Hydro System Timing

Is a hydro system running constantly or is it on a timer? To run water and lights. and do these 2 run at the same time. I am building my own. i have done a ton of research but have not come across that answer yet. Any and all suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

roosterboy1 said:

Is a hydro system running constantly or is it on a timer? To run water and lights. and do these 2 run at the same time. I am building my own. i have done a ton of research but have not come across that answer yet. Any and all suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

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no one usually comes accross this answer. i cant tell you specifically either, all i can tell you is what i will be trying:

15 minutes on every 2 hours during light, 15 minutes on every 4 hours in dark.

so your pump will be running for 15 minutes, after 2 hours have passed it will run for 15 mins again.

I only feed mine while the lights are on, and i do it 4 times per day

nongreenthumb said:

I only feed mine while the lights are on, and i do it 4 times per day

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Is this your regular method of irrigation for your plants?

im kinda new at this but from what ive learned and from the limited amount of personal experience i have gained, the only thing that should be on 24/7 in a hydroponics system is ur air pump. as far as timing ur lights and pumps goes, in my drip hydro system my lights cut on at midnight and shut off at 6pm and my pump is set to water my plants 3 times a day at 15 minute intervals, which has been workin great for me so far. What kind of system are u wantin to u?

How long you water for, depends on how much water retention your system has. As long has your medium stays moist, your roots will not dry out, however you do also want your roots some time to get oxygen to them.
This is why in a hydro system most all mediums have both water and air retention. So what I'm saying is you can try different feeding schedules, to find what is best for your plants in your system.
I have used aero and hydro and soil.

Aero I did 15 miuntes on, 30 minutes off, and feed 15 minutes every two hours at night, just to make sure the roots would not dry out.

Hydro, I run a drip system, that later ends up a bubbler (GH Hydrofarm)
I have run it for 15 minutes on every hour during the day, and off at night.
Now i run it with a small drip continuously during the day and off at night.
My plants do not droop. Once the roots grow down into the resivoir, i run my system 24/7.

You know when your plants need water, or are overwatered by if they start to wilt. Then you adjust your feeding accordingly.

Gl

Nice advice

TheresNoLuckLikeBudLuck said:

How long you water for, depends on how much water retention your system has. As long has your medium stays moist, your roots will not dry out, however you do also want your roots some time to get oxygen to them.
This is why in a hydro system most all mediums have both water and air retention. So what I'm saying is you can try different feeding schedules, to find what is best for your plants in your system.
I have used aero and hydro and soil.

Aero I did 15 miuntes on, 30 minutes off, and feed 15 minutes every two hours at night, just to make sure the roots would not dry out.

Hydro, I run a drip system, that later ends up a bubbler (GH Hydrofarm)
I have run it for 15 minutes on every hour during the day, and off at night.
Now i run it with a small drip continuously during the day and off at night.
My plants do not droop. Once the roots grow down into the resivoir, i run my system 24/7.

You know when your plants need water, or are overwatered by if they start to wilt. Then you adjust your feeding accordingly.

Gl

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Thats good advice dude

I run a hydro unit.
I am currently in flower mode.
So on a timer, the lights run 12/12.
My pump is on a 2nd timer. It runs 15 minutes, off 45 minutes. Same scenario every hour. Even in darkness it runs for the 15 minutes every hour.
Plants are doing great.

i really need to buy a timer that works good for this, can someone please forward me to a timer they use for the lights and for the feeder so i can set the proper intervals?

http://www.bghydro.com/BGH/itemdesc.asp?ic=TIBDD&eq=&Tp= this one any good?

I bought mine from the hardware store.
15 bucks.

its not electronic or LCD. It has the push pins for timer.

daisydobey said:

http://www.bghydro.com/BGH/itemdesc.asp?ic=TIBDD&eq=&Tp= this one any good?

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Hi, that one will work good or you could just go to walmart and pick up the Brinks one that is slightly better than the one you posted for around $20... it was like $18 and some change.

