The_Ibex Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 Cheers mate @GSZZ I get the blues ones then 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Ibex Posted October 23, 2020 Share Posted October 23, 2020 Finally got it all set up and running and wow. It doesn’t half make life easier. Done two feeds with it now and all I’ve had to do is make the feed in the res once. So much easier Big thanks to @GSZZ as always who’s advise just works. Nice one @Danco for all your info 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assault and battery Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 I have finally got around to setting up my system but I broke one of the dripper manifolds so havent fired up the drippers yet. I just ordered a new one but I wish I had seen this thread first. Ive learned more reading this in the last half hour than I have from spending many hours on the phone to the vendor and finding out what parts were missing. I have my trays set up and and my brain and have hand watered but the water seems to be sitting in the trays not dissapearing... does it take a bit of time? I chucked a watering can of water in the brain and that pump fired up and emptied it in to the water butt outside but for some reason I expected the trays to drain out too but they didnt.... I am so confused and fed up with it 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSZZ Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 @assault and battery I wish you had seen this thread before too! I wish I had more time to knock out the guide too 1 minute ago, assault and battery said: I have finally got around to setting up my system but I broke one of the dripper manifolds so havent fired up the drippers yet. I just ordered a new one but I wish I had seen this thread first. Ive learned more reading this in the last half hour than I have from spending many hours on the phone to the vendor and finding out what parts were missing. If you're struggling tag myself or @SYZYGY or anyone in this thread and we can surely help you if anything else is missing. 1 minute ago, assault and battery said: I have my trays set up and and my brain and have hand watered but the water seems to be sitting in the trays not dissapearing... does it take a bit of time? I chucked a watering can of water in the brain and that pump fired up and emptied it in to the water butt outside but for some reason I expected the trays to drain out too but they didnt.... I am so confused and fed up with it Yes! This is a real ball ache, and a problem I've had many times. The issue will either be that your floor isn't level, and so the water isn't draining, or the pipe between the trays sags - which means the water has to trave uphill which doesn't happen, they're a bit like a \__/ between the trays. The way to remedy this is to either level out all of the pipes between the trays, or raise the back row of trays using bricks/upturned plantpot saucers etc. You might even have to do both - at a friends house we had great success using the long 120 x 55cm garland trays turned upside down - this gave enough drop between the last tray and the brain to cause enough siphon to drain all the trays. Its worth mentioning for anyone new setting one up - It's really paramount that you use just enough pipe between the trays that there isn't any sag - or try and find some rigid piping. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assault and battery Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 Thank you @GSZZ Now I think about it my log cabin is a bit skew so I expect the floor isn't that level, I am going back out now to start raising bits up. If i can get that to drain then I shall come back and start making a list of the bits I need to make a drippy ring, I just wanted an easier life but so far this has been a lot of stress and my hands are hurt and bruised from installing that ice line stuff. Thank you again. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rufus Brown Posted November 18, 2020 Author Share Posted November 18, 2020 Not been on the site for the last month or so but now I'm back on im going to reread this thread inside and out and start setting mine up over chrimbo Thanks to everyone who's contributed , its been a great help for everybody 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSZZ Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 11 minutes ago, assault and battery said: I just wanted an easier life but so far this has been a lot of stress and my hands are hurt and bruised from installing that ice line stuff. It'll be loads easier on you when it is set up and running, if you haven't got the experience setting one up it can be a real pig. Personally I think its a joke that a grow shop can supply these systems/parts to build one and yet offer no advice and/or have no experience - I have never sent a dripper system out of a shop without a full run down and a set of instructions, and I've never had one back either! Also, dip the ends of the pipe in hot water or blast them with a hair dryer/heat gun to make them go soft, it makes putting the fittings together like spreading soft butter. