Snype's RDWC Construction Tutorial For 250 Watts - 7,600 Watts!

[DunnDunn]

What is everyone using to drill the 1.5" holes in their buckets?

Got it.

 

[DunnDunn]

You know what size hole saw for the 1.5" trap adapters that go to the buckets?

 

[Loc Dog]

You know what size hole saw for the 1.5" trap adapters that go to the buckets?

It said right on the first page, 1 7/8th" or 48 mm.

 

[DunnDunn]

Found it. They really need an edit button for people like me.

 

[Drop That Sound]

What is everyone using to drill the 1.5" holes in their buckets?

I like to cut a smaller hole first and then I wrap 120 grit sand paper around a cone with a rod and use the drill to spin it inwards, making the hole bigger, until its juuuuust right. Perfect holes, better than any bit can do!

Also check out my thread on flattening round buckets, https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?threadid=328748... I got it down now since I made that thread, so all I need is one cheap o-ring and 2 electrical conduit fittings to make a bulkhead on a round container. No need for washers

 

[DunnDunn]

Seal integrity @ 100% Captain.

So ya...2 bucks a piece at Lowe's and Home Depot for people wanting to get these things together quick and in a hurry.

Still working for you?

 

[Loc Dog]

I am wondering if I should have water pump inside tent or outside. Do they put off a lot of heat??? Reservoir will be outside tent.

 

[Bobby Boucher]

I'd spend the extra loot on an external pump, and place it wherever it's most convenient and accessible. Submersibles are more trouble than they are worth, ime, plus they'll eventually zap you. Unless you are growing in a cupboard or sumshit, the heat an external would put off is negligible. That being said, any equipment that can be kept outside the tent, ideally should, that way you can service at night if need be. My 2 cents.

 

[Loc Dog]

I'd spend the extra loot on an external pump, and place it wherever it's most convenient and accessible. Submersibles are more trouble than they are worth, ime, plus they'll eventually zap you. Unless you are growing in a cupboard or sumshit, the heat an external would put off is negligible. That being said, any equipment that can be kept outside the tent, ideally should, that way you can service at night if need be. My 2 cents.

Thanks!!

I bought 2 of the external Danner 5's and was just wondering where to place them. Never used an external before, so was not sure about the heat.

That will be one less hole I need to cut in tents.

Planning on using flexible hose between the pump and reservoir. Seem s a lot easier than using PVC like Snype did.

All I have left to do is cut holes and connect the reservoir, which will be outside, to the other containers.

 

[Drop That Sound]

Loc, seems you have 2 nice new pumps you should consider hooking them to a GFCI outlet, or adapter like this: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Tower-Manufacturing-Corporation-GFCI-5-Outlet-Adapter-30339015-13/202510243?cm_mmc=Shopping%7cTHD%7cG%7c0%7cG-VF-PLA-D27E-Electrical%7c&gclid=CPOjmvDeu9ECFYZhfgodcLAF8A&gclsrc=aw.ds. That way you never have to worry about getting tazed, or your plants for that matter.

Also you could hook them up inline with flexible tubing, and set them both in a medium ice chest full of water that has another smaller pump going through a junk car's heater core and pc fan for a water cooled inline pump setup. Basically an "inline\submersible water cooled hybrid system" that i've never even seen before..just some idea's if you are dealing with heat issues ya'll know me and my crazy ideas lol

 

[Loc Dog]

Loc, seems you have 2 nice new pumps you should consider hooking them to a GFCI outlet, or adapter like this: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Tower-Manufacturing-Corporation-GFCI-5-Outlet-Adapter-30339015-13/202510243?cm_mmc=Shopping%7cTHD%7cG%7c0%7cG-VF-PLA-D27E-Electrical%7c&gclid=CPOjmvDeu9ECFYZhfgodcLAF8A&gclsrc=aw.ds. That way you never have to worry about getting tazed, or your plants for that matter.

Also you could hook them up inline with flexible tubing, and set them both in a medium ice chest full of water that has another smaller pump going through a junk car's heater core and pc fan for a water cooled inline pump setup. Basically an "inline\submersible water cooled hybrid system" that i've never even seen before..just some idea's if you are dealing with heat issues ya'll know me and my crazy ideas lol

Thanks!! Never saw an afterwall GFCI before. When I did sockets in house 10 years ago, I put GFCI's as first out let from circuit breaker box, everywhere.

Actually in basement in the north, so heat should not be problem. Going with LED's soon, and not sure how that will effect temps. Was using cooltubes, vented out of tents, and out of house. Main concern is keeping the RDWC water below 72F. I have aquarium heaters, and if temps get high in water, was told to throw frozen water bottles in.

 

[Drop That Sound]

Ya one gfci can protect the rest of the outlets on the circuit. I noticed that some ballast and other gear supposedly can't operate on a gfci and have warning labels, my 8 lamp t5 i think says that on the sticker right by the cord.. but works anyway? I decided to dedicate them and run them down low from junction boxes to be safe. Every other outlet that doesn't involve the hydro sytems stays up by the ceiling

Now i'm guessing its because some ballasts have that little capacitor deal that strikes an arc to fire the bulbs.

