All,

Welcome to my build!

My first post will be dedicated to my siphon construction...it was both easier and harder than I thought it would be. Hat tip to Affnan's blog and youtube videos as well as the discussions here for valuable information.

Here is a pic on the unassembled siphon...1" standpipe in a 1" bulkhead fitting, 2" bell, and a 3" gravel guard, followed by sequential assembly.








The 500 gph pump is plumbed with 1/2" PVC and 4 ball valves (return and each grown bed) to control flow to each part of the system.

I found that my original 275 gph pump was underperforming at the 3' or so head...it would run all siphons with no hydroton, but would only run 2 of three siphons when the beds were filled. They would run, but the full drain siphon would never materialize and it would just maintain a fully filled equilibrium.

In retrospect, the siphon is too large for grow beds of this size. In order for the siphon to form, the flow has to be fast enough to fill about every 7-10 minutes...a little faster than I wanted. Slower and it will not siphon reliably form. However, it is VERY efficient and will drain the bed in 2-3 minutes and breaks without a hitch.

Comments and thoughts welcome!