DIY Recirculating DWC PVC Tube

[Mr Smith]

The title is about the only thing complicated with this grow machine.
After watching a guy name Heath Robinson grow 40 oz plants and then grow a number of small clones using recirculating dwc methods I decided to build a very small machine to see if this method of growing suits me. So back in October of last year I put together a few pieces of 4 inch pvc tubes, 3 tubes are 12 inches long and the 4th is 24 inches long with 3 90 degree bends and capped one end. The size and shape of the machine doesn't matter as long as the tubes are level with each other. After the pvc was cemented together I drilled 4 holes with a 2 and3/4inch hole saw. I went with that size because I first tried a 3 inch hole saw and the fit for the 3 inch pot net seemed loose.

I built a wooden stand from scrap pieces of wood I had and supported the tube with pvc J hooks. On the cap side I drilled a hole in the cap installed a 1/2 in connector with a two part apoxy.

On the open end side of the tube I placed a 2inch plastic dam with a 2 part apoxy The apoxy set real fast and I ended up with a crooked dam. The red cap is a plastic plug I installed to help with waterchanges. I later found out that I didn't need it.

After cutting a 4 in hole in the side of a plastic tote I found a extra pump with my old aquarium stuff and desided to use it for the machine. Its a mag 250ghp pump. I then went to home depot and bought a assortment of connectors and tubing to connect the pump to the end of the tube with a bypass that poured right back into the resevoir. The bypass is to regulate flow and add more DO (disolved oxygen) into the water.

About 1/4 in of water is at the bottom of the cups.

And thats my DIY. I never had a time or a place to test the machine until February.

 

[Mr Smith]

In February or March I rooted some clones for the machine. I wanted long roots so I left them in the cloner machine for 3 weeks. They already started vertical growth.

I added 11 gallons of tap water to the resevoir, mark the level, started the pumps and then added 2 more gallons of water after the tube filled up. When it came time to add nutes I just followed the GH Flora series chart at 50% mix and change about 10 gallons of water every week for eight weeks. I started off the grow straight to flower with no veg time except what was given to them in the clone machine.

It was neat to watch how fast the roots changed.

Grow test is set up next to a 4 foot aero 36 thats 2 weeks further into flower and lighting is a 1000w hps on a light rail with the lamp 4 feet away from plants. The light height is not by choice but because of the height of the plants in the aero.

 

[Mr Smith]

At harvest I ended upt with over a qp of bubblegum.

I found this system and its grow method extremely easy to use with satisfying results.

 

[Mr Smith]

Now here's the reason why I did such a small test. I wanted to experience this type of grow method before I dumped money into a larger system. Unfortunately the room gets too hot during the summer time so I had to wait til fall when the weather cools down. Now that its fall I can continue the second part of my diy test and make a vertical setup that can easily beat 1 gram per watt.
Here's a sneak peak at the system, its still in its building phase but very close to completion.

To be continued once I am further into the project and thankyou for checking out my simple diy.

 

[Heks]

VERY awesome
I like how it went from 4 sites to 40 +/- xD
What lighting do you have planned for the new project?
Also, are all four levels going to be connected to a different reservoir? Or will it be a spiral of delicious green?

 

[PrairiePoet]

Very interesting ideal. Good luck on it.

One question, are you planning on a column of light in the middle? If not, then how will you keep light close to the lower pipes?

Prairie

 

[Mr Smith]

The new system will have a light in the middle. it can use 1 to 2 600w to 1000w bulbs. I'll be using 1 1000w bulb. Each row is level but all four rows are connected and share the same resevoir.
Part 2 is building a vertical system using the recirculating dwc method and easily achieve 1 gram per watt plus. The system is a replica of one that Heath Robinson built but its made using different materials like pvc instead of soil pipe.

The build.
taking 4 inch pvc I cut a bunch of 2 foot long tubes and connect the with 45 degree connectors to form a octagon. Then I square it off with 2by3s and reinforce the corners. This is my base of the stand to support the tubes.

I put up 6foot long 2by3s for supports and anchor 2 of them to the wall and capping off the top with 1by2 inch board forming a octagon at the top. This is the system's frame or stand.

Starting 2 feet up I install the plumbing using 4inch pvc J hooks and making sure every row of tubing is level.

After everything is connected and level I drill my holes using a 2 and 3/4inch hole saw mark everything and tore it down to wash the tubes. The pvc tubes were dirty to begin with and after drilling all those holes I have white sawdust all over the place.

 

[Mr Smith]

While the tubes were being cleaned and dried I made my dams using hard plastic. These dams are 1.5 inchs tall. The hole is where I install a rubber plug and will only be used after the grow to help with drainin g and cleaning.

After all the tubes and connectors are clean and dry I reassemble the plumbing sealing it with silicon. I chose silicon over pvc cement because I want to be able to take the system apart to be reused in a different location or just sell it to a friend.
While gluing everything together I make sure everything is level.

