DIY Aeroponics kit (cheap and simple *not dwc*)

[lord siva]

you have very long fingers.

 

[cashmunny]

It is no different than a flood table design with respect to power outages and functionality.


Definitely could be improved with finer mist from multiple smaller sprayers, but thats more parts which lowers the level of simplicity, that is the prime goal here.

I shared these plans not just for people to use this system but mainly to get the general 2-tub concept out there.

I feel like this has alot of potential.

An aquarium pump wont be able to develop the pressure to produce a very fine mist. Aquarium pumps are meant for low pressure, hi flow. For a fine mist you want higher pressure, low flow.

For example a car battery is low voltage and high current. It can turn over a huge V8. But you can't hook up jumper cables to your nipples in case of cardiac arrest. For that you need higher voltage, but low current.

Not the best analogy I know.

LOW pressure cooling mist systems need 40 psi to operate. 40 psi is about 100 feet of pressure head. That's like trying to find an aquarium pump that can pump water up ten flights of stairs.

In fact I'll bet if you were to put real aeroponic fine mist sprayers in line with an aquarium pump, the pump would shut off. They aren't designed for that sort of application. The only reason an aquarium pump works at all is because the droplet size is high enough that the pump is flowing a significant amount.

But on the other hand a large aquarium pump, and large sprayers that produce water droplets rather than mist, will probably work fairly well. Now whether this qualifies as aeroponics or not is a matter of semantics to a certain extent.

According to the wiki, NASA "has determined that high pressure hydro-atomized mist of 5-50 micrometres micro-droplets is necessary for long-term aeroponic growing." 50 micrometers is 2 thousandths of an inch. Barely even visible, and thats the upper limit. The lower limit is two ten thousands of an inch. Which is like fog or cloud vapor.

Unfortunately if aeroponics could be done cheaply with a $50 pump someone would have figured it out by now.

But I bet if you were creative you could store some pressure in spare car tire and use it to drive a single sprayer in a micro grow. People do that with airbrushing. You'd probably have to refill the tire daily at least but it could work. Or maybe use a CO2 tank to provide the pressure.

 

[one Q]

Cashmunny, thanks for all that knowledge. Good info for sure. I was wondering wether an eco185 could run ONE sprayer similar to this or just one ezcloner mister. idk

I will say that you just took the "cheap and simple" out of the thread
but all in the name of INFO. I like info, so thanks.

PS. to me that shit is aero, i dont give a fk about nasa.

now I will refer you to my sig as to not start a quarrel.

 

[Technique]

i made a similar thing the other day to get some vegetation rocking before they go into the dwc system..

its running good at the moment but i've only got one plant in there at the moment.

and raising a few seeds in there too.

 

[Carboy]

An aquarium pump wont be able to develop the pressure to produce a very fine mist. Aquarium pumps are meant for low pressure, hi flow. For a fine mist you want higher pressure, low flow.

For example a car battery is low voltage and high current. It can turn over a huge V8. But you can't hook up jumper cables to your nipples in case of cardiac arrest. For that you need higher voltage, but low current.

Not the best analogy I know.

LOW pressure cooling mist systems need 40 psi to operate. 40 psi is about 100 feet of pressure head. That's like trying to find an aquarium pump that can pump water up ten flights of stairs.

In fact I'll bet if you were to put real aeroponic fine mist sprayers in line with an aquarium pump, the pump would shut off. They aren't designed for that sort of application. The only reason an aquarium pump works at all is because the droplet size is high enough that the pump is flowing a significant amount.

But on the other hand a large aquarium pump, and large sprayers that produce water droplets rather than mist, will probably work fairly well. Now whether this qualifies as aeroponics or not is a matter of semantics to a certain extent.

According to the wiki, NASA "has determined that high pressure hydro-atomized mist of 5-50 micrometres micro-droplets is necessary for long-term aeroponic growing." 50 micrometers is 2 thousandths of an inch. Barely even visible, and thats the upper limit. The lower limit is two ten thousands of an inch. Which is like fog or cloud vapor.

Unfortunately if aeroponics could be done cheaply with a $50 pump someone would have figured it out by now.

But I bet if you were creative you could store some pressure in spare car tire and use it to drive a single sprayer in a micro grow. People do that with airbrushing. You'd probably have to refill the tire daily at least but it could work. Or maybe use a CO2 tank to provide the pressure.

Actually with certain limits, you can get damn close to your mist definition on the cheap. There may not be a 50 dollar pump, but there are diaphragm pumps that put out 100psi for 100-120 bucks. Combine that w/ some $1 fogging nozzles and about half the output will be under that magic 50 microns. Now you're going to pay to get high volume w/ high pressure, but for a aero cloner you don't need high volume anyway. It's a real viable option. You'll have way better and still way under "store bought".

CB

 

[cashmunny]

Actually with certain limits, you can get damn close to your mist definition on the cheap. There may not be a 50 dollar pump, but there are diaphragm pumps that put out 100psi for 100-120 bucks. Combine that w/ some $1 fogging nozzles and about half the output will be under that magic 50 microns. Now you're going to pay to get high volume w/ high pressure, but for a aero cloner you don't need high volume anyway. It's a real viable option. You'll have way better and still way under "store bought".

CB

Hell yeah! An IcMag member comes through with the info again.

Cashmunny, thanks for all that knowledge. Good info for sure. I was wondering wether an eco185 could run ONE sprayer similar to this or just one ezcloner mister. idk

I will say that you just took the "cheap and simple" out of the thread
but all in the name of INFO. I like info, so thanks.

PS. to me that shit is aero, i dont give a fk about nasa.

now I will refer you to my sig as to not start a quarrel.

I wasn't trying to be combative although in rereading my post it seems that way. You get a 10 for creativity. Just up the pressure with a diaphragm pump as the previous poster mentioned and you'll be putting NASA to shame...and washing cars with the spare pressure.

 

[one Q]

You were not being combative. Just making a comment. Nothing more

 

[pontiac]

Simple and clean.

 

[Texasdrodown]

Never fails somone wants to troll

 

[one Q]

no trolling. Just talking. Youre a funny dude Tex.

 

[Asil]

Nice little setup. And just food for thought but the expensive aeroflo2 units dont even have misters or sprayer on them. The are just a 1/2 hoses with holes in them at the netcup sites.

 

[CANNACO-OP]

was just checkin back to see the progress, hmmmm... where is lurkmaster?

 

[simple green]

Loving it!

Got a link to the sprayer you're misting with. I couldn't find one that looks exactly like it on the HD site....

Kudos on the DIY'in

 

[JefersonAirplan]

Other thing to take into consideration is that if you lose power and the pump goes out, this is 2 steps closer to dead plants than a DWC setup would be...

But the simplicity of this setup is pretty hard to beat.

Alternately, couldn't you just get multiple smaller "true" aero nozzles at the hardware store and make a valve-split tree, so there were 4 or 5 small sprayers instead of one big ol' honking rainbird?

Use a computer backup power supply if you are worried. I know my power has NEVER been out more than maybe 5 minutes avg a year.

And big ol rainbird is simple .90 cents FTW! I am using one!

 

[lurkmaster]

Never got around to taking pics of my buddy's grow, my apologies. He only ended up with 1 female out of 4 plants in the end anyways.

Had some real life matters that interrupted operation dank grow.

I will be starting up a full grow using this kit sometime in the future, but IDK when exactly thats going to be.

Sorry for the cliffhanger guys...

 

[Soulrebel239]

What's the min sprayers to use on one or two plants in a pc grow using dwc?

 

[Able Mind]

nice job...