Typical recommendations is to run 3 psi below set pump pressure in the ackumulator tank. I'm planning on running my system on 110psi on the pump with 107psi set on the ackumulator tank. Pressure switch at 100psi.
Any cheap digital timer can run several solenoids ast the same time. Most of the timers can handle at least 10 amps, and most solenoids are about 0.5 amps, so you dont need a special controller.
Thats not needed and may remove some of your nutes.
www.freshwatersystems.com
If you are talking about the pressure for the bladder inside the tank being set to 3PSI below the operating pressure, I agree.
ON pressure lol. Having a range of 100-110psi would be optimal but like you wrote I may have to adjust this depending on ackumulator tank size and plant count. I may even use 80-110. I think the max pressure for the pump is 110psi but like everything I have to try it out for myself.If you are talking about the pressure for the bladder inside the tank being set to 3PSI below the operating pressure, I agree.
When you say the pressure switch is set to 100 PSI, is that the cut ON pressure - the pressure the pump turns ON at, or the pressure the pump turns OFF at?
Im missing something either way. If thats the turn ON pressure, then you have a very narrow range and the pump will cycle very often. if its the cut OFF pressure, then how do you get to 110 PSI?
Sorry, I havent had all my coffee yet
I have the "8800" pumps and The most I was able to get was 120psi and it's not easy to do that it's a Ballance act with pressure switch and like I said before I was confused on how to get it all dialed in I broke 2 pressure sensors trying but finally figured it out , it definitely a learning experience and as @Larry3215 explained now it all makes sense and I didn't even know about having a pressure regulator that I feel is one of the most important pieces to it ! But regardless I'm still learning and will never stop there is just too much to know
Yeah, the accumulator tank serves two purposes. The larger the tank, the less often the pump has to cycle, which means it will last longer. It also allows you to add the pressure reducer/regulator which means you can have a more uniform spray.
Aquatec specs are all over the place. I spent weeks emailing their tech dept asking questions because the listed specs on different web sites were not consistent at all. Turns out even aquatec doesnt know what the true specs are. Part of that is not all 8800 pumps have the same cut off pressure setting. Its in the model numbers.
Yeah the specs and model numbers is a fucking mess.Yeah, the accumulator tank serves two purposes. The larger the tank, the less often the pump has to cycle, which means it will last longer. It also allows you to add the pressure reducer/regulator which means you can have a more uniform spray.
The ideal condition in any HPA or AA grow would be to have an absolutely uniform mist, that was perfectly and evenly distributed all through your root chamber, and that never faded away or got stronger. Your roots would be absolutely happy if they could always have the perfect, unchanging, mist environment.
Goldilocks in other words - not too much and not too little, but just right all the time
Obviously we cant do that with our current tech, so we have to do the best we can. Part of that is having each mist cycle be the same as the last one. That means you need to have the same pressure each time - or as close as possible.
Your situation is different than what @Rdubz and I are after. We want fuzzy roots above all else, and that requires a higher standard of operation. Since you dont care about fuzzy roots, you can get away with things we cant.
Aquatec specs are all over the place. I spent weeks emailing their tech dept asking questions because the listed specs on different web sites were not consistent at all. Turns out even aquatec doesnt know what the true specs are. Part of that is not all 8800 pumps have the same cut off pressure setting. Its in the model numbers.
One thing that is often confusing is that the "pressure adjustment" thats on the pump itself isnt really a pressure adjustment - its a by-pass adjustment. You are actually adjusting a bleed valve that lets hi pressure bleed back to the low pressure side. This works along with the exterior pressure switch. The maximum pressure is actually determined by which one of the two is set to the LOWEST setting. You can actually run some models up to 160 PSI IIRC.
In any case, with an accumulator tank, the idea situation is to have the maximum spread between the hi and low cut off points.
From my understanding the pressure switch is what actually turns the pump on and off. It is first connected to the power supply then to the pump acting as a braker for the pump.
wow that's a good find I wish I seen it few days ago but yes this is part of the experience lol , so I have the 80 psi ones and I feel they are best ones for me since I'm not going any where near that 150psi ,
For sure , FYI I'm not a new grower here just new in HPA but yes my goal is to push the envelope with the best medicine I can make for the ones that need it the most , I have been running flood and drain tables for Years now, That was all I knew and now I'm in love with everything about HPA . Been researching is for about 1 year before I started Building anything , been a journey and now since Joining this community I have learned more in this short time Than I would of on my own I know that.
Yes. Thats exactly what I was saying above. The by-pass setting on the pump limits the max pressure the pump can reach - no matter what the pressure switch is set to. You may need to adjust both to get the range of pressures you want.
Thats not a bad idea, but you dont need to worry that your roots will instantly die if the system looses power or a pump fails. Roots can survive several hours easily with no misting. More than long enough for you to replace a pump or switch.
I agree on most things but if the pressure switch stops working the pump won't run. That's at least how my Seaflo pump works. I've read about people installing them without pressure switch flooding the basement. Lol.
Are you using 3/8" tubing for everything? Or is that the main run and then down sizing to 1/4"?
Main lines are 3/8", down to 1/4" by the solenoid valves/nozzles. Cheers!
That's actually really smart , so I have the aquatec pumps 8800 that are equiped with 1/4" QC . Did u get your pump with the 3/8" inlet and outlet or did u use upside fitting ? Sorry I'm just asking for my own purposes if I where to do that in my case going from the 1/4" at the pump and converting it to the 3/8" would it make a difference or does it make no sense and I should just buy the right pump?
