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Leaking Uniseals in home made 5g under current knock off - Any input?

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Leaking Uniseals in home made 5g under current knock off - Any input?

Inuit 21 Replies 15,654 Views
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I

Inuit

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#1
Hey All,

As the title says I am putting together a diy undercurrent using 5g buckets, 2" pvc, and uniseals.

I have a couple leaks. The first one was a bucket that was cracked, but then I noticed a couple more leaks.

Does anyone have any advice on what can be done to fix this short of changing out the uniseals or replacing the buckets??

Thanks,

Inuit
 
#2
3M Marine Adhesive Sealant Fast Cure 4000UV available at boat or marine stores Works great, just finished fixing a couple of leaks with it
 
#3
round buckets tend to leak anytime your making holes larger then 3/8ths-1/2 inch...

i hope you find some materials that work better then i did... good luck.
 
#4
check for more cracks .. its possible you missed some good luck brah !!!
 
#6
any type of silicone product that can be used for aquariums are good. Fixed my leaks that way. Just empty the system and make sure its super dry.
 
#7
I built a 'DIY UC', also known as an RDWC, with 5 gallon buckets. In my case, I used 1" bulkheads from NGW- the CAP ones leak so don't use them- and 1" inside diameter hose from bucket to bucket. I get good water flow, and no leaks. Plus, my system is much more reconfigurable than anything with rigid PVC is gonna be.
 
#8
I'm using a 1 1/4" uniseal on my DIY UC system and have no leaks at all. Make sure after you drill your hole, use a blade and scrap away any excess plastic strips, and then go back and use a sanding paper and smooth out the cut hole edges to prevent anymore cracks. Insert the pipes into the bucket with uniseal inserted already. After putting your system together, run some regular water into the system and do a test run. If you do notice any leak, use plumbing tape and wrap it around the inside of the uniseal on the outside of the buckets to prevent any leaks (you might have to wrap it around several times).

That's my 2 cents. hope it help
 
#9
Get some square buckets and get a couple extras I have done two runs in diy undercurrents and i had one leak that was a crack and another that was totally unexplained that didn't start to leak for like a month. These undercurrents are a baddass system but you really should have extra parts on hand or you really could lose a whole crop. The one i had crack was a 13 gallon bucket on the far end and i thought i was gonna die getting it back together. The plant in it was a monster, it was a real abortion. My Point, buy extra parts. Also these systems work much better if u use 3 inch pipe
 
#11
Square buckets, or the sterlite 10 gallon totes work awesome with uniseals
 
#12
Just finished my sterile 10 gallon and 3" pipe UC system Fucking stoked!
 
#13
gettogro said:
Square buckets, or the sterlite 10 gallon totes work awesome with uniseals
Click to expand...

i second that. ive built a shit load of these systems using these and never had a leak. (i use 1 1/2 inch abs though i think geto is rockin shit twice that size)
 
#14
Properly used/seated Uniseals work... properly.

Anytime I've had a leak, it was because I took too much plastic off deburring or simply cut it 1/8" too big.
 
#15
check your hole saw. i purchased a 3" from lowes, lenox brand, it was slightly deformed at the weld and made my uniseal holes slightly too large. bought a 3" milwaukee from HD and compared them. was clear the milwaukee would make a bit smaller hole since it was a perfect circle. drilled them with that, nice snug fit around the uniseals. if they slide around in your hole too much they will leak.
 
#17
I personally would not take any chances with any cracked buckets. You need to replace those buckets, period. The last thing you want is a weak stress point in your buckets, water is heavy and so are water logged root masses. The other last thing you want is to constantly be fighting leakes, and chasing leaks, that shit will get old really fast!

You do not want to take ANY short cuts when building these systems, as you want it to last correct? Make sure you do not skimp on the buckets and make sure and get the right type grade of plastics so you do not get chemicals leaching into your solutions.

Do it right with the right parts and you will have a long lasting, SAFE, and trouble/leak free system for years to come.

Cheers!
 
#18
Beasters X Haze said:
If its a small leak the salts will fill it in
Click to expand...

ya this definitely works as well for the smaller leaks. only drawback is that once you flush the system and refill, the loss and regaining of pressure in system, breaks those salt seals. Have had em re-leak just by accidentally moving individual sites.

for my holes, i use an adjustable hole saw from 1-8" or so, I retighten the adjustment after each hole, and i also use a pilot bit. pretty much just doing this the professional, "normal" way. Many times we growers invent our own or use outdated logic

best of luck
 
#19
HydroRocks said:
I personally would not take any chances with any cracked buckets. You need to replace those buckets, period. The last thing you want is a weak stress point in your buckets, water is heavy and so are water logged root masses. The other last thing you want is to constantly be fighting leakes, and chasing leaks, that shit will get old really fast!

You do not want to take ANY short cuts when building these systems, as you want it to last correct? Make sure you do not skimp on the buckets and make sure and get the right type grade of plastics so you do not get chemicals leaching into your solutions.

Do it right with the right parts and you will have a long lasting, SAFE, and trouble/leak free system for years to come.

Cheers!
Click to expand...

:yes either that or you can go into your grow room and you got yourself a shallow indoor swimming pool:character0180:
 
#20
buying more than you need(buckets, connectors, hoses, etc) is crucial when doing a DIY anything. its kinda hard to run and grab a replacement in an emergency in the middle of the night when everything is closed...
 
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