Aeroponics ??? need experienced answers plz

Maxz11

Maxz11

Member
Hola,

Built myself an Aeroponics system and have a few questions and would like only those with first hand experience to answer if they would be so kind.

here is a pic of what I copied from . Mine has 20 sprayers as pictured

system.jpg

It has 2 x 4foot 1/2" pvc feed lines that are tapped 20x to 1/4" line which in turn have 360 deg micro misters on each one

med_gallery_25934_2956_2415.jpg

My Rez is 27 gallons Black one with yellow top from lowes and I plumed it with 1/2" Bulk heads to accept either a submersible or an external pump (prefer external)
I also use GH nutes lucas formula and will run inline filters to stop clogged emitters

I need a pump thats gonna provide enough flow and pressure to make those micro sprinklers work the way there sapposed too, any suggestions?

I had a MAG #3 (350gph) here and it pumps it through but the spray isnt fine like it should be so im stumpped as this is what i read was the the pump to use..(.GH supplies this pump with there aeroflo 20 system)

Also in regard to pump choice I battle heat in the summer and see that submersible pumps will heat the water up. So was thinking id go with a Mag type pump that was able to be hooked up inline. Is this neccesary? how much will a submersible pump raise the temps?

Will the pump need to run 24/7 or will I need a recycle timer? I'd prefer 24/7 from what ive read the majority pump 24/7 pros cons?

I'm a cheap basterd and found this Pump at Harbor Freight and wondered if this would work ?
It has 1" npt connects that i would need to reduce to 1/2" to fit my manifold.
Would doing that create back pressure and make the pump fail prematurly? Plz dont answer if you dont know 100%

Specs for the pump

Power Requirements 120V~ 60Hz 5ADischarge/Intake 1 IN. NPTMaximum Flow 650 GPHMaximum Delivery Height 98 FT.Suction Lift 20 FT.Pressure 43 PSI​
Cord Length 6 FT

http://www.harborfreight.com/34-horsepower-clear-water-pump-69297.html

That pump sells for $50 get 20% off makes it $40 2yr warranty for $17 so $60 with tax out the door hell of a deal, plus if mine fails its right down the road makes it easy to replace. But I have concerns about back pressure using this in my type of system with it being reduced to those fine 1/8" misters

Seems the hobby specific pumps like Mags, EcoPlus etc are a tad expensive and I'd have to Mail order them.
If my pump goes down and I cant get it that day or the next local ill lose the crop.

So please anyone experienced in Aeroponics that can set me straight on the best pump for the job and tell me if I need to go 24/7 or a timed spray would be GREATLY Appreciated
 
B

bseeds

Well-Known Member
i used a pump lie your taling about it put out to much water for my water wheel so i put a shut off valve on the pipe to control water flow and had no problems with the pump also nice job on the setup the only thing is you should hook the run off togher and back to res with out light hitting water
 
hotrodharley

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
Dude - call the manufacturer of your mini sprinklers. Know the approximate total length of your tubing runs. They will gladly advise you as to minimum pump requirements and recommended pump volumes.

I HIGHLY recommend having a backup pump. Minimum volume per the sprinklers. You might spend a few more bucks but at least be able to quickly replace a failed pump. My deep water culture systems - I use an inflatable raft pump to give each bucket a boost during long blackouts but otherwise the roots just hang in there waiting. Ha ha ha ha ha.
 
superstoner1

superstoner1

Well-Known Member
Increase delivery size to 3/4" will help. An ecoplus 633, or 1056 would be my choice. Extremely good, reliable pumps for the price.
 
Maxz11

Maxz11

Member
Looking for an external pump dont want use a submersible (like the mag drive style its inline/sub or the one I linked thats just external) heats an issue where I grow and dont want to have a heat source in my rez.
 
PetFlora

PetFlora

Well-Known Member
Check out my completed journals.

Your set up is fine for clones, but mature plant roots will clog the channels
 
GreenThumbSucker

GreenThumbSucker

Well-Known Member
Maxz11 said:
Hola,

Built myself an Aeroponics system and have a few questions and would like only those with first hand experience to answer if they would be so kind.

here is a pic of what I copied from . Mine has 20 sprayers as pictured

View attachment 2546475

It has 2 x 4foot 1/2" pvc feed lines that are tapped 20x to 1/4" line which in turn have 360 deg micro misters on each one

View attachment 2546493

My Rez is 27 gallons Black one with yellow top from lowes and I plumed it with 1/2" Bulk heads to accept either a submersible or an external pump (prefer external)
I also use GH nutes lucas formula and will run inline filters to stop clogged emitters

I need a pump thats gonna provide enough flow and pressure to make those micro sprinklers work the way there sapposed too, any suggestions?

I had a MAG #3 (350gph) here and it pumps it through but the spray isnt fine like it should be so im stumpped as this is what i read was the the pump to use..(.GH supplies this pump with there aeroflo 20 system)

Also in regard to pump choice I battle heat in the summer and see that submersible pumps will heat the water up. So was thinking id go with a Mag type pump that was able to be hooked up inline. Is this neccesary? how much will a submersible pump raise the temps?

Will the pump need to run 24/7 or will I need a recycle timer? I'd prefer 24/7 from what ive read the majority pump 24/7 pros cons?

