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Help with design

exzile

exzile

Well-Known Member
I'm working on a hydro system where I have a main reservoir that drains into 5gal buckets.
What I think/hope will happen is that the buckets will keep at a water level of where the hose ends.
What I am worried about is does this work? Will the water keep filing up the bucket past the end of the hose and overfill the buckets, or will it stop at the hose? I have attached a picture for visual aid.

If it does keep filing up past the level, I am thinking about putting a another hose in the buckets that drains when the level is reached into the reservoir. But I am not sure how this will have to be designed.
 

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reza92

reza92

Well-Known Member
as a noob im going to say this is probably a bad idea.

1) there is the potential for the bucket to overflow until your res is empty (especially if your res isnt air tight)

2) i dont see how this will circulate your nutrient solution back into your res

3) probably needs a few air stones.

if you feel the need to use a res, place it below the bucket height and use a submersible pump to pump the nutes into the bucket.

or just do a dwc setup and get rid of the res

but hey as i said im a noob so i could be wrong
 
exzile

exzile

Well-Known Member
There will be air stones in every water container.
I am trying to not to use bulkheads as they are expensive. Any other ideas?
im looking for a system like this where each plant has its own area and roots cant get tangled
 
exzile

exzile

Well-Known Member
I am going to use my same design, but instead use a small reservoir with a float gauge to release water into the smaller buckets when the water level is to low.
 
Mr.Newbie1

Mr.Newbie1

Member
Hello everyone ! I am new to your site just wanted to say hi .I have a few drawing still in progress:mrgreen: but still might a some value,you might find .:D Good luck Happy growing
 

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reza92

reza92

Well-Known Member
exzile said:
I am going to use my same design, but instead use a small reservoir with a float gauge to release water into the smaller buckets when the water level is to low.
Click to expand...
keep the air stone. remove the res and just top up your buckets as needed. the water level shouldn't change much day to day and you should be changing your nutes every 1-2 weeks anyway which will keep the level up.
 
Ilovebush

Ilovebush

Well-Known Member
Looks like your res is higher than your bucket??? You want the res lower than the bucket pumping into the bucket and letting gravity return water to res(ebb n flow). I'd recomment a DWC...much simpler and no res. Walk before you can run and keep on reading up on your dream system...you wouldn't want to be mopping up 10-20 gallons of liquid off your floor.
 
exzile

exzile

Well-Known Member
I have accomplished the DWC system in the past. I actually have a new idea. I will have a resvoiur on a table above all the other buckets with a hose that feeds into a water measuring bucket.
This water measuring bucket will have a float gauge, that when the water level decreases, will open up the inlet, and let new water flow into till its filled at the level.
This bucket will feed a hose into another bucket, about a little lower than the float gauge level on the water measuring bucket. So the water will need to equal out in both buckets before the level is met on the water measuring bucket.
I will feed more buckets together in a line, and they should all have the same level.
This cuts out the water pump, and just uses gravity and float gauge.
 

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waterdawg

waterdawg

Well-Known Member
Not able to upload pics but i think, correct me if wrong, your basically building a auto fill system. Lot of work imo. Add a pump in the "measuring pail", make it a recirc
 
Deusracing

Deusracing

Well-Known Member
exzile said:
I have accomplished the DWC system in the past. I actually have a new idea. I will have a resvoiur on a table above all the other buckets with a hose that feeds into a water measuring bucket.
This water measuring bucket will have a float gauge, that when the water level decreases, will open up the inlet, and let new water flow into till its filled at the level.
This bucket will feed a hose into another bucket, about a little lower than the float gauge level on the water measuring bucket. So the water will need to equal out in both buckets before the level is met on the water measuring bucket.
I will feed more buckets together in a line, and they should all have the same level.
This cuts out the water pump, and just uses gravity and float gauge.
Click to expand...
i just made a simple drain to waste out of my ebb and flow buckets last night... if i had the floats the sensors and 55 gal drums id make everything..
 
Ilovebush

Ilovebush

Well-Known Member
I understand now....no return line to res...auto-watering system. Sounds interesting...look forward to seeing it when it's assembled.
 
S

saemskin

Active Member
you want your in flow to be at the very bottom of the pots so they drain completely in between ebb & flows :)
Second, you need a submersible shutoff switch set at a height such that you will not overflow.

Might be easier to just buy the controller bucket?
 
exzile

exzile

Well-Known Member
That is what the water level measuring bucket is for. It has a float valve that auto closes when water level is met.
 
exzile

exzile

Well-Known Member
saemskin said:
you want your in flow to be at the very bottom of the pots so they drain completely in between ebb & flows :)
Second, you need a submersible shutoff switch set at a height such that you will not overflow.

Might be easier to just buy the controller bucket?
Click to expand...
The control bucket is in the picture. The tubes will run to the sides near the top where I want the water level to stop. The water level should never surpass the the height in the inlet, because of the control bucket... well because of all the buckets actually.
 
S

saemskin

Active Member
maybe I'm misunderstanding, but taking your last pic literally, how do you get the water back out of the buckets that have the plants in them?
the roots cannot stay wet all the time like that.
 
exzile

exzile

Well-Known Member
saemskin said:
maybe I'm misunderstandig, but taking your last pic literally, how do you get the water back out of the buckets that have the plants in them?
the roots cannot stay wet all the time like that.
Click to expand...
When I did a dwc my roots stayed wet all the time. I will have an airpump In each bucket for o2
 
exzile

exzile

Well-Known Member
Update:
Progress has been made. Everything seems to be working so far besides a couple of leaks. I have resulted to using RTV sealant to seal them. I will post pics soons of the system.
 
waterdawg

waterdawg

Well-Known Member
Ok I get it now lol. Basically a DWC system with floats and res to keep buckets topped up right? So a couple questions, when do you change the water ôr do you? How much water does one plant use over a period of a week?
 
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