Creating a RDWC Setup - Could use some Pointers

[rkymtnman]

For the cooler, with the wort chiller in the res.. I guess I will need a separate pump for that. But it makes the whole setup more easier to configure. (Since I'm running the cooler in it's own loop, can I just buy close to the minimum recommended gph pump for the cooler?)

i would buy a really small one. the slower thru the wort chiller the better. i'd have to go look in my pile of used gear to see what i used. i had a 10 or 15 gallon tote right next to the chiller. pump in the tote>chiller>wort chiller>tote

 

[rkymtnman]

40GPH. 8 bucks each off ebay. buy a couple just in case.

 

[Joint Monster]

The EcoPlus 1/4Hp Water Chill says, Pump Size min 264 to max 660gph. Would that not be an issue to run such a small pump? (I know it's working for you, but I want to make sure I don't run into problems after.)

The wort you linked was 25' , is it worth paying a little more for the 50' one?

 

[rkymtnman]

The EcoPlus 1/4Hp Water Chill says, Pump Size min 264 to max 660gph. Would that not be an issue to run such a small pump? (I know it's working for you, but I want to make sure I don't run into problems after.)

The wort you linked was 25' , is it worth paying a little more for the 50' one?

wow, that many gph huh? for 8 bucks, i'd buy that small one and then maybe a medium sized one around half of the 264 gph. you really are only gonna be cooling maybe 15 gals max.

did you buy that chiller already?

i thought the 25' was plenty. it came up about halfways into the tote i was using if i remember.

 

[CannaBruh]

Quick anecdote, my current run has 3 dead males worth of roots in the same oxycloner as the remaining ladies flowering at day 44.

With UC roots I'm not seeing adverse problems (yet) with the dead roots in the same tub.

I wouldn't recommend this practice, though can demonstrate that you can pull off (or at least up to day 44) a harvest of nice crops with dead plant roots in the same res if you run sterile. ( not to be misconstrued as sterile as some qualifier but it seems to be preventing nasty shit whereas without it i already know the gunky goop i'd be seeing)

With RDWC there are more parts to clean and more points of failure imo, they are awesome when running but I prefer each reservoir to be completely independent of all others, just my preference.

Smaller independent reservoirs allow quick responsive action for flushing without having to clear the entire system. I had a friend who ran 100g reservoirs and it was the most retarded waste of water i'd seen in some time.

 

[rkymtnman]

With RDWC there are more parts to clean and more points of failure imo, they are awesome when running but I prefer each reservoir to be completely independent of all others, just my preference.

i agree. i loved my rdwc, went away from it to do autofeed hempys and now built some autofeed waterfarms. it's nice that i can leave them alone for a week but also nice like you said to give them individual love when i am home.

 

[ttystikk]

So it's not a good idea to run nutes through chiller, even if it is titanium or stainless steel?

@rkymtnman I looked into that Wort Chiller, ... for $100 to keep my $1000 cooler safe, I don't mind spending that. Just so I understand correctly..... you have a separate tub of clean water, you put your submersible pump in that and connect it the input on the water chiller. you then connect the output from the water chiller to the Wort Chiller and the other side of the wort chiller goes back to the original tub of clean water? (so cold water runs through the wort chiller, and the worth chiller sits in your main reservoir cooling it?)
...like this?




You don't fill the tub more than half way? Or you only fill the tub maximum 1-2" under your net pot? (or is this basically the same thing / what you're saying.)


@firsttimeARE That sounds like an American Brand.... but $900 and it's rated for 270gallons? That's pretty darn good!
I have to make sure to add junctions and valves at the correct places to!

Use an ice chest for your cold water reservoir.

Yes, you end up with a half full tub.

 

[ttystikk]

I'm not a fan of the waterfall myself as I prefer to have a slow flow and let the air stones stir the water. Then restrict the return to get the water level where I want it. This way the negative effects from dwc are slowed down, but it also makes the take around 2 hours to normalize a change. Instead of 2-5 mins in a waterfall system. I can show the two methods I use when I get the other side of my room setup.

I get much better results doing the exact opposite of this.

 

[MeGaKiLlErMaN]

I get much better results doing the exact opposite of this.

Really? You've ran both? What was the yield difference? Do you think it was based off of the amount of oxygen? Also what about the specific setup?

 

[ttystikk]

Really? You've ran both? What was the yield difference? Do you think it was based off of the amount of oxygen? Also what about the specific setup?

The more water flowing around, the better it's agitated, mixed through the rootballs, temperature controlled and oxygenated.

That's been the consistent theme of all of the literally dozens if not hundreds of different setups and configurations I've used over the years.

If things are happy and you don't have root rot then it's working for you.

 

[Joint Monster]

wow, that many gph huh? you really are only gonna be cooling maybe 15 gals max.

did you buy that chiller already?

I have not purchased any hydro stuff yet, I'm trying to figure everything out first. (I have my lights though.)

For the "EcoPlus 1/4Hp Water Chiller" that's the rated gph in the description, it is rated 80 gallons, which is roughly what my entire system was going to be more or less. (The 1/4HP is $800 and the chiller one size down is $700. But the chiller one size up which is 1/2Hp is $1150.)