I'm a cheap basterd and found this Pump at Harbor Freight and wondered if this would work ?
It has 1" npt connects that i would need to reduce to 1/2" to fit my manifold.
Would doing that create back pressure and make the pump fail prematurly? Plz dont answer if you dont know 100%

Specs for the pump

Power Requirements 120V~ 60Hz 5ADischarge/Intake 1 IN. NPTMaximum Flow 650 GPHMaximum Delivery Height 98 FT.Suction Lift 20 FT.Pressure 43 PSI​
Cord Length 6 FT

http://www.harborfreight.com/34-horsepower-clear-water-pump-69297.html

That pump sells for $50 get 20% off makes it $40 2yr warranty for $17 so $60 with tax out the door hell of a deal, plus if mine fails its right down the road makes it easy to replace. But I have concerns about back pressure using this in my type of system with it being reduced to those fine 1/8" misters

Seems the hobby specific pumps like Mags, EcoPlus etc are a tad expensive and I'd have to Mail order them.
If my pump goes down and I cant get it that day or the next local ill lose the crop.

So please anyone experienced in Aeroponics that can set me straight on the best pump for the job and tell me if I need to go 24/7 or a timed spray would be GREATLY Appreciated
Click to expand...
That looks like a powerful pump. I would put a ball valve inline so you can control flow. With the ball valve, you can adjust your sprayers til they spray exactly the way you want them to. One problem with that type of system is when roots pile up, you get dead zones that don't get much oxygen. Running the pumps constantly would prevent that. Looks like a nice setup.
 
Maxz11

Maxz11

Member
PetFlora said:
Check out my completed journals.

Your set up is fine for clones, but mature plant roots will clog the channels
Click to expand...
No disrespect here as I have read your stuff and find you to be quite intellegent and display a vast amount of knowledge.

Until now i've always been an organic outdoor dirt farmer and had great success over my 20 years invested in growing. Through those 20 years I of course ran into a multitude of like minded people that share our passion for growing. Any time anyone invited me to see there op I gladly took them up on it. Needless to say ive seen all kinds of methods applied in many different ways and forms through the years and got to say that the MOST impressive results i've ever personally witnessed where all Aeroponics rail or tube systems similar to what I built. BTW not one of them ever stated any issues of root mass clogging the tubes, some mentioned drains getting filled with root but never the main grow chamber.

I'm no rocket scientist and not into techie shit I rely on others for that, but am a dam fine gardner, and that being said I just copied what ive seen with my own eyes first hand that worked better than everything else I have ever seen HANDS DOWN. I live right across the road from a Huge Nursery and they use 6" pvc pipes with 3 inch net pots to grow tomatoes in. They dont have root mass clogging thier tubes and since they have almost 5 miles of this tubeing on a 1200 acre farm im gonna say its a pretty safe bet to grow in tubes like this without root mass being issue.

What works BEST for one grower vs another grower will always be different! I went with a system that I feel works best for me. To date ive never witnessed a system that had the growth rate and end product quality that this one provides.

I dont get into all the "he said she said" shit or Hype of who has the best nutes BS or any of the propaganda and politics that run rampid on forums these days. That kinda shit is what missleads fellow gardners and is the Forums biggest down fall because it just deludes the truth by having to sort through all the hype.

I'd like to think that the real reason we all come to these forums is due to the fact that we all share a common intrest and wish to share that intrest with other like minded people and hopefully gain knowledge in return that will allow us all have a healthier and more prosperous harvest.But thats wishfull thinking
 
Maxz11

Maxz11

Member
Tnx all I ended up going with a EcoPlus 1056 as per the suggestions lol so dam cheap I got 2 to have a backup
 
Maxz11

Maxz11

Member
Yea the nursery across the street pumps go 24/7 but are fed from fish tanks using Aquaponics but wasnt sure about that when applied to a small scale op using chem fertz. The general consensus is 24/7 so ill follow the masses
 
Crash/420

Crash/420

Active Member
Maxz11 said:
Yea the nursery across the street pumps go 24/7 but are fed from fish tanks using Aquaponics but wasnt sure about that when applied to a small scale op using chem fertz. The general consensus is 24/7 so ill follow the masses
Click to expand...
A lot of people are running 1 min on and 4 min off. Also some of us that replied to your question run 80 sec on and 8 min off. This gives your roots time to breath, plus it helps with res temps and the electric bill!
 
Maxz11

Maxz11

Member
Yea I read that info and opted to just go 24/7 due to nothing more then I find it simpler and easier to deal with imho. Plus thats one less timer I gotta buy and deal with

Tnx for the info All its Much Appreciated
 
superstoner1

superstoner1

Well-Known Member
If you want honest rail experience here it is. Dont worry about root mass, dont worry about clogged sprayers. Imo the top sprayers offer more points to have issues than an inside spray bar. And coming from a few years of testing, running the pumps constantly is not the best. The roots really grow larger and plants are healthier when the roots get to breath. I run 80sec on, 8 min off in all of my stages.
 
Maxz11

Maxz11

Member
superstoner1 said:
If you want honest rail experience here it is. Dont worry about root mass, dont worry about clogged sprayers. Imo the top sprayers offer more points to have issues than an inside spray bar. And coming from a few years of testing, running the pumps constantly is not the best. The roots really grow larger and plants are healthier when the roots get to breath. I run 80sec on, 8 min off in all of my stages.
Click to expand...
That makes good sense to me thanks for the input. Im pretty tapped for funds right now but can pick up a timer in a few weeks what do you suggest?

I did that top feed to always have access to the sprayers without disturbing roots. Im a large guy and have hands like Hams so i cant get into 3 inch holes and dont want to lose grow space to access ports. I was gonna go inside the channel with the 1/2" pvc with the emmiters tapped directly into it and skip the 1/4" feed lines but again I copied what ive seen others do that makes sense and keeps it simple.
 
superstoner1

superstoner1

Well-Known Member
Thats what im saying, ive runs inside pvc spray bars for years now and not one time have i needed to or had to have access to them. But both do the same job and through trying different things when designing my systems the one basic rule kept coming back, K.I.S.S.
 
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