The bottom trays, the gutters, drain troughs are the MOST difficult part of building a DIY vertical hydroponic systems. I spent literally two years trying to invent a solution to
the circular drain troughs. I built square shaped systems, octagons, hexagons... finally spent hundreds of $ and countless days learning to bend 4"PVC pipes. Got quite good at it, eventually. And then one night making my way home pissed drunk, stumbled into
a construction site, and there it was! Hundreds of those pipes, already bent, with exactly 2' bend radius! DIYers paradise. Almost thought i was hallucinating for a while.
I'll tell you the secret:
you dont have to buy them from me, or from a hydroponic store, although I do know a place that deals them cheap retail.
They are called DB2 pipes. Come in grey PVC plastic and are quite hard to find, anywhere other than massive construction sites
not because they are not available, but rather thanks to particular mental imaging skills of most people working the counters of
construction material suppliers. I tried many times to convince guys in electrical supply and pipe stores, that such things do exist becasue I not only have seen them, but even "borrowed" a few here and there for the lack of other options. I drew them images of that
evasive part in the air with my hands, tried my best at verbal descriptions, until finally an old italian construction man got it and was able to produce them for me.
What you are looking for is called 4" DB2 Pipe 90 degree bend (or sweep) with 2 foot bend radius (translates into 4 foot diameter). Electrical supply stores should have them. Probably any construction supply store will be able to get them for you as long as you manage to convince them that such thing DOES in fact exist, which may at times, require borrowing belief inspiring techniques from the history of the great Spanish inquisition (bring pliers and blow torches).
These bends also come in 3 foot (36") bend radius, which is what I use for the AK-427 system. The sweeps come in quarter circle
shape. What I do is I glue end caps from home depot ($2,95 each) on the ends of each one and then (this is where it gets a bit tricky)
I cut each piece in half longitudinally, thus creating two quarter-circular troughs with half-end-cap at the end of each one.
NOTTA BENE:
GLUE End Caps FIRST!!! Then cut the pipe along its length. Otherwise it will be a hell trying to get the caps to stick to pipe. When pipe is cut it no longer maintains consistent precise diameter and getting it to form tight glued bond with end cap may require all 27.5 fingers exactly, which you probably dont have.
Tapping fittings into them is a no brainer. All in all you need only two quarter circle DB2 sweeps to complete the entire drain circle (each one, when
in half makes two) The entire cost: $25 per system. Three years it took slow me to figure this out.
As for the other parts, they are all $3 - $15 plastic Tee and L fittings from Home Depot
hydroponic store:) So there really is nothing at all in my systems that you cant just buy in Home Depot.
The PVC made vertical hydroponic systems I build from 2" white PVC
pipe, the one for central vacuum systems. The pipes come in 10 foot lengths and sell for $6,75 in Home Depot in Ontario and $2,95 in Quebec, while it is manufactured in Mississauga, Ontario... Go figure... Fitting for these you will find usually in ventilation section of HD or right next to the 2" vacuum pipe. Ls are $1,99 and Tees are $2,95. Attached is the photo of the central cross bar and components.
Email me if you have any questions.
PLEASE DO SHARE COMMENTS AND YOUR PROJECTS, LINKS, IDEAS.
Would also love to see photos of your projects. Lets put our experinces together and learn to build the best most efficient and cheap vertical hydroponic systems!
