Comment

Moderator Comment by Bob Terrell on January 11, 2013 at 12:01pm

TC   Wonderful presentation, all should see this!

Comment by TCLynx on January 11, 2013 at 10:09am

2012 Aquaponic Plumbing Class

This presentation PDF has lots of diagrams that might help explain some of these things.

Moderator Comment by Bob Terrell on January 10, 2013 at 9:17pm

bottom line there is about 197 different ways to build these and make them work.  I do have valves controlling my inflow BUT I also have on the same line a free flow line into a DWC tank to prevent any chocking of the pump.

Comment by coty on January 10, 2013 at 7:01pm

Thanks for the info. Im going to try putting that T to slow down my flow and if that doesnt work i guess ill have to make a bigger syphon.

Comment by randy proctor on January 10, 2013 at 6:56pm

Coty...Your inland pipe needs to be 1/2 size of the your outlet pipe. A union coming up from your pump....I always have a back-up pump, that way if one goes bad, I can switch it out by disconnecting the union, unscrewing the pipe from the pump, putting the new pump to the pipe, reconnecting the union (takes less than a minute)  Up toward the bed past the union, I have a T.  Leading from the T I have a shutoff valve, that puts back into the IBC tote.  That is how I.....regulate the water going into the bed WITHOUT CHOKING BACK THE PUMP.  If you choke back your pump....you can burn the pump up or you shorten its life.  Generally my water line going into the bed is 1/2" and the stand pipe going into the bell and siphon is 1".  To make it all work, at the bottom of the bell and siphon that goes back into the IBC tote, I have a elbow that is 1"by 1/2".  I got it at Lowes.  My systems have never failed to siphon.  I have six systems made of IBC totes with 12 grow bed.  Each tank has 2 growbeds.  Like I said they never fail to siphon.  I hopes this helps you Cody!

Comment by Phil Slaton on January 10, 2013 at 6:42pm

Listen to Bob, the Oracle of Abilene knows this stuff.  Put an adjustable valve on the info pipe.  They are at Lowe's and Home Depot and look like this -

Moderator Comment by Bob Terrell on January 10, 2013 at 6:30pm

slow down the in flow, if this what is going on your inflow needs to decrease.

 

Comment by Phil Slaton on January 10, 2013 at 6:16pm

You need larger diameter pipe on the out flow side, because it is draining the entire bed.

Comment by coty on January 10, 2013 at 6:12pm

No. My syphon is working but my grow bed fills faster than my syphon can drain it. Eventually causing it to overflow.

Comment by TCLynx on January 10, 2013 at 5:59pm

So Coty, are you saying that the bed fills and water starts trickling down the stand pipe but the siphon never engages to drain the bed?

If so either your inflow rate is too slow or you need to do something to restrict the outflow to let the siphon really get started.  Or better yet, you might want to look up Affnan siphon and get some tips from is modifications.

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