What am I missing here? When he says he is running a hydro system, which kind is he referring to? I assume ebb and flow since you guys are talking about the pump being turned on and off? I run a DWC, and the only thing on a timer is my light, my pump runs 24/7. I would not want to turn it off because my roots live in there, they would drown. So tell me you guys are speaking of ebb and flow and not a DWC hydro setup. Peace.

I feed both my gardens 3 times a day, the veggies for 10 mins, the flowering ones for 15 minutes. I do not feed duing lights off. I use ebb/flow.

im running a top feed drip hydro 10 gallon tank with 6 nets at top

BangWhosNxt said:

Hi, that one will work good or you could just go to walmart and pick up the Brinks one that is slightly better than the one you posted for around $20... it was like $18 and some change.

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i was looking at those today! but i was reading the back, and it didnt say how much watts it can handle? does this even matter? because i want the dual one i saw at walmart for like 18 bucks

i think im gonna go with the cheaper of the two below that i found cause this one has 20 on and 20 off settings in a day which would work good with my top feeder
the one at walmart and the one i linked on the first post only have 8 on/off day

http://www.smarthome.com/20461/Indoor-Electronic-Programmable-Plug-In-Timer-with-Front-LCD-High-Wattage-ET-170/p.aspx

or this

http://www.smarthome.com/20462/Indoor-Electronic-Programmable-Plug-In-Timer-with-Top-LCD-High-Wattage-ET160/p.aspx

Overview

• Heavy duty on/off timer switch for loads up to 1800W, 15A
• 20 programmable timed events from one to seven days a week, random mode and countdown timer
• Programming made easy with a oversized front-facing LCD display and large buttons
• Clock, manual on/off, Summer/Winter daylight savings feature and battery backup

Essential Info

This Indoor Electronic Programmable Plug-In Timer with Top LCD is an excellent choice for regulating your interior lights and other electronics into an automated on/off cycle by setting up to 20 programs from one to seven days a week. Programs can be set as an on/off timed function, countdown function and three modes of random functions. It also functions as a clock with an optional daylight savings feature. With batteries installed, you can move the timer from place to place without losing the programming memory. Use it for a few indoor lights to keep you from coming home to a dark house or to give your home that lived in appearance by using the random function to help deter criminals while you are away. A manual on/off button is a convenient option if you wish to override your current timer status. By limiting the amount of time your lights are on you can significantly reduce the amount of energy being used and eliminate the cost for that energy. It is a great low cost way to automate your lighting up to 1800W (or 15A) and control the amount of power they are using.


Manuals/Software

• Owner's Manual

What's Included

Heavy Duty Indoor Electronic Programmable Plug-In Timer with Top LCD
Owner's manual
Two button cell batteries

More Info

Simple Programming
Sometimes trying to program electronic devices is difficult and counterintuitive but you will have this indoor timer programmed in no time. The included instructions lead you through the initial programming in an easy to follow, step-by-step process. With this timer you can program your lights on a 7-day cycle, which gives the illusion you're home when you're on vacation. Give yourself added safety and security knowing that your home will have that lived in appearance while you are gone. With the random function on "short" your lights will turn on and off between one to two hours, on "long" for two to four hours, or you can program your own random times in a specific one to two hour range.

Battery Backup
The batteries serve to back up the clock and programs while it is unplugged. The battery life is around 1 year when the Timer is not connected to the power outlet. If you plan to leave the Timer unplugged for a long period of time, you may want to remove the batteries from the Timer.

Specifications

[FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial]Manufacturer:[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial]UPM Marketring[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial]Manufacturer Product No.:[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial]ET160[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial]UPC:[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial]836637000126[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial]Maximum # of Programs:[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial]20 [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial]Power Rating:[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial]120V AC, 15A[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial]Maximum Load:[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial]1800W resistive, 600W tungsten [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial]Minimum Switching Time:[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial]One minute[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial]Warranty:[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial]One year limited[/FONT]