Choco8
Well-Known Member
Hello all! Just got my system up and running and wanted to share some images. It's a low cost automated drain to waste setup for 2 plants growing in 10 gallon containers of coir and perlite. It makes 2 batches a day, 10 gallons each time, using the house's water pressure to fill a tank, followed by nutrient mixing, distribution to the plants, and ending with a pump-out sequence of the waste nutrient
Here's how it works:
1. TANK FILL - TIMER #1 opens a 3/4" stainless steel solenoid valve connected to my cold water line ( 40 psi) for 2 minutes, allowing approximately 10 gallons of fresh but cold 58 degree water in to the nutrient tank ( this amount of water in this time frame was achieved adjusting the flow coming from downstream of the solenoid valve with a second ball valve)
2. AGITATION/AERATION - TIMER #2 turns on a small pump in the bottom of the nutrient tank which circulates the water through a 3/4"PVC tube that runs the length of the tank. This tube has five 1/4" holes drilled at an angle where the dosing lines feed into the circulating water for thorough mixing. An air pump connected to the same timer also powers on to aerate the water before feeding.
3. NUTRIENT DOSING - A five-pump Jebao Aquarium Dosing Pump (DP-5), using the internal dosing program menu on the unit, begins to add the required amounts of nutrients in ten minute intervals.
4. WARMUP - The new nutrient is allowed to come up to a more acceptable temperature before feeding. I've been going with 4 hours which has been bringing it from 58 to 65 or so. I'll have to adjust this for the time of year, depending on how cold the water coming into the tank is. I could use a tank heater of course, but my room has surplus heat that I would just as soon use instead.
5. FEEDING - TIMER #3 powers on a large sump pump in the nutrient tank for 2 minutes, emptying the tank all but for about 3/4". This pump connects to a PVC line on the wall which runs overhead and down to a flexible 3/4" hose, which then tees off into some rigid "drip" rings ( which are more like flood rings - there are four 1/4 holes on each ring) which distributes 5 gallons nutrient to each plant. These are a bit finicky so far, having to be perfectly level to not favor one plant of the other. Perhaps there is some kind of pressure equalization solution for this, but I've usually seen that on smaller orifice type nozzles. I prefer flooding the plant versus gradual dripping.
6. DRAINDOWN - The plants are allowed to drain down into the low profile storage container underneath the tables supporting the plants for an hour before pump-out. These containers have lids and are fairly well sealed to around the hoses going in and out to keep the tanks from adding to the room humidity level or from getting debris in them.
7. WASTE WATER ELIMINATION - TIMER #4 powers on a smaller sump pump in the low profile drainage container for 2 minutes. This pump is routed to a 1/2 pvc line that is routed along the wall and over to a utility sink for disposal.
8. WASTE WATER ELIMINATION - 2ND RUN - TIMER #4 power on the same pump for one minute just in case more waste nutrient has trickled in. Even if the tank is almost dry, this short of a run won't overheat the pump.
That's pretty much the routine, twice a day. Today was the first day with the system running on it's own.
Right now this is a "dumb" system, relying on timers operating in sequence - I'll be adding some overflow protection pumps and float switches, and some kind of flood detection/water shutoff setup, etc. but for now I'm pretty psyched to see it working.
Here's how it works:
1. TANK FILL - TIMER #1 opens a 3/4" stainless steel solenoid valve connected to my cold water line ( 40 psi) for 2 minutes, allowing approximately 10 gallons of fresh but cold 58 degree water in to the nutrient tank ( this amount of water in this time frame was achieved adjusting the flow coming from downstream of the solenoid valve with a second ball valve)
2. AGITATION/AERATION - TIMER #2 turns on a small pump in the bottom of the nutrient tank which circulates the water through a 3/4"PVC tube that runs the length of the tank. This tube has five 1/4" holes drilled at an angle where the dosing lines feed into the circulating water for thorough mixing. An air pump connected to the same timer also powers on to aerate the water before feeding.
3. NUTRIENT DOSING - A five-pump Jebao Aquarium Dosing Pump (DP-5), using the internal dosing program menu on the unit, begins to add the required amounts of nutrients in ten minute intervals.
4. WARMUP - The new nutrient is allowed to come up to a more acceptable temperature before feeding. I've been going with 4 hours which has been bringing it from 58 to 65 or so. I'll have to adjust this for the time of year, depending on how cold the water coming into the tank is. I could use a tank heater of course, but my room has surplus heat that I would just as soon use instead.
5. FEEDING - TIMER #3 powers on a large sump pump in the nutrient tank for 2 minutes, emptying the tank all but for about 3/4". This pump connects to a PVC line on the wall which runs overhead and down to a flexible 3/4" hose, which then tees off into some rigid "drip" rings ( which are more like flood rings - there are four 1/4 holes on each ring) which distributes 5 gallons nutrient to each plant. These are a bit finicky so far, having to be perfectly level to not favor one plant of the other. Perhaps there is some kind of pressure equalization solution for this, but I've usually seen that on smaller orifice type nozzles. I prefer flooding the plant versus gradual dripping.
6. DRAINDOWN - The plants are allowed to drain down into the low profile storage container underneath the tables supporting the plants for an hour before pump-out. These containers have lids and are fairly well sealed to around the hoses going in and out to keep the tanks from adding to the room humidity level or from getting debris in them.
7. WASTE WATER ELIMINATION - TIMER #4 powers on a smaller sump pump in the low profile drainage container for 2 minutes. This pump is routed to a 1/2 pvc line that is routed along the wall and over to a utility sink for disposal.
8. WASTE WATER ELIMINATION - 2ND RUN - TIMER #4 power on the same pump for one minute just in case more waste nutrient has trickled in. Even if the tank is almost dry, this short of a run won't overheat the pump.
That's pretty much the routine, twice a day. Today was the first day with the system running on it's own.
Right now this is a "dumb" system, relying on timers operating in sequence - I'll be adding some overflow protection pumps and float switches, and some kind of flood detection/water shutoff setup, etc. but for now I'm pretty psyched to see it working.
