My buddy has some and they're legit. They soak the pot real nice.

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what kind of pump are you using with your current setup? are you getting an even amount of water coming out of every tee? are you using valves at all?

I run a 240gph pump go feed just a couple plants. I've got 1/4in on/off valves on the feed lines right before the T. I get even water without much adjustment bc it's such a small setup. Larger setups will take some tinkering so to speak

Drip buttons, flag emmiters, drip stakes, spray heads....all clog up eventually. Even with the inline "Y" filters. Esp. using humics and kelps in the tanks. I like how the pressure compensating drippers worked. But they always clogged. I took them off. Went open tube. On high plant count tables the sites in the front part of the manifold close.to the tank and pump got all the feed. Ones in back hardly any. Solution....quarter inch barbed adjustable micro valves that plug in to the feed line which comes off the half inch manifold line. Adjust the ones up front. Ones in back are usually fully open. All gets fed equAlly.