my rez is higher than my table.....

[smurfin'herb]

I have a 4x8 that is a 12-15inches off the ground due to the fact i have a low ceiling. I wanna recirculate with drip baskets, but my blue 55 gallon drum rez is taller than the table, so this wont work. I was thinkin about getting one of those sump pumps with a float lever on them that turns the pump on when the water rises. I would just put it in a small rubbermaid that is plumbed between my table and my rez. Would this work..? I always see people that do recirc bucket grows and have to elevate all the buckets to get them to drain right. I dont see why this wouldnt work....

 

[yamaha_1fan]

I am in the same boat.

You will run a feed line to the table, then a line back to the res? You will have a pump pumping back to the res? The problem is, how do you drain the table through the fill inlet? Normally it would go backwards through the pump, but it cant in this case.

I have decided to use an electric valve that opens when power is removed. That will put a hole in the line, and allow it to drain into a bucket under the table, where a pump will pump it back to the rez. This bucket will also catch the overflow tube. It will be on a float switch

The other option is to add a third fitting that is smaller than your fill, and try to fill the table quicker than it can drain. When the pump shuts off, everything goes into the bucket, then back to the rez via the pump. I didnt do that because I am feeding two tables from one pump/rez and felt I wouldnt have enough flow to outpace the third drain.

 

[smurfin'herb]

Oh i see what ur sayin the prob is. I can see that being annoying on an ebb n flow, but i use drip baskets. So that makes it much easier being that i have both drain fittings set on low and drain thru both back into a rez normally.

So ur sayin you hook up a recovery pump to an electronic float valve and that triggers it? How do you do this, and where do you get the elec. float?
Do you think one of those sump pumps from home depot with a float valve connected to them would work if i set it in like a 20 gal rubbermaid?

 

[moses224]

im switching to 4 4x8 tables what should i mount them on...if you guys where just starting your setups and could do it again?

 

[purpledomgoddes]

can build a res to any desired volume level, w/ low table height in consideration, to fit res underneath, if wanted.

25cm(~10")x60cm(~24")x60cm=90000 cubic cm, or, 90000/1000=90 liters, or 90/~3.785=~23.77 gal

can adjust width/length, and/or height of constructed container/old drawer from thrift store/pond liner over wooden trough. can be sealed h20 tight.

volume of a low-height, wide rectangle can be large. a 1 cubic foot (12x12x12) container holds 7.4 gal.

hope this helps. enjoy your vegetables!

 

[yamaha_1fan]

I understand now that you say it agin, you are dripping. So you dont have the same issue as me with ebb and flow. But you still need to pump that drain back to the rez. A sump pump may work


I am looking for the electric float switch to trigger the pump. Just been real busy so havent searched much. They have them for 5-6$ but can only handle .5 amps, then a relay would be needed to turn the pump on. I am looking for a one step solution

 

[smurfin'herb]

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=47774-48284-57667-LWS1&lpage=none

Seems like this would work...It has a vertical float switch too.

On a second note.. That pump is rated at over 3000 gph! If you could find one that is rated 1/10th as much, you may in bizness. But honestly if you cant find one small enough, you can always just vent the extra pressure (ball valve) right back into the recovery box which will reduce the gph im thinkin..

 

[yamaha_1fan]

that may work well. I am using one res for two tables so I will be using a big pump to pump to the tables, and I need something strong to pump back to the res since I am using one recovery bin for two tables. Last thing I want is two tables draining back into the recovery bin and having it overflow because the pump is slow.

A sump pump may be the answer with float switch included

 

[smurfin'herb]

well there ya go then, problem solved. If you do go this route, please let me know how it works.. I got a new run comin up here pretty soon.

 

[PonicalChillin]

Smurf,

check out this pump. I think it will help you alot. Have your table drain into a small bucket with the below pump. Will then pump to your drum..and turn off when bucket is empty.

http://bwgs.com/details.aspx?sku=LG250

Picture actually shows it upside down. 205GPH - runs around $125 at the hydro shop.

