Vacuum Based Top-off Res.

[Shawnery]

I own my home.

Like I said before. I'll go with what's proven at the moment but it's always good to converse about different ideas. Even if those ideas ultimately prove to be incorrect.

If we don't question the way things are then things would never evolve and change.

 

[heisen]

If your concerned with a float valve failure just put a top drain on your epi bucket.kile a bathroom sink.In case of a failure it will just overflow into a water hose.Me personally i dont see how a float valve can fail under no water pressure.

 

[Shawnery]

I get your argument and it makes perfect sense. I just wonder if the negative pressure created by the water pump would be enough to draw the water from the res.

Your most likely correct as I don't know about these things, I think about these things, that's why I'm still learning.

 

[Shawnery]

I was considering having a drain line anyways so that makes perfect sense. Even without a reservoir failure there's ways that a system could flood the epi or the buckets.

I've been thinking if there's a way to not waste that overflow? You could have an emergency bucket that's large enough to hold the reservoir water. Then you could just hook up a submersible pump in the overflow bucket. You could have the pump turn on from a switch or sensor that reacts when the water gets to a certain level.

Or you could just waste it.

 

[Shawnery]

I like to make things more difficult even though I believe it's more efficient. One of my biggest flaws.

 

[heisen]

just use a bladder tank,I have one on the boat to carry extra diesel fuel if you really need something like that.It lays flat like a welcome mat till you fill it up

 

[Mytwhyt]

It would work to feed back water to the epic reservoir, just like a sparkletts water dispenser.. No way the whole rdwc system gets subjected to a vacuum... It only feeds water from the feed back reservoir when the vacuum is lost....
An upside sparkletts bottle would work as a feedback reservoir for a2-3 bucket system for a week. Wouldn't be practical for large systems, but for a small system, no float valve to fail..

 

[heisen]

It would work to feed back water to the epic reservoir, just like a sparkletts water dispenser.. No way the whole rdwc system gets subjected to a vacuum... It only feeds water from the feed back reservoir when the vacuum is lost....
An upside sparkletts bottle would work as a feedback reservoir for a2-3 bucket system for a week. Wouldn't be practical for large systems, but for a small system, no float valve to fail..

No it would not,the epi center bucket has to big pipes in the bottom,it is not a stand alone tank like a water cooler.the water in the top off "vacuum"" tank would just empty out because the water in the epi backet goes out the bottom of the bucket.
The top.off res would have to be completely air sealed and you would still have to have a way to auto fill the system.

 

[DGP]

My experience with my first RDWC, top feed RDWC and UC systems are that you are more likely to see a failure that floods your shit from other sources that are more likely to screw you than the float valve. I have had a couple leaks and the float was never the cause since it is so simple it just doesn't have a very likely failure mode. Lots of other FMEA points to worry about. One float valve got clogged but never a flood from one.

I like the way you think about better ways to do things. In the land of innovation about 1 in 20 (or even less) ideas might pan out but don't let that stop you from BS'ing (brainstorming :) ). Its always fun to consider better or new ways to do things. However, some people who write about inventions claim almost all ideas are not new but modifications of previous inventions but once in a blue moon somebody breaks thru and that's usually disruptive technology.

Dee

 

[Mytwhyt]

I was thinking the water level in the epicenter, and buckets, remained constant until it is needed. Then the float valve feeds more in.. Also a vacuum in a feedback reservoir would be relieved when the water level drops.. I use a float valve myself because it's simple.. But i do see how a vacuum would work..
DPG, you're right about 1 in 20 success rate.. Wish my average was that good..
This is a very old idea [i copied to my own use] of how to make water that's available in one location, available in another, without any pumping involved...
Of course you'll need to move it after it's there for your own use..
I only use Waterfarms and GH air driven pumping columns for moving water from a standing water column that's connected directly to the reservoir..
I posted this in PaperStreets thread about 5 years ago, then lost track of this site..
https://www.thcfarmer.com/community/posts/1146530/