 

[Drop That Sound]

Right now I have 2 aquarium heaters on max setting and plugged into my willhi digital temp controller, keeping my water exactly 68 give or take a few points, and my res and container sitting on reflectix insulation. Its 22 degrees out right now and the floor is like 40 degrees to the touch in my outdoor room.. about to flip my one year old low pro 7 foot wide mama with two hps 1000's and a 400mh just for her. 2400 watt one plant with dual scrog nets, ya boi!

 

[Bobby Boucher]

Planning on using flexible hose between the pump and reservoir. Seem s a lot easier than using PVC like Snype did..

I'd personally go pvc, and replace the manifolds OFTEN. Like every run often. For as much as you pay for flex hose, you are pretty much forced to reuse and recycle, and pipe ain't easy to clean, ime. Whereas with pvc, you could replace your manifolds for $20 every run. PVC is really really easy to work with. I could make snypes manifold in 20 minutes with a $10 pvc cutter, tops. Flex hose is very unruly. You have to train it and tie it and use considerable force with some of those barbed fittings.

100' of 1" pvc is 22.50 at home depot. 1" ID black flex hose is like $140 on ebay, shipped. $110 for 3/4.

I might at least put the system together with pvc first to make sure my feed lines, drain lines, and pumps were all sized correctly and functioning the way I wanted them to before I spent buku bucks on all the wrong size flex hose and barbed fitting (also f'n expensive).

If you got money growing on trees though, I suppose black flex is always the way to go.

Edit* I can't read. "between the pump and res". FP.

 

[dreaded]

Absolutely.....PVC.....ijs
.don't skimp

 

[Drop That Sound]

Oh and unless you are going to paint or wrap the pvc, which you definitely should, the grey electrical pvc conduit blocks the light pretty good for less than a dollar more per stick.

I agree with the others about flexible tubing, unless its thick and black($$$), its a bitch to clean.

The one thing that is pretty cool though is all pvc is actually flexible, just use a coffee can or jar and a heat gun or hair dryer to bend it yourself into any path imaginable and save some money, leave them 90's and sweeps at the store where they belong lol.

Here's a few pics with some of my custom bent peices, only 1/2 or 3/4 but will work an any diameter just have to spread the heat, even if it kinks you can squish it out with some channel locks and a towel to keep from digging into the pipe. Hot sand from the oven poured into the pipe works the best but who got time for all that..

I'll be sure to add more pics of my bends on my actual hydro systems soon. Custom heat formed PVC pipes are like hot rod headers compared to manifolds(fittings) IMO

 

[Loc Dog]

Has anyone used a lubricant for the neoprene seals??? Have had some leaks. If you over tighten dry, will distort and leak worse. Any lubes or tricks for preventing the gaskets from binding??

Thinking lube, water, or ordering wider gaskets than needed which would look weird, but who gives a rats ass about looks.

 

[Bobby Boucher]

Dish soap works well, or a bit of cooking oil. Are you drilling backwards? All my buckets leaked a little til I read that I should be drilling my plastic out backwards. Smooth surface, no bites.

If for whatever reason you cant get your drains to stop leaking, remember, you can always put them at the water level line where they won't be under any pressure, like BigToke. I've seen a lot of people complain about their leaky UC systems. I know the feeling. Leaks are stressful, dangerous, destructive, and discouraging. Waking up to leaking water was a big part of my life for few years until I stopped drilling holes in the bottoms of my buckets altogether.

I'd personally either be working with a floor drain, a pond liner, or top drains. I'd also be weary of hooking up a water supply line to a float valve in any system with dozens of possible leak points that I haven't run half a dozen times already. Just a small 2nd res.

My advice ain't really worth all that though. You could say that I am a little on the spectrum. Retards like me have to take extra precautions.

 

[Loc Dog]

Oh and unless you are going to paint or wrap the pvc, which you definitely should, the grey electrical pvc conduit blocks the light pretty good for less than a dollar more per stick.

I agree with the others about flexible tubing, unless its thick and black($$$), its a bitch to clean.

The one thing that is pretty cool though is all pvc is actually flexible, just use a coffee can or jar and a heat gun or hair dryer to bend it yourself into any path imaginable and save some money, leave them 90's and sweeps at the store where they belong lol.

Here's a few pics with some of my custom bent peices, only 1/2 or 3/4 but will work an any diameter just have to spread the heat, even if it kinks you can squish it out with some channel locks and a towel to keep from digging into the pipe. Hot sand from the oven poured into the pipe works the best but who got time for all that..

I'll be sure to add more pics of my bends on my actual hydro systems soon. Custom heat formed PVC pipes are like hot rod headers compared to manifolds(fittings) IMO

Damn, I forgot that HID light passes right through PVC. It was not until I blocked all light from water, that my water did not go funky.

 

[Drop That Sound]

Ive noticed as long as the water stays under 70 that even the funk growing in there doesn't harm the plants, but even one day of say 75+ could start to cause root rot in a hurry.

Ive actually been vegging fresh rooted plants lately in 60 degree water with little clear buckets so i can see the roots, they look bright white and super healthy compared to my plants that are kept in the dark and in 68+ degree solution. I bet I could use clear totes all winter, only in the winter though..