And did a quick install, but after a few weeks of having it I discovered I could create a whole new system by reversing the draw and sending it back to the totes/planters creating “forced injection system”
To draw air. It’s just a simple spring , ball, o-ring that doesn’t allow back flow of water but under lower pressure allows injection of anything it can pull (liduid or air) , for this purpose I will only be sucking in air
The concept is good, but do you think the oxygen will dissolve? I haven’t dabbled into hydroponics too much but have always assumed this was reason for stones over just dropping line from air pump with check valve on it.
It will work the same if not better than the air stone. Mixes it in the pump first then draws fresh air through the Venturi system to pump directly into the totes constantly.
That system will never turn off exactly like the stones. Unlike the stones it will not allow the roots to engulf it and only allow air to concentrate in one source.
This will allow constant mixing of air and nutrients inside each individual container.
I use Venturi systems all the time on aquariums. It allows for avoiding the dreaded hum of the diaphragm pump under the fish tank.
The only problem is the air intake will grow a calcium/bicarbonate salt clot at the intake spot. Usually after about a month of sucking bubbles. A good way to prevent this is to submerge the Venturi intakes underwater (usually rotate it 180degrees) so it’s facing downward. Do this once a week for an hour and it should not clot. It it clogs all the way just soak it in vinegar over night. Still way better than clogged airstones.
If you don’t have a recirculating reservoir one of the smallest pumps just in your reservoir works good too.
Drill the intake plastic and slip in a few inches of airline. It will suck bubbles and water and chop them up as they go thru the impeller.
@PharmerBob, I think you maybe on too something here. You may want to look into how a hot tub injects air into the jets. They use an air loop piped around the top, and the inlet adjusting knobs are very efficient at adjusting the incoming air.
But on the other hand I have to ask, do we really need to make hydroponics more complicated?
The Venturi system works well for this I’ve used it on a few other projects where it needed to pull an air / liquid ratio and these are fantastic for doing exactly that.
These ones Dont give you the ability to play with the saturation levels but they are fixed at a 1/10 and have a decent draw when tapping a finger on the tube while system is running.
And yes hydroponics should always be trying something new and different……if not we’d all be playing in dirt right?
My “KISS”, common sense is always in conflict with my “here is a better way”, imagination.
So I fully support your efforts, but my common sense has to ask that question.
I understand completely!
I have a funny story about an old buddy and the KISS principal. I will try to type it out in the next couple days and post it.
This thing works gang busters! Roots have stayed the healthiest I’ve ever had growing hydroponics!
Concept was a success , here’s 17 gals of rootzone from 1 of 4. Other plants are too big to lift…
With the injection current the roots d aren’t able to engulf that one area like an air stone then suffocate themselves. It allows for consistent saturation of the solution for each tote!
This is really awesome. Thanks for sharing! I have a RDWC system and the supply is piped to the top of each tote creating a splashy fallponic effect, with the natural gravity return at the bottom pulling water back to the main reservoir. Do you think this could work without having to lower my supply lines below the water line and keep them as is? Perhaps one venturi tube added at each tote before the supply enters, or one or 2 venturi tubes added after the pump as they head towards the totes?
I have a 4 bucket tent. Maybe I’ll try a venturi each into 2 buckets and air stones in the other 2 and see how the next grow fairs! Sounds like a fun experiment. Have you had any issues with the mineral buildup like one person mentioned?
Now that I’m thinking about it, if I’m changing the fallponic style water supply setup to the totes, I could easily extend the downspout within the totes to go below the waterline.
Right now I have a 90 degree pvc el spraying the water downward into each tote, but with the venturi I could just add a piece of pipe on the end going down under the water. Then could see the bubble action too. And that would eliminate the need for me to do a more complicated dismantling and addition of new bulkheads for the supply below the water line.
