Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

You could also try bypassing it and running the whole lot constantly flooded for a while..

Hi Rupe I don't have your email add but I have been communication with Lime Life who sold me the valve. His message this morning was that he will connect me with the factory guy to help trouble shoot the problem. What kind of problems have you had with this valve? It is the 1 1/2 inch 6 outlet valve. My pump is the 1/2 HP pump that pumps 4700 GPH at 0 head and 4500 at one meter. Difference in water level is about 30 inches. Less than a meter. It does have enough force to push apart the plumbing as it is not glued. My supply line is 1 1/2 pipe reduced to 3/4 inch at each GB and a cap with 3/8" hole in it. I have 24 beds on each run. I don't have a formula to tell me how much flow in each pipe size to tell if I could just put a tee in and take out the valve. I don't think so though. See picture above for view in GB.

This is the message I sent to him last.
HI JerryandJulie I just got a response from the indexing valve guy. He says that the valve is having problems with the 2 outlet plate and to put in the three and let the third one dump back to the Fish Tank. They are working on the problem and may have a fix later. I'm thinking that the three hole plate is not going to fix my valve as it just does not move the plate up and down when the pump starts and stops. The water hammer moves the pipes so I am sure the flow should have no problem moving the plate. It just does not move when the pump shuts off to advance to the next position. When it gets stuck I can manually push the stem to get it to cycle. That happens every once in a while.
Yesterday I made it cycle a dozen times before it felt loose inside again. When I take it apart there is nothing in the valve to make it stick. Only once did I find anything and that was the day I took pictures when I took it apart. I found a wood chip in the valve that day.

Changed plate to three way operation.
I took the valve apart and cleaned it like new again. I reassembled the valve and put in the three way plate and even before putting in the pump it did not cycle clean and smoothly. I think there may be something wrong with the center pin piece. I think the spring does not return the valve to the up position when the pump shuts off each time. Part of the time it works ok and some times it sticks. I put the pump on with the outlet lines disconnected and operated the pump to check if it would cycle. I got two times before it stuck and did not advance. It was stuck on the right side looking at the pump. I tried it about 50 times and it stuck about 5 times in the series of tests. I put the outlet lines on the left and right and the dump to tank in the fartherest away from the pump. It did ok about three cycles around the circle before it stuck and did the same one the right side about 5 tries before I touched the indicator and pushed it down. Still did not rotate the rotor. Pushed it down a few times till it freed up and then used the pump to cycle it a few times and left it going to fill the dry bed. At present the reliability is unacceptable.

I am going out to check on it now.

I just got back in from checking the system. It was stuck on the back to the tank line and both BG are DRY. I just had to push down the indicator and it switched just before the timer turned on to pump so bed is getting flow for now.

Eb I think I will check my fittings for bypassing the valve. I think I will find out if I can bypass it.

EB the only thing that might be a problem is I do not have siphons. I have drain caps with 1/4" hole and 3/4" overflow pipes which I see full every cycle as it is now. Pumping 15 / 15 so the valve will cycle.

Don, I've PM'd you my email address.... please use the "admin" email address.. as the web site is currently down...

Don, the use of the #2 cam is not a supported configuration with the 6 port valve.

The only cams, for technical reasons... that are supported with the 6 port model... are the #3 and #4 cams.... and they must be white cams... not the black cam sets that ship with other models...

If the #2, and #3 cam sets you have... are the "black" cams.... they WILL NOT work....

The "dealer" should have been aware of this... I have written to the US distributor regarding this matter, and the "dealer" involved....

Apart from the "technical" reasons concerning the 6 port valves, the #2 cam is not supported as there is no real sense in having a 6 port model, and only using 2 ports....

It is assumed that if a client wishs to only operate 2 ports... they would purchase a 4 port model, with the #2, and #3 cam sets....

Email me.... I can offer you an alternative solution that will utilise the model you currently have...

