Need some DIY help

duudical

duudical

Well-Known Member
I am building a 4 site + Res bucket farm and wanted to have aeroponic misters in each bucket. My setup is as follows:

(1) 5 Gallon bucket with lid (holes and grommets for 1/4" tubing coming from reservoir to growing buckets, power cord, air lines etc
(4) 5 Gallon buckets with netpot lids
(1) 500 GPH submersible pump
(1) Air pump + airstones
(4) 360-degree misters
1/4" manifold connected to a 1/2" extender connected to the water pump outlet

Each grow bucket has a 1/2" hole + grommet which takes a 1/2" drain valve (so I can shut individual buckets off if needed and maintain them individually while the system is connected or even running).

The reservoir has (2) 1/2 drain valves (serving as a return for 2 grow buckets each)

So, in theory, the reservoir solution is pumped out through the 1/4" mister lines to each bucket where it is affixed below the netpot in order to spray the root system with oxygenated nutrient solution. The water then is returned to the reservoir via the drain I installed in each grow bucket through 1/2" tubing that connects the grow buckets to the reservoir.

Everything runs and no leaks - all in all I think I successfully put it together correctly, but there is one issue that is bugging the shit out of me. The pressure out of the sprayers - even when I only have one running - is abysmal. It doesn't so much as "spray" as it kind of "drip-sprays". I had this same issue with a 300gph pump that I replaced with the 500gph pump - but, same issue.

What am I doing wrong here. I have tried three different 1/4" manifolds (everything from a big tree of outlets to a little cap that screws onto the riser out of the pump that has two 1/4" outlets. Still shitty pressure.

Anyone have any ideas about what may be causing this and what I am missing?

Thanks. Peace. Stay lifted.
 
J

jamesvagabond

Well-Known Member
duudical said:
I am building a 4 site + Res bucket farm and wanted to have aeroponic misters in each bucket. My setup is as follows:

(1) 5 Gallon bucket with lid (holes and grommets for 1/4" tubing coming from reservoir to growing buckets, power cord, air lines etc
(4) 5 Gallon buckets with netpot lids
(1) 500 GPH submersible pump
(1) Air pump + airstones
(4) 360-degree misters
1/4" manifold connected to a 1/2" extender connected to the water pump outlet

Each grow bucket has a 1/2" hole + grommet which takes a 1/2" drain valve (so I can shut individual buckets off if needed and maintain them individually while the system is connected or even running).

The reservoir has (2) 1/2 drain valves (serving as a return for 2 grow buckets each)

So, in theory, the reservoir solution is pumped out through the 1/4" mister lines to each bucket where it is affixed below the netpot in order to spray the root system with oxygenated nutrient solution. The water then is returned to the reservoir via the drain I installed in each grow bucket through 1/2" tubing that connects the grow buckets to the reservoir.

Everything runs and no leaks - all in all I think I successfully put it together correctly, but there is one issue that is bugging the shit out of me. The pressure out of the sprayers - even when I only have one running - is abysmal. It doesn't so much as "spray" as it kind of "drip-sprays". I had this same issue with a 300gph pump that I replaced with the 500gph pump - but, same issue.

What am I doing wrong here. I have tried three different 1/4" manifolds (everything from a big tree of outlets to a little cap that screws onto the riser out of the pump that has two 1/4" outlets. Still shitty pressure.

Anyone have any ideas about what may be causing this and what I am missing?

Thanks. Peace. Stay lifted.
Click to expand...
Are all your lines of equal length? Might want to add a solenoid before the manifold to assist with pressure loss during "pressure charging" and prevent that peeing that you are seeing out of the nozzles. Actually the solenoid could better serve your cause if it is positioned just after the manifold, and time it to come on a second after the pump so it builds pressure. I don't know how easy that will be with multiple lines, maybe some check valves will help. These are questions for Atomizer but I haven't heard much from him recently. Hope this helps. People have had really positive feedback with the aquatech 8800 pump. PSI is what you are after, not so much flow rate though they do correlate.
 
powerslide

powerslide

Well-Known Member
Pictures of the manifold and lines might help. From your description it sounds like the out side of the pump has 1/4in then goes to 1/2in which would be backwards. You want to start big and get smaller.


forget what i said above i see you are running what appears to be 1/4in to all the buckets. I would run a 1/2in pvc and then insert the 1/4in tubes seperately.
 
B

Bear Country

Well-Known Member
Have you checked the flow rate of the pump by itself...before and connectins...just the pump output to see what kind of flow its putting out. James questioned the length of the lines...he makes a good point as in your fluid will take the path of least resistance...but...there is something else going on here because at the very least you should have adiquate pressure at the first supply port.....something is restricting the flow?????
 
B

Bear Country

Well-Known Member
Does the pump have a built in check valve or did it come with a seperate check that you installed into the pump? Make sure that all componets are installed in the proper directional flow....install a part backwards and it will fuck you head up for days!!!!
 
dbkick

dbkick

Well-Known Member
I used to like to build systems with all the pumps and sprayers I could stick in them. unless you have a chiller on the system OR cycle the sprayer pump you're gonna get heat.
I tried running those the type of misters I THINK you're running. I found thru a manifold and 1/4 inch line the sprayers won't work with a low pressure pump. drilling/tapping and screwing the misters into 1/2 inch pvc though does work.
 
dbkick

dbkick

Well-Known Member
if you're trying to do something like this it won't work.
in the photo there's a 396 gph in the bucket with the manifold. won't run one sprayer thru 1/4 inch tubing, screwed into 1/2 inch pvc the same pump will run many sprayers. sprayers that will soon clog with bits of roots and shit.
 

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duudical

duudical

Well-Known Member
Seriously awesome help everyone. Thanks so much!

Yeah, I will check into the PSI. I am contemplating just doing top-feed drip rings a la waterfarm if I can't get it to work. I was copying a system I saw on eBay that just had standard shit. Of course, I have never actually seen it and maybe it doesn't work that great either :)

I did find some interesting solution that I might try out though. Probably will try the Aquatech 6800 pump first since it is around $100 and can run more than enough lines at 80+ PSI. Plus, it is external and not submersible so maybe it won't impact water temp in the reservoir so much.

I have a good DWC system and grow quite a bit in coco - those all work great, just trying to get all hi-tech and fancy and see what I can do to maximize the potential of my grow area and setup.

Thanks again RIU community - you rule!
 
duudical

duudical

Well-Known Member
dbkick said:
I used to like to build systems with all the pumps and sprayers I could stick in them. unless you have a chiller on the system OR cycle the sprayer pump you're gonna get heat.
I tried running those the type of misters I THINK you're running. I found thru a manifold and 1/4 inch line the sprayers won't work with a low pressure pump. drilling/tapping and screwing the misters into 1/2 inch pvc though does work.
Click to expand...
I am going to try your 1/2" suggestion - just run 1/2" line from the pump out of the res to the grow buckets with sprayers tapped in. I will let you know how it goes.
 
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