How to regulate water pressure invertical?

[Ganglere]

Hi yall


After some heavy research, thinking and sleepless nights, I'm getting pretty close to start building my new space ship. I hope to be able to document my build here.
I plan to use trays (narrow/long) filled with coco (canna, the 50 l bags) in an octagon, with 3/4 600's. 8-ish levels of plants.Split in center, making semi-circles.



My problem is that I truly do not care for hand watering all the girls (120-300+ x2) two or three times a day,and will not be practical weeks into flower.



Several ideas come to mind, but how does one get equal pressure to sites at different heights? I would really like to KISS this, preferably no drip emitters, just plain 1/4" hose end, â la Pico's drip emitter thingy...



I believe the solution lies in bringing the water to the top before splitting it up for watering, but even with this method the lower plants get more water than the top. A solution might be to have four rez's, or at least four pumps, each irrigating four levels of semi circles each. But even this would make a height difference of 3/4 of a meter, and I cannot see this making equal pressure.



So what do you think of this?: One pump servicing four levels, .75 meters from lowest point to highest.
I consider pumping water to highest point, then down a pvc pipe size X mm/inches. Each level will be serviced from this pipe, through pipe built to fit trays, with 1/4" hose to plant site,perhaps with barbed fitting or similar.



If I place a smaller diameter fitting inline to the lower lines, followed by normal diameter piping, would this not slow down water flow and lower pressure? Complicated maths, I'm sure...
And one could place ball valves on each level, and adjust until equal flow?


Anyone understand what I'm trying to build? Or the dynamics behind it? Pico's diy thread would be a starting point...



And how about them soaker hoses? With fittings and regular hose between levels, I imagine I could run water from the top, with return to rez for whatever's left in hose after run...



I don't know how long they take to clog beyond use, I could possibly change once while plants grow, but it should ideally hold for one cycle. Would be running filters, dunno how this would affect the clogging...



Any input would be appreciated, with all you cool and wise folks I'm sure somebody has cracked the code



I want to know what's going into my system before I start building, this will not be some ghetto-ass-falling-and-leaking-shit, but a mobile steel/aluminium space craft



sorry about no illustrations, is trying to learn the tools of that trade as well. Chip your onto the table,friends





Really looking forward to hearing from yous all


Peace, G

 

[krunchbubble]

1 pump will work fine, needs to be a bit strong. you need to do a loop with your watering lines. from pump, go to the top of the shelves, "T" it off and create a loop around the whole grow with your watering line to create equal pressure to all drip lines.




from the pics, you can see the watering line "T's" off from the pump. goes up, wraps around the whole grow and connects back at the "T", creating even pressure. makes sense?


this method is very cheap and works very well! have never had problems!

 

[Ganglere]

Thanks for your reply,krunch

Let me see if I get this: From pump to top. T both ways. Then run through grow down levels. New T at the bottom connects both splits.

Is there a T on every level?

A little bit on the slow side tonite, and you writing in a foreign language and all

If you have them lying around, some more pics would be great

But I think I might get this to work

 

[krunchbubble]

yes! you have it right! i will try to take some pics later. i have fond this to be the best way for even pressure through the whole line. ive ran over 120' in a looped system and every single dripper worked perfect!
the pump i use right now is a mondo 1/2 hp. it retails for around $120 us, very good pump....

 

[Ganglere]

That's so cool of you


Just wondering, do you use anything to regulate the drip/flow, eg drip emitters or whatnot? Not so updated on them drippers, and would really like to avoid them. Both for cost( esp. cost) and for it being another thing that can get fudged...


How many drip-points do you run for how many plants? In case I need to scale or something.


Jeez, I'm really looking forward to this project

 

[krunchbubble]

i use the cheapest 20 cent, blue drippers from the grow store, no regulation of pressure. only problem i have with them is clogging. but the huge inline filter at the beginning of the system, makes sure that dosent happen anymore. i would like to use open end hoses, but these work good.

drip points have varied between 12-60 in a 8 by 8 vertical room. and 100+ in my 120" run. the ones i dont use, i either lay them down in the shelves that the plants are in or double up a plant if its a big plant, big drinker.

another thing is hose size. i used to use 1/2 hose for my system and drip line, had problem when the system was big, or the pump wasent powerful and it got clogged. stepped up to 3/4 and have never looked back! with be more expensive i initial start up cost, but will make sure everything runs smoothly!

 

[Ganglere]

Nice


Drippers will have to be a part of R & D for my system then...


One last Q: What material is the hose? been reading a lot lately, and it seems they much look just the same...

 

[Hilbilly on nos]

hey Ganglere there have been a lot of sleepless nights on the farm here pondering that same problem of how to equally distrbiute water in a hydro vert! after 2 years of trial and error on this problem the best i have come up with is a single top watering manifold that fits tightly on the top of the grow chaimber. u basically create a octogon on the celing with pipe and drill holes so the drip lines fit snug in place and run 1 line to each site with open ended 1/4" od tubing. if u use the right drill u have no leaks! it does take a large pump to bring the water up to celing heigth to distrubute it but u DO NOT have clogged drippers to deal with. ill get some pics up for u to check out of the mani thats been working with a 14 ft head and up to 6 ft from top to lowest lines

 

[krunchbubble]

Nice


Drippers will have to be a part of R & D for my system then...


One last Q: What material is the hose? been reading a lot lately, and it seems they much look just the same...

its the regular hose you get from the hydro store.....

 

[Hilbilly on nos]

here is a pic of the final mani i had to build for my vert it does use short lines cause i decided a top feed sys was best for me but u can use long lines and add a lot more if u use a larger dia pipe the line and pipe can be both found in lowes plumbing section

 

[simple green]

Yeah what Krunchbubble said....

Here's a pic from my grow now...same idea as pico's manifold, just simple poly hose instead of pvc (because the 1/4" top hat grommets are not really around)....

1/2" ring run on the top of all my crates, 1/4" barbs to 1/4" line to stake drippers....as long as ring is up above everything pressure will be very near the same to all drippers......

 

[00420]

yep thats the way......

 

[smallfry707]

so with this style can i run up to 100 plants on a 1260 gph pump?

 

[smallfry707]

still a little confused what if i had 4 shelf vertical system? just t it off on every bottom row?

 

[solarz]

you can T it off at the bottom or the top, but it would be more wise to Have the loop higher and let gravity do the work to supply the drip lines.

solarz

 

[Dr happy]

here is a pic of the final mani i had to build for my vert it does use short lines cause i decided a top feed sys was best for me but u can use long lines and add a lot more if u use a larger dia pipe the line and pipe can be both found in lowes plumbing section

how do u water the plats if the tops r 2 feet ?!
dumb ass!

 

[Dr happy]

y did u make the water line so far from the pot ?
the pot stays always it the same place.

 

[choch]

how do u water the plats if the tops r 2 feet ?!
dumb ass!

Are you serious?

This is a vertical growing forum remember. His system is fed at the top and it runs down to the roots of the lower plants.

Less critism and closer reading of his post could have avoided anyone looking like a dumb ass...

 

[solarz]

i ws just wondering what pump everyone uses? I'm in the market for new pump, but not sure which one will suffice for the job? I've been reading reviews about people having issues with certain pumps, b/c of the constant on/off cycle they go thru...??

solarz

 

[Wasabi420]

maybe you could try doing a spiral that starts at the top and wraps around the octagon so that the flow is slower than straight down. If i were you i would do a carousel grow instead. the plants will be thicker and happier that way, also you wont have to deal with the watering isseue they just dunk in the res