HELLO DON You can sell anything, but making it work is another thing. If a 6 way will not work with 2 up to 6 why did they sell it to us. I explained that might wont to expand and wanted to be able to grow. I even order the cams to up grade only got 2 and 6. Thanks Jerry

EB I took your advise. I was so disgusted I took out the index valve and put in a tee. I put the pump on constant pump. The water had turned very cloudy from not being circulated. I did the change about 4 pm and about 9pm the water was already clear. With the constant pumping all the beds got full. I was worried about that. I did not think that the flow was enough to support all 48 grow beds. It just barely is. I think I will look at a second pump. What can you tell me about the good pumps?

The aquaponics valve was always intended to be marketed specifically to the aquaponics market, and it was hoped that any "dealers" would be themselves versed in aquaponics, and sufficiently understand both the principles of aquaponics, the functionailty of the aquaponics valve, and where it fitted within aquaponic systems....

The "dealer" in question was appointed by the US distributor, and appears to have minimal aquaponic experience, and it would seem doesn't have aquaponics as a primary business motivation.

I have previously raised this matter with the US distributor, who himself, sadly, also seems to have little interest in aquaponics any longer.

The 6 port model should never have been sold to you as "workable" with a #2 cam set...

The valve comes standard with the #6 cam installed, and optional white #3, #4 cams...

The cam sets for the 6 port model are deliberately coloured white to differentiate them from the black cam sets that come with the other models...

This is primarily due to the port offsets, which in the 4 port and 8 port models are 45 degrees... whereas the 6 port models are offset by 60 degrees...

Jerry &Juliet... if you ordered an optional cam set for the 6 port model... then you should have received white #3 and #4 cams... with the #6 cam installed by default....

The "dealer" should also be liasing with the US distributor... not with the manufacturer... and I have also taken this matter up with both the distributor and manufacturer...

I will be outlining a possible solution to Don... utilising the existing valve that you both have... and will ask him to pass the information on to you...

Don's problem may also involve a component of flow ... actually too high a flow.... but there is also a solution to this problem...

The system is working just fine without the valve. It is just doing it so I am going to get another pump and just to be on the safe side. It is pumping down my FT too far and the auto water filler is Off now cause it is wanting to fill the tank which would over flow when the pump stops.

My Red Wigglers came last Friday and I put them in the barrels before this last fiasco happened. The barrels got so dry and hot I hope it did not cook them. I am on constant flood now so hope they do not drown. I have not been digging in the gravel cause I am afraid that might kill them also.

Plants are recovering mostly. Stevia just died. Too new I guess. Bell peppers are darker green I think. They were wilty yesterday from being too dry. Looks like I have 4 toms turning red. SOON A TOMATO.

How tough are these worms

Very tough. I had some in plastic bags full of used hydroton that sat outside for 2 to 4 months and many came through just fine. The media had some moisture but did get hot so moisture may be the key. If you haven't already I would rewet the media in the barrels where the worms are I would do this with some non-chlorinated water (gotta keep the bacteria going). The worms won't drown as long as the water has plenty of oxygen or they can get above the water. I've had them pass through the system into the fish tank and live in a filter at the bottom of the tank.

They also lay eggs once they're in the system for awhile, so you'll have worms at all stages of life - I would think the eggs can survive some things worms themselves might not. The won't drown as long as your water is moving and not stagnant.

Thank I am doing constant flood now.

Hi Rupe
Well I think we have a new stem and a rotor for the index valve coming for me and Jerry both. After a couple of calls and some emails the problem was diagnosed and we are on our way. I think Mathew is a good guy when it comes to making the customer happy.
I did not go get the other pump cause we were deciding to fix the index valve. However it has been interesting to find out my system could be run without one if I had a couple less beds. I think it would run with 46 beds the way it is. The last two are not filling up so well. I could probably put some smaller caps on at the front of the line to compensate.

Oh I have a question again. On Constant Flood I get an algae looking spot where the supply line dumps on the beds. Is that what you call an anaerobic area. I am sure that it is from the stuff in the bottom of the fish tank and algae from the sun on the wet gravel. Because of that stuff I changed the system to 1 hour on and 30 min off so it would get more oxygen to the roots and slow down the green spots. Hope to get the new parts in the next couple of days and get back to normal, Flood and drain.

The fish tank grows a dark green algae on the sides and bottom but the water is very clear now from the constant filtering.