Some tips or tricks, (please feel free to add to it)

RupertofOZ

Once you've got things finalised... then you should glue anything under pumped pressure...

OR... tip.... inevitably.... you will end up with a joint parting... and pumping your water on to the ground...

donone

try to design your systems so the unglued pipes if separated will leak back into your tanks so you don't pump your tanks dry. IT IS A BIG WASTE OF WATER AND FISH. And it takes a long time to get going again with fresh water. It is easy to kill all the fish in your tank in a few minutes.

kitacooch

Handy little calculator to work out what power costs ar associated with your system so long as you know the wattage use of each pump.
The rate for QLD Aust is about 27c per KW, check for your local rate.

http://www.electricity-usage.com/Electr ... sPerDay=24

longlux

My fix for failing batteries on power tools, cut the wires to the battery pack, attach new wires with suitable connectors for an external battery.

I have fitted blade terminals & a longer cable since taking these pic's, as the alligator clips occasionally came off, I'm also considering using a bag for the battery, so I can hang it from my tool belt.

Ronmaggi

Courtesy of Bigcat24: the envelopes that hold the better tea bags make great seed saving envelopes. Next time you meetup with a fellow APer, make sure you bring some along with your cache of seeds.

Dabble On

Ive actually used nylon pipe tape on my connecting areas. Normally meant for threaded pipes but if you wrap the appropriate direction, pipe pieces need to be dry, and spin the connecting piece on the same direction of the wrap you actually get a pretty snug fit. It kinda acts as a tightener and a water seal for a non glued pipe and youre able to make changes with out pipe fitting loss.

gregted

Just made my first tower.

Don't have a heat gun and have already tried the burning pvc glue trick to reuse old pvc fittings so thought why not heat up the 90mm pvc and form the indented grow beds that way.

Cut halfway through the 90mm as before and paint the glue on the part you want to form and light.

When the flame goes out, push in with pliers, hammer or block of wood.

You may have to glue and burn a few times but it works. Leaves a black stain on the pvc.

kitacooch

When drilling small holes in PVC pipe (or polly for that matter) i use Glass Drilling Bits, they create a much cleaner hole. Rally good for shrouds and the like.

digitalworkshed

I'm currently new to aquaphonics and this forum really helped me a lot with my thesis! :cheers:

4x4Eric

mantis wrote:

Never stick a knife in the toaster

+1

Use bread, it toasts so much easier and tastes better.

kitacooch wrote:

When drilling small holes in PVC pipe (or polly for that matter) i use Glass Drilling Bits, they create a much cleaner hole. Rally good for shrouds and the like.

Good tip but that sounds like the tool I was asked go get when I was an apprentice... "A Glass Hammer"

Ok so now the tip

When using a hole saw on some plastics tubs, buckets etc. the plastic tends to rip or shatter
Some suggest running the hole saw backward, this works ok but if you have one of those combination hole saws that looks like a Russian dole...The blades come out backward.
Easy fix put the blade in the fridge an hour before you use it and warm, not melting hot, just warm the plastic your going to cut.
Let the tool do the work, don't force it.

BuiDoi

gregted wrote:

When the flame goes out, push in with pliers, hammer or block of wood.

You may have to glue and burn a few times but it works. Leaves a black stain on the pvc.

Or a bottle, to give a more appropriate and neater contour..

I do wonder about the burning and if that frees up some toxic stuff that you then grow in//around..
..
.

StephenH

Nice tips...

dvid

Dabble On wrote:

Ive actually used nylon pipe tape on my connecting areas. Normally meant for threaded pipes but if you wrap the appropriate direction, pipe pieces need to be dry, and spin the connecting piece on the same direction of the wrap you actually get a pretty snug fit. It kinda acts as a tightener and a water seal for a non glued pipe and youre able to make changes with out pipe fitting loss.

I also do this, with the teflon tape the connections seeem to be hard enough and you can change the layout later, of course this only works with low pressure pumps so i wouldt use it with large systems... and you always have the risk of failures. But for now, its working ok with me.

jdubbery

Garden hose makes a great pliable connection, and the female end screws into my 3/4" PVC perfectly.

jholmes

If you are using those awesome rubber Uniseal fittings for drain pipes etc, drop them in boiling water for 5 minutes before installing. The pipe slips through -much- easier this way.

Backyard Aquaponics
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