Aerating Water Reservoir With Exhaust Fan

[ERBAL]

Hello famers,
I am designing a drip system for my girls in a coco/rice hull mix using blumats and an 18 gal tote. I'm wondering if anybody has ever tried using their exhaust fan to aerate/ heat their reservoir? I'd imagine reducing the 6" duct size would be beneficial but can't find anything that will go down too small. Let me know what you think

 

[Natural]

I think it won't handle the back pressure and will heat up. just get a commercial air pump..they're not expensive

 

[caveman4.20]

You might be on to something but exhaust may heat your water up too much no?

 

[ERBAL]

it couldn't be any warmer than the tents temp and if its sitting in a 50ºF basement room maybe it would come out to be the perfect temp? back pressure is a valid concern and the reason why i was hoping someone on here has tried this

 

[caveman4.20]

it couldn't be any warmer than the tents temp and if its sitting in a 50ºF basement room maybe it would come out to be the perfect temp? back pressure is a valid concern and the reason why i was hoping someone on here has tried this

I've never tried it but maybe you can split into two 3's or whatever and reduces one of the sides for res and let the other exhaust with least amount of restriction....theres a good chance that exhaust is oxygen rich right?

 

[WalterWhiteFire]

You don't need to worry about the temp of a blumat Rez. The water travels slow enough through the lines to warm to room temp before it drips on the rootball. As far as aeration, it should work okay. But if I wanted good aeration I'd choose another route. Aquarium filter or something.

 

[Seamaiden]

In theory I see it working, but a fan blowing over the surface of the water, especially if the volume is deeper rather than wider (think: surface area:volume ratios) can't do much in terms of aeration if the water column is not turned over. That's where adding something like air to the bottom of the container helps because the bubbles will pull water from the bottom up towards the top where the O2/CO2 exchange occurs.

 

[caveman4.20]

In theory I see it working, but a fan blowing over the surface of the water, especially if the volume is deeper rather than wider (think: surface area:volume ratios) can't do much in terms of aeration if the water column is not turned over. That's where adding something like air to the bottom of the container helps because the bubbles will pull water from the bottom up towards the top where the O2/CO2 exchange occurs.

Pvc down to three inches from.the bottom of res, air duct to pvc, just saying he's trying to avoid adding equipment. I think he's trying to kill three birds with on stone or something

 

[mojavegreen]

well, it will reduce the efficiency of the exhaust system fer sure. back pressure is back pressure. nuthin's free.:D

 

[WalterWhiteFire]

Ohhh I get it. Like a straw blowing bubbles. IMO you wouldn't want that much air introduced into a blumat Rez.

 

[caveman4.20]

I need to get on the blue mat knowledge

 

[superbudding]

To get air through the water you would need to pressurise it a'la piston air pumps. Exhaust fans are moving air by volume, m3 than pressure, psi. Doen't mean we can't use it though :@) you can use air to exchange the heat and add air to the res by using a 'Floom' style system so a water pump moves water out of the surface and breaks the surface tension taking air back in with it.

Now if you vent into the side of your half full res with slots in the top and water cascading back into the res from the top then you are introducing fresh air into the void between the lid and the surface, flooming then pulls this into the water, mixes you nutrients and atomises water increasing the air intake.

It's Similar to some advanced DWC stuff, fish air pumps don't introduce dissolved oxygen at any measurable amount for what we do, it's the bubbles breaking on the surface that draw in the air. Ask any serious reef tank keeper why we use venturi's ;) It is in my opinion far superior to nasty ass air pumps pumping unfiltered air and dragging pythium in with it ;)
Blumats run slow and you don't need to constantly floom the res, not like DWC or Hydro it's dripped into the media. My pump runs twice a day for 10 minutes just to stir it up and aereate a bit to stop it going stale :)

 

[ShroomKing]

I think pushing your exhaust air into your res would be a huge vector for undesirable bacteria.

 

[superbudding]

I think pushing your exhaust air into your res would be a huge vector for undesirable bacteria.

I thought that as well, but then thinking an air pump will pull in fresh room air. At least exhaust air is filtered pretty well as we like to keep the smell down :P
Added to that the way I do it means the res is under a bit of positive pressure so no floaters or bugs can get in!
The only time I had any root type issues was with air stones and an aquarium air pump I'm convinced it was pulled in with the air pump.