problemsolver
Active Member
... one of the most incredible things you can do for your reservoir is to bury it. For example, if you're doing an aerogarden ( 4" pvc , flowing back to a rubbermaid brute 44 gal.) in a basement. Keep the aero table setup on the floor (floor should consist of a plastic vapor barrier, wood deck than polyshield 3/4" foam with reflective side up , aerotable (Def. of aerotable- the 4" pvc piping that the plants are inserted into for the duration of the bloom cycle) sitting on top and pitched for drainage to the almost completely buried 44 gallon reservoir. The reservoir is buried outside(not directly underneath) of the bloom room. Just leave about 3"-4" of the top of the pail above the soil level of the cracked open ( sometimes you need a jackhammer, sometimes you don't) floor. Leave the water level inside the pail about 3" lower than your soil line just to make sure your level never goes above soil line when auto top-off control does it's thing.
Here are the 3 benefits which will undoubtedly make your life easier. 1.) The earth cools your water so well that even 250 watts worth of 24/7 submersible pumping barely makes the reservoir temperature rise above 70 no mater what time of year it is. 2.) Because your aerotable is close to the floor [this advantage being possible because the reservoir is located lower than the floor] when you put the rooted clones in place for the bloom cycle, they get ridiculous amounts of light in the beginning until all the plants get so big that they completely shade the floor, which they must do to get benefit #3.) Now that the aerotable itself is completely shaded by plants the cooling effect of the buried reservoir is not counteracted by the overhead lighting, so long as your room air intake and exhaust is located up top above the lights (1'-2' of air space above the lighting to achieve maximum cooling effect from exhaust fans). Note: You should be vigorously pumping air through the reservoir with an 8" Aluminum Oxide airstone to agitate the water so maximum cooling is achieved. Even if the air going through the airstone is warm due to ambient conditions, most of the air will enter and exit the res too fast to warm it more than the convective action of the coolness of the earth being in intimate contact with the outside of the reservoir.
Here are the 3 benefits which will undoubtedly make your life easier. 1.) The earth cools your water so well that even 250 watts worth of 24/7 submersible pumping barely makes the reservoir temperature rise above 70 no mater what time of year it is. 2.) Because your aerotable is close to the floor [this advantage being possible because the reservoir is located lower than the floor] when you put the rooted clones in place for the bloom cycle, they get ridiculous amounts of light in the beginning until all the plants get so big that they completely shade the floor, which they must do to get benefit #3.) Now that the aerotable itself is completely shaded by plants the cooling effect of the buried reservoir is not counteracted by the overhead lighting, so long as your room air intake and exhaust is located up top above the lights (1'-2' of air space above the lighting to achieve maximum cooling effect from exhaust fans). Note: You should be vigorously pumping air through the reservoir with an 8" Aluminum Oxide airstone to agitate the water so maximum cooling is achieved. Even if the air going through the airstone is warm due to ambient conditions, most of the air will enter and exit the res too fast to warm it more than the convective action of the coolness of the earth being in intimate contact with the outside of the reservoir.