Waterfarm Modifications Tutorial
The Waterfarm from General Hydroponics is a drip system that has been around for many years. A reservoir add-on is available along with a circulating system. This tutorial will show you how to make good system into a great system.
Here is a picture of a single waterfarm unit.
Here is General Hydroponics description of the Waterfarm unit.
“The complete WaterFarm is designed to be a stand alone system and includes all the items listed below. This system is sized 1’ x 1’
This system includes
• 4-gallon reservoir
• 2-gallon growing chamber
• Pumping column
• Column support tube
• Drip ring
• 1/2" grommet
• Drain level tube
• Elite® 800 air pump”
It consists of an upper chamber that hold the grow medium (usually hydroton or something similar), a lower chamber that hold the nutrient mixture, and a tube that show you the level of nutrient in the lower chamber. Internally, there is percolator tube (just like the old coffee makers) that uses an air pump to bring the nutrient from the lower chamber to the drip ring on top.
Here is a picture of 8 waterfarm 8-pack system.
Here is General Hydroponics description of the 8-pack system.
“The WaterFarm 8-pack is eight WaterFarm module units connected to one General Hydroponics Controller: and integrated 13 gallon reservoir and an 8 gallon controller unit. The Controller will keep each unit topped off with the correct level of nutrient for low maintenance. The kit is powered by GH’s Dual Diaphragm Air Pump, and includes all the necessary hardware…”
Here is a picture from the instructions file that gives you a better idea of how the system works.
Individual waterfarms.
The first thing that you want to do is to drill out the holes in the upper chamber. They are too small and do not allow thr roots to get into the lower chamber. I drill them out to be slightly smaller than the hydroton (or whatever your using). This prevents the hydroton from falling into the lower chamber. This also allows the root system to get into the lower chamber.
By adding an air stone to each waterfarm, they can become a DWC system when the roots get into the lower chamber. This combination of a drip system and DWC system provide lots of oxygen and nutrient to our babies. I normally use the drip system when they are little and switch to DWC when they get bigger.
8-pack system
One inherent problem with the 8-pack system is keeping the nutrients in each individual unit to the correct PH and PPM. You would have to check each unit, and both reservoirs. General Hydroponics realized this and created a circulation system kit. This system circulates the nutrient through all of the individual units and back into the lower reservoir chamber. The kit costs about $30, but can be created by purchasing the individual parts for much cheaper. The system uses the same percolation tube to circulate the nutrient as the individual waterfarms use to pull the nutrients into the drip ring. You can purchase the additional grommets, tubing and a waterfarm modular kit (that has the percolation tube) and do it yourself.
Here is a picture of the General Hydroponic installation instructions for the circulation kit.
The link for this pdf is located at the end of this tutorial.
As you can see, the circulation kit is pretty simple to replicate for the DIYer. If you don't want to DIY, you can purchase this upgrade from any Hydro store, they may have to order it in.
Now you have a system that will circulate the nutrients between each unit and the lower reservoir. I know of some growers that just use the lower reservoir at this point.
I wanted to incorporate the upper reservoir into the system, but ran into a problem with the upper reservoir not having the same PH and PPM as the lower. So I needed to include the upper reservoir in the circulation system. To achieve this, I installed a small submersible pump in the lower reservoir that pumps into the upper reservoir. As the level in the lower reservoir goes down, the float valve opens and the contents of the upper reservoir drains into the lower reservoir. I placed the pump on a timer and it runs for two minutes every hour. You have to make sure that the pump doesn't work faster that the ability to drain from the upper reservoir into the lower.
Now I have achieved a system that incorporates all components of the Waterfarm system and circulates the nutrients between all reservoirs.
With an air stone in each individual unit, I have created a drip/DWC system with a large reservoir capacity that circulates the nutrients through all components of the system.
A couple of things to remember:
Use dark tubing to prevent light from getting into your system. Light = algae.
Kee your nutrient temperature below 75 degrees to prevent algae.
Make sure that the lower reservoir pump doesn't work faster that the gravity drain, otherwise the pump could run dry. This is why I only run my pump for a couple fo minutes each hour.
Happy Growing!
Here are some links to General Hydroponic pdf instruction files.
General Hydroponics:
http://www.generalhydroponics.com
Waterfarm Individual Instructions:
http://www.generalhydroponics.com/ge...structions.pdf
Waterfarm 8-pack Instructions:
http://www.generalhydroponics.com/ge...oller_inst.pdf
Circulation Upgrade Kit Instructions:
http://www.generalhydroponics.com/ge...structions.pdf
If anybody has any recommendation, additions, or deletions, please send them to me. This tutorial is a ‘work in progress’ and I’m always trying to improve it. I will be doing these modifications for a buddy in a couple of weeks and will add pictures to this tutorial.
