RDWC 3" Drains 3/4" feeds in 5 Gal Buckets

[CannaBunkerMan]

canna r u saying that even with the square buckets they will still leak?

budshot those fittings from us plastics are way to expensive. If I were to buy 16 of them it would be $1024 bucks and thats for the $64 dollar ones. The pvc ones are $110 a piece. Where do you get the cheap ones that seal.

Yes, you'll have leaks with square buckets and uniseals. The bucket wall is too thin to make a good seal. Uniseals work great with PVC sewer pipe, but are crappy with buckets.

I remember the bulkhead fittings being in the $10-$20 range. Check your prices, that doesn't sound right.

 

[Dollar]

I use the home depot 3" electrical bulkhead fittings on my brutes like getto recommended in his thread. I think they`re a couple bucks a piece for each the inner and outer. Apply some magic plumbers goop between them and screw on quickly (within a minute). This you can also pickup at home depot. I have`nt had a leak at all since assembly.

 

[greenwithenvy]

I understand why the uniseals wont work on a thin bucket but how about thick buckets? I was thinking PVC thickness board and making square buckets myself. Something like Plexiglas. I wonder if PVC makes board? I gotta look into this a little more. I wish PVC made boxes. I really like these uniseals.

 

[hazydreams]

easiest thing to do is go to the PVC isle at home depot or lows. Look for a threaded male coupler and a threaded female coupler. Buy a sink drain washer. VOILA bulk head fitting for three bucks tops. Square buckets are 100's of time easier to seal. uniseals are kinda weak by comparison to well built bulkhead fitting. using the square buckets only makes the bulkhead fittings job that much easier.

in the picture you can see the male end of the couple with the sink washer sealing the inside of the bucket. this connects to the female side and i just used a rubber fitting to seal the bulkhead to the PVC return pipe.

These are the feeds i used. water tight electrical fitting from the electrical isle. they have a nut inside and a o ring on the outside.

EDIT:::if you didn't want to search for heavy duty squares, look no further. just make sure to order the lids too.

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=66355&catid=818

 

[greenwithenvy]

Ok that sound like a plan hazy. Will those work with the regular 5 gallon buckets or only on the square? Lowes, HD, and Ace dont carry square buckets where im at.

 

[hazydreams]

its possible with the circular. I have pulled it off and still use them to this day but longevity is still an issue.. The problem is with the curvature of the bucket. It eventually causes the rubber gasket to conform the the curve and this kind of pinches the rubber seal to an extent. Over time it will develop a weep. and then its a matter of weeks before you have a pretty wet floor around. I would say i get about 1 year out of the most abused seal in the curved bucket system. its up to you if you want to try it. I also think that the over cut for the uniseal might be too large to be sealed with the bulkhead. I would buy one and check it out first.

By comparison, i have yet to touch the square bucket system in almost 2 years. the only leak i ever had was the roots clogging the outlet because there wasn't too much room left in the bucket, ya dig?

hazy

 

[greenwithenvy]

Thanks alot Hazy I cant wait to get to the depot. Hope there open on labor day. lol The only reason I ask about the circle buckets is because I have a my flower room now which have circle 5 gall now. It will be my new veg now. I wanna go from there right into the new room. I can switch to square buckets very easily if I decide to go the circle for a while, plus how would I go from circle net pot 5 gal tops to square buckets? Thanks again for your help its been very cool.

 

[greenwithenvy]

Any Idea where to get the square buckets? It looks like there 8 bucks a piece online. Any one got a better link? They have to be 15 in tall. Thanks

 

[gettogro]

My veg room uses square buckets, not 1 drip. Must use the right size hole saw and sand the edges smooth for a tight fit. Works for me and I will be using them again. I guess some people just have bad luck with the uniseals.

 

[hazydreams]

only place i know of to get the square buckets is from usa plastic.

 

[greenwithenvy]

Hey thanks guys.

Getto where did u get ur buckets?

 

[KrazyieFosho]

Love the grow man im thining of doing this on the other side of my room to run half the room aero half rdwc love it keep it up

 

[St3ve]

Yes, you'll have leaks with square buckets and uniseals. The bucket wall is too thin to make a good seal. Uniseals work great with PVC sewer pipe, but are crappy with buckets.
.

This has not been my experience.With the round buckets yes but the square ones do NOT leak in my setup. I have a total of 18 buckets each with two holes.

I did have two leaks when I first loaded and tried it but after a day or two the leaks stopped and have leaked since. Round buckets no, never would stop leaking.

Plus you can always silicon the uniseals if it won't stop. Even still is much cheaper than the expesive ass bulkheads.

 

[gettogro]

Hey thanks guys.

Getto where did u get ur buckets?

us plastics.com

 

[greenwithenvy]

Thanks guys I will be ordering my buckets today than. I cant wait to get this running again. PS I went to HD and the male end is $3.64 the female end is $3.20 and a gasket is $1.99. add them up its around $135 just for 14 bulkheads. Thanks again.

Did u have the 5 Gallon Tall Pail 9-15/16" Sq. x 16-13/16" H

or the 5 Gallon Pail 11-3/4" Sq. x 14-5/8" H

 

[Hydrosun]

Yes, you'll have leaks with square buckets and uniseals. The bucket wall is too thin to make a good seal. Uniseals work great with PVC sewer pipe, but are crappy with buckets.

I remember the bulkhead fittings being in the $10-$20 range. Check your prices, that doesn't sound right.

I am going to have to disagree. The Under Current system is square buckets (kitty litter 8gals) with Uniseals. I have had several systems and have watched others with the Under Current and none of us had leak issues with the Uniseals.

Just saying.

Also do a Google search on "Brute Totes" and a lot of sellers and options come up. I would go with 14gal or 20gal models, then you could use the bucket in tote idea to keep roots out of the lines and make the plants really easy to move.

 

[overbudjet]

Here 15 site system 2 or 3 minor leak fixe with goop using 2 inch
abs pipe and diy bulkhead

 

[greenwithenvy]

Well im using the 3" seals and recommended 4" holesaw so we will see what happens.

Hydrosun were you suggesting I use those totes for each plant? If I were to do that how would I go from this system which will be the new veg? Its a little small now for my flower.

 

[greenwithenvy]

Well im using the 3" seals and recommended 4" holesaw so we will see what happens.

Hydrosun were you suggesting I use those totes for each plant? If I were to do that how would I go from this system which will be the new veg? Its a little small now for my flower.

 

[cyat]

GWE
you would need a removeable inner bucket or net pot that can fit into your flower buckets or tubs