Connecting pex with out crimp rings.
Installing the aeration system under the lids in the chamber of the roots, I did not want to use metal - In this system -- there will be no contact of metal with solution period... So I came up with a push fitting using the plastic pex fittings with pex pipe - these are very cheap for me so I use them.
First if you put a pex (from now on it is assumed plastic) fitting in to the pipe it is not very snug. So if you want it more snugger...lol... you will need to wrap it with Teflon tape - BUT if you push it in to pex pipe it rips the Teflon tape and the seal is compromised. So - use a means by which to camber or bevel the inside edge of the pex pipe, I use the yellow reamer. I use the reamer to bevel the inside edge of the pipes to allow the Teflon taped fittings to insert in to the pex pipe with little damage to the seal. A little lubricant is ok like a very very very tiny amount twisted on to the tape on the fitting will encourage the seal but very very little is needed...It never hurts to expose the pipe to hot water to make it pliable.
----------------------------------------------
Piping set up Excuse the mess
This is just a way I like to look at something I am building to get a mechanical view. It is hard to see the piping but the feed is 3/4" pex to a 3/4" x 1/2" x 1/2" tee to a 1/2" 90 degree elbow. So a 3/4" feeding 2 - 1/2" feeds, just for balance. I filled the ends of the pipes with silicon because I could not find plastic plugs.
----------------------------------------------
The heart of the system
pump-pail.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
The pump in an old Wine Kitz primary fermenter, or just call it a 5 gallon bucket... After the plug and 3/4" pex and an air hose is feed through the hole in the lid there is little room for anything else. There is a shut off valve on the riser off the pump I am going to use it for discharging the reservoir. In the yard there is a drop in elevation of at least 4 feet with out setting up a level and transom so siphon action should help speed this up, I will probably put in a shut off on the feed side to assist flushing out the solution every 10 to 14 days.
----------------------------------------------
Feeding the growing media.
The blue steaks are drop controllers. I will be melting more holes in the green pot to encourage root development. On the right you see a 4" cube of rock wool supported by expanded clay pellets. There will be an aeration system under the lid.
There will be more to come if I can get some no snow weather.
The system will run 2 small submersible pumps and 2 air pumps off of 2 solar panels at 30 watts total - on 2 battery's with an inverter and charge controller.
by
Cliver_McGyver