MrSwEeTcHeEkS
Member
For those of you building clone machines, OR just need a water pump...
After looking at this thread...
http://forum.grasscity.com/general-i...step-step.html
I decided that this was the solution to my problems. I was using a 50-80gph pump in a resovoir, to pump water up about 24" with a 1/2" hose that was plugged on the end, then 2X1/4" lines tapped into that, going to 2X180degree misters in the top of a plexiglass top for a clone box I made. The misters would just drip at 50-80gph. See attachment for what I was TRYING to accomplish.
The thread used a Via Aqua 1300 using 370gph to power 18 clone sprayers. Since I was only using 2 sprayers, I thought I would be fine getting the next size smaller... Right? WRONG!
The 1300 pumps out 370gph
Mine (the 480) pumps out 200gph
I purchased the 480, and waited for it to ship, once it got here I switched my 50-80gph water pump over to the new 200gph Via Aqua expecting a huge difference. I turned it on, and it did no better than my smallest water pump (a 30-50gph, I tried 3 pumps I had). Problem was that the misters wouldn't work as they were designed. They would just DRIP for all 3 of my pumps
Ok, so thats a 30-50gph, a 50-80gph, and now a 200gph that just wont get my misters to spray. It has to be the misters. I contacted the company who made the sprayers, and they said it does not matter the gph as long as there is a recommended 25psi at least going to the mister.
Ok, if a pump puts out 200gph in a 1/2" tube, then it has to be at least 25psi, esspecially If it its converted over to a 1/4" tube. So Obviosly the 200gph pump isn't working as designed.
I contacted the people I got the pump from, and they agreed there has to be an issue with the pump. They sent me out a new one, and again I waited. When it arrived I switched it out with the other pump, but got the exact same results.
I decided to do a test for myself. I hooked the 200gph pump to the recommended 1/2" tubeing, and went strait into a 5 gallon bucket. I ran the tubing level so there was no strain trying to pust the water up.
In 1 minute, the pump discharged 7 cups of water. 7 cups X 60(minutes) = 420 (<---I swear I didnt expect that. Funny thou right?) cups per hour.
420cph = 26.25gph
Both the used, and brand new 200gph pump pumped out 26.25gph.
I called Via Aqua (under a different company name) and explained my findings. They said that they didn't believe me. And further more said that (I swear this guy said this, WITHOUT me ever telling him anything about why or how I was using the pump) Using our pumps for hydroponics is not recommended. Well the gig was up so I leveled with him and said that may be true, but a TRUE 200gph pump going thru a 1/4" line would power 2 small little Micro sprayers, and besides, in the test I only got 26.25gph with NO RESTRICTION. He said that I must have damaged BOTH of them.
He said that all the pumps up to the 1300 put out about 1/2 - 1 psi, and the 1300 put out roughly 7psi. That NONE of the pumps up to the 1300 would work with even 1 mister. I CAN verify this as well, as RIGHT NOW I have 2X200gph Vai Aqua pumps, each going strait from the pump into 2x1/4" lines, then to a "T" connector, then to 1 mister a piece. 2 Pumps, 2 misters, and still have to spray my plants.
But from the 1300 on, they are designed for a 6' head, which MAY give them the pressure to power a few misters, but not if they have to be pumped upwards much. Even then he said they would damage before long.
Long story short...
If you are bulding a clone BUCKET, then the 1300 MAY be suffecient, but the misters can not be elevated more then about 8 inches from the pump.
but..
If you are trying any other ideas, be wary, else you may end up with something that doesn't work.
Good luck
--BD
STAY AWAY FROM VIA AQUA
unless you get the 1300 or better! And even then be wary! Their pumps DO NOT put out what they say!
After looking at this thread...
http://forum.grasscity.com/general-i...step-step.html
I decided that this was the solution to my problems. I was using a 50-80gph pump in a resovoir, to pump water up about 24" with a 1/2" hose that was plugged on the end, then 2X1/4" lines tapped into that, going to 2X180degree misters in the top of a plexiglass top for a clone box I made. The misters would just drip at 50-80gph. See attachment for what I was TRYING to accomplish.
The thread used a Via Aqua 1300 using 370gph to power 18 clone sprayers. Since I was only using 2 sprayers, I thought I would be fine getting the next size smaller... Right? WRONG!
The 1300 pumps out 370gph
Mine (the 480) pumps out 200gph
I purchased the 480, and waited for it to ship, once it got here I switched my 50-80gph water pump over to the new 200gph Via Aqua expecting a huge difference. I turned it on, and it did no better than my smallest water pump (a 30-50gph, I tried 3 pumps I had). Problem was that the misters wouldn't work as they were designed. They would just DRIP for all 3 of my pumps
Ok, so thats a 30-50gph, a 50-80gph, and now a 200gph that just wont get my misters to spray. It has to be the misters. I contacted the company who made the sprayers, and they said it does not matter the gph as long as there is a recommended 25psi at least going to the mister.
Ok, if a pump puts out 200gph in a 1/2" tube, then it has to be at least 25psi, esspecially If it its converted over to a 1/4" tube. So Obviosly the 200gph pump isn't working as designed.
I contacted the people I got the pump from, and they agreed there has to be an issue with the pump. They sent me out a new one, and again I waited. When it arrived I switched it out with the other pump, but got the exact same results.
I decided to do a test for myself. I hooked the 200gph pump to the recommended 1/2" tubeing, and went strait into a 5 gallon bucket. I ran the tubing level so there was no strain trying to pust the water up.
In 1 minute, the pump discharged 7 cups of water. 7 cups X 60(minutes) = 420 (<---I swear I didnt expect that. Funny thou right?) cups per hour.
420cph = 26.25gph
Both the used, and brand new 200gph pump pumped out 26.25gph.
I called Via Aqua (under a different company name) and explained my findings. They said that they didn't believe me. And further more said that (I swear this guy said this, WITHOUT me ever telling him anything about why or how I was using the pump) Using our pumps for hydroponics is not recommended. Well the gig was up so I leveled with him and said that may be true, but a TRUE 200gph pump going thru a 1/4" line would power 2 small little Micro sprayers, and besides, in the test I only got 26.25gph with NO RESTRICTION. He said that I must have damaged BOTH of them.
He said that all the pumps up to the 1300 put out about 1/2 - 1 psi, and the 1300 put out roughly 7psi. That NONE of the pumps up to the 1300 would work with even 1 mister. I CAN verify this as well, as RIGHT NOW I have 2X200gph Vai Aqua pumps, each going strait from the pump into 2x1/4" lines, then to a "T" connector, then to 1 mister a piece. 2 Pumps, 2 misters, and still have to spray my plants.
But from the 1300 on, they are designed for a 6' head, which MAY give them the pressure to power a few misters, but not if they have to be pumped upwards much. Even then he said they would damage before long.
Long story short...
If you are bulding a clone BUCKET, then the 1300 MAY be suffecient, but the misters can not be elevated more then about 8 inches from the pump.
but..
If you are trying any other ideas, be wary, else you may end up with something that doesn't work.
Good luck
--BD
