Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Love the design.

Do you think heating the PVC could result in some nasty chems leaching into your system?

There is always that risk with any plastic...especially if you overheat it. You run into similar risks using PVC glue, galvanized steel, and other assorted materials.....

Whenever I build something like this I wash it out before use. At least it let's me "think" it's clean.

Blast. That means I am even more susceptible, due to my impatience with heating up the plastic too fast and scorching it.
But the towers have been out all winter in an uncovered GH. Maybe it'll be alright.

Hey, great video, thumbs up on your new camera I'm building some in a day or two and will be following this design concept. I can heat the plastic with an iron or a hair dryer can't I?

Also, why can't you run it on continuous flow? You can have a trickle flow for plants that don't like their roots wet and rig up some overflow thingy for plants that like their roots wet...

I'm not sure a hair drier is hot enough but it wouldn't hurt to try it. I would think the direct contact between an iron and the plastic would melt burn it....maybe try it on a scrap first.

There are a bunch of people that do continuous flow. As long at the roots don't mind it should be fine. Mine are part of a sequencing valve system so the one pump provides water to 6 different areas........

hmmm, so iron or hair dryer, what else do you recommend short of of heat gun you're using in the video?

I'm not sure.... You need to get it over 120C or more to get it soft. Too hot and it will burn and off-gas.

Hmmm, what field are heat guns used it?

How about I took a big round rock and pushed it in with all of someone heaviers wieght?

Over here, we use heat guns to soften paint on houses to scrape them down. Usually when the paint starts peeling from old age. They are around $20 USD

Plumbers use butane/propane torches to heat solder for joining copper pipe, around $15-20 USD. But this is an open flame.

Depending on how desperate you are...

Boiling water in a pan - use a cloth laid over the cut pipe where you want to make the port and pour some over the cloth. The cloth being wet will act as heat distribution.

All I can think of at the moment. Don't know what you guys have over there as far as stores and availability of products.

Good luck.

I'm sure they're available, but I don't have time or cash to go out and buy one at the moment so looking for a good diy way to do it.

abdul, 'borrow' your ma's hairdryer, bit slower and might not get as hot but will still work eventually

$20 at bunnings for a paint stripper/heat gun IT WILL save you a heap of time so stop being McScrooge hahahah or ask around see if you can borrow one.... otherwise half way through this great idea you will say bugger it too hard..

Electricians use heat guns if you happen to know one.. Perhaps you could slip into the kitchen when your mums not home and try the gas stove..

I was thinking about the gas stove, but figure it would hurt the PVC to put it on an open flame.

Will go to the electrician and see if I can get a heat gun there, will also find out where/how much I can buy one in. Considering the time invovled and how many of these towers I want to build its definately not a tool to be scrooge about buying d:

If all else fails I shall grab mom's hair dryer