Let's talk about DIY dwcr set-up's

[rillos]

Just finished my new dwcr system using 19 gal tub's. Each tub will have its own air pump and I made a chiller out of a dehumidifier that will sit in the res. There is also a pond pump that will feed from my res to my grow tub and back through the PVC pipe. I like to get some more idea's of what's out there.

 

[Tead]

I made a chiller out of a dehumidifier

Do tell.... I have a spare one of those hanging around..... educate us for we are poor uneducated masses. Well.... I am at least!

 

[growchick]

I want to hear the story of how you made a chiller out of a dehumidifier, too.

So, I had the four bucket thing I bought from Amazon

I had to do this in place because they had plants in them.

I got the BRUTE rubbermaid 20 gallon bucket, a small water pump, and another air pump. I had some 1/2" ID hose here and some 1/2" OD hose here. It would have been best with all one size, and the connector things work with the 1/2" ID so that's best. Also, I had some stiff black vinyl hose in 1/2" ID. The smaller hose and the hose that came with the bucket system on Amazon was a lot more malleable and flexible - that texture is better for not popping off the connectors like the stiffer hose does sometimes.

I ordered some grommets, straight connectors and T connectors. I got a 5/8 drill bit.

I drilled 8 holes in the bucket. I had to ream them out some because the 5/8 bit made a hole the size of the hose but not quite big enough for the grommet and the connector.

I put straights in all 8 holes. The bottom 4 go to the bottom of the plant buckets. I connected those hoses to the original water level indicator hose with a straight connector and pushed the hoses over flat on the floor instead of standing up.

The top 4 hoses go back to the plant buckets and just poke into the top of the plant bucket lid. I drilled 5/8 holes in the tops while the plants were there. I would have put them in the side of the bucket had the plants not been there. You could do more and instead of just leaving the hose going in the bucket, connect it to a T and make a circle of hose inside the bucket and put sprayer heads in it. I did that in my nursery bucket. I don't think the larger plants need it, personally.

Then I took some little hose pieces, and some T connectors and basically built a manifold to connect the pump to the four hoses at the top that go back to the plants.

This is the "joint" from the original water level hose in the black bucket and the hose coming from the res.

I think I should have gotten a bigger pump, maybe. When it's on, there's more water in the buckets than the reservoir. When it's off, the water levels out. So, I only run the water pump 15 min an hour.

 

[malemansls]

I just finished a diy rdwc system I reversed engineered it from current cultures under current system. their data sheets, have all the info you need pump sizes, water cap. airflow per module, lots of good info to be gleaned. found 8 gal containers at lowes for 7.97 ea. with lids they are almost the same dimensions as the uc ones for 1/2 the price. their 6 mod system costs 1100.00 (just recently reduced to 999.) I built for under 400 including a few tools I needed like a 3" hole saw. three weeks into a multi strain grow ((2) tutankhamin, green crack, lsd, pineapple chunk and a auto pounder with cheese just cause Ive never grown an auto before. they love the rdwc good luck with your grow

 

[rillos]

You just have to take the cold chiller out of your dehumidifier bend it and place your res. I found out about it goggle home made chillers. You should watch the videos. Also you can always bend it back and have your dehumidifier back if you are careful to keep all the parts.

 

[rillos]

I want to hear the story of how you made a chiller out of a dehumidifier, too.

So, I had the four bucket thing I bought from Amazon

I had to do this in place because they had plants in them.

I got the BRUTE rubbermaid 20 gallon bucket, a small water pump, and another air pump. I had some 1/2" ID hose here and some 1/2" OD hose here. It would have been best with all one size, and the connector things work with the 1/2" ID so that's best. Also, I had some stiff black vinyl hose in 1/2" ID. The smaller hose and the hose that came with the bucket system on Amazon was a lot more malleable and flexible - that texture is better for not popping off the connectors like the stiffer hose does sometimes.



I ordered some grommets, straight connectors and T connectors. I got a 5/8 drill bit.



I drilled 8 holes in the bucket. I had to ream them out some because the 5/8 bit made a hole the size of the hose but not quite big enough for the grommet and the connector.

I put straights in all 8 holes. The bottom 4 go to the bottom of the plant buckets. I connected those hoses to the original water level indicator hose with a straight connector and pushed the hoses over flat on the floor instead of standing up.


The top 4 hoses go back to the plant buckets and just poke into the top of the plant bucket lid. I drilled 5/8 holes in the tops while the plants were there. I would have put them in the side of the bucket had the plants not been there. You could do more and instead of just leaving the hose going in the bucket, connect it to a T and make a circle of hose inside the bucket and put sprayer heads in it. I did that in my nursery bucket. I don't think the larger plants need it, personally.

Then I took some little hose pieces, and some T connectors and basically built a manifold to connect the pump to the four hoses at the top that go back to the plants.


This is the "joint" from the original water level hose in the black bucket and the hose coming from the res.


I think I should have gotten a bigger pump, maybe. When it's on, there's more water in the buckets than the reservoir. When it's off, the water levels out. So, I only run the water pump 15 min an hour.

As far as keeping the water level equal I'm using 1 1/2 PVC that's should be more than enough water movement with a 75 gal pond pump.

 

[rillos]

Pic of my dehumidifier with the cold coil's ready to sit in my res.

 

[Tead]

Awesome... and so easy!

 

[rillos]

Whatever I need to do will be done. DIY dwcr chiller keeping my res temp well you can see. This is under 600w MH which I will also flower in. And I'm running the dehumidifier on a timer 15 minutes on 45 minutes off.