Looking for a better sump pump

[phxazcraig]

I'm growing a single crop each year in a 4x4 tent in a bedroom. I'm growing in coco coir and using a drain-to-waste setup.

I've gradually built a working DIY feeding system which operates as often as every 2 hours. Nutrients flow into pots and end up in drain pans. The drains empty into a small 2-gallon bucket via grommetted plastic hoses stuck through the sides. Inside the bucket I place a small sump pump that has a float valve to turn it on as the water level rises. I'm using a

Little Giant 1-ABS 115-Volt Condensate Removal Pump ($112)​

This little 170gph pump works perfectly for my purposes, but I've now had 2 of them fail in the past 4 years. Problem is, I can't find a substitute this small. Alternatively I need some sort of on/off float valve I could plug any underwater pump into.

 

[Brother_Antioch]

I'm growing a single crop each year in a 4x4 tent in a bedroom. I'm growing in coco coir and using a drain-to-waste setup.

I've gradually built a working DIY feeding system which operates as often as every 2 hours. Nutrients flow into pots and end up in drain pans. The drains empty into a small 2-gallon bucket via grommetted plastic hoses stuck through the sides. Inside the bucket I place a small sump pump that has a float valve to turn it on as the water level rises. I'm using a

Little Giant 1-ABS 115-Volt Condensate Removal Pump ($112)​

This little 170gph pump works perfectly for my purposes, but I've now had 2 of them fail in the past 4 years. Problem is, I can't find a substitute this small. Alternatively I need some sort of on/off float valve I could plug any underwater pump into.

After a quick search, you'd probably be better off with a float valve switch and an external pump, to be honest. There's another good model by the same company, but almost twice the size, as you pointed out. A small, fixed float valve (as in, fixed to the inside of the bucket) that could trigger an external water pump. Something like this:

vertical float trigger

coupled with this:

electric water pump

You can piggyback the power for the pump off the float as it has a plug built in for it. When the float rises, the power comes on at the pump, when it's dropped back down, the pump goes off. It's a bit more than your current set up, but if you only have to replace it every 4 years or more, you've saved in the long run. Hope that helps a bit.

Cheers,

BA.

 

[imgrowing]

can you adjust the float so the pump doesn't come on until pail is almost full?
i've found out the hard way that the pump needs to be submerged to keep it cool.

 

[Brother_Antioch]

can you adjust the float so the pump doesn't come on until pail is almost full?
i've found out the hard way that the pump needs to be submerged to keep it cool.

I found that out the hard way myself, too, but not with a grow. I built an infinity-edge vortex fountain water feature at my trailer, facing the lane in the park. Trying to gussy up the front of the lot, so to speak. When I rebuilt it this past Spring, I used a better pump, but not submersible. I'd turn it on Friday when we got to the trailer in the afternoon, and turn it off on Sunday afternoon when we headed home. No problems for almost all the season, then it overheated and died on me with about 3 weeks left in til the park closed. This Spring, I'll be putting a decent submersible back into it that can push the volume needed.

Fountain Video


Cheers,

BA.

 

[phxazcraig]

I appreciate the ideas. I mistakenly bought a $99 sump pump from Home Depot and found it didn’t have a float switch.

For now, I’ve hooked the sump pump to the feed pump timer so they both go on at the same time. Timer is set to go off every 2 hours for 10 seconds. The pump empties the drain pail, and then the pail slowly refills from the runoff over the next 10 minutes. The sump runs dry for a few seconds each time. This should be ok until tomorrow when my replacement Little Giant arrives.

At least I have an emergency work around if my sump fails again.

This is getting to be an expensive grow. I just had to replace my failed HLG light last week.

 

[Grownsince95]

Following along because I use the same system and want to automate my runoff.

 

[phxazcraig]

OK, here's what has happened. I had a grow in-progress, and I had to have a pump the same day. I bought a $99 Home Depot sump pump which did not have a float valve. It's extremely powerful, too. I also ordered a $160 replacement (w/float) pump, intending to change pumps out once the float version arrived.

In the meantime I solved the issue by simply plugging it in to the feed timer. This has worked so well that I've not bothered to swap pumps. I'm keeping the other on hand as a spare. I'm also considering using it to enhance my runoff system.

My latest idea is intended to buy me more time between dumping runoff buckets, like being able to take a weekend trip. Currently the pump dumps into a 5-gallon container. With the float pump, I could never let that get more than about 4 inches full or it would siphon back into the sump bucket causing the pump to go off again in a vicious cycle. And every feeding at that point just raised the water level in the sump bucket until it overflowed.

So that's a potential issue with how things are set up now. I haven't really engineered a good runoff system, just one that works well enough. With two pumps I can put a 2nd pump into the first runoff bucket and move that water to yet another container. Perhaps a bigger one. Could easily and quickly increase my runoff capacity. Currently I have to empty the runoff container at least once a day. For the past 5 years I've simply dumped it into a nearby bucket, and when that bucket is full I carry it downstairs to feed various plants. Another bucket takes its place.

I'm much more proud of my automated feeding system, which runs every 2 hours and sends the exact same amount of water each time.

 

[phxazcraig]

Following along because I use the same system and want to automate my runoff.

OK, a bit more info on the sump pump. It's way stronger than the first pump, and it sucks all the water out of the pump (maybe 4 inches in a small bucket) in 2 seconds. I was worried about it burning out, but my longest on time is only 10 seconds. It seems to work just fine, and I seriously doubt it will ever overheat. I don't know if it has overheat protection.