True. I was only talking about your ability to set the max pressure on the pump and the pressure differential range.
LOL That pressure reducer worked just fine for me.
This is absolutely not true.
For a smallish to medium grow - say up to 30 or 40 nozzles with a flow rate of aprox 1 GPH each, the tubing size doesnt matter as far as function. You will not see any significant pressure drops that effect the nozzle performance. Even if you had a large grow with 40 nozzles, you could just increase the pressure reducer setting slightly to off set any slight drop. The flow rate is too low for it to be a serious factor. 1/4" will work just as well as 3/8".
Ya definitely don't need 3/8" then I'm not a big outfit it's just me myself and I trickiting in my basementTrue. I was only talking about your ability to set the max pressure on the pump and the pressure differential range.
LOL That pressure reducer worked just fine for me.
View attachment 4800805View attachment 4800806
That is a single C99 plant grown with that reducer and 4 HPA nozzles. Stem was 2 1/8" in diameter at the base. Over 1200 gms dry weight yield from one plant in a 7.3 sq ft tent The white - fuzzy - roots nearly filled a 56 gallon root chamber.
I dont think you understand how this is supposed to work, but remember - we want fuzzy roots.
First - this wont work well at all unless you are using an accumulator tank. Second, you must always have MORE pressure built up in the accumulator tank than what the nozzles are running at. Thats why you use a pressure reducer. The pump pressure settings are supposed to make sure two things happen. The tank always has that higher pressure and it keeps the pump from cycling so often.
This is absolutely not true.
The pressure reducer is there for only one reason - to keep the nozzle pressure as CONSTANT as possible. Thats because pressure variations make a HUGE difference in the quality of the mist. Droplet size is directly related to the pressure. Its the pressure and only the pressure that determines droplet size for any given nozzle. Lower pressures = larger droplets.
If your goal is to get fuzzy roots, then you need to control the nozzle pressure as precisely as possible. Allowing the nozzle pressure to vary from 80 to 100 PSI means you will be making a very wide range of droplets. The largest ones will be wasted nutes and will inhibit fuzzy hairs from growing. The smallest may be too small to do the job properly. Very small droplets - 5 microns and smaller - are considered "dry" and dont transfer enough water to keep roots healthy.
This is also why you want ADV's (anti-drip valves) on the nozzles if possible, and a separate solenoid for each nozzle, and keep it as close to the nozzle as possible.
All of these things work together to help you have control over the droplet size and the resulting mist quality.
Again, you might not care about mist quality or droplet sizes or hang time, but remember - we want fuzzy roots. To get fuzzy roots you need correctly sized droplets in a mist that hangs around for a minimum of 1 minute and preferably longer.
There is nothing wrong with smooth roots, but fuzzy roots are a step up.
Every single detail I have been talking about is directed towards that single goal of creating a mist environment that will allow fuzzy roots to grow. Fuzzy roots are the cats meow
For a smallish to medium grow - say up to 30 or 40 nozzles with a flow rate of aprox 1 GPH each, the tubing size doesnt matter as far as function. You will not see any significant pressure drops that effect the nozzle performance. Even if you had a large grow with 40 nozzles, you could just increase the pressure reducer setting slightly to off set any slight drop. The flow rate is too low for it to be a serious factor. 1/4" will work just as well as 3/8".
The difference will be felt in your wallet though if you dont try to keep all the components with the same size fittings. Reducers and adapters can easily end up costing more than all the rest of your plumbing combined. If your pump is 1/4", then try to get solenoids, nozzles, valves, filters, regulators, gauges, etc etc all with 1/4". Other than that, it doesnt matter either way.
Thanks man so couple design flaws on my part imo. First of all the way I have it drain still has maybe 1 " of water before it can roll into the balkhead I can't think of anyother way unless I just drill few wholes in the bottom and then let that drain into a sip tray same concept how @Wastei has the 2 bucket setup same concept it can be pumped out bottom tray and then on the other hand that brings me to another thing I was noticing when I opened the lid to look at the roots it felt stagnant too humid if there is a such thing but it felt like it should be aired out if u know what I mean .... So that brings me back to what you told me from the start I should make the chamber out of breathable meterial, ya I think that's the way to go , so now I am trying to still possible use the plastic tote but some how vent it with the fabric from the fabric pots Idk if it would even work I'm trying to wrap my head around what a breathable chamber looks like can I build it with PVC frame and wrap it with fabric but then how do I build foam around it ? I read some of older post and I think u said to build walls around the outside and fabric liner on the inside but I guess I can't visualize it in my head I don't know how u make the gap there! Anyway this has been a awesome learning experience and I can't wait to be able to give my brother some of the best medicine he can get he deals with rheumatoid arthritis it helps his inflammation so much better than any doctor can give it's amazing the power of the plant lolHow much room you need for each plant depends to some degree on the length of the grow. That pic with the super full chamber from a single plant was a C99 mostly sativa plant that I let veg for a loooong time. Total grow time was something like 5 months.
Im now only growing autos with a max of about 3 months from seed to harvest, and the chamber doesnt get nearly that full. Still, I dont think its a good idea to crowd the roots. You cant help but get areas that get too little mist and the nozzles will get over grown that much sooner.
I have three autos in the chamber now with two nozzles, and I ve already had to reach in twice and clear roots away from one of th enozzles because it keeps getting blocked by roots from one plant that sits just a little too close.
Be sure that Jungle Juice doesnt have any organic components. I had horrible luck with AN PH perfect.
That baby looks happy to me