RDWC UC configuration

Hey everyone

I'm going to be putting together a new RDWC UC system soon and I had a few questions.

It's going to be very similar to the 4 station Alien RDWC, like this:

My first question is...
Would using different pipe configurations have any effect?

Besides the res and chiller (which will be in my setup), this is how I always see the circulation pipes set up, like with the Alien RDWC. The blue pipes connecting the buckets are what I'm referring to.




But setting it up like this would save some space and a little money




Doing it like this, the way I'd like to set it up, saves even more space and money




My first concern would be that some areas in the buckets may not circulate as much because of the shorter path of the current. But I would think that all the churning from the air stones would prevent any stagnation issues. Can anyone think of any concerns with Setup C?


Second Question:
I understand the reasoning for big pipes. Alien's 4" pipes to me, seem a little overkill. I was planning on going with 2" PVC. I wanted to go with 3", but I can't find any PVC conduit connectors for making bulkheads in that size. 2" seems to be the biggest. Since I'll be using square buckets, I would imagine the 3" uniseals would work really good, but they're fairly pricey, and I'm a DIYer. Do I need to be concerned about roots clogging the pipes at 2"?

Thanks for all the advice.

Can anyone give me some feedback on how well 3" uniseals work on square buckets?

These are the buckets I'll be using:
https://sunlightsupply.com/shop/bycategory/grow-systems-trays-reservoirs/ez-store-container-buckets-8-and-13-gallon-and-lid_1

I'll be using the 8 gal for the plants and the 13 gallon for the controller. The controller will actually sit 6" below the floor allowing for more solution.

I'm also going to be feeding the barrel from an outside rain barrel under a gutter. Here in OR I can probably go most, if not all, the year off rain water. May have to get another couple rain barrels for the dry months.

The manifolds help keep roots from getting sucked into the large piles. The current culture uses plastic cone screens on the end buckets that connect to the manifold. They do serve a good purpose also by equalizing the flow from both sides

Check out the current culture site for there uniseals for the xxl buckets, 3 inch ones

Checked out their site. A little too pricey for me. I can get 3" uniseals here for $6.99 http://www.amazon.com/Hydro-Flow-747248-Uniseal-3/dp/B00CJIB5JG/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1453083276&sr=8-6&keywords=3-in+uniseal

When you talk about the "manifold", which part are you referring to? Is that the tee from the control bucket to the grow buckets? Or is the manifold the entire loop?

Do you happen to have any knowledge about possible differences between seatup A and setup C?

JSB99 said:

Checked out their site. A little too pricey for me. I can get 3" uniseals here for $6.99 http://www.amazon.com/Hydro-Flow-747248-Uniseal-3/dp/B00CJIB5JG/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1453083276&sr=8-6&keywords=3-in+uniseal

When you talk about the "manifold", which part are you referring to? Is that the tee from the control bucket to the grow buckets? Or is the manifold the entire loop?

Do you happen to have any knowledge about possible differences between seatup A and setup C?

Click to expand...

Uniseals respond really well to having a bead of gorilla glue as the pipe is pushed through. I use 1 1/2 on both flat and round without problems.

I dont have any association with them but i use uniseal warehouse. The 3" are $3.49.

Setup C might have slightly more pressure than A. I have mine setup like A. You can always add a valve on the return just before the pump to regulate the flow, but having 3" pipes, I doubt you would have any uneven flow issues. The only real pressure is at the T where the 3" pipe is reduced to a 3/4 or 1/2" (whatever you use) water line to the pump. What size water pump are you going to run?

two2brains said:

Uniseals respond really well to having a bead of gorilla glue as the pipe is pushed through. I use 1 1/2 on both flat and round without problems.

I dont have any association with them but i use uniseal warehouse. The 3" are $3.49.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the link!!! Those are much better prices than what I was looking for.

blackforest said:

Setup C might have slightly more pressure than A. I have mine setup like A. You can always add a valve on the return just before the pump to regulate the flow, but having 3" pipes, I doubt you would have any uneven flow issues. The only real pressure is at the T where the 3" pipe is reduced to a 3/4 or 1/2" (whatever you use) water line to the pump. What size water pump are you going to run?

Click to expand...

I'm going to use a danner Pondmaster 700 gph pump
http://www.amazon.com/Danner-02527-Pondmaster-700-Pump/dp/B000BJK3QQ/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1452565754&sr=8-6&keywords=danner+supreme+mag+drive

For my air pump, I'm going to get a hydrofarm 45-LPM Active Aqua
http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-AAPA45L-20-Watt-Commercial-Outlets/dp/B002JPRNOU/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1452564243&sr=8-5&keywords=hydroponic+air+pump

I'm going to use ecoplus round airstones
http://www.amazon.com/EcoPlus-728415-Round-Stone-Small/dp/B000W4PZTA/ref=sr_1_sc_5?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1422753629&sr=1-5-spell&keywords=eco+plus+air+stones


I was debating whether to get a 1/10hp chiller or 1/4hp. I'd like to save some money, but not at the cost of having an inadequate component
http://www.amazon.com/Hydroponic-Chiller-Refrigeration-250-1200-110-120/dp/B004LQ7GH4/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1424309880&sr=8-4&keywords=1/4hp+chiller

What do you think? 1/10 or 1/4? The controller and chiller will be outside the 4x4 tent and the room will be air conditioned.

Going with a dimmable lumatek 1k and hortilux MH and HPS lamps
Going to use a sun system blockbuster, but I'm debating on getting the XXXL (had one before and really liked it). But again, price.

