I got a cheap plastic tote for a 4x4 table. Mistake number one I’m going to look for a heavy duty tote or build a cage around it. When full the tote bowed then spilled water everywhere. I’m using a ecoplus 295gph pump and it seems like it drains faster then fills so I can’t get the water up to 3 inches during a 15min interval. Do that mean I need a larger pump or I did something wrong. Is it normal for it to still be water on the table after the drain?
Epic flood table fail
- Thread starter budman410
- Start date
Lordhooha
Well-Known Member
These are nice and not expensive
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Lordhooha
Well-Known Member
You may want to get a bigger one maybe a 500 get it filled fast. I’m not a expert with ebb and flow systems but if it’s not preforming fast enough I’d go bigger.
HydroRed
Well-Known Member
You need to get trays for hydroponics, or rugged cement mixing trays and build diy F&D kits. To get the water to the level you desire, you need a fill and drain bulkhead kit for your flood table.
Like this -
https://www.hydroponics.net/i/132732
Use the 3/4 " fitting for your drain and the 1/2" for your fill. Stack the collars on the 3/4 drain to raise the water level in the flood tray.
OldMedUser
Well-Known Member
I always figured those big black tool totes for the back of pickups would be the bomb for F&D. Double walls and tough as hell.
Sounds to me that you need a bigger pump or restrict the drain so the pump has enough time to fill to the level you need befor it runs back to the rez. I've never done F&D but read enough other grows to know how it works. Not my cup of tea.
Sounds to me that you need a bigger pump or restrict the drain so the pump has enough time to fill to the level you need befor it runs back to the rez. I've never done F&D but read enough other grows to know how it works. Not my cup of tea.
HydroRed
Well-Known Member
Basically you want the drain bigger than the fill. Not for good filling purposes, but to ensure it will always drain faster than it fills. If your fill is 3/4" use 1" on the drain and so on. You stack the collars on the drain to raise the water level. I'll need some more info or pictures to help you any further.
vennge
Well-Known Member
Does anybody not just let it drain back out of the fill tube? Yes i know if my rez is to large and the pump does not shut off it can overfill. My 4x4 table is larger than my rez so a non issue atm. I just have it drain back thru the pump works perfectly and has for quite some time.
Venge
Venge
HydroRed
Well-Known Member
How do you fill your table to a desired height like that?
vennge
Well-Known Member
I have it on a timer so that it runs for 3mins. It will fill to almost the perfect height. If the Rez gets low then it does not fill as high but i use rock wool so it draws it up well with fresh aerated water anyways. Plus this way I have to chk on the Rez daily. Keeps me on my toes. So worse case My Rez runs low and my pump runs dry. I have yet to ruin a pump. Yes knock on wood.
Venge
Venge
Budley Doright
Well-Known Member
I even put an overflow drain out the side of the tray an inch from the top as backup and it’s saved my ass a couple of times. And yup hydro is right on re drain size, always bigger and adjust height of ebbflow fitting to adjust water level, I also use silk screen over the drain to stop roots etc from going in .... works great. my Eco plus is 365 GPH, it takes 3 min to fill my upper tray 4” deep
HydroRed
Well-Known Member
ya, an overflow drain is absolute best. With mine I only use 11 gal in my res and the trays are 7 gal each so I'll never lose a drop due to overfill. Plus my res still holds another gallon+ in the bottom when the pumps stop working. Is your upper tray a 4'x4'?
When I add extensions to the drain fitting the water won’t drain down past where the extension is..am I missing something do I suppose to have drilled another hole for it to fully drain. I know it’s not fully level I thought the tray was exactly 4ft so I cut the wood exactly 4ft and it’s a little smaller. That still don’t explain all the water not draining out once it get pretty low it doesn’t fully drain. And if I add extensions the water won’t drain past the top drain fitting
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HydroRed
Well-Known Member
You got me so confused right now on what you are expecting your F&D to do? If your table is unlevel, thats why it is pooling on one side and explains why its not draining like it should. The side with the drain should be the lowest point so it always drains properly.
When your pump turns off, it will all drain back into the res from the Fill line after the level gets below the extensions of the drain fitting. If the water level never reaches the top of the extension on the drain fitting, then you dont have enough in the res or the res is too small to adequately fill your flood table.
Budley Doright
Well-Known Member
I’m thinking your pump may have a check valve if it’s not draining back possibly. As red says, it drains back through the pump.
Budley Doright
Well-Known Member
My upper trays are basically totes that are 7” high x 2.5’ x 3’ and I run up to 3 at a time with suspended net pots. My water (.5” nozzle) actually hits the lid and creates an amazing amount of turbulence. My lower res is 20 gallons and I do sometimes run a continuos cycle so it becomes a recirc setup. It’s kind of a hybrid setup depending on cycles.
Ok I’m going to rebuild the stand and get a different res and let y’all know how it goes, when I put extensions on the drain fitting the water didn’t drain past the top of the drain fitting. What I don’t get is if I have extensions on the drain down past the mesh fitting top how would the water drain fully out