Converting DWC to RDWC w water chiller (Help needed)

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Manofculture

Active Member

• Dec 10, 2012

• #1

Please see pic :

I have 2 reservoirs each one connected to 10 buckets. I am having a water temperature issue so I am adding a chiller, but I was hoping to connect both systems together to now have a RDWC. How would the pros suggest I convert my system and where would I add the hoses connecting the system, the water chiller inline and the pump. All help is appreciated.

Respect to all

 

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Soupsah

Active Member

• Dec 10, 2012

• #2

Heres some ideas from cch20

 

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Manofculture

Active Member

• Dec 10, 2012

• #3

Thanks Soupsah They have some good set ups.
im confused about where I put my pump and chiller and where to connect the units

 

Soupsah

Active Member

• Dec 10, 2012

• #4

I recommend going with one epic center to tie the two system and put your water chiller in and out water to that epic center. I recommend putting the chiller itself outside your grow room if at all possible due to the heat that it produces. See Diagram under commercial on second column top picture. That's how I would run it with horizontal lighting.

 

M

Manofculture

Active Member

• Dec 10, 2012

• #5

Thanks again Soupsah, if I have one big Center how could I tie the two systems together to pump the water into the big res outside the room, sorry it's confusing

 

Soupsah

Active Member

• Dec 10, 2012

• #6

How many lights are you going to run and are you going horizontal or vertical?

 

M

Manofculture

Active Member

• Dec 10, 2012

• #7

I have 4 x 1000 running them horizontal. How could I connect the buckets would it be ( d&p , i&h)

 

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M

Manofculture

Active Member

• Dec 10, 2012

• #8

Any input is appreciated

 

Soupsah

Active Member

• Dec 10, 2012

• #9

Ok so take the first system and tie the last two buckets together with a return line towards the epic center. Do the same for the other one. Remove your individual epic center and connect both system to a shared epic center. Run your return line to the inline pump and you're done. See Diagram under commercial on second column top picture as that's what I am describing.

 

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Manofculture

Active Member

• Dec 11, 2012

• #10

Thanks so much Soupsah, I'll post pics, when I'm done

 

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Manofculture

Active Member

• Dec 11, 2012

• #11

? Would my new epic Center have to be the same size as my buckets or can it be bigger? If it can be bigger how do I know how much water is in my individual buckets ? Help ???? Sorry stressed out

 

M

Manofculture

Active Member

• Dec 11, 2012

• #12

Also can all the tubing be the same size? I used 3/4 yellow tubing for the initial connections.

 

Soupsah

Active Member

• Dec 11, 2012

• #13

Manofculture said:

? Would my new epic Center have to be the same size as my buckets or can it be bigger? If it can be bigger how do I know how much water is in my individual buckets ? Help ???? Sorry stressed out

Click to expand...

It can be bigger and if you are doing rdwc than you care about the total amount of water and not what is in each individual bucket.

Manofculture said:

Also can all the tubing be the same size? I used 3/4 yellow tubing for the initial connections.

Click to expand...

I have an undercurrent system and my piping connecting each bucket are bigger than the return line. If your water pump isn't too strong than it shouldn't be a problem, but I'm guessing here. Maybe someone else who has a similar system to yours can chime in.

 

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Manofculture

Active Member

• Dec 12, 2012

• #14

The pump is a mag 5 , 500gph. My water chiller is a 1/3 prime it says required flow through of 480gph - 2400gph.

 

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miker10001

Member

• Dec 12, 2012

• #15

I am trying to do the same thing coming from soil.. subbed!

 

M

Manofculture

Active Member

• Dec 12, 2012

• #16

My local hydro store said its not possible without drilling another drain line from each bucket, I'm confused , in the pic is the black lines for air or is that the return line back to the epic res.

 

M

Manofculture

Active Member

• Dec 12, 2012

• #17

This is what I'm trying to make

 

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redi jedi

Well-Known Member

• Dec 12, 2012

• #18

Manofculture said:

This is what I'm trying to make

Click to expand...

The black lines are return lines (pump suction side)

The white lines are the passive feed lines.

Water is pulled from the epicenter, through the plant sites and back to epicenter.

Feed lines are at least 3x dia of return lines.

 

M

Manofculture

Active Member

• Dec 12, 2012

• #19

Thanks Redi Jedi, a few questions??

1) is there a pump connected to each return line or is there an adapter head that can connect multiple return lines to one pump (suction)
2) how can I choose the right pump? Is there a calculation I can use.

Thanks for the info

 

redi jedi

Well-Known Member

• Dec 12, 2012

• #20

One pump, the return lines are connected to pump suction using a "Tee". A common plumbing fitting found at any hardware store.

Assuming you know how much water is in your system, you want 5-7 recircs per hour. If you plan to use a chiller, it will have a required gph. So you would select a pump that meets those requirements.