Drip System Help

[JUSTJR27]

Guys I need help with my new set up. I ran it today for the first time & think that there is something wrong thinking I have to much pressure because within 3 mins of running it went thru 10 gallons of water. I think that is way to much water I think this is how it is set up.

1 - 1,500gph elite pump
1" pvc out the pump to 3/4" pvc
1/4" drip line connected to 1 gph drippers
There are 64 drippers in the system

What do you guys think

 

[sealed138]

So set it to run for 1 or 2 mins.

 

[JUSTJR27]

I tried the 1 min & it wasted close to 5 gallons of water I'm growing in hydroton so if i have to water mutiple times a day the water/fert usage is going to be out ravagous every week.

So set it to run for 1 or 2 mins.

 

[dan.23]

You need to buy a pressure reducer. They are less than 10 bucks usually. Your probably using the pressure compensating drippers I would imagane so they operate any where from 10 psi to 50 psi, so I would probably get either a 20 or 25 psi reducer. I get all my drip stuff from dripdepot.com they r great cheap and fast shipping. If that doesnt work u have to invest a little more money and get timers that you can set to seconds. Probably liking at 100 or so apiece for those. Good luck lemme know of you got any more questions I'm usuing a dripper system in run to waste coco bags.

 

[JUSTJR27]

I already installed a pressure regulator but still same problem. I'm going to install a gate valve right after the pump line exits tank & after the pressure regulator so I can maybe regulate the water flow & volume of water that exits the drippers. I really think that I went overboard with the pump its way to big for the system.

You need to buy a pressure reducer. They are less than 10 bucks usually. Your probably using the pressure compensating drippers I would imagane so they operate any where from 10 psi to 50 psi, so I would probably get either a 20 or 25 psi reducer. I get all my drip stuff from dripdepot.com they r great cheap and fast shipping. If that doesnt work u have to invest a little more money and get timers that you can set to seconds. Probably liking at 100 or so apiece for those. Good luck lemme know of you got any more questions I'm usuing a dripper system in run to waste coco bags.

 

[hiboy]

i have an ecoplus pump, like 900 gph around, to 3/4 pvc then 1/4 drip lines, only 15 in the 4x8 and it works awesome for rockwool.
was ur hydroton fully dried out and thats why so much was soaked up?
h

 

[Devlove]

I got a timer that runs 30 sec every few hours, iwould check it out.

 

[dankworth]

Art-dne cycle timer will allow you to use the same pump and get away with it. On time as short as a few seconds. Off time as much as like 8 hours or something. I have a 1200 ish gph ecoplus pump, with 72 1/4 tees for outlets. The cycle timer lets me do anything I want. $90 at the store before a discount.

 

[JUSTJR27]

Dank are you using hydroton and what cycle do you run with good results also how much water are you consuming a week

Art-dne cycle timer will allow you to use the same pump and get away with it. On time as short as a few seconds. Off time as much as like 8 hours or something. I have a 1200 ish gph ecoplus pump, with 72 1/4 tees for outlets. The cycle timer lets me do anything I want. $90 at the store before a discount.

 

[1971]

you'll potentially burn your pump out by restricting the output so much. get a smaller pump

 

[cemchris]

I just put a ball valve on the output of my pump before the riser. Have it half way closed. It was $1.20. Everything I have is 1/2 line to Hydro halos on 9 plants with a 800 gph pump. I will blow through 32 gals of nutes in a couple of days with 1 min timing if I leave it fully open.

 

[dankworth]

Dank are you using hydroton and what cycle do you run with good results also how much water are you consuming a week

Right now I am flushing 3/4 perlite 1/4 coco mix. Only did a couple of weeks of feeding with this setup, just installed it recently.
I do not know about just hydroton, I think you will go through a bit of water unless you recirculate.
I will dtw into coco/hydroton next. Having worked with 100% hydroton before, and having worked with coco and perlite, I will never work with 100% hydroton again. No CEC(cation exchange capacity) means less safety to me.

I would monitor runoff, looking for 10-20% runoff, and making sure containers with hydroton do not dry out much. So whatever that works out to. I think frequent small irrigations would suit you best. That cycle timer is perfect for that. Then you do not have to change anything else hopefully.

Edit-I am thinking around 25 gallons/week per 1k at periods of peak growth, maybe a little more. But my medium holds on to water for longer than yours, so it may not work out like that for you.

 

[dan.23]

I already installed a pressure regulator but still same problem. I'm going to install a gate valve right after the pump line exits tank & after the pressure regulator so I can maybe regulate the water flow & volume of water that exits the drippers. I really think that I went overboard with the pump its way to big for the system.

That's weird cause I run 24 drippers on a. Eco plus 1267 gph pump in 75% coco 25% perlite for 5 mins at a time. Like 4-6 times a day. I barley have runoff and a 55 gal rez lasts at least a full week for me. I also am running an I identical pump on a 16 dripper system w/ no problems. Maybe your pressure regulator is no good? I don't know just weird.

 

[JUSTJR27]

Well i installed the gate valve & connected the other side of the system so a total of 120 drippers with the valve barly opened it consumed 18 gallons of water in 30 mins.

 

[hiboy]

you'll potentially burn your pump out by restricting the output so much. get a smaller pump

I think its the other way around. If you restrict the input of a too large a pump it will burn out. But if you restrict the output it will be fine
h