Can someone tell me how to make diy rdwc system

larrypizzimp93

larrypizzimp93

Well-Known Member
I have four 17 gallon totes that hold approx 10 gallons of water. 1 or 2 plants per tote. Guy at my hydro store didn't tell me much on how to make it and when I asked how to connect tubing/pvc he said just drill the size hole and put tubing in it and it won't leak. the tubing for undercurrent. also if someone could tell me how to do waterfall effect too would be appreciated
 
UncleReemis

UncleReemis

Well-Known Member
larrypizzimp93 said:
just drill the size hole and put tubing in it and it won't leak
Click to expand...
Fuck the guy at the hydro store.

You'll need proper hardware and planning. Grommets or other rubber insulators, some type of sealant, precise measurements and cuts. Have all containers connected at the bottoms in a circuit with the res and an additional line that allows water to flow back into the res. Pump water from the res into the circuit, the current will push back into the res from the feedback line. Raise the end of the feedback line above where the water level should be for a waterfall effect. Look at some other designs on the net to get a feel for placement and tube pathing if you haven't done so.
 
larrypizzimp93

larrypizzimp93

Well-Known Member
UncleReemis said:
Fuck the guy at the hydro store.

You'll need proper hardware and planning. Grommets or other rubber insulators, some type of sealant, precise measurements and cuts. Have all containers connected at the bottoms in a circuit with the res and an additional line that allows water to flow back into the res. Pump water from the res into the circuit, the current will push back into the res from the feedback line. Raise the end of the feedback line above where the water level should be for a waterfall effect. Look at some other designs on the net to get a feel for placement and tube pathing if you haven't done so.
Click to expand...
So I drill the hole and put a grommet in it then pvc and a sealant? I have a nice drill bit to cut holes. The main thing I need to know is the parts used to put the tubing/pvc in so I don't have a river in my room
 
F

Frostythesnowman88

Active Member
larrypizzimp93

larrypizzimp93

Well-Known Member
Renfro said:
https://moldresistantstrains.com/diy-how-to-build-undercurrent-hydroponics-system/

Thats one way to do it, the bulkheads will have less chance of leaks than uniseals as @Airwalker16 mentioned. I would ditch the airstones and use waterfalls at the plant site. Perhaps add a chiller if you wanna really do it right.

Draw up your plan and show us, we will give our advice on your setup.
Click to expand...
I have the four totes in a single line. I was gonna use the 55 gallon res from my flo and gro system since it has fill and drain lines. am I able to use that? Or do I need a res that connects to the undercurrent? Also where to drill the holes for the elbows to create the waterfall?
 
HydroLynx

HydroLynx

Well-Known Member
I used epoxy like 10 years ago, it never worked. Glue does not bond with polypropylene plastic which most totes are made out of. Only grommets and bulkhead fittings work. There is a learning curve with everything, esp leaks. Today I managed to get a leaky pump fittng fixed after a whole week of trying everything. Leaks happen and are a serious issue in building rdwc systems.

The best way I recently found is to use wide diameter fittings so flow is maximized, also use long radius bends, sharp elbos slow down the water flow which means you need bigger pump for the same flow rate, but that heats up the solution, which drops dissolved oxygen.
 
Airwalker16

Airwalker16

Well-Known Member
larrypizzimp93 said:
I have the four totes in a single line. I was gonna use the 55 gallon res from my flo and gro system since it has fill and drain lines. am I able to use that? Or do I need a res that connects to the undercurrent? Also where to drill the holes for the elbows to create the waterfall?
Click to expand...
I posted links for you with lots of pics
Use a nice hole saw set and BULKHEADS on so black 4gal buckets or larger sq/Rec totes.
 
Airwalker16

Airwalker16

Well-Known Member
Axion42 said:
^^ this guy helped me with my build..
View attachment 4358323 View attachment 4358324
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And from all the things I'd learned in the process of building it, built an even better system than mine!!!
Lots of mistakes and rid bits along the way have brought me to a pretty concrete setup that works. One thing I could recommend is not to worry about getting the bulkhead as low as you can in the bucket. Sure you want water to flow, but an inch from the bottom is not going to make any difference. The reason I say this is that over time, stuff accumulates and builds up in the bulkheads and after each run its a good idea to leave a very small bit of water in the system to use to rinse a plastic bristle brush you'd use to go over everything. On the smaller system I built, I realized because my uniseals are so close to the bottom of my buckets, it's really difficult to clean. I have to use a towel stretched open to basically "floss" between the space, if that makes sense. That's one thing I'd change now.
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
larrypizzimp93 said:
So I drill the hole and put a grommet in it then pvc and a sealant? I have a nice drill bit to cut holes. The main thing I need to know is the parts used to put the tubing/pvc in so I don't have a river in my room
Click to expand...
Look up bulkhead fittings. They work great!
 
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