Ok, I give...... Need some advise..

guerrilla medic said:

the 1/2 inch line is where your gonna run into a headache. it might work ok in your test run depending on the size of your pump, but once those buckets are full of roots you're going to have problems with flow. you'll want to use as small a pump as possible to avoid overflowing bucket #1.

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Well, just as I thought, trial run = FAIL! You were correct, bucket number 1 wants to over flow, and the suction created in the main tub from the pump is sucking bucket number 6 dry.

Here is my thought on saving this system; off the pump coming staight up to a 8 way sprinkler head, I install a "T" and off that "T" I add a 1/2" valve and run it open straight back in the main tank. Wondering if that would kill enough flow to the buckets?

If u add equalizer pipe and rig it up the way i showed in that picture it will flow smoothly man honestly ive been thru like 30 different variables with hooking my bucket system up and the one in the pic is going smooth nice flow and my buckets are all equal one pump inline couldnt be much easier a little more work yes but well worth it in my opinion

onthedl0008 said:

If u add equalizer pipe and rig it up the way i showed in that picture it will flow smoothly man honestly ive been thru like 30 different variables with hooking my bucket system up and the one in the pic is going smooth nice flow and my buckets are all equal one pump inline couldnt be much easier a little more work yes but well worth it in my opinion

Click to expand...

Finally got it; I hope! Lol... Sorry I missed the "equalizer pipe", would of made it easy on myself. I added a 1/2 ball valve to control the bucket flow/water level, and I added a 3/4 ball valve to control head pressure and bucket flow. Sounds strange, cause I'm baked! I'll do a write-up with pics in the morning; it's munchie time!

Thanks again for the help!

AKBud said:

Well, just as I thought, trial run = FAIL! You were correct, bucket number 1 wants to over flow, and the suction created in the main tub from the pump is sucking bucket number 6 dry.

Here is my thought on saving this system; off the pump coming staight up to a 8 way sprinkler head, I install a "T" and off that "T" I add a 1/2" valve and run it open straight back in the main tank. Wondering if that would kill enough flow to the buckets?

Click to expand...

I did something very similar to partition the flow in my system (add a T and use a ball valve as a throttlable waste gate).
The other thing I'd suggest is to feed each bucket individually by splitting the supply via a manifold or "spider", and having each bucket drain from its own short 1'2" drain line into a plenum/pipe of larger diameter that returns to the reservoir. This would benefit from having a ball valve or equivalent on each branch of the supply "spider" to make sure some gets to each bucket. cn

AKBud said:

Finally got it; I hope! Lol... Sorry I missed the "equalizer pipe", would of made it easy on myself. I added a 1/2 ball valve to control the bucket flow/water level, and I added a 3/4 ball valve to control head pressure and bucket flow. Sounds strange, cause I'm baked! I'll do a write-up with pics in the morning; it's munchie time!

Thanks again for the help!

Click to expand...

Cool man yea i have three different versions growing right now theres so many dif ways to skin this cat man really.... The equalizer pipe is whats makeing it all happen tho should be fine with half inch hose with all that drainback too one of my rigs was designed with 1/2 inch and its working fine but id def reccomend bigger hose or pipe tho just makes it all flow much better.

sounds like you got her rollin!! you can always throw a timer on the pump if you run into flow issues once you have massive root balls. you guys must run through a lotta hose!! lol