Plumbing

[plantwomyn@verizon.net]

I appreciate all of the great pictures ya'll show of your systems but I haven't found any good treads on plumbing. I am trying to figure out the best way to plumb everything and use as few pumps as possible. I have made drawings of my system with my 3D landscaping program but have no idea how to get them on a tread.
Can anyone give me some help with this?
Anyone with close ups of their plumbing as they went through the process would help me a lot.
Thanks for all the info I've recieved so far.
P/S picked up my 22x30 greenhouse today. Now just have to build it!

[Murray]

That is a great sized greenhouse.
What file extension is the drawing ?
Are you able to convert it to a PDF file ?
How detailed do you need the plumbing schematic?
Are you going to do flood and drain with a sump ?

[plantwomyn@verizon.net]

I need a close up of how the drain pipes are set up, top and bottom.

[Martin A1]

Hi Plantwormyn,

I am doing a second system over the next 4 weeks and will get some pics of the plumbing for you. Monitor my new system threads yet to be created.

The best way to use as few pumps as possible is to use the laws of gravity. You just need to make sure the lowest point on each grow bed drain pipe is above the highest point on your fish tank. Having or finding a sloping site is very helpful with this.

I love the KISS principle and gravity fed flood and drain systems have this at their core. The engineering like minded among us love the added tinkering that comes with a sump return system and two pumps... not me! (Although I still love tinkering)

I would strongly recommend you purchase the manual by Gary Donaldson and/or the one written by Joel Malcolm at the "other" aquaponics forum in WA. They both contain a great wealth of information around set-up and plumbing. Consider it an investment in your future and reward for their toils!

The AUD to US exchange rate for you sucks at the moment but hey we have had to live with that for years.... welcome back!

[GaryD]

Hi,

The best plumbing system is the smallest and simplest one.

I heartily endorse Martin's comments about using gravity where possible.

The only real reason to use a sump tank/pump system is if the height of your growbeds is such that you can't gravity feed back into the tank.
In fact, I'd go so far as to say that I'd rather see the fish tank partially buried in the ground (if that's what it takes to get the gravity feed thing happening) rather than use sump pumps/tanks.

In my view, they just complicate the system unnecessarily and add to its establishment and operating cost. Avoiding them is also good risk management. The more pumps, control devices and plumbing fixtures you have in a pumping cycle, the greater the number of prospective failure points.

Gary

[TroyManic]

Hi,

The best plumbing system is the smallest and simplest one.


Don`t you think the complicated ones have more functionality and can do much more while occupying the same space?

[ande]

no no

[Pugo]

I agree with ande complicated piping just gives you a chance of making a mistake. Nothing worse that dealing with piping that looks like spaghetti. I ran into it hundreds of times over the years, in my old profession and almost every time I ripped it out and made it simple. Had people turn one value never a problem give them a few values to turn and every time something got turned off and the wrong thing got turn on..

[jobney]

Funny how things change in a few years. With good design you can have everything, simple plumbing and separate fish and hydroponic components with all the filtering you want. All connected by a sump with a single pump in it to drive the whole system. I think for most people the sump component is here to stay.

[sonelin]

what helped me out the most is looking at an animation of a Chop 1 or Chop 2 system

http://www.aquaponics.net.au/Chops.html

http://www.aquaponics.net.au/ChopMk2.html

[jobney]

My design so far looks like the CHOP2 but with a swirl filter and micron screen before the sump. Moving bed biofilter in the sump. NFT in place of flood and drain.

[GaryD]

Hi Jobney,


My design so far looks like the CHOP2 but with a swirl filter and micron screen before the sump. Moving bed biofilter in the sump.
Congratulations! The addition of the swirl filter and micron screen makes the difference between a functional and productive system and a killing machine.

Gary

[mikefills]

If you are not a professional than you should always opt for a simple pipe or a simple system, and if you are a professional/experienced than using complicated pipes should not be a problem.