During reassembly is also when I install the dams. The four dams are installed right before each row angles downward to the next row.

Once everthing is together I reseal with silicon on the outside.

Thats where I am at with the build. I hope to have the resevoir set and do a water test by next week end.

 

[Purple Goose]

So you have to crawl under the bottom row to get inside to do any maintainence such as cleaning out dust form your light, checking plants for insects and what not? Might want to consider if there is a way to create a 2' wider opening on ones side like where the angles between levels and that final return pipe to the resevoir is would just mean shortening the one by a bit I would think but being able to enter the middle area easier will be worth the changes. Also for RDWC do you have at least a 12" drop from the return pipe to the resevoir as the waterfall will help to oxygenate the resevoir without need of power heads or Airstones.

 

[Mr Smith]

It was either go over it or go under it. It would be easy to keep it low and go over it until the plants fill out then you risk damaging plants so I chose to go under and have a 2foot high by 3 foot wide opening at the bottom. The inside measurement of the system is 60 inches. The bulb will be naked so there is no touching the bulb. There will be no powerheads or airstones, just a 1000gph pump and the waterfall height has not been set yet.

This machine is almost ready for its test run so I prepared some clones. Its mostly Belladonna with 10 superlemon haze clippings.

Clones should be ready in 2 to 3 weeks so I now have a time limit. (Won't see bud from this machine for about 12 weeks)

 

[Purple Goose]

Well I have looked into recirculating deep water culture and all the growers I have seen using these on large scale systems all agree on a minimum waterfall height of 12inches you might also wanna check out this guy named big tokes water chemistry he uses rdwc systems and is able to run an entire grow with no resevoir change outs he suggest also to use lava rock instead of hydroton as it allows for more holes for beneficial bateria to propogate .Big tokes water chemistry. And big tokes how to of bio buckets or Recirculating deep water culture. I personally believe what makes them bio buckets is the use of the lava rock and attention to build a massive heard of beneficial bacteria but there is alot of usefull information on making these types of systems work with low maintenance I do notice however your system actually seems like a hybrid of a NFT and RDWC as there is a lot more water in your tubes however then a standard nft is why I say its hybrid if you were to remove the dams in the tubes and lay a mat inside the tubes to retain nutrients you would have a full out nft tower grow and could eliminate the waterfall as the air inside the tubes would be more plentiful as there would be a lot of roots just lying on the nutrient filled mat.

 

[Trunk5]

that thing is pimp, just cleaning it out after a grow looks like a lot of fun..

 

[Purple Goose]

As long as there is no disease or algae problems then wouldnt it be just a matter of clearing any dead roots and then flushing with hot water.

 

[opus]

+reps

 

[Banshee350]

any news on the new system? it looks awsome i would love to see it in action.

 

[Thew1sest]

Yeah I'd love to see progress on this if possible. Amazing!!

 

[Mr Smith]

After I set the resevoir , pump and connected the plumbing I ran the system with water.

The 1000gph pump was so powerful I had to leave the bypass valve wide open.

The stick in the middle is just a dipstick I made to know how much water is in the res, The system running keeps about 13 gallons in tubes and I keep about 7 gallons in the resevoir. The float on the left is for when I install a secondary res.

Waterfall height was never recorded but is probally between 4 to 6 inches.

After the first water run I found I had a slight leveling issue so I drained the system, and releveled every row.

After releveling the system I ended up with a number of leaks so I had to drain the system and run a shamy cloth thru the tubes get the system dry and repaired the leaks with silicone. Then I did another water run to make sure the leaks were repaired. This took a total of 3 drain and fills to get all the leaks repaired. DIY projects can become problems after problems or at least with my DIY

I had to cut the dam height to at least 1 inch in height because the pump would eventually push water out of the plant sites. I really fucked up by setting the plant holes at 33 degrees but it also taught me that a 1000gph pump was too powerful for this setup.

After cutting the dams down to a lower level I was finally able to keep water from overflowing out the plant holes.

After I got all my water issues resolved for now I installed the secondary res but kept the amount of water very low

Now that everthing is ready I wrapped the system with reflective insulation and started a test grow.

 

[Mr Smith]

Here are a few pics of the first day I put plants in the system.

I put in 85 belledona clones in the system. I am using general hydroponics nutes at 40% strengh. The clones came right out of the cloning machine and I am starting flowering time and comepletely skipping veg period. The light is a 1000w hps with a new hortilux bulb that I set up to move up and down using pullys and a light mover.

 

[Mr Smith]

Here are some pics of day 7 in flower.

After the second week I had water coming out of the plant holes again and had to replace the 1000gph pump with a 500gph pump.

 

[Mr Smith]

And here are some pics of day 25 in flower. Please remember that there was no veg time so the plants wont be getting very big.

After another flooding incident I removed the dams, when it flooded again because the roots grew so much it created a lot of drag I replaced the pump with a 250gph. I really should not of put the plant holes at 33 degrees.