Methods of monitoring pot water levels

Just about to run my 1st RDWC setup. I'm usually an NFT guy.

One big concern is flooding. I hear often of roots blocking recirc pipes and then the master pot, or one of the slaves overflows.

This can't happen.

Are there cheap ultrasonic depth sensor kits out there for all my pots ? or am I just as well to stick semi transparent tubes up the sides of each one? and if so, for 20l pots, what size pipe and fittings do you recommend?

Dodgey99 said:

Just about to run my 1st RDWC setup. I'm usually an NFT guy.

One big concern is flooding. I hear often of roots blocking recirc pipes and then the master pot, or one of the slaves overflows.

This can't happen.

Are there cheap ultrasonic depth sensor kits out there for all my pots ? or am I just as well to stick semi transparent tubes up the sides of each one? and if so, for 20l pots, what size pipe and fittings do you recommend?

Click to expand...

Can you put copper gauges on the pipes? They terminate the root from what I understsnd

I guess you mean guazes?

I think I found a cheap and simple solution:

7 of these: Just pop them on the lids and dangle the contact strip near the top of the bucket.

I've already been told by a friend in a Hydro shop that I'll need to get used to reaching in each bucket periodically and pulling roots from pipes. I just want an early warning if one backs up (most likely the main feeding pot, but might as well alarm all of them)

Dodgey99 said:

I guess you mean guazes?

I think I found a cheap and simple solution:

7 of these: Just pop them on the lids and dangel the contact strip near the top of the bucket

View attachment 4953012

Click to expand...

Depends of you want to stop the issue... or just be told the issue has happened

I know what will cause it, I just want to find out before it becomes a flooding issue. I'll look into copper

I was pondering this the other day. I currently use 2 inch pipe for the return on the bottom (pumping about 700gph to 4 sites in a waterfall RDWC) but the roots of my plants pretty much fill all the space the water is in and I reach in daily/every other day to make sure the pipe doesn't get clogged.

But why don't we put like a 1 inch redundant pipe near the top of the buckets that go to the return pipes as well? That way, hopefully worse case would be the bottom clogs but the top should be able to keep up and keep water moving until you check on it the next day and unclog it? Probably easier said than done, especially since most buckets aren't smooth near the top so it would take some shop work, but it seems like an easy/cheap enough solution to ease worries. Couple of grommets, some leftover pipe and a couple more connections and good to go?

I think the return pump would not work as it would be sucking in air from all the pot "overflow" pipes which would be easier than sucking all that water through.

Dodgey99 said:

I think the return pump would not work as it would be sucking in air from all the pot "overflow" pipes which would be easier than sucking all that water through.

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hmm, how do you plan on setting up your RDWC I guess should be the first question?

Sounds like you plan on pulling water from the sites back to the rez? If so, you have a point, but if you did the opposite and pushed water to the sites, the "overflow" pipes shouldn't be an issue.

Technically, you don't really want water all the way to the bottom of the net pots, so the overflow pipe could be right around there instead of at the top.

See image for my current setup. Pump pulls water from the main 27gallon (about 18 gallons actually in it) rez and shoots into the sites. Gravity then pulls the water back into the main rez. If i put a 1 inch pipe near the bottom of the net pots, at the sites, and just connected 2 sites (1 pipe on each side), i would assume that would be sufficient enough. If all sites got clogged, then you prob have other problems. You can only have so many backups. Could always build it in a kids pool i guess.

lol - kids pool isn't such an insane idea!

I have an off the shelf RDWC system and it's quite a common arrangement - main tank pulls the water from the end pots, which pull from all the others.

oill said:

Depends of you want to stop the issue... or just be told the issue has happened

Click to expand...

that was my question too.

how fast can you respond to an alarm?

i bought a little water alarm sensor to put near my hot water heater. it has 2 metal contacts on the bottom that when it senses water it screeches like crazy. not sure if it would wake me up from a deep sleep but i'd hear it eventually