SYZYGY Posted October 8, 2019 Share Posted October 8, 2019 Not sure if this has been covered already - feel free to delete if so. This idea was stolen from another forum but saved me £90 so thought I'd share here I've been setting up a Drain To Waste system and didn't fancy dropping £125 on a brain bucket to get rid of my run off (or taking up too much valuable floor space). If you search around you can find this condensation pump for as low as £30 new... Grundfos Conlift1 LS Max flow - 600 l/h Max head - 5.5m It has 4 x 28mm inlets on top of it's own bunding. The cable at the back can be rigged to an overflow alarm (I've just blanked them off) Here's a saucy shot with it's bund off to show the pump inlet and float switch If your catchment trays are elevated enough you could get away with using the built-in inlets. If your run off pipe can run into the front of the bund you could just cut two holes for your BSP fittings. In my case I needed the pipes running into each side. The design of the original bunding doesn't allow this, so a £1 tub was drafted in... And here it is all set up When the tub fills to the top of the inlet pipe, the pump gets the waste out of the tent via the clear tube into a 25l bucket. I'll be changing the tube to a black one to stop light leaks. Other than that, it's working like a dream after a quick test and I'm very happy to have saved £90 and a bit of space in my tent. Hope this of help to someone 30 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tokenroll Posted October 8, 2019 Share Posted October 8, 2019 Excellent post and well done in getting it sorted and posted. I use flood trays myself and will be putting this idea into use on the bottom shelf in my flower cab so the whole cab is able to run its on drip/drain and recirculate. Toke... 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SYZYGY Posted October 8, 2019 Author Share Posted October 8, 2019 @tokenroll Great stuff - the post has already earned its keep then. I've been intrigued by your set-up and was almost tempted down the recirculation route - until I remembered the amount of fresh variables already on my plate what with a new tent, lights, ventilation system and cultivars. Think I'll stick with coco 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SYZYGY Posted January 16, 2020 Author Share Posted January 16, 2020 Just to add - filtration of run-off is a MUST! I flushed my plants with 200 litres last night and towards the end the pump clogged with bits of coco and failed. I had a pair of tights round the pump before but must've forgot to replace them on the last clean. Luckily I was present as it failed and narrowly avoided a lot of mopping up. I'm buying a new one from Screwfix on my way home from work today, costs a bit more there but it's needed pronto. On my next run I might relocate it outside the tent for ease of inspection and cleaning. I'll clean and service the clogged one and put it to use in the veg tent where it'll have much less work to do Probably wise to hold a spare of something so crucial. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterfingerz Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 On 1/16/2020 at 11:19 AM, SYZYGY said: Just to add - filtration of run-off is a MUST! I flushed my plants with 200 litres last night and towards the end the pump clogged with bits of coco and failed. I had a pair of tights round the pump before but must've forgot to replace them on the last clean. Luckily I was present as it failed and narrowly avoided a lot of mopping up. I'm buying a new one from Screwfix on my way home from work today, costs a bit more there but it's needed pronto. On my next run I might relocate it outside the tent for ease of inspection and cleaning. I'll clean and service the clogged one and put it to use in the veg tent where it'll have much less work to do Probably wise to hold a spare of something so crucial. I'll integrate the tights round the pump or something to do the same on the setup I'm building towards, thanks for mentioning 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slippy One Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 @SYZYGY,currently looking at automating runoff and looking at that pump, it’s £60+ new, I was just wondering if we could just use a regular maxijet on a timer for a cheaper option? Do the drain inlets into the bucket need non return valves or are the Medusa trays high enough to never have pots sat in water? That condensation pump does look great with its built in float switch.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SYZYGY Posted October 22, 2020 Author Share Posted October 22, 2020 @Slippy One Sorry for late reply mate, I've had a bit of time off the internet! I consider the 'brain' pump to be one of the most important part of my set-up and not something I'd skimp on. I even keep a spare on hand. They've gone up in price a bit but still worth their weight in gold. My Medusa base trays never pool up to the extent that the water is touching the base of the pot. I use airpots which further increases that distance. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BushDoctoR Posted November 2, 2020 Share Posted November 2, 2020 This is great. Considering adding something like this to pump run off directly to the drain as emptying my run off tank is probably the most annoying of all my regular tasks 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BushDoctoR Posted November 2, 2020 Share Posted November 2, 2020 @SYZYGY I have a couple of queries. My run off is currently collected in a 30L tank that measures around 400 x 600mm below a raised platform with the pots on, do you think that pump would work okay just by popping it inside that tank? I dont want to downsize the tank as I plan to remove the pump from time to time to measure the amount of run off I get. Would also like the security of the large tank containing the waste in case of failure. My concern is that the top of that pump looks like it needs to remain exposed for ventilation purposes, is that the case? I want to pump the waste directly into the soil stack that runs through my attic, it would need to travel through around 3-4 metres of tube and upwards 1.5m, would this pump be capable of this? Thanks in advance 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BushDoctoR Posted November 2, 2020 Share Posted November 2, 2020 Pic of run off tank for reference 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SYZYGY Posted November 3, 2020 Author Share Posted November 3, 2020 11 hours ago, BushDoctoR said: @SYZYGY I have a couple of queries. My run off is currently collected in a 30L tank that measures around 400 x 600mm below a raised platform with the pots on, do you think that pump would work okay just by popping it inside that tank? I dont want to downsize the tank as I plan to remove the pump from time to time to measure the amount of run off I get. Would also like the security of the large tank containing the waste in case of failure. My concern is that the top of that pump looks like it needs to remain exposed for ventilation purposes, is that the case? I want to pump the waste directly into the soil stack that runs through my attic, it would need to travel through around 3-4 metres of tube and upwards 1.5m, would this pump be capable of this? Thanks in advance Hey fellow dubhead. You'd be fine doing this, doesn't really matter how big the container is. The pump doesn't get hot as it only runs occasionally and not for very long. The head on the pump is rated at 5.5m so it has some muscle. I imagine it'd be capable of coping with your planned tube run. Don't forget the pair of tights for filtration 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slippy One Posted November 3, 2020 Share Posted November 3, 2020 @SYZYGY where in the line to the tights go? I’m almost ready to assemble my brain.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SYZYGY Posted November 3, 2020 Author Share Posted November 3, 2020 3 minutes ago, Slippy One said: @SYZYGY where in the line to the tights go? I’m almost ready to assemble my brain.. Stretched round the bottom half of the pump itself, to prevent any debris from clogging it up. I learned the hard way so you don't have to I cut off the legs, leaving a few inches and tie the remainder of each into a knot. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stu914 Posted November 3, 2020 Share Posted November 3, 2020 25 minutes ago, Slippy One said: where in the line to the tights go? I’m almost ready to assemble my brain. Anyone reading this out of context would think...W.T.F....?? Sorry it just amused me... 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BushDoctoR Posted November 3, 2020 Share Posted November 3, 2020 54 minutes ago, SYZYGY said: Hey fellow dubhead. You'd be fine doing this, doesn't really matter how big the container is. The pump doesn't get hot as it only runs occasionally and not for very long. The head on the pump is rated at 5.5m so it has some muscle. I imagine it'd be capable of coping with your planned tube run. Don't forget the pair of tights for filtration Awesome! Gonna get on this right away. Thanks mate 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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