I thought I was suppose to choose the chiller based on my total system size, but if I'm running it in it's own loop, I suppose it makes more sense to size it according to the small container in it's loop. (And not my entire system, as if I was running it inline with nutes going through it.) Although the $700 chiller was the smallest water chiller I found, so I figured spend the extra $100 and get the "middle" option.

Use an ice chest for your cold water reservoir.

Yes, you end up with a half full tub.

Ahh thanks for clarifying. That's a very good pointer!

 

[MeGaKiLlErMaN]

I have not purchased any hydro stuff yet, I'm trying to figure everything out first. (I have my lights though.)

For the "EcoPlus 1/4Hp Water Chiller" that's the rated gph in the description, it is rated 80 gallons, which is roughly what my entire system was going to be more or less. (The 1/4HP is $800 and the chiller one size down is $700. But the chiller one size up which is 1/2Hp is $1150.)

I thought I was suppose to choose the chiller based on my total system size, but if I'm running it in it's own loop, I suppose it makes more sense to size it according to the small container in it's loop. (And not my entire system, as if I was running it inline with nutes going through it.) Although the $700 chiller was the smallest water chiller I found, so I figured spend the extra $100 and get the "middle" option.




Ahh thanks for clarifying. That's a very good pointer!

1/10HP works perfect for my 12 plant site. no need to pay more unless you need it. Each one is a 5 gal bucket that goes back to a nute rez. 3 5x5 areas.

 

[ttystikk]

Better insulated tubsites reduce the load on the chiller.

 

[rkymtnman]

I have not purchased any hydro stuff yet, I'm trying to figure everything out first. (I have my lights though.)

For the "EcoPlus 1/4Hp Water Chiller" that's the rated gph in the description, it is rated 80 gallons, which is roughly what my entire system was going to be more or less. (The 1/4HP is $800 and the chiller one size down is $700. But the chiller one size up which is 1/2Hp is $1150.)

I thought I was suppose to choose the chiller based on my total system size, but if I'm running it in it's own loop, I suppose it makes more sense to size it according to the small container in it's loop. (And not my entire system, as if I was running it inline with nutes going through it.) Although the $700 chiller was the smallest water chiller I found, so I figured spend the extra $100 and get the "middle" option.




Ahh thanks for clarifying. That's a very good pointer!

find a 1/10 if you can. i think mine was an activeaqua brand. off discounthydro.com if i remember correctly

 

[dstroy]

I don't run RDWC but I do have a chiller set up and has been running for about a year.

I use that rubber a/c pipe insulation on the coolant lines too, works really well. Side bonus is that it stops condensation from forming. I was surprised that so many people were running nutrient solution through their chillers instead of doing a closed loop, because they're not exactly cheap. From an equipment maintenance standpoint alone it makes the most sense to use closed loop.

I also like to put a drop or two of dawn in the coolant res for a surfactant. Doing that makes the entire system more efficient. Can't do that with an open loop design. Don't use distilled water by itself.

 

[Joint Monster]

With RDWC there are more parts to clean and more points of failure imo, they are awesome when running but I prefer each reservoir to be completely independent of all others, just my preference.

Smaller independent reservoirs allow quick responsive action for flushing without having to clear the entire system. I had a friend who ran 100g reservoirs and it was the most retarded waste of water i'd seen in some time.

I am a little worried about water consumption, but if I'm only changing out the complete system once a week or maybe two weeks, hopefully it is not too expensive. Much better than lugging around soil buckets though.
What I liked about RDWC is that it simplifies things for me. I only have to deal with one main reservoir for nutrients and ph, and if it is a decent size it is fairly independent (I should be able to leave it alone for a few days without worry.)

I'm debating 4" or 3" lines for the bottoms. But that, plus junctions periodically, should help out a lot with maintenance.
I've also heard of people putting "river rocks" in front of the 3" or 4" piping in the containers to diffuse the water and slow it down a bit, and help with roots going through.

@MeGaKiLlErMaN Are you also running your Chiller in it's own loop, or is your's inline?


[Chillers]
EcoPlus 1/4HP (Local hydro store) $800
EcoPlus 1/10HP (Local hydro store) $700
ActiveAqua 1/4HP (amazon free shipping) $656
Activa Aqua 1/10HP (amazon free shipping) $500

If I go with local pickup imo. it makes more sense to take the Eco 1/4HP. If I go amazon then the Aqua 1/10hp is pretty well priced. The only thing is that (other than your suggestions) I have no idea how to adequately size the chiller in it's own loop. If it's only a 15gal "coolant" reservoir, then going through the Wort, is that Wort (with a 1/10HP chiller) going to be cold enough to keep the entire system (~100gal.) at an appropriate temperature?

@dstroy Thanks for the tips! I'll look into insulation for the piping. So a Drop of Dawn (and the grease is gone?! ...lol just kidding) plus some R/o water in the "coolant" reservoir? ..interesting!
^Would you also recommend additionally, some type of "cleaner" like hydrogen peroxide? Or does Dawn do the job.


