RUDWC Water level problem! CAN SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!!!? PLEASE!!?

I have a (6) 5 gallon bucket and (1) 18 gallon tote RUDWC. I have (2) 1/2in holes on opposite sides of each buckets w/ 1/2in tubing coming out of them. From the tote I have (2) 1/2in holes (One about an 1 1/2 from the bottom and the other about 3in from the top). I have a small water pump connected to the top hole and then that hose connection runs to the last 2 buckets. The bottom hole on the tote has a hose coming from there to a tee then to the fist 2 buckets which are connected to the other buckets. Now, when I put the water in the tote/rez it fills a little then it flows to the other buckets but it doesn't flow back to the tote/rez which in turn fills the buckets all the way to the top and the tote/rez is now extremely low on water! The more water I put in the tote/rez the higher the water in the buckets and the lower the water in the tote/rez!!

Lil' Dev said:

I have a (6) 5 gallon bucket and (1) 18 gallon tote RUDWC. I have (2) 1/2in holes on opposite sides of each buckets w/ 1/2in tubing coming out of them. From the tote I have (2) 1/2in holes (One about an 1 1/2 from the bottom and the other about 3in from the top). I have a small water pump connected to the top hole and then that hose connection runs to the last 2 buckets. The bottom hole on the tote has a hose coming from there to a tee then to the fist 2 buckets which are connected to the other buckets. Now, when I put the water in the tote/rez it fills a little then it flows to the other buckets but it doesn't flow back to the tote/rez which in turn fills the buckets all the way to the top and the tote/rez is now extremely low on water! The more water I put in the tote/rez the higher the water in the buckets and the lower the water in the tote/rez!!

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your system is buggered. plain and simple.
google heath robinson
he pioneered rdwc
read his thread

you have got your levels off
a drawing would help but i doubt it

Pictures would help.


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Heres a drawing I TRIED to make. The pics above arnt good unuf? Hope this helps!

is this with your water pump on or off?

every other dwc i've seen flows the other way from what i can tell from your pics.

(that pump in your take may raise temps in your water... may i suggest a water chiller and an external pump?)

(also i'd get that air pump off the ground. in case of a power outage, water can siphon back all the way into the pump via gravity.)

I'd be thinking it has something to do with the return line bending to get through the hole in the tent is causing the flow to stop. Had a similar issue with a similar setup I toyed with earlier in the year. I raised the res a little and it solved the problem. Basic rule is, water will always find its own level. In a hydro system like this, you must consider passive/active flow/pressure and appropriately level your equipment to keep the flow running smoothly.

Basically, the pressure of the pump feed line is completely gone by the time it's filled through all those buckets. So the water just fills in those buckets one after another until enough pressure pushes it along (think of the Titanic sinking, and the forward bulkheads overflowing pulling the ship down). So eventually, the pump will empty the res until the water is full in each of your buckets, to create enough buildup/pressure to push the water back through the tent to the res. The run is too long and would need another pump here.

Basically, the pressure of the pump feed line is completely gone by the time it's filled through all those buckets. So the water just fills in those buckets one after another until enough pressure pushes it along (think of the Titanic sinking, and the forward bulkheads overflowing pulling the ship down). So eventually, the pump will empty the res until the water is full in each of your buckets, to create enough buildup/pressure to push the water back through the tent to the res. The run is too long and would need another pump here.[/QUOTE]



Your return tube diameter is too small, most rdwc return line is smaller than feed. With 1/2 inch tubing I went with a warterfarm column and it
works great. One plus is your water will run cooler since it is powered by air pressure.

http://www.amazon.com/General-Hydroponics-Waterfarm-Plumbing-Kit/dp/B002JLC15U/ref=pd_sim_sbs_lg_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=17P5PX5MX5PKNGJ4ZB4W

your tubing is too small of a diameter so gravity cant push the water through fast enough to keep up with your pump.

upgrade to 2" pvc, or run your tubing such that the water has multiple paths to return to the res.

or just use a big multisite res.

THANK U every1 for ur input/advice. Im taking all n2 consideration & trying 2 fix this problem!! I will post wat workd az soon az I figure out wat wrx!! Lol THANX again u guyz!!

I FIXD IT, I FIXD IT!!! I end up raising the buckets up bout 5in & that seemd to wrk!! Now the water is not leveled to the rez. Itz raised up a lil so the water flows down n2 the rez. Thnx erybody!!

That may work for now, but beware that with the pump off it may overflow the res.