Compost tea pump recommendation

Advanced Techniques
#1

Does anyone have a preferred brand? I’m finally gonna dive in a get a decent pump and build a brewer, but even the highly rated ones on amazon have some complaints of being loud and running hot. Im more worried about it running decently cool, so it will last, than it being a little loud. Both quiet and cool would be preferable. I know Ill get some good advice on here, so please give me your input.

I plan to mainly be doing 5 gallon batches, but I would like an oversized pump, so it will work if I decide to go a bit bigger. I plan to make a brewer out of pvc.

4 Likes
#2

I’m also planning to make one. One of these days Lol. :rofl: I had one b4, but took it down cause my solar set up had to be redesigned.

This is the next pump I plan to use.

20210111_213532
20210111_2135321548×2064 220 KB

Aloha From Hawaii :call_me_hand:t5:

2 Likes
#3

48 bones. I got this one and put it in my 40 gal water rez. I can attach a garden hose to it and that’s how I water my garden. No more dumping 1gal water jugs anymore!!!

Screenshot_20210112-035336_Amazon Shopping
Screenshot_20210112-035336_Amazon Shopping1080×2220 431 KB

2 Likes
#4

You want an airlift compost brewer… not a submersible pump. You really do not want to think about compost as “Mixing” but as adding air and moisture to microbes.

www.microbeorganics.com is a good place to read about it. Tim Wilson (microbeman from the website) tested almost every design of compost brewer and concluded that the airlift design made the best tea. He looked at every batch through a microscope to verify the microbial activity.

Here is a simple video to build an airlift. I used a PDF to build mine but this makes it easy. I have a large 55 gallon airlift in my greenhouse and a 5 gallon in my basement for indoor. All you need is an air pump.

Double edit: I just noticed that this video mentions Tim Wilson.

Edit: Here is a pump similar to the one I use for 5 gallons. My 55 gallon pump is a small compressor.

9 Likes
#5

I’ll have to go back and look at reviews, but it seems that some reviewers said the vivosun was loud. I looked at that one and several similar.

The airlift design is better than the one that simply bubbles? Is some of that just personal preference, or is that design superior?

Edit: hopefully someone can give me a specific brand that lasts well and isn’t too loud.

#6

my vivosun is loud compared to smaller air pumps I have the 950

1 Like
#7

Which brand is quieter? Do you know? Are you referring to the aquarium pumps?

1 Like
#8

sorry no idea here, i have the vivosun a uniclife and a couple of active aire’s and there all different outputs,the vivosun is by far the biggest and loudest

1 Like
#9

Also, thanks for the recommendation and video. That is super simple to build. I’m probably gonna build 2 while im at it, one for each location.

2 Likes
#10

Nice simple design. Mahalo for that info. :+1:t4:

Aloha From Hawaii :call_me_hand:t5:

2 Likes
#11

This is some parts of my old one.

12v Air pump.

20210112_085344
20210112_0853441548×2064 203 KB

12v Feeder pump with poly pipe.

20210112_085603
20210112_0856031548×2064 536 KB

Poly pipe. Main feed line.

20210112_085720
20210112_0857201548×2064 541 KB

Spaghetti tubing to adjustable emitters.

20210112_085704
20210112_0857041548×2064 459 KB

7-32v 4 channel wifi relay and small air stone.

20210112_085335
20210112_0853351548×2064 272 KB

And it ran on this homemade solar system I had b4.

Screenshot_20210112-091158_Gallery
Screenshot_20210112-091158_Gallery720×1560 425 KB

Yea I need to make a whole new setup. :rofl:

Aloha From Hawaii :call_me_hand:t5:

4 Likes
Uknow808 (Hawai'i, Outdoor Grow, Medical.)"
#12

But damn, that looks like some ingenuity to me man. You got some skills. Most people wouldn’t attempt all that. Props.

1 Like
#13

Much Mahalos (Thanks)

Yeah I dig getting technical i find technology fun especially if it can grow for you.

Had to make a new solar system. Now need to redo everything else.

This is my new homemade solar system.

0423200056_Film1
0423200056_Film12080×1560 359 KB

20200923_114021
20200923_1140211536×2048 366 KB

Aloha From Hawaii :call_me_hand:t5:

7 Likes
#14

Nice! My great grandpa was a rock hound, so I can appreciate the geode as well.

3 Likes
#15

Yea my girl gots loads of um I never really seen um till i got with her. But now I dig it. I didn’t even really burn :fire: herb till I got with her too Lol. :rofl: You could say she was an influence on my life Lol :rofl:

Aloha From Hawaii :call_me_hand:t5:

3 Likes
#16

If you want to make a ‘compost tea’ I second what @Tommy_McCain said. Buy a pump like he posted - make an airlift brewer. Lmk if questions. :v:

3 Likes
#17

Im convinced of that. I just want to find a pump that will last and not be super loud.

4 Likes
#18

I think the majority of what you are asking really depends on how much you want to spend. You can buy one like Tommy posted for like $25. It will be somewhat loud and should last just fine. If you want really quiet, you could use a pneumatic pump, but bring cash.

3 Likes
#19

another thing you can do to quiet the pump is to put it in a cardboard box

3 Likes
#20

OK, so under 100 bucks or so, they should all be similar.

@Who that’s a good idea, but several of the reviews on the cheaper pumps speak of the pump getting too hot. The box probably wouldn’t help.

3 Likes