waterfarm circulating upgrade kit - GreenPassion.org - Dedicated to Medicinal Cannabis Cultivation and Education

kentuckyneedscompassion · #1 (**permalink**) 08-08-2009, 05:40 PM

I saw this kit and think that I have everything I need to upgrade one of my waterfarms. The only thing I'm not sure about is what they call the circulating pumping column. It looks like it is just one of the setups that goes inside of each bucket on the waterfarm, but just not seeing exactly what they are doing with it. Do you have one of these upgrade kits? Can you explain the circulating pumping column to me? http://www.4hydroponics.com/grow_roo...armUpgrade.pdf

I guess my biggest question is, does the end of the blue tube inside the controller tub, towards the top, just stay how I see it in the pic? Does it just stay above the water line? Would I still use the float in the control bin running this upgrade?

kentuckyneedscompassion · #2 (**permalink**) 08-09-2009, 01:14 PM

Well,
If nobody here has ever tried the circulating upgrade for a waterfarm, I now have about everything I need to retrofit my waterfarm to the circulating system. I'll let you know how it goes and what I think of it. The theory sounds great. As I have noticed different readings for PH and PPM from bucket to bucket.

P@ssw0rd · #3 (**permalink**) 08-09-2009, 05:27 PM

I read everything and i think i understand how it works but it seems to be overcomplicated to me. Couldn't you just keep them in a straight line and use a small submersible pump to keep a trickle running from the controller bucket to the farthest one in the chain?

I mean if you already have it i'm sure it will work well, Just seems like alot of unnecessary work and expense. Not to mention the possibility of something going wrong making all those holes.

kentuckyneedscompassion · #4 (**permalink**) 08-09-2009, 07:11 PM

I've made all the holes, nothing went wrong there, but I don't seem to be getting any circulating motion that I can see. What I'm not sure of, is what to do with what they call the circulating column. Do I just keep the one end up out of the water? Do I need to put a plug in it?

kentuckyneedscompassion · #5 (**permalink**) 08-09-2009, 07:14 PM

I have considered putting a submersible pump in the controller bin as well, seems like it would work. I may just try it if I can't get this to work properly.

P@ssw0rd · #6 (**permalink**) 08-09-2009, 07:59 PM

From the PDF it appers to me that the recirculating column just draws solution in through the hose from it's neighboring bucket and dumps it into the controller bucket, Thus causing all the water in the system to slowly but continuously circulate into and back out of the controller bucket. My guess is that it is working so slowly that the circulation may not be enough to notice. Maybe try adding afew drops of food coloring to the last bucket in the chain and come back in afew hours and see if it has colored the water throughout the system?

kentuckyneedscompassion · #7 (**permalink**) 08-09-2009, 08:10 PM

I don't understand how it would suck water from the neighboring bucket. The water column is on the opposite side of the controller than the hole that goes to the next bucket. The pump only pumps a small amount of air down into the tube that goes to the next bucket. Seems to me that it would pump FROM the controller TO the neighbore bucket. But that is the opposite of what it says.

P@ssw0rd · #8 (**permalink**) 08-09-2009, 08:45 PM

The way i see it there should be a tube running from the bottom of the circulating column across the bottom of the controller ond into one of the grommets to draw water in and pump it out the top of the circulating column [Just like the way the water is pumped up the drip ring in the water farm but without the drip ring] which would raise the water level slightly causing it in turn to flow out the grommet not attached to the column and into the bucket farthest in the chain from the bucket hooked to the recirculating column. Like a passive exhaust kinda. The pictures seem to explain it best to me.

kentuckyneedscompassion · #9 (**permalink**) 08-09-2009, 08:48 PM

That is how I have it set up, but I am not seeing ANY water coming from the top of the circulating column. I am using a small one outlet pump as they demonstrate in the directions, maybe it needs a more powerful pump?

P@ssw0rd · #10 (**permalink**) 08-09-2009, 10:20 PM

Well i wouldn't think so but it can't hurt to try if you have one. Can you adjust the height of the column any or maybe the air supply line isn't in exactly the right spot.

Not sure beyond that,

Sorry