Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

It's only a small point, but better to get it right from the start than trying to correct ingrained thought later: you don't want equal pressure, equal volumetric flow (volume per time) is what you are trying to achieve.

Design mantra: Minimise pressure, maximise flow.


Scott

Thanks Scott, I'll keep that in mind, and hopefully have it ingrained in memory soon...

Question...
When installing the manifold for the towers...

* Would one valve before the manifold, provide enough flow control to all towers?
* Would you install the manifold at the wall and control the flow there by separate valves, running flexible tubing from the valves above to each tower?
* Or would you install the manifold in the ceiling, running shorter tubing to each tower, and control the flow at the top of each tower by valves?
* Or Is there another option I have not considered?

valve to each tower. Flow is a funny thing, and each one will effect all the others. It is a balancing act.

When you use a distribution manifold, the flow from each riser will be the same so long as each riser is constructed the same and has the same "length" (in head loss terms). I'd always advocate individual isolation/control valves to facilitate maintenance, but you should also include a master control to isolate the entire manifold for the same reason. In the design, the valves should only ever be fully open or fully shut, you shouldn't need to throttle the individual flows.

To minimise friction losses and maximise flow, the narrow risers should be as "short" as possible which necessitates placing the manifold as high as possible below the top of the towers/GB or wherever they are being installed. The diameter of the manifold needs careful consideration; too large and there is inadequate flow velocity so it is possible solids may accumulate in the pipe (never had it happen to me, but some people get paranoid about it?) and if too narrow, the manifold is just another pipe and the riser closest to the pump will have a higher flow than the riser furthermost from the pump and you'll end up trying to balance the flows by throttling individual valves.


Scott

Thanks Scott,
I'll put that info into my design... any calculations or references I could utilize to figure the flow and pipe sizes?

There is a link to a flow rate chart somewhere on here. Try the search. Otherwise you'll have to wait for someone to find it.

That's it. Thanks mrbill

Thanks DrLuke,
I should have mentioned earlier that I did a search. Still sifting through the information as I get more time to.

Thanks Bill,
Getting to work now!