DLA

OK so as many of you know my waterfarms were wanting an upgrade from their stock motor and undercarriage and the mods I was coming up with didn't get much more horsepower.

So finally today I felt good all day and was able to get in 15 hours work.

I took the previous designs and removed them completely. I then used Heath Thompson's Waterfarm upgrade design, with a few of my own modifications. Using all new bottom buckets or res's, PVC, well pretty much everything .

As the thread title says I figure I have spent over $1800 on these little Waterfarms. Jeez I need to get control.

BUT!!!
It is working like a charm...Using colored food dye and a stopwatch I figure each bucket on an average is or has the capacity to recycle about once a minute. It's hard to figure though.

I can tell you when I add dye to the res the furthest buckets start shooting in dye within 5 seconds...then the whole of the water is all one color within 15 seconds...so that is a good amount of circulation through these Waterfarms regardless.

That with the air stones in every bucket, tank, and res should provide a nice recirculating fresh DO charged solution all day and night.

I'm using a 1200 GPH pump but I think tomorrow I will go to a 1500. The 1200 is plenty strong enough but I could use it elsewhere, so if I need to buy another one...why not bigger?

I added some pics of the new system...it's running through testing till this Sunday...I bet you can't hear it... ...neither can I...

Where the PVC is above the floor I am going to build a short sub-floor over it so I don't fall down and can't get up...

Here it is in all it's glory...


Some of the fun PVC work...


The 1/2" is for the feed which is about 7.5" above the drain...


Here's a couple of mods I made. The 2" is like a plumbing vent...it's at the furthest point from the res., it allows air into the drain line to release any vacuum that may occur, it's like a hole at both ends of a can. I will put a removable cap on it with holes drilled in it (for venting)...the cap I will remove to test my solution at the furthest point from the res too

The smaller 1/2" ball valve is at the furthest end of the feed line attached to the pump. From here I can open the valve and drain about 70% of the water...there is another attachment point further in the corner(can't see it in the pics) if I open the ball valve there it will drain the system about 95% .


Another shot as the assembly went on.


These next 2 shots show the 16 buckets and their layout...


I think I have 60 gallons active water and another 40 gallons of res feeding that, both on auto feeds.


More and the last for tonight or this morning where ever you may be.

Tomorrow chillers, and rehang the lights centered over the buckets.

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sleepyrz

arent you glad i showed you that thread now?

psssssst its heath robinson not thompson

DLA

Actually sleepy I appreciate the look...but I knew of that thread before I became a member here.

I have followed Heath (Robinson, I'm asleep...sleepy) for a little while now...he has some great systems and grows.

But hey thanks for all the help...

__________________

Sometimes people say things they immediately regret, but then later are glad they said it.
Sometimes people never say anything for fear of being judged.
Sometimes people talk all the time and we never hear a word they say.
Sometimes people speak only when spoken to and are always heard by one.
90% of our communication is unspoken.

pumpkin2006

Geez man, that thing looks like it fires missiles at incoming jets.

Seriously though, that looks rock solid. Are you still going to feed from the top? Or is it more like DWC?

I hate to say it, but are you gonna paint those buckets black?, at least the inside?

BTW did you get high off all that glue? That's probably why you can't remember his name

origref

Dude! I like it. Very sweet. So which bulkhead fittings did you end up using? Also how are you going to incorporate your chiller? And lastly do you plan on any filtering for your chiller? Other than that....I want one.

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sleepyrz

the idea is to drip feed until the roots hit the water then you shut off the drip and let em do the normal dwc/recirc dealie

afterburner

Beautiful job there DLA!!! All your effort really shows

I'm sure that system will reward you well

I'm excited to see it in action

DLA

Yes once the testing is all done and I'm sure it's running right I will be wrapping the buckets in reflectix. I have 2 rolls ready for it. This time everything is getting wrapped. I will use the drips during the first of the grows until the roots are in the water. I have 2 choices...one is to use the regular drippers that come with it, the air lift ones. The second is to add a pump and install a dripper system from the res. which will further the circulation too. I will wait to see what I do I have the time.




I found a local manufacture that sold all sizes from 1/2" to 4" bulkheads. They cost me $4 ea. which is about 1/3 the cost everywhere else I looked. My chiller is in another room. I will drop a pump in the res and return to the chiller. Keeping the res cool will cool it all very well since it recirculates so well. I usually don't filter my chiller water although I know I should...the place with the bulkheads has every type of in-line filter I would need. Perhaps I'll do that...

__________________

Sometimes people say things they immediately regret, but then later are glad they said it.
Sometimes people never say anything for fear of being judged.
Sometimes people talk all the time and we never hear a word they say.
Sometimes people speak only when spoken to and are always heard by one.
90% of our communication is unspoken.

bluecheese

Wow DLA... super nice setup!

I bet it turns out to be worth every cent & minute you put into it. Very nice work.

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DLA

So I'm an idiot and you can all say it together...IDIOT!!! Maybe I'll put that in my signature.

Last night late I noticed 3 leaks at 2 buckets and one joint. I decided to let it run all night to see if any more show up. Since I lined to room with pond liner it could empty on the floor and it wouldn't hurt anything. Anyway this morning late I went in the room and found about 5 more leaks. They were all small and probably would have sealed up after a day or two.

But I couldn't and wouldn't trust that...so I went to the plumbing store and after another $200 I had all new fittings and pipe. I also found a new plumbing house that just opened and had 1200 GPH Little Giant pumps on sale for $59.00 so I got one of those too.

I came home and carefully cut all the old out and removed the PVC, then I re-plumbed it with a nice slow drying VOC glue.

I think my previous leaks were caused by my using Red Hot Glue instead of a slow drying glue.

I let it all dry for a couple of hours and filled it up and it is now running again.

There are NO leaks at all this time.

I didn't want any problems with this setup I'm tired of re-doing all the time. Since I will be putting in a sub-floor over the drain lines I need it water tight because I won't always be able to see the joints later. This also allowed me to plumb in some additional unions and ball valves too.

I don't see any point in pictures...it looks the same except different glue....so use your imagination....

__________________

Sometimes people say things they immediately regret, but then later are glad they said it.
Sometimes people never say anything for fear of being judged.
Sometimes people talk all the time and we never hear a word they say.
Sometimes people speak only when spoken to and are always heard by one.
90% of our communication is unspoken.