siddhartha
Member
I got tired of adding ice to my res everyday came up with this idea. It has been working great for a while now.
To sum it up, after years of dealing with warmer than desired temperatures in my cloner water, I realized that by moving the pump to the outside of the cloner I could easily reduce the heat load on the water in the cloner and create a better rooting environment. In the end I saw a major increase in the numbers of healthy clones as well as a reduction in the amount of time it took for rooting to occur.
I have included pictures and a parts list below to help anyone who may want to use it as a reference or build their own.
Parts Needed:
A. 3.5 Gallon black bucket with tight fitting black lid (see note below about lid and bucket)
B. Submersible pump - rated at 250 GPH
C. 1 to 1 1/2 foot - 1/2 in. clear vinyl tubing (use clear to allow for visual inspection)
D. 4 - 1/2 in. hose clamps (see hoese clamp note below)
E. 2 - 1/2 in. bulkhead fittings
F. 5 - 1/2 in. 90 degree female threaded PVC
G. 1 - 1/2 in. female threaded T PVC
H. 1 - 1/2 in. threaded PVC 4 in.
I. 2 - 1/2 in. threaded PVC 3 in.
J. 2 - 1/2 in. threaded PVC 1 1/2 in.
K. 7 - 360 degree spray emitters, about 20-30 GPH (see any hydro shop or catalog for these)
L. 1 - 3/4 in. female to male converter
M. 1 - 1/2 in. threaded PVC 6 in. (see intake notes)
Lid Note: As you may note the lid was white and I had a feeling that light was coming through the lid and inhibiting root development. After taping the lid with black duct tape I saw further improvement in rooting. Do yourself a favor and start with a black lid or cover the lid with black and white poly, white side up.
Bucket Note: I started with a standard 3.5 gallon bucket but I will be upgrading to a 5 gallon bucket soon. The one difference is that you would want about a 9-12 inch length for part M instead of a 6 inch so that you can get the intake down to the bottom of the bucket.
Hose Clamp Note: Only one side of the pump is pressurized the other is just the intake so you really only need 2 hose clamps but to be safe and avoid any leaks you can use four so you have on the end of each hose.
Intake
Tools Needed:
Drill
1/2 hole saw or spade (or other way to create perfect 1/2 hole in the bucket)
2 inch Hole saw or drill for appropriate size net pot holes in lid for plugs you will use
Roll plumbers tape or thread seal tape
Screw driver
Utility knife or heavy duty scissors
3/16 Drill bit (to drill bit for spray emitters)
3/16 Tap (for making threads in PVC for spray emitters)
Directions:
1. Fill bucket with water to the level you want to maintain in your reservoir and mark this line then empty the water
2. Drill holes for intake and return using hole saw
3. Insert bulkhead fittings, if you put these holes above the water line leaking will not be an issue
4. Build square section of PVC as shown in pictures using part letters. Make sure to use pipe tape to seal joints
5. Drill and tap the location for holes for the emitters, be careful not to drill through to the other side of the PVC, then carefully screw in emitters.
6. Cut long pipe at an angle so it can be near the bottom of the bucket and flush while tilting at an angle
7. Assemble remaining parts as seen in the images and test for leaks
I recommend cleaning after each run with hydrogen peroxide and you will have trouble free cloning.
Sidd
To sum it up, after years of dealing with warmer than desired temperatures in my cloner water, I realized that by moving the pump to the outside of the cloner I could easily reduce the heat load on the water in the cloner and create a better rooting environment. In the end I saw a major increase in the numbers of healthy clones as well as a reduction in the amount of time it took for rooting to occur.
I have included pictures and a parts list below to help anyone who may want to use it as a reference or build their own.
Parts Needed:
A. 3.5 Gallon black bucket with tight fitting black lid (see note below about lid and bucket)
B. Submersible pump - rated at 250 GPH
C. 1 to 1 1/2 foot - 1/2 in. clear vinyl tubing (use clear to allow for visual inspection)
D. 4 - 1/2 in. hose clamps (see hoese clamp note below)
E. 2 - 1/2 in. bulkhead fittings
F. 5 - 1/2 in. 90 degree female threaded PVC
G. 1 - 1/2 in. female threaded T PVC
H. 1 - 1/2 in. threaded PVC 4 in.
I. 2 - 1/2 in. threaded PVC 3 in.
J. 2 - 1/2 in. threaded PVC 1 1/2 in.
K. 7 - 360 degree spray emitters, about 20-30 GPH (see any hydro shop or catalog for these)
L. 1 - 3/4 in. female to male converter
M. 1 - 1/2 in. threaded PVC 6 in. (see intake notes)
Lid Note: As you may note the lid was white and I had a feeling that light was coming through the lid and inhibiting root development. After taping the lid with black duct tape I saw further improvement in rooting. Do yourself a favor and start with a black lid or cover the lid with black and white poly, white side up.
Bucket Note: I started with a standard 3.5 gallon bucket but I will be upgrading to a 5 gallon bucket soon. The one difference is that you would want about a 9-12 inch length for part M instead of a 6 inch so that you can get the intake down to the bottom of the bucket.
Hose Clamp Note: Only one side of the pump is pressurized the other is just the intake so you really only need 2 hose clamps but to be safe and avoid any leaks you can use four so you have on the end of each hose.
Intake
Tools Needed:
Drill
1/2 hole saw or spade (or other way to create perfect 1/2 hole in the bucket)
2 inch Hole saw or drill for appropriate size net pot holes in lid for plugs you will use
Roll plumbers tape or thread seal tape
Screw driver
Utility knife or heavy duty scissors
3/16 Drill bit (to drill bit for spray emitters)
3/16 Tap (for making threads in PVC for spray emitters)
Directions:
1. Fill bucket with water to the level you want to maintain in your reservoir and mark this line then empty the water
2. Drill holes for intake and return using hole saw
3. Insert bulkhead fittings, if you put these holes above the water line leaking will not be an issue
4. Build square section of PVC as shown in pictures using part letters. Make sure to use pipe tape to seal joints
5. Drill and tap the location for holes for the emitters, be careful not to drill through to the other side of the PVC, then carefully screw in emitters.
6. Cut long pipe at an angle so it can be near the bottom of the bucket and flush while tilting at an angle
7. Assemble remaining parts as seen in the images and test for leaks
I recommend cleaning after each run with hydrogen peroxide and you will have trouble free cloning.
Sidd
