TrevorLahey's Low Budget Growing Part 5: "The Ghost and the Darkness"

TrevorLahey · March 23, 2020, 9:35pm

So I need some help and insight.

I hooked up the pump today and I’m not getting any pressure in my lines, I’m not sure if I need a stronger pump or is my plumbing wrong?

First of all it’s an old pump, it was banged and dinged up alot and I dont even know if its anywhere near the pressure it used to put out (400gph)

Out of the pump is a 10 inch length of 5/8" PVC with an elbow and an adapter that let’s me plug a 1/4" irrigation line into it.

So the water comes out of the reservoir via 1/4" irrigation line, then splits into 2, then each of those 2 split into 3 for 6 total.

Like so:

Is the problem because its leaving the reservoir at 1/4" and rising 2 or so feet before going out to 6 different 1/4" lines?

Or is the pump old and not powerful enough and should I order a new pump and how strong should it be?

Pretty stumped tbh

Shadey · March 23, 2020, 9:59pm

Can you disconnect the line before it splits off see if it will pump water up to that point first, then add 1 1/4 inch connection at a time, if it does go up. If it can’t, could you raise the reservoir so it gravity feeds and then run the wider tubing from your container with the plants in and pump it back to the res?

TrevorLahey · March 23, 2020, 10:04pm

I did that and it does deliver water, enough for maybe 2 plants. I used to be able to do 4 on this pump no problem with the same setup so I’m thinking it’s just a bad pump.

And gravity feed not really what I’m wanting to achieve with this setup or I’d just be doing a DTW system instead.

MumenRyder · March 23, 2020, 10:20pm

I had problems last week with some drippers getting way more water than others even though the drippers were pressure compensating…

Switched out my pump for a stronger one and it solved the issue.

That being said though, I’d be surprised that 400gph wasn’t enough in your case unless the pump wasn’t functioning 100%

A lot of pumps have a little knob on them, you might make sure it’s all the way open allowing maximum pressure.

EDIT: I just checked and a 400gph pump is currently doing 4 plants in one of my tents. It doesn’t have to go but maybe 1 foot upward though.

Shadey · March 23, 2020, 10:20pm

Yeah I think the pump must be worn, I have a 400gph pump in my cloner, when I got it I tested it in a bucket of water on the floor, pumping 3 ft up into a sink, and it had no problem. They normally have a rating of height and distance they can pump before pressure drop off, if you know the model and it’s still available.

TrevorLahey · March 23, 2020, 10:26pm

This pump could do that too when I first got it but it’s really banged up and worn out I think.

This one is up max, I even tried removing the restrictor altogether but barely got a drip on one of the lines.

I’m really thinking I just need a new and more powerful pump. And something that does inline too would be nice so I could make sure I get all the water from the bottom of the reservoir.

Sucks ordering stuff during the apocalypse it might never get here lol

MumenRyder · March 23, 2020, 10:34pm

Dude no joke… I went to order bulkhead fittings from Amazon for a potential hydro project and even though they were prime 2 day shipping, it would take them over a month to get here. Not everything is like that, but options have definitely been slimmed down.

TrevorLahey · March 23, 2020, 10:34pm

Here is what’s coming out of the pump and into the 1/4" line.

And here is how much water comes out of the first 1/4" line

And it’s only raising it about 18 inches, youd think it would be blasting out of that line.

MumenRyder · March 23, 2020, 10:40pm

Definitely looks like the pump should be putting out more than that… You’re probably on the money thinking it’s broken.

For an easy connection from 1/2 to 1/4, I zip tie half inch vinyl tubing onto one side of a 1/4 inch coupling, and then run quarter inch line off the other side of the coupling.

Might come in handy if you have to get a new one:

TrevorLahey · March 23, 2020, 10:49pm

Nice tip!

I’m thinking of ordering this one:

Because it has an option for inline use (so can put an elbow to suck water from very bottom of the reservoir) and the reviews say it is very powerful.

MumenRyder · March 23, 2020, 10:56pm

I might be stupid, but I’m not sure that one is actually inline even though the description says it is?

Like in the pictures, when they take the front cover off, I expected to see a connector of sorts, but it looks like there is an impeller right behind the cover

TrevorLahey · March 23, 2020, 11:18pm

The hole in front of the impeller has threads that let you screw one of the extra nozzles on it like this:

Hell the 550gph is only $3 more I should probably get that instead.

Edit: Ended up ordering the 400gph as it has a flow control, the 550gph did not. Says will be here by March 30th but the world might be over by then lol.

@MumenRyder got me feeling nostalgic with the 2x2 growing so I also ordered a 2x2x5 tent yesterday, had a coupon code and got it for $39.99 pretty sweet deal. Idk what I’m going to do with it yet but it was an impulse buy lol

Shadey · March 23, 2020, 11:31pm

I have that 400gph one works well, the only thing on it that’s a pain in the ass, is the rubber feet are tricky to insert in their slots and pull out very easily, but other than that it’s a good unit.

TrevorLahey · March 24, 2020, 12:05am

Glad you endorse it. I just need something cheap and powerful enough to water up to 6 plants with 1/4" line.

I might need to rise it out of the reservoir with a larger diameter tubing first before going to 1/4"

Not sure if thats going to help at all but makes sense in my head.

Am going to mess with it again this week while I wait for the new pump to arrive.

Some other things on the list:

Breaking up all my rootballs from the last couple grows and recycling all the coco
Starting new seeds for the next Bridgelux run
Defoliating the plants in the Bridgelux tent, as they’re almost done but could benefit from a thinning
Harvesting the Bridgelux plants, I’m thinking another week or so and ill start chopping them up
Testing and configuring the Blumats for the Bridgelux tent
Starting some photoperiod seeds for outdoor
Making an area for the new 2x2 and tying it into my existing wiring and ventilation system.
I have the irrigation system from my old 2x2 cabinet that I can use for the new 2x2 tent, wondering if I should use it and if so will need to do some reconfiguring
Maybe think about a new strip build for the 2x2, I dont want to run screw-ins in it for efficiency reasons, and theres a few people doing fine in that kind of space with 100w EB Gen 2 builds.

This pandemic got me wanting to get shit done lol

Shadey · March 24, 2020, 2:11pm

Yeah have to get rid of the nervous energy lol, normally I am manana manana but now its lets get shit done and stop thinking about viruses.

TrevorLahey · March 26, 2020, 12:08am

Got the plants in the bridgelux tent all defoliated. They are almost 70 days but could still use some time, going to let them ripen up over the next week.

Backed off feed to around 1.0EC but just watering to light runoff so its still around 1.6EC in the pots.

Quite the turnaround on these.

Mr.Sparkle · March 26, 2020, 12:20am

indeed your in the bud again

MumenRyder · March 26, 2020, 1:28am

Looking great man! Huge colas…

Shadey · March 26, 2020, 1:37pm

They certainly have buddy, they look really good Trev,

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