Cleaning the UC, a simple tip!

  • Thread starter Lost
  • Start date
  • Tagged users None
L

Lost

2,969
38
Ok, I may come off of late to the game with this one, but the other night I was at the store to buy some clorox spray bleach to clean out my UC's. *I veged up plants in the UC getting ready to do a grow with it , and a grow log.. Long story short life happened and I moved from cali to oregon, aborted the grow and 2 1/2 to 3 foot plants*ANYWAY..:sign0023:

I noticed that the cheap toilet bowl cleaners are the perfect diameter to clean the inside of the pipe! The 3 inch pipe on the 13 gallon buckets! I just sprayed the clorox spray in, and swabbed the sucker like a cannon. You will want to attach a shortened broom stick or something to go thru the sections, but it made it an easy job. The entire system was a breeze to clean, just take it apart ad take it into the shower or tub :anim_19:

Oh and do not use a used one you nasty fuggers:confused0054::D

It does not clean the end pipes, but i just sprayed them down with the clorox bleach and rinsed them out. Im thinking one of those dish washing ball things with some fishing line tied to a quarter with a hole in it would kinda work.. but I thnk the bleach kills whatever is in there..

Ok, this is probablly old news, and if so delete it!
 
UCMENOW

UCMENOW

1,095
83
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, my green pad and a wash clothe

3) fill the system with tap water and physan to 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.
 
L

Lost

2,969
38
Since I moved and it was in pieces, I figured that I give it a good cleaning anyway, while it was apart :)

I put it together with olive oil and it came apart pretty easily. The temp was in the 80's so that might have been why I didn't crack or break anything.

If you do get to the point that you feel you need to tear it apart and clean it, remember the toilet brush. :) Saved me a ton of time, the rest I scrubbed with a green pad and it looks brand new.
 
skwirlgirl

skwirlgirl

150
18
I' like the idea with a shop vac. I have to 'tilt each individual bucket in place to scoop out the last of the nutes..works but a pain

For the pipes I'm using a good size feather duster of all things. Walmart special' with super flexible handle.. I just stuff it in and rotate (don't start hehe..) and it get's all the pipes real good EXCEPT the end corners.I've got 40 centers it easily reaches to the next bucket..

I usually run the system a couple of days with alot of bleach so i'm hopin' that kills whatever hides in the elbows.
 
Top Bottom