24 Bucket RDWC System feedline question

[PuReKnOwLeDgE]

Hey IC!

Recently setup a 24 bucket rdwc, and instead of using the 1/4 feedlines from the 1/2" line I used 1/2" T's and Elbows. I was sick of playing with leaks and I do not want to come to find my grow with 110+ gallons of water on the floor. I started with a 633gph hour pump, and a few of my buckets elbows are not dripping. I installed a 1056gph pump today to see if that helped, and still a few buckets not dripping. Also the 1056gph pump seems to be a little fast for my liking, as far as gravity return lines resupplying the controler.

I shortend up one of the feedlines running from the 1/2" main feed to the bucket, that did not work. I blew on the hose, and sucked lol. Now for the first time i know what my nute mix taste like when you burp LMAO. When I raise the 1/2" main feedline I do have some success. I am thinking maybe I need to somehow suspend it about half way up the bucket, boy do I LOVE zipties.

The first few buckets off the main feed line of course are running very well, with thick stream of water, all the way down to # 6-8 where they are dripping or nothign at all. A good drip I can handle, not Recirculating at all I can't. Any ideas besides me raising the feedlines?

1/2" shutoff valve on 24 feedlines tweaked to performance? LOL

Need to out this baby on the IC dyno! Let me know and thanks in advance

 

[PuReKnOwLeDgE]

No advice, thats ok Figured i would at least try and pick your brains, but tomorrow I am going to install 1/2in shutoffs on all 24 buckets and tune her ass out

 

[Pistil Whipped]

You might want to try making a loop with your feed line to help equalize the pressure to the buckets on the end of the run. Tee off the pump, or somewhere in your run, and have one half going to the first bucket and the other half to the last bucket which used to be the end of the run.

Pistil

 

[Mickymouse]

Your pump is to small I have a 20 bucket system and run 2 633gph pumps and thats to small.Im going to upgrade to a single 1800 gph when I go to 24 buckets soon.More flow the better.Water stays cold better.

 

[Technique]

Hey,

i've done a similar thing.. put taps on each buckets feed line and turn them down to a low setting should sort out the problem your having.

 

[Hydrosun]

How about throwing in some farm kits in the weak dripping buckets, that way they would always have nutes dripping over the hydroton. That might be a lot easier than modifying the whole system.

Peace,

 

[PuReKnOwLeDgE]

Thanks for all the suggestions, Mickeymouse thats crazy lol lots of pumping! My 1/2 shutoff valve idea is going to work great, like technique said I will just turn them down starting with first bucket off the main line and tune them all the way down so everyone is nice and even. My problem isn't turning over water, its building up enough pressure for all feed hoses to get some love.

 

[phattybudz]

This is good to see I had a problem with the 1/4'' barbs too... let us know how the shutoff valve idea works. Other idea I had was multiple pumps...

 

[PuReKnOwLeDgE]

Multiple pumps crossed my mind as well. I will be sure to let you know, tomorrow evening i will be installing the 1/2" shutoffs. I am sure this will work, it will justake some tuning. 2 years of RDWC 12 bucket system I onyl had a feedline flood my room once, thankfully I use pond liner and keep all electrica off the floor

I set this new system up, and just like before I could see it was gogin to take to much messing around, resplicing 1/2" line. adding connectors to get rid of old holes and etc. to get leaks to stop. Tryed silicone, plumbers putty, diff/ size drill bits, hole punchers lol. I could not find something that works 100% so I said to hell with it.

I will report back, but like I said no way it shouldn't work, my problem is the closer the bucket the more pressure it is getting, by simply regulating each buckets pressure there will be more then enough to go around. I will get more of a waterfall affect from the feedline and more circulations/hour.

 

[Technique]

should be fine.. i use a 2000l/560g pump tho i only feed 3 buckets at the moment but there is more than enough pressure to add so many more buckets since i have to run a t piece in the res to bleed off more pressure.

the problem was the price of the taps.. but pockets are deep and fit many haha.

use 13mm feed elbows also into the buckets if you haven't already..

 

[Mickymouse]

Im keeping an eye on this one to.Im going 24 bucket soon and dont want to get wrong pump.The only thing Im concerned about is when you build preasure you lose volume.

 

[MedScience]

I was just about to make a thread asking this exact same question. I have 12 buckets with a 396 GPH pump. I have the feed line split into 3 groups of 4, and the 2 buckets farthest from the res don't drip at all. I considered moving to a stronger pump but read somewhere that 1/2" tubing cold only handle a certain maximum flow rate. Don't remember where I saw this but it stopped me from getting a bigger pump. Interested to hear if the shutoffs work, anyone think a bigger pump might solve my particular problem?

 

[Raphael]

adding a loop will definately help you out man i'm using a 750 gph on 8 buckets and it's barely fast enough for bio buckets without a loop.

do yo uknow what i mean with a loop?

split the output from pummp using a "T" and run one line to the end of the line.

bottom line you need a bigger pump to begin with

 

[squirrelfooker]

.

 

[PuReKnOwLeDgE]

The shutoff valves worked great. it allowed me to tweak each bucket individually. I have it all set and still have alot of pressure left if I needed it.

 

[MedScience]

Good to hear it works. I may go the same route but I will try to get a bigger pump first, I really don't want to drain the system to add a couple valves or a loop...