"Waterfarm" bucket assembly

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PLEASE DO NOT POST IN THIS THREAD!!

IT IS INTENDED AS A TUTORIAL ONLY.

This tutorial will cover the assembly of a "Waterfarm" unit in a 5 gallon bucket. An approximate cost to assemble this unit will be somewhere around $35 once it is filled w/ hydroton...depending on whether or not you have to buy the bucket/pump...etc.

Overall...this is about 1/2 the cost of buying the Waterfarm unit from GH at retail.

The first picture shows the components.

5 gallon bucket...black if possible to prevent algae growth Approx $7
10" "mesh" pot. Built to sit inside the bucket perfectly. Approx $4-5
"Farm Kit" from GH. Plastic wrapped for retail sale. $15
Air pump-single outlet or multi outlet depending on usage/#of buckets $8
hydroton

Second picture are the components laid out for view.

Drip column housing (brown)
Drip column innards (white)
air diverter (brown)
drip ring that hooks to column
grommet for sight tube
sight tube
clear air tubing 1/4"

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Third picture is the grommet and the elbow and sight tube.

Next pic is the drilling of the bucket w/ a 3/4" paddle bit to accomodate the grommet that the elbow and sight tube will be inserted into.

Following picture shows this step completed.

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These pictures show the column being assembled.

The diverter with the air tube insert goes at the bottom...this column is then inserted into the brown 3/4" pipe.....then the "T" and the drip column are assembled and placed on top.

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The next picture shows the 10" mesh bucket sitting in the 5 gallon bucket and the column being inserted into a hole that was created by removing one of the webbed supports in the bottom of the mesh pot.

Once the hydroton is in place the column will hold secure/in place.

Operation:

The bucket is filled with nutrient solution to the line on the sight tube

The air pump is hooked up to the small airline tube. This forces air down into the tube/column and when it hits the nute solution an air/water bubble is forced upward into the column and when it hits the top iot explodes and runs into the drip ring. From there gravity takes effect and the water percolates downward through the Hydroton and back into the "reservoir" where it all happens again. This action not only waters yer plant..it intro's oxygen back into the system and offers an NFT (nutrient film technique) type benefit to the plant's root system as the water runs down the root and back into the res.

This unit can be a stand alone system for ONE plant (no multiple plantings in these sytems as the plants get HUGE) or it can be hooked together into a multi-plant system...either keeping the buckets/reservoirs seperate (good for multiple strain grows w/ differing nutrient requirements) or joining all buckets together and adding a reservoir/etc.

Those grower wishing to create a multi-bucket "Waterfarm" system w/ a reservoir, float valve, and fill tank should seek out the thread called

"Building a Multi-Bucket Waterfarm System"

also located in this section of GP.

Hint: To build a DWC system...simply add airstones and get the nutrient BUBBLING wildly....and use the drip ring until it clogs with roots. (if it does)

Good luck. Grow BIG.

Attached Images

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