Is there such a valve hub, that would spray one tube at a time?

[Android]

My thinking is to lower the noise.
Other concern... I am even afraid to estimate how humongous my pump should be to run 64 sprayers at once to 2' of height.
If I could only buy some kind of lawn sprinkler automatic switcher that would pressurize tubes one tube at a time - this way a pump could be something much smaller and make less noise ???

Anyone saw anything similar for sale or maybe works in irrigation by any chance?
All the stuff I find is commercial grade and way expensive...

I would assume lawn sprinklers must have that, but I don't have sprinklers never got my hands on anything like that
Peace!

 

[Halfbreed]

all you'd have to do would be to get a solenoid valve for each run off of a manifold. As long as you're not exceeding your gpm's for the run that is turned on at the time, you'd be fine with a smaller pump. so you could run eight one inch lines and tie 8 sprayers on each line, but you'd have to buy 8 solenoid valves with a timer to switch them on at intermittent times. Simple lawn sprinkler parts would work from someone like rainbird. they make different types so you can either hard wire them in or you can put them on a battery.

 

[Android]

I was extensively researching lawn sprinkler systems and it appears that such system with controllers and solenoids and all would turn out to be crazy expensive. Even 2 zones are a pretty penny.
So I laid the idea to rest until I come across any cheapo solutions. Lawn sprinklers systems are ridiculously overpriced

 

[TorturedSoul]

My thinking is to lower the noise.
Other concern... I am even afraid to estimate how humongous my pump should be to run 64 sprayers at once to 2' of height.

Sprayers - as opposed to drippers or the like, you mean? Are you talking about aeroponics? Because if you're doing the LVHP thing then your average lawn sprinkler setup might not be up to delivering the pressure (and could offer too much in the way of volume).

 

[Android]

I tried asking around what pump would be a good fit for my manifold, kind and number of sprayers, but this went nowhere. So here I went again, with trial-and-error...
I got a 60W magdrive pump rated at 700GHP for the job (hoping to exchange if turns out too small), tested it on one rail to see the spray pattern (to establish the best rail position inside 5x5 fence poles), but yet to test it on the whole manifold (28 sprayers if put on every other site and 48 if for every site not including end-sites). Total number of sites is 64 - 8 rails x 8 2" net cups.

What kind of pumps deliver the pressure without the volume? I've never heard of this. Yes, I'm talking aeroponics low-volume-high-pressure, and no, I won't use lawn sprinkler components. I am using blue sprayers they sell as replacement for aero-cloners at my hydro store

 

[dragontoker]

The mag 7 pump should be enough if your system is set up right. A mag 7 has 3/4 inch in and out. To get the most out of the pump you run 3/4" pipe all the way through the centers of the rails with misters tapped into the pipe. Otherwise run it like this.....

 

[Android]

I will have 1/2" ID CPVC all the way -manifold and 8 rails.
Rails will be inside fence posts with sprayers screwed in the rails directly (I decided against a cobweb of hoses)

 

[TorturedSoul]

I got a 60W magdrive pump rated at 700GHP for the job

What kind of pumps deliver the pressure without the volume?

I'd be concerned that a high-volume pump might not perform if restricted in flow in an attempt to drastically increase the pressure. But aeroponics is something that I've never experimented with - my thoughts are only supposition.

I would, of course, check out our various Sponsors : 420 MAGAZINE first. One or more of them might (IDK) stock products related to aeroponics - or, perhaps, be able to offer you advice/opinions.

If none of them can help, A quick Internet search gave me "Advanced Misting Systems" and on their front page I see mention of DiY systems that will take tap water and increase the pressure to 1000psi for a "high pressure mist." [EDIT: I know nothing about that company, it was just a random search result. There are bound to be others. Use your own judgment.]

Issues that you might encounter - going only from what I have read - are possible clogging of pores when using, say, 50-micron filtration, and the pressurizing/pumping process heating the mist/fog up above the temperature you might like to see in your root-zone.

The field does sound interesting. We often take the well-traveled road, knowing that we can expect good results even if our procedures aren't followed perfectly. Aeroponics still seems to qualify as the road less traveled (at least at this time) - there are a lot less people using it. But in theory the results should be excellent. Of course, that is balanced by requiring more attention to detail... And were it me, I would be strongly inclined to install some kind of UPS/battery backup on the pump devices so that an extended (+/-) power failure does not mean your pumps will sit idle. A soil-grown plant can go for days, generally, without attention and it will survive. A plant grown in a DWC reservoir - assuming that reservoir is of adequate size and that one does one's best to ensure maximum levels of oxygen-saturation - can survive a while. (I once had to put that to the test, and although the plants looked pretty sad before power returned, they survived with no apparent longterm ill-effects.) With aeroponics... Again, I have no experience, but I would think that your "time-buffer" would be markedly less.

 

[Android]

Our local hydro store has lettuce and tomato grows on display - they both are aerotubes (or Dutch tubes - don't remember the brand) and both are driven by Magnetic Drive brand pumps, and a guy at the store said they had no issues with pumps, nozzle clogging or whatever.

If I didn't see it with my own eyes I'd be hesitant to go ahead, that's for sure. But those displays made all the difference

I am starting a journal today, so I will keep everyone posted on my progress (given I have any).
I feel somewhat stupid abandoning the idea of growing in soil, which was going fine and still goes strong, and instead jumping head first in uncharted waters, but after time and money invested - there is no turning back. Wish me luck LOL

 

[TorturedSoul]

Lettuce isn't as large a plant as cannabis, but tomato plants can get massive and have a moderately large root system, so that is encouraging.

I will probably check out your journal. Can you post the link here? Or better yet, place one in your .SIG so that everyone who reads one of your posts will see it. If you need help on the procedure, I can point you at a thread or can explain how to do it (here or in a PM).

Nothing wrong with venturing into uncharted waters - that's how they become... charted. Although many would set up their grow so they can devote some portion of it to the method they are already familiar with (so that they will be far more likely to at least have something to harvest even if the worst happens with whatever they are experimenting on).

But hopefully you will do just fine, learn a little, and then teach us what you learned.

Oh and I wish you (the best of) luck.

 

[Android]

Here is my journal:

1st Time Attempt at Aerotubes: Indoor SOG Kandy Kush 400W HPS

 

[Android]

The mag 7 pump should be enough if your system is set up right. A mag 7 has 3/4 inch in and out. To get the most out of the pump you run 3/4" pipe all the way through the centers of the rails with misters tapped into the pipe. Otherwise run it like this.....

Unfortunately, it appears I need something twice the power of mag 7, and no, mag 7 has 1/2 inchers, not 3/4

...or a 4 zone sprinkler controller that can be programmed to repeat indefinitely and 4 24VAC valves I found selling for $9 each. I didn't come across such a controller, though, not yet.

 

[Android]

I really hope going through the res wall (versus going above it) will dramatically raise the overall system pressure, but I doubt it would be that dramatic, plus then I would have to get some sort of a check valve to prevent siphoning