 

[smurfin'herb]

thats sweet, is that a float valve attached to it...? Also, i think the size of the bucket the pump sits in, the size of the pump, force of water on the drain fittings, and the size of your drain fittings are all gonna be factors in how well this works. I can see the pump being in a 5 gal and keep cycling on and off possibly cuz it pumps water too fast, but i guess that doesnt really hurt anything but the life of the pump.

 

[moses224]

will a 75 gallon res run 2 tables np? My store has 50 and 75g im thinking 75g and then build stands for tables out of fence post and furniture grade pvc....

 

[smurfin'herb]

Where do u find furniture grade pvc...? and how would you know if u see it?

 

[smurfin'herb]

I guess i could just get an electronic float valve and hook it to a pump in a bucket so that when the float is lifted, the pump turns on. I recently set up an ebb and grow bucket system and i like their ideas on how to get the water in and out of the barrel. Whoever designed that system is on top of their shit, theres not one flaw, except that if your buckets are full and the power goes out, the water will sit in there and probly drown the plants. Great design!

 

[PonicalChillin]

except that if your buckets are full and the power goes out, the water will sit in there and probly drown the plants.

be very aware of this problem. I've had it happen to me twice! Not so much of the power going out - but for some reason my drain pump became locked and would not pump water back to the barrel. Plants sat in cold water for days and suffered bad to say the least.

next time I set this system up I will have 2 fill pumps and 2 drain pumps..incase one goes down.

 

[yamaha_1fan]

I have been busy building and designing. Finally got a table up using my remote res and bin idea. Two major flaws.

First fixable flaw. Pump is on a float switch connected to a contactor. When the water enters the bin, and reaches a certain height, the pump turns on and off very quickly. It just doesnt seem right. The fix is easy though. Use two switches slightly apart in height (.5-1 ") and use a DPDT relay. This is the design in the controller buckets and is what keeps the pump running when water is sloshing around. Somehow the switches are connected together and it works nicely. I also am in the process of building a controller bucket so once I get it all wired, I will have a better idea of how it all works.

2nd major and unfixed flaw. My valve does not allow water to drain back through it. Apparently it needs 10+ PSI to work since its a diaphgram valve and it needs pressure to push up the diaphgram. I am trying to find a valve that will open and allow the table to drain but I am stumped. Well they have electric ball valves that are 400+ and I only need 9...... I have considered going to normally closed valves and using a seperate timer to control the valves and open them when the the table is ready to drain. But apparently normal sprinkler valves need a certain amount of pressure to.

I may have to switch from E&F to drip

 

[kaljukajakas]

I've been thinking about DIY valves to empty tables: basically a hinged flap with a seal that is pulled shut against the bottom of the table with a pull-type solenoid that has a return spring. The solenoid would be wired to the pump so when the table if filling the flap is closed but when the pump shuts off, the flap also opens, draining the table quickly. The solenoid would need quite a bit of travel and the flap should be really light, but all of the parts can be found fairly cheaply...

There doesn't seem to be much of a market for high capacity, low pressure valves. A DIY E&F valve wouldn't even need to be completely watertight. Perhaps even a cheap plastic 4" ventilation back draught shutter with a couple of strings running from the flaps to the solenoid would do the trick... Or simply a rubber ball on a string that is pulled into a plastic pipe that is smaller than the ball.

 

[yamaha_1fan]

in a E&F setup, you would need something that could hold up to the pressure of the pump, if the drain was put in line with the pump like I was doing. I guess you could put the drain on the table and drain and do it that way.

I may have to give that some more though. Pharma can suggested using a toilet flapper. What if you used the toilet flapper and used a solenoid or actuator to open and close it. Actuators are used alot in high end car stereo installs and I believe there travel is easily adjustable

 

[purpledomgoddes]

q: if ebb+flow/flood+drain is based on feeding/not feeding in periods, what would be the big difference from simply feeding less, but more precisely, then running run-off to waste?

just seems like lots of mechanics, etc., when other human work can get done. understand familiarity of system, but just cut hole in tray, feed and discard excess. or, can leave ~.5 inch of water in bottom of tray. plants will soak that up in 1 24hr day. refill to .5 inch next day. may couple cap full of h202 to prevent unwanted growths. done.

just trying to illuminate solutions that do not require machines - but still relatively efficient.

enjoy your garden!