Opinions?

two2brains said:

Uniseals respond really well to having a bead of gorilla glue as the pipe is pushed through. I use 1 1/2 on both flat and round without problems.

I dont have any association with them but i use uniseal warehouse. The 3" are $3.49.

Click to expand...

When you say "Uniseals respond well to having a bead of gorilla glue...", are you talking about putting the glue between the bucket and uniseal to ensure a tight seal, or do you mean put the glue between the pipe and the uniseal?

My system is 28 gallons and I use a 1/10 hp chiller I got on craigslist for $80. Works great. It's in a basement out of the actual room itself, so it's relatively cool anyway.

I'm using a 1/10 hp chiller with around 65 gallons of water and room at 85 degrees, water stays at 69 no issues. Same 700 danner pump but stay away from those active air pumps they are like little heaters and blow crazy hot air into your water. Look for an air blower like u would buy for septic system. If u use the active air u probably need 1/4 ton so your either spending more on air pump or more on water chiller

JSB99 said:

When you say "Uniseals respond well to having a bead of gorilla glue...", are you talking about putting the glue between the bucket and uniseal to ensure a tight seal, or do you mean put the glue between the pipe and the uniseal?

Click to expand...

Between the bucket and seal. I used dish washing liquid on the inside to slide the pipe through easier. If you drill your own holes make sure you use a hole saw bit and sand it down lightly to get a good even seal.

wyomingbarber said:

I'm using a 1/10 hp chiller with around 65 gallons of water and room at 85 degrees, water stays at 69 no issues. Same 700 danner pump but stay away from those active air pumps they are like little heaters and blow crazy hot air into your water. Look for an air blower like u would buy for septic system. If u use the active air u probably need 1/4 ton so your either spending more on air pump or more on water chiller

Click to expand...

Gotcha. I do plan on keeping both pumps out of the tent. I'm going to mod my tent to allow for the pipes to pass through. I plan on making ports using oversized pipes pretty much like bulkheads.

Can you recommend a specific air pump that might be better? I looked at a the air force pumps and the 4-port dual diaphragm pumps from general hydrponics like this... http://www.htgsupply.com/Product-Dual-Diaphragm-Air-Pump

two2brains said:

Between the bucket and seal. I used dish washing liquid on the inside to slide the pipe through easier. If you drill your own holes make sure you use a hole saw bit and sand it down lightly to get a good even seal.

Click to expand...

Good deal, thanks. I've been reading about the best ways to do this, like rounding the tip of the pipe, and how critical a perfect circle with no burrs is. Thanks for the advice. One more weapon against the almighty leak.

wyomingbarber said:

If u use the active air u probably need 1/4 ton so your either spending more on air pump or more on water chiller

Click to expand...

My 4x4 tent is going to be in my 10x16 insulated shop. It stays quite chilly in there from Autumn through Spring, and I'll have an 8,000 btu AC for the summer. Since the pump will sit outside the tent in the chilly shop, will it really make a difference?

I'm going to be running a 1k. It will exhaust into the shop. I'm going to build a thermo-controlled vent to let cool air in when it gets above a certain temp in the shop.

I was thinking, it would be really cool if someone came up with a auto-dimming ballast with a remote or wired thermostat. I could see it having a user-set threshold temperature where the light would go from 1000w to 600w at, say, 85 degrees. Then from 600w to 400w when it hits 85 again. And then it could do the opposite when temps drop to a certain temperature.

JSB99 said:

I was thinking, it would be really cool if someone came up with a auto-dimming ballast with a remote or wired thermostat.

Click to expand...

gavita DE ballasts will cut power if they start runnning too hot.

de fixture will be too much in a tent.

look up air force pumps. the air pumps you listed are not enough

rkymtnman said:

gavita DE ballasts will cut power if they start runnning too hot.

Click to expand...

You may have misunderstood me. I was referring to the inside of the tent. You know how you hang a wired thermostat sensor from your hood so you know how warm the top of the canopy is getting? Same concept, only the sensor would be attached to the ballast. When the canopy reaches the threshold temp (say 85 degrees), the ballast automatically drops to 600w. The ballast would probably have a waiting period so the tent cools down before taking readings again.

Then, say, the temp at the canopy drops below the minimum threshold. If it was at 600w, the ballast could switch to 1000w.

Make more sense?

I think this would be an awesome tool to have. Especially if you're away and some hot days hit.

Velvet Elvis said:

de fixture will be too much in a tent.

look up air force pumps. the air pumps you listed are not enough

Click to expand...

I was originally going to go with a danner 12 supreme 1200gph, as suggested by someone
http://www.amazon.com/Danner-Supreme-Magnetic-Drive-Black/dp/B0002564QW/ref=sr_1_8?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1422496422&sr=1-8&keywords=danner+supreme+pond+pump

But I thought it was overkill for a 4.1 rdwc. I estimate 30 gallons using 4x8 gallon square buckets and a 13 gallon square bucket dropped 6" to allow for more water. I'm also going to be using a chiller.

Do I really need to go with something beefy like a danner 1200?

I would rather have a little too much, which can be controlled by a valve, over not enough. But, I don't want to spend a whole bunch of money on a powerful pump that I'm cutting half the flow with a valve.

Suggestions please. Much appreciated

Looks like those vents exist
http://www.amazon.com/Activent-Vent-Remote-Temperature-Control/dp/B002RN0YDG

So in the winter, when the shop gets to 75 degrees, the vent would open and let in chilly outside air.

Could even wire a duct booster fan to it.