Whobe
General Hydroponics Waterfarm Modifications.
The Waterfarm from General Hydroponics is a drip system that has been around for many years. A reservoir add-on is available along with a circulating system. This tutorial will show you how to make good system into a great system.
Here is a picture of a single waterfarm unit.
Here is General Hydroponics description of the Waterfarm unit.
“The complete WaterFarm is designed to be a stand alone system and includes all the items listed below. This system is sized 1’ x 1’
This system includes
• 4-gallon reservoir
• 2-gallon growing chamber
• Pumping column
• Column support tube
• Drip ring
• 1/2" grommet
• Drain level tube
• Elite® 800 air pump”
It consists of an upper chamber that hold the grow medium (usually hydroton or something similar), a lower chamber that hold the nutrient mixture, and a tube that show you the level of nutrient in the lower chamber. Internally, there is percolator tube (just like the old coffee makers) that uses an air pump to bring the nutrient from the lower chamber to the drip ring on top.
Here is a picture of 8 waterfarm 8-pack system.
Here is General Hydroponics description of the 8-pack system.
“The WaterFarm 8-pack is eight WaterFarm module units connected to one General Hydroponics Controller: and integrated 13 gallon reservoir and an 8 gallon controller unit. The Controller will keep each unit topped off with the correct level of nutrient for low maintenance. The kit is powered by GH’s Dual Diaphragm Air Pump, and includes all the necessary hardware…”
Here is a picture from the instructions file that gives you a better idea of how the system works.
Now for the modifications
Individual waterfarms.
The first thing that you want to do is to drill out the holes in the upper chamber. They are too small and do not allow thr roots to get into the lower chamber. I drill them out to be slightly smaller than the hydroton (or whatever your using). This prevents the hydroton from falling into the lower chamber. This also allows the root system to get into the lower chamber.
By adding an air stone to each waterfarm, they can become a DWC system when the roots get into the lower chamber. This combination of a drip system and DWC system provide lots of oxygen and nutrient to our babies. I normally use the drip system when they are little and switch to DWC when they get bigger.
8-pack system
One inherent problem with the 8-pack system is keeping the nutrients in each individual unit to the correct PH and PPM. You would have to check each unit, and both reservoirs. General Hydroponics realized this and created a circulation system kit. This system circulates the nutrient through all of the individual units and back into the lower reservoir chamber. The kit costs about $30, but can be created by purchasing the individual parts for much cheaper. The system uses the same percolation tube to circulate the nutrient as the individual waterfarms use to pull the nutrients into the drip ring. You can purchase the additional grommets, tubing and a waterfarm modular kit (that has the percolation tube) and do it yourself.
Here is a picture of the General Hydroponic installation instructions for the circulation kit.
The link for this pdf is located at the end of this tutorial.
As you can see, the circulation kit is pretty simple to replicate for the DIYer. If you don't want to DIY, you can purchase this upgrade from any Hydro store, they may have to order it in.
Now you have a system that will circulate the nutrients between each unit and the lower reservoir. I know of some growers that just use the lower reservoir at this point.
I wanted to incorporate the upper reservoir into the system, but ran into a problem with the upper reservoir not having the same PH and PPM as the lower. So I needed to include the upper reservoir in the circulation system. To achieve this, I installed a small submersible pump in the lower reservoir that pumps into the upper reservoir. As the level in the lower reservoir goes down, the float valve opens and the contents of the upper reservoir drains into the lower reservoir. I placed the pump on a timer and it runs for two minutes every hour. You have to make sure that the pump doesn't work faster that the ability to drain from the upper reservoir into the lower.
Now I have achieved a system that incorporates all components of the Waterfarm system and circulates the nutrients between all reservoirs.
With an air stone in each individual unit, I have created a drip/DWC system with a large reservoir capacity that circulates the nutrients through all components of the system.
A couple of things to remember:
Use dark tubing to prevent light from getting into your system. Light = algae.
Kee your nutrient temperature below 75 degrees to prevent algae.
Make sure that the lower reservoir pump doesn't work faster that the gravity drain, otherwise the pump could run dry. This is why I only run my pump for a couple fo minutes each hour.
Here are some links to General Hydroponic pdf instruction files.
General Hydroponics:
http://www.generalhydroponics.com
Waterfarm Individual Instructions:
http://www.generalhydroponics.com/ge...structions.pdf
Waterfarm 8-pack Instructions:
http://www.generalhydroponics.com/ge...oller_inst.pdf
Circulation Upgrade Kit Instructions:
http://www.generalhydroponics.com/ge...structions.pdf
If anybody has any recommendation, additions, or deletions, please send them to me. This tutorial is a ‘work in progress’ and I’m always trying to improve it. I will be doing these modifications for a buddy in a couple of weeks and will add pictures to this tutorial.
Whobe
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