How would YOU set this (kinda) RDWC up?

[neckpod]

Yeah I just posted links because they have the size dimensions

Alright mate, Just been looking over you system again and the other post you link me to and i have yet another question lol.. Do you draw the water back to the control via a pump or do you just pump the chilled nutreints back to each tote and this sends the water back towards the control.. so draw or push?

hope that makes sense?

 

[fragileassassin]

Alright mate, Just been looking over you system again and the other post you link me to and i have yet another question lol.. Do you draw the water back to the control via a pump or do you just pump the chilled nutreints back to each tote and this sends the water back towards the control.. so draw or push?

hope that makes sense?

I just pump out of my control res on this system, gravity and my big drains do the rest. If your flow is too much for your drains youll fill your buckets. but youd need really small drains or a massive pump. stay with at least 1.5" imo

 

[Airwalker16]

I just pump out of my control res on this system, gravity and my big drains do the rest. If your flow is too much for your drains youll fill your buckets. but youd need really small drains or a massive pump. stay with at least 1.5" imo

2" min in my opinion

 

[neckpod]

I'm going 2inch for the bottom returns or tote to tote..
And maybe 3/4inch for the chiller return to each tote? Does this sound like it will work or work well?. it's a little different to the shitty bought system thats a struggle at times due to size restrictions and I don't want to be rebuilding for a while.. so do you guys think the 2 inch returns and 3/4 inch chilled waterfall to totes is right? Appreciate all your advice.. never stop learning.

 

[rkymtnman]

I'm going 2inch for the bottom returns or tote to tote..
And maybe 3/4inch for the chiller return to each tote? Does this sound like it will work or work well?. it's a little different to the shitty bought system thats a struggle at times due to size restrictions and I don't want to be rebuilding for a while.. so do you guys think the 2 inch returns and 3/4 inch chilled waterfall to totes is right? Appreciate all your advice.. never stop learning.

i did 1.5 returns and 5/8 heater hose to the totes but bigger is usually better. i centered my drains in the totes which i felt helped keep the roots out of the way better than on the sides.

 

[rkymtnman]

and @neckpod , if you have a floor drain close by, think about running a drain line 3/4pvc off of your 2" returns with a valve. made life super easy, open the valve and it would empty in a few minutes.

 

[Airwalker16]

https://www.rollitup.org/t/i-gotta-lose-the-air-pumps-how-plus-my-awesome-mini-dwc.960807/page-2#post-14251659


Yes, use 3/4" for the MANIFOLD but the actual waterfalls, you want to have some pressure behind I suggest reducing to 1/2".

 

[Airwalker16]

https://www.rollitup.org/t/i-gotta-lose-the-air-pumps-how-plus-my-awesome-mini-dwc.960807/page-3#post-14262160

Better pics for you.

 

[Airwalker16]

I'm going 2inch for the bottom returns or tote to tote..
And maybe 3/4inch for the chiller return to each tote? Does this sound like it will work or work well?. it's a little different to the shitty bought system thats a struggle at times due to size restrictions and I don't want to be rebuilding for a while.. so do you guys think the 2 inch returns and 3/4 inch chilled waterfall to totes is right? Appreciate all your advice.. never stop learning.

Also, you need to chill the entire system via a small pump rated for the GPH of your chiller. The waterfalls need to be on a decent 800-1500GPH pump if you want the pressure and spray needed to get that good good aeration.

 

[neckpod]

and @neckpod , if you have a floor drain close by, think about running a drain line 3/4pvc off of your 2" returns with a valve. made life super easy, open the valve and it would empty in a few minutes.

No drain so pumping for that is my only option at the min.. but cheers for the other info.. can't wait to get building.

 

[neckpod]

Also, you need to chill the entire system via a small pump rated for the GPH of your chiller. The waterfalls need to be on a decent 800-1500GPH pump if you want the pressure and spray needed to get that good good aeration.

Was wandering about that think my chillers max flow is 2500ltr/h so yeah looks like 2 pumps.. and maybe a chiller upgrade aswell soon. Great info thanks again

 

[fragileassassin]

2" min in my opinion

I've put 2400 GPH through mine and the water level stays fine it's just that my chiller doesnt keep up. I've had the 2 1200gph pumps turned down, I have 800s on the way to replace them. Itll have around 1600GPH for a 90 gallon system which seems to be working well for me.

1/4 hp chiller that I have a 450gph circulating through it and water falling back into my control res. I tried using a bigger pump on the chiller and any higher flow rate makes the chiller not work as well. You need to look at what that chiller is rated to chill, not the "max flow". a 1/4 HP one is good for up to 80-100 gallons

 

[rkymtnman]

Was wandering about that think my chillers max flow is 2500ltr/h so yeah looks like 2 pumps.. and maybe a chiller upgrade aswell soon. Great info thanks again

before you upgrade your chiller, you can try what i did that worked fine.

buy a stainless wort chiller (homebrewing supply), a really small pump and a separate 10gal (roughly) container. put the pump in the 10 gal, run it thru the chiller and out to the wort chiller which sits in your control res and then back to the 10 gal. that way you are only running plain water thru your chiller (will last longer) and you don't need a huge chiller. my 1/10 did fine for about 50 gals total volume of water.

 

[fragileassassin]

This will also get you much better pressure and aeration.
The caps were only around 50 cents each and the difference they made was undeniable.
These pics are with 1200 GPH pump per 6 sites all the way up in the first pic and turned down to around 800 with the sprayer.

 

[rkymtnman]

@fragileassassin , that's exaclty what i did. put that on the end of 5/8 heater hose, drilled about 5 1/8 holes and it works just like the kitchen faucet sprayer. it reallly blasted the water.

 

[Airwalker16]

Good idea. I just went from 3/4 to 1/2" and get great pressure.

 

[5BY5LEC]

@fragileassassin , that's exaclty what i did. put that on the end of 5/8 heater hose, drilled about 5 1/8 holes and it works just like the kitchen faucet sprayer. it reallly blasted the water.

I found that my 3/4 heater hose had an affinity to let shit and film grow on the inside. I think it had something to do with the texture on the inside of the hose. I would not use heater hose again. I would go for something vinyl with a smooth wall. For what its worth. Just something to keep an eye out for.

 

[rkymtnman]

I found that my 3/4 heater hose had an affinity to let shit and film grow on the inside. I think it had something to do with the texture on the inside of the hose. I would not use heater hose again. I would go for something vinyl with a smooth wall. For what its worth. Just something to keep an eye out for.

heater hose as in what goes to your heater core in an car? what i used was smooth walled black rubber maybe 1/4" thick roughly.

gates 5/8" heater hose

 

[5BY5LEC]

Yeah just normal heater hose. The kind I got was textured slightly on the inside. Thermoid was the brand. I am pretty sure they are all EPDM anyway. Should not have been a problem....A good part of my return was heater hose and the other sections hard irrigation tubing from HD. All the heater hose sections had a film and odor, while the irrigation tubing did not.

 

[neckpod]

before you upgrade your chiller, you can try what i did that worked fine.

buy a stainless wort chiller (homebrewing supply), a really small pump and a separate 10gal (roughly) container. put the pump in the 10 gal, run it thru the chiller and out to the wort chiller which sits in your control res and then back to the 10 gal. that way you are only running plain water thru your chiller (will last longer) and you don't need a huge chiller. my 1/10 did fine for about 50 gals total volume of water.

The chiller is rated to about 300 to 350ltr so not to big.. Will look into the wort chiller but i thought with these chillers being titanium inside I didn't think the life of it would be shortened by putting nutrients trough it?