Drip Return Pump

[Zeez]

Switching over to a drip return irrigation system, I do not want to loose the headroom wasted having the main reservoir below the pots and drip return. Instead the idea is to have a small collection tank with a float operated pump to return the excess nutrients back to the main reservoir tank. Ideally, the small collection tank will be about 7" high. After looking at condensate return pumps, swimming pool cover pumps, and marine bilge pumps there are no clear winners. Any recommends?

 

[joeyclams]

Bump

 

[HughGhasso]

Small swamp cooler pump with a float switch. look into a saltwater aquarium auto top off(.com). Thats what would let me sleep good at night. Bulletproof and reliable.

 

[Catatafish]

Not sure if it will help you and fit your needs but i do coco dtw and have ebb and flow buckets plumb'd to a 5gal dump bucket. In that dump bucket i use a little giant 1-abs to remove the waste. It has a built in float switch and works smoother than the diy float switches i put together with other pumps.

https://www.zoro.com/little-giant-condensate-pump-1150-hp-120-volt-1-abs/i/G2235633/

 

[Lazyman]

You can use an Ebb and Flow (or any other commercial bucket system controller) for an easy setup, comes with pumps and float valves already wired. Around $230 on fleabay. Handy for large grows with multiple dehumidifiers and drains too.

 

[queequeg152]

what flow rate and what durations?

a condensate pump is not 100% duty rated... but if you are irrigating several times a day, one would probably work well enough up to 1 or 2 gpm.

above that you are going to want a bucket and a small sump pump with a float switch. a pool cover pump would work well enough.

 

[Phaeton]

I tried that and the nutrients caused quite a salt build up on the float mechanism. The best results were from a low volume 12 volt marine pump. The tolerances were deliberately large and it took a long time for the crud to become a problem.

The pump was less than $50 and the power supply around $20.

 

[Zeez]

Switching over to a drip return irrigation system, I do not want to loose the headroom wasted having the main reservoir below the pots and drip return. Instead the idea is to have a small collection tank with a float operated pump to return the excess nutrients back to the main reservoir tank. Ideally, the small collection tank will be about 7" high. After looking at condensate return pumps, swimming pool cover pumps, and marine bilge pumps there are no clear winners. Any recommends?

A little late, but maybe you like the idea anyway. I use one of these condensation pumps It works well. The only problem was that the check valve got clogged up with coco particles. The cure was to put a filter in the return line, One of these. The filters are easy to clean and the pump works great with three 2x4 trays draining into it.