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assault and battery Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 @GSZZ I finally have drained the trays and its working properly. I used some squares of plastic eco shed base to sit the trays on - Ive made a right mess (coco and water all over the show) but I will deal with that tomorrow. One last question. when the trays drain to the brain... I have lost a fair amount of loose coco down the holes where I have been jiggling it all about. will t his ultimately bung up and break my pump? should I have some kind of filter to catch all this? Right. I'm going back through the thread to see what I need to make a better drip system than the one they provided. I cant wait to have this running sweetly, I have been too busy to grow for the last year with all I have going on and this will hopefully be a game changer in the long term. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigdog44 Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 I've been using this system for 12 months, just check the brain now and again and give it a clean but you will find most of the coco/pebbles etc will gather and stay in the tray underneath the pots, I use air pots with mine so until the roots are established you can get quite abit of substrate coming out the bottom/sides but not much will leave the base. regarding drippers I've used pretty much all of them but I found the best thing for me was to cable tie the 4mm pipe to the actual dripper facing down towards the plant base and fit a small valve to the outlet side of the pump pipework and just turn it down. so you have a nice flow out the 4mm pipe without a dripper. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSZZ Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 1 hour ago, assault and battery said: One last question. when the trays drain to the brain... I have lost a fair amount of loose coco down the holes where I have been jiggling it all about. will t his ultimately bung up and break my pump? should I have some kind of filter to catch all this? Yeah, you'd be better off adding some kind of filtration between the trays and the brain if you're getting coir leakage out of the bottom of the pots. Its unavoidable now you have the issue, but going forward it would be better to use fabric pots with this kind of system as they do not have drainage holes and therefore nothing can leak out of the bottoms - or if you are going to stick with plastic pots, then some spreader mat used in NFTs lining the bottom of the pot will help to mitigate the coir leakage. I'd recommend going with fabric pots though as it just works out cheaper and much less work in the long run, no having to continually buy spreader mat or clean filters. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assault and battery Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 Thank you @GSZZ (again) Ive got the air pots so I shall prob get a bit of spreader mat and a spare pump for the inevitable... I have had a go at designing my drip ring The local grow shop only has 13mm to 4mm cross pieces so i thought this might work. I am off to pick up the bits tomorrow afternoon and with any luck I will be up and running by the weekend. Have decided to not bother with drippers and just use 4mm open lines 2 per pot. wish me luck! I shall post pics of the finished article 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigdog44 Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 make sure all your lines are same length so you get even flow. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assault and battery Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 Thank you @Bigdog44 I wouldn't have thought of that to be honest! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danco Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 I haven't used anything to block the coco from entering the drains, however i do check and clean the brain at least twice a week to make sure nothing is blocking the pump and all is fine. I am also using air pots and the growth compared to standard pots is day and night. I will add something to stop the coco or perlite entering the system on my next run though. Just making a feed up once a week and checking ph levels is like being in heaven compared to doing the same and then crawling around a tent and sponging then run of up for hours These pictures are just 3 weeks apart and 1 week into flower. the main stems are already the size of a lighter with 7 weeks left to go! 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSZZ Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 39 minutes ago, assault and battery said: I have had a go at designing my drip ring looks perfect - apart from the 4mm taps on each line, they're unneccesary. As @Bigdog44 says just make sure all your lines are the same length and you will get even flow. 41 minutes ago, assault and battery said: The local grow shop only has 13mm to 4mm cross pieces so i thought this might work. I am off to pick up the bits tomorrow afternoon and with any luck I will be up and running by the weekend. Have decided to not bother with drippers and just use 4mm open lines 2 per pot. wish me luck! The 13/4mm is just the same thing as the 16/6mm its just inner and outer diameter it can get confusing. Make sure to get a single 13/4mm convertor as well, and put this level with the top of your tank with a bit of drip line tie wrapped to the main feed line, pointing back into the tank. It just spits back into the tank when the pump is running and lets air inside when the pump turns off so it doesn't siphon water and flood your room. Open lines will be fine, less chance of blockages and stuff - I think you can get little stakes which just hold the pipe too? Looking forward to seeing how you get on! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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