RDWC Undercurrent Pump Size Help

[Sponty]

Hi!

I've just built my first RDWC system and am hoping to test it this coming weekend. I went to my local hydroponic shop to get some advice on what kind of water pump and power I'm going to need.

I explained I have x4 16L (3.52gal) buckets so a total of 64L (14gal). He recommended a pump that pushed 1,000L/h (219gal/h). I could probably urinate quicker than this.

Personally I think I need something a little bigger and he misunderstood me somewhere. What would some recommend for this size of a system and also what type of pump as I've seen 2 different types.

All the best!

 

[broke1]

Are you going to run a chiller also off the same pump if so you need to run one that keep up with the chiller

 

[Mytwhyt]

Your chillers main job will be to extract the heat your pump puts into the water. I've never understood why one needs a river to run through their grow. I do understand different strokes for different folks. Being a minimalist, I do quite well with flow rate of 5 gallons an hour from a remote reservoir.. I would sure hate to have to piss that much.
And that's without using a submersible water pump. A gram per watt can be done in a total of 100 days from seed, or clone. Can refer you if you like.

 

[monkey47]

Your chillers main job will be to extract the heat your pump puts into the water. I've never understood why one needs a river to run through their grow. I do understand different strokes for different folks. Being a minimalist, I do quite well with flow rate of 5 gallons an hour from a remote reservoir.. I would sure hate to have to piss that much.
And that's without using a submersible water pump. A gram per watt can be done in a total of 100 days from seed, or clone. Can refer you if you like.

I agree, the circulating part in my mind is only to make it easier for the grower because you only need to feed and drain one big tank and it makes sure the solution stays well mixed.

You want to minimize the heat especially because most of you are in my opinion running not enough air extraction volumes so the heat is problematisch

 

[broke1]

Your chillers main job will be to extract the heat your pump puts into the water. I've never understood why one needs a river to run through their grow. I do understand different strokes for different folks. Being a minimalist, I do quite well with flow rate of 5 gallons an hour from a remote reservoir.. I would sure hate to have to piss that much.
And that's without using a submersible water pump. A gram per watt can be done in a total of 100 days from seed, or clone. Can refer you if you like.

The heat comes from the air stones friction or pressure and the temp of the room the unit is held in. Most undercurrent growers have the pump outside the reservoir and use dc pumps. Are you an actual undercurrent grower or you just talking?

 

[Mytwhyt]

Not a under current user myself. I get by with modified Waterfarms, using the dripring to pull the water from a remote reservoir.. No electric water pump used. Gravity returns water to the reservoir. A small 5 gallon reservoir at that. Don't use air stones either. Not needed in my system. Drip on hydroton supplies more than enough dissolved oxygen for a plant.
I simply think under current is better suited to very large grows. Here's a couple Waterfarms. First time using one 315 watt cmh per plant.

Deep Water Culture

The reason for lack of answer to a 'simple question' could be your opening statement. Did you mean dope or top? If you are top feeding then all the roots are getting fed, therefore, water/nute level is not important, assuming your feeding cycle is frequent enough to not allow roots to dry out hth

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