12 bucket DWC recirculating issue

[Bigdaddy212]

Can anyone point to a thread with mulitple buckets using Recirculation having an issue with water feeding all buckets using water fall method any suggestions would be helpful using a 240 pump so enough power is there to move the water

 

[jijiandfarmgang]

Don't know of a thread.

It'd help if you post a photo.

240 gph pump might not have the strongest lift.

- Jiji

 

[Bigdaddy212]

Jiji thanks for the reply still putting working out the kinks so should I try a higher pump?

 

[WeedFreak78]

How high are you lifting the water? Probably need a larger pump, I don't think a 250 gph has the head height to lift water for 12 buckets. I'm thinking something in the 750 gph range to get good circulation. If your using mag drive pond pumps they produce volume not pressure. They need the large dia lines and short runs to keep flow up. I'd be looking at a small direct drive inline pump.

 

[Jimdamick]

Jiji thanks for the reply still putting working out the kinks so should I try a higher pump?

How many gallons are in your res, and what to what height are you pumping to? Some time the res will not be large enough to feed so many pots. You could try elevating the res (milk crates?) which would relieve the lift needed for the pump, and make sort of a hybrid gravity system.

 

[WeedFreak78]

Is lifting 12 columns of water, say 1ft high more, less, or the same amount of work as lifting 1 column, in same sized pipe, 12 ft high? I'm not awake enough to really think though it right now. ..

 

[jijiandfarmgang]

How many gallons are in your res, and what to what height are you pumping to? Some time the res will not be large enough to feed so many pots. You could try elevating the res (milk crates?) which would relieve the lift needed for the pump, and make sort of a hybrid gravity system.

..............only if its drain to waste

Jiji thanks for the reply still putting working out the kinks so should I try a higher pump?

most likely..... Some are high pressure low volume and others low pressure high volume. A good pump manufacturer will list specs such as flow rates at head heights etc.

For instance look at the tables on this page.

http://www.marinedepot.com/Danner_S...ps-Danner_Mfg.-DN1119-FIWPSBFT-DN1127-vi.html

FWIW I've gone through quite a few danner pumps and I'm not impressed with them. They are step above ecoplus, but with the money spent rebuilding them and messing around with issues I could have bought Iwaki's from the get go.

But its probably easier just to get a larger cheap pump. And its cheap insurance to get a spare.

- Jiji

 

[Jimdamick]

..............only if its drain to waste




most likely..... Some are high pressure low volume and others low pressure high volume. A good pump manufacturer will list specs such as flow rates at head heights etc.

For instance look at the tables on this page.

http://www.marinedepot.com/Danner_S...ps-Danner_Mfg.-DN1119-FIWPSBFT-DN1127-vi.html

FWIW I've gone through quite a few danner pumps and I'm not impressed with them. They are step above ecoplus, but with the money spent rebuilding them and messing around with issues I could have bought Iwaki's from the get go.

But its probably easier just to get a larger cheap pump. And its cheap insurance to get a spare.

- Jiji

I recirculate, using gravity as a return to res, then pump up again

 

[jijiandfarmgang]

How many gallons are in your res, and what to what height are you pumping to? Some time the res will not be large enough to feed so many pots. You could try elevating the res (milk crates?) which would relieve the lift needed for the pump, and make sort of a hybrid gravity system.

Water levels out. The level you set in the res is the level height of water in the buckets. Unless the op is using some kind of untraditional recirculation setup that the res is lower and requires the pump to maintain water level height in buckets.

Im trying to picture a res for a 12 bucket rdwc that would be lower than the buckets...... Maybe if you had massive room height, tables for the buckets to sit on, and a res that sits below the tables........ The res would have to be big if its below water level, since lets say 3-4 gallons of water per bucket times 12 buckets...So 36 to 48 gal minimum.

What would make it hybrid gravity?

- Jiji

 

[Jimdamick]

Water levels out. The level you set in the res is the level height of water in the buckets. Unless the op is using some kind of untraditional recirculation setup that the res is lower and requires the pump to maintain water level height in buckets.

Im trying to picture a res for a 12 bucket rdwc that would be lower than the buckets...... Maybe if you had massive room height, tables for the buckets to sit on, and a res that sits below the tables........ The res would have to be big if its below water level, since lets say 3-4 gallons of water per bucket times 12 buckets...So 36 to 48 gal minimum.

What would make it hybrid gravity?

- Jiji

You seem to know your shit. My pots are on plywood sitting on top of milk crates and my 37 gal res sits on the floor. I have them separated into 2 zones, 6 pots per, where I pump up on the feed side and the return side I adjust using flow valves to control the return flow so that I maintain my levels in the pots. It is a Waterfarm system that I modified as I did not like the res setup on the original.

 

[Bigdaddy212]

Ok first off thanks for all the replies second here are pics of the rez and the problem is I think the rez is sitting same level as the buckets. So putting them on 2x4's should raise up the water so its flowing downhill and can feed more buckets
Since the rise is only like 4 inches from the top of the pump that can't be an issue. The main problem with a set up like this is the rez bucket never stays as full as the buckets its always lower water lever than in the regular buckets so I would assume you put a ball value in the rez to slow down the water flow but keep the suction coming in. wondering how the water lever will be raising them on 2x4's. Might want to mention that the all intake and outflow holes are 1/2 inch and it should probably be 3/4 for the recirculation and 1/2 for feeder lines

 

[WeedFreak78]

Ok first off thanks for all the replies second here are pics of the rez and the problem is I think the rez is sitting same level as the buckets. So putting them on 2x4's should raise up the water so its flowing downhill and can feed more buckets
Since the rise is only like 4 inches from the top of the pump that can't be an issue. The main problem with a set up like this is the rez bucket never stays as full as the buckets its always lower water lever than in the regular buckets so I would assume you put a ball value in the rez to slow down the water flow but keep the suction coming in. wondering how the water lever will be raising them on 2x4's. Might want to mention that the all intake and outflow holes are 1/2 inch and it should probably be 3/4 for the recirculation and 1/2 for feeder lines

You could raise the buckets to limit flow from the pump using the head height enough that your drains might be adequate, idk how high that would be though, depends on the pump.

You could add another "y" in the res, or better, build a manifold off the pump with pvc so you have even distribution, with a valve to bleed off some flow from the pump, so it pumps some right back into the res. Probably the easiest way to go. I wouldn't put a valve inline to limit flow, these pumps aren't designed to run with any restrictions, you'll dramatically shorten the life of the pump.

Either raising buckets or valving is going to reduce flow, which is what you need in your situation, but isn't what you really want to do in RDWC.

You really need larger return lines, that'd be the right way to fix it. Your pumping more water in than they can drain. That 1/2" gravity drain line will never flow as much as the pressurized 1/2" feed lines.

Your lucky in your setup with the smaller res, I think it's saved you from catastrophe. I've seen when people do it with 30+ gal res, they pump the water out faster than it returns, end up overflowing the buckets and flooding their area. You didn't have the volume to overflow 12 buckets.