...PS. I'm really enjoying this conversation, and finding this thread has Massive Value! So Thanks to everyone who's contributed so far!

 

[dstroy]

I am a little worried about water consumption, but if I'm only changing out the complete system once a week or maybe two weeks, hopefully it is not too expensive. Much better than lugging around soil buckets though.
What I liked about RDWC is that it simplifies things for me. I only have to deal with one main reservoir for nutrients and ph, and if it is a decent size it is fairly independent (I should be able to leave it alone for a few days without worry.)

I'm debating 4" or 3" lines for the bottoms. But that, plus junctions periodically, should help out a lot with maintenance.
I've also heard of people putting "river rocks" in front of the 3" or 4" piping in the containers to diffuse the water and slow it down a bit, and help with roots going through.

@MeGaKiLlErMaN Are you also running your Chiller in it's own loop, or is your's inline?


[Chillers]
EcoPlus 1/4HP (Local hydro store) $800
EcoPlus 1/10HP (Local hydro store) $700
ActiveAqua 1/4HP (amazon free shipping) $656
Activa Aqua 1/10HP (amazon free shipping) $500

If I go with local pickup imo. it makes more sense to take the Eco 1/4HP. If I go amazon then the Aqua 1/10hp is pretty well priced. The only thing is that (other than your suggestions) I have no idea how to adequately size the chiller in it's own loop. If it's only a 15gal "coolant" reservoir, then going through the Wort, is that Wort (with a 1/10HP chiller) going to be cold enough to keep the entire system (~100gal.) at an appropriate temperature?

@dstroy Thanks for the tips! I'll look into insulation for the piping. So a Drop of Dawn (and the grease is gone?! ...lol just kidding) plus some R/o water in the "coolant" reservoir? ..interesting!


...PS. I'm really enjoying this conversation, and finding this thread has Massive Value! So Thanks to everyone who's contributed so far!

You still size the chiller for the total volume of water being cooled. So coolant + reservoir, then the larger your reservoir is, the more heat exchanger surface area you need, otherwise the chiller will short cycle because it’s chilling the coolant faster than the immersion coil can transfer the heat to the coolant. I think 50’ would be a long enough immersion chiller at 3/8” diameter for 100 gallons, but you can’t go too big here even though at some point the return on increasing the exchanger surface area will diminish significantly so buy the longest one in your budget without undersizing. Don’t forget that you need adequate circulation across the coil too, because if you don’t it won’t work well, and you’ll be unhappy.

I use tap water, and treat it with bleach once a month to keep it “sterile”, and use the dish soap for a surfactant.

 

[dstroy]

It’s pretty straightforward to set up a closed loop, and it’s easy to add separate extra loops if you expand. All I use mine for is my cloner and main res.

First pic is the res, with the coil. That thing on the right side of the res is a power head. Second pic is inside the “coolant res”. Third just shows where I chose to cut a hole for coolant lines.

 

[MeGaKiLlErMaN]

I am a little worried about water consumption, but if I'm only changing out the complete system once a week or maybe two weeks, hopefully it is not too expensive. Much better than lugging around soil buckets though.
What I liked about RDWC is that it simplifies things for me. I only have to deal with one main reservoir for nutrients and ph, and if it is a decent size it is fairly independent (I should be able to leave it alone for a few days without worry.)

I'm debating 4" or 3" lines for the bottoms. But that, plus junctions periodically, should help out a lot with maintenance.
I've also heard of people putting "river rocks" in front of the 3" or 4" piping in the containers to diffuse the water and slow it down a bit, and help with roots going through.

@MeGaKiLlErMaN Are you also running your Chiller in it's own loop, or is your's inline?


[Chillers]
EcoPlus 1/4HP (Local hydro store) $800
EcoPlus 1/10HP (Local hydro store) $700
ActiveAqua 1/4HP (amazon free shipping) $656
Activa Aqua 1/10HP (amazon free shipping) $500

If I go with local pickup imo. it makes more sense to take the Eco 1/4HP. If I go amazon then the Aqua 1/10hp is pretty well priced. The only thing is that (other than your suggestions) I have no idea how to adequately size the chiller in it's own loop. If it's only a 15gal "coolant" reservoir, then going through the Wort, is that Wort (with a 1/10HP chiller) going to be cold enough to keep the entire system (~100gal.) at an appropriate temperature?

@dstroy Thanks for the tips! I'll look into insulation for the piping. So a Drop of Dawn (and the grease is gone?! ...lol just kidding) plus some R/o water in the "coolant" reservoir? ..interesting!
^Would you also recommend additionally, some type of "cleaner" like hydrogen peroxide? Or does Dawn do the job.


...PS. I'm really enjoying this conversation, and finding this thread has Massive Value! So Thanks to everyone who's contributed so far!

Inline, the only way to go.

 

[Joint Monster]

@dstroy Looks good mate!

Inline, the only way to go.

Could you explain why you say that? (Most of what I've been reading seems to concur it is better for the chiller to be run in it's own loop.)