How to Properly clean your UC system

[jimmyhoffa59]

I need to know how...:wondering

Especially what I should do since I lost my grow and had root issues, muck, whatever. I was going to do this...Run hygrozyme, flush, run with diluted bleach, flush, run with hydro fungicide (physan or something), flush, flush, flush, air dry that shit, new airlines and stones, RO water. Any other suggestions? I got a scrub brush to clean the pipes but cant do the corners I don't think.

Thanks~

 

[Aligee]

ya use physan 20 fill up as high as you can go and let it run ... I let it run for days then emptied & scrubbed i soaked everything airline, stones, baskets , lids ,rocks etc ...

 

[jimmyhoffa59]

Then should I still do a Hygrozyme clean too since some shit in there?

 

[motherlode]

man I would take it apart bro - dont be caught second guessing yourself a few weeks from now

Im going to tear mine down after my run - cant risk a fail over a few hours work and Im as lazy as can be

Im going with the round 3" disk stones next time too

 

[sky high]

Motherlode speaks the truth. I found out the HARD WAY....and I've yet to get the nads to place all (or almost all) of my eggs back in the UC basket after such a huge setback. (as a med patient I lost my ENTIRE flower count and my wife's count too in the fuck up)

Tear the bitch DOWN. I found LOTS of HIDDEN gunk when I ripped mine apart..... gunk that was certainly leftover from the run before where root rot took me out completely.

FYI...I ran my system with both Physan and Zone for days and THOUGHT it was OK....

15 days later I was ripping all of the plants out....and the run was OVER. Talk about being PISSED AT MYSELF for trying to cut corners. Never again.

I'm gonna make another stab @ it as soon as my clones root up. This time the bitch is sparkling clean! Even so....I'm hesitant to fire it up again after THAT kinda fun.... LOL.

good luck

s h

 

[jimmyhoffa59]

Aye!... Ok well I will tear it completely down then. Fuck.

 

[Mr.GoodCat]

i have heard that toilet brushes work great to clean the pipe lines

 

[crossouttheiis]

Check your local grocery store they have bottle brushes that have flexible heads. That should help out a good deal. Yeah not worth it to cut corners...just like I don't get why people complain about washing hydroton. Everyone is either cash cropping or providing mess for themselves or other patients. Regardless of each individuals motive....thoroughness is key. I might not have maximized my yields on the first run, but overall plant health was good and made it through to crop.... sorry for the tangent just seen a lot of people complaining lately.

 

[RMCG]

Check your local grocery store they have bottle brushes that have flexible heads. That should help out a good deal. Yeah not worth it to cut corners...just like I don't get why people complain about washing hydroton. Everyone is either cash cropping or providing mess for themselves or other patients. Regardless of each individuals motive....thoroughness is key. I might not have maximized my yields on the first run, but overall plant health was good and made it through to crop.... sorry for the tangent just seen a lot of people complaining lately.

Homebrew shops carry a nice selection of bottle brushes too, if you have one close.

 

[jimmyhoffa59]

This is quoted from my email from CCH2O...

"As far as cleaning do not disassemble, fill system with water and bleach, cycle, scrub modules with green pad, hit joints with bottle brush, rinse thoroughly, drain and allow to completely dry."

 

[motherlode]

seriously - its the same recommendation if you had a healthy run as a failed run?

shocker

 

[Lost]

This is quoted from my email from CCH2O...

"As far as cleaning do not disassemble, fill system with water and bleach, cycle, scrub modules with green pad, hit joints with bottle brush, rinse thoroughly, drain and allow to completely dry."

Yea, i got the same BS. Seems like these guys haven't lost a run for med patients..


Use the toilet brush, you can slmost get everything. If you cut the head off and put a string on it you can pull it thru the 2 E sections.

And bleach.. Lots of it, scrub, then 39% h2o2.. then clean then fill for use.


Good luck :)

 

[UCMENOW]

My take is a failed run isn't always due to a pathogen.....more often than not roots are damaged by chemical burn which renders the root tissue brown....and diseased looking.

Physan is pretty magical stuff....if anything lives through an encounter with that shit that's some bad ass microbial mutha fuggas.

I'd imagine given your chronic pain conditions you explained, avoiding extra physical stress is helpful....I'd leave it together and disinfect by recirculating physan.

 

[Lost]

yea, don't pull it apart, find the right toilet brush, get 2... Cut the head off of 1, drill a hole and put a string on it.

You do need to get the debris out. If not even if its dead, its still going to rot.

 

[UCMENOW]

Here's my post from Lost's cleaning thread....hope it's helpful

Hell ya, toilet brushes for everybody
I'm a green pad, bottle brush, shop vac guy myself....I'm now adding toilet brush to my tool kit for sure.

After pulling out my root mass and trashing my net pots and air stones I....


1) remove debris from the system with a shop vac

2) wipe down air hose and lids with physan 20, my green pad and a wash clothe

3) fill the system with tap water and physan 20to the top of the buckets run for 4-6 hrs

4) drain it down half way

5) scrub away with janitorial tools, rinsing with a hose while draining till drain water is clear

6) fill with tap water and 1 to 10 bleach solution, run for 1 hr

7) drain and refill with tap water to just above uniseals and run 1 hr

8) drain remaining solution down as far down as possible

9) remove remaining water with shop vac

10) wipe dry with a towel

11) let bake under HID's for a day or so to aid in sterilizing

12) back pack spray the floor and system with mild physan solution


After this ritual I feel ready to rock. I would definitely avoid disassembling your UC to clean it for sure, as it's an unnecessary royal pain in the ass IMO.

Besides, the wear and tear those buckets go thru to break that uniseal grip no doubt lends to buckets cracking. That's how I roll.

 

[Lost]

Hell ya, toilet brushes for everybody
I'm a green pad, bottle brush, shop vac guy myself....I'm now adding toilet brush to my tool kit for sure.

After pulling out my root mass and trashing my net pots and air stones I....


1) remove debris from the system with a shop vac

2) wipe down air hose and lids with physan 20, my green pad and a wash clothe

3) fill the system with tap water and physan 20to the top of the buckets run for 4-6 hrs

4) drain it down half way

5) scrub away with janitorial tools, rinsing with a hose while draining till drain water is clear

6) fill with tap water and 1 to 10 bleach solution, run for 1 hr

7) drain and refill with tap water to just above uniseals and run 1 hr

8) drain remaining solution down as far down as possible

9) remove remaining water with shop vac

10) wipe dry with a towel

11) let bake under HID's for a day or so to aid in sterilizing

12) back pack spray the floor and system with mild physan solution


After this ritual I feel ready to rock. I would definitely avoid disassembling your UC to clean it for sure, as it's an unnecessary royal pain in the ass IMO.

Besides, the wear and tear those buckets go thru to break that uniseal grip no doubt lends to buckets cracking. That's how I roll.

Looks like a rock solid plan. just make sure to pull the 3 inch PVC with the toilet brush and your set I think. Hell I could be wrong tho... Occationally wrong, never in doubt as I say...

 

[motherlode]

Besides, the wear and tear those buckets go thru to break that uniseal grip no doubt lends to buckets cracking. That's how I roll.

yeah - I wondered about that

how do you get a brush through the U shaped manifold?

 

[Lost]

yeah - I wondered about that

how do you get a brush through the U shaped manifold?

Cut off the handle, attach a string.. Thread string thru pipe and pull... Repeat at least 3 times.. On each side..

 

[Lost]

perfect for 3 inch pipes...

 

[UCMENOW]

That soap scum fighting scrubbing bubbles shitfor shower/tub/toilet might work well too....looks like its good at liquifying crud.