Outdoor solar-powered hydroponics system

[DavidMSly]

Solar powered outdoor hydroponics system using 90mm PVC stormwater pipe.

Materials

1 x 6M x 90mm PVC stormwater pipe https://www.bunnings.com.au/holman-90mm-x-6m-pvc-stormwater-pipe_p4770306

1 x 3M x 90mm PVC stormwater pipe https://www.bunnings.com.au/holman-90mm-x-3m-pvc-stormwater-pipe_p4770094

3 x 90mm PVC stormwater 90° F&F elbow https://www.bunnings.com.au/holman-90mm-90-female-and-female-pvc-stormwater-elbow_p4770310

2 x 90mm PVC stormwater 90° F&F junction https://www.bunnings.com.au/holman-90mm-90-female-and-female-pvc-stormwater-junction_p4770341

3 x 90mm push on PVC stormwater cap https://www.bunnings.com.au/holman-90mm-push-on-pvc-storm-cap_p4770387

30 x Hydroponic Baskets****

3 x 13mm in line barbed tap https://www.bunnings.com.au/pope-13mm-in-line-barbed-tap_p3129102

6 x 13mm poly barbed elbow https://www.bunnings.com.au/toro-13mm-single-poly-barbed-elbow_p3126853

4 x 13mm poly barbed tee https://www.bunnings.com.au/toro-13mm-single-barbed-poly-tee_p3126112

2M of 13mm black poly pipe https://www.bunnings.com.au/holman-13mm-x-25m-black-poly-pipe_p3120621

2 x 40L Black storage containers with lids

Pieces of 25 x 0.6mm https://www.bunnings.com.au/abey-25-x-0-6mm-x-6m-punched-metal-strapping_p1090029 OR Cable ties

1 x 6M 70 x 35mm treated pine (cut into 3 x 2M lengths)

2 x 2.4M x 70 x 35mm treated pine https://www.bunnings.com.au/70-x-35mm-outdoor-framing-mgp10-h3-treated-pine-2-4m_p8032103

Nails or screws to fix above into a frame to hold pipe in place.

1 x 12v water pump *

1 x Solar Charge Controller *

1 x AC/DC 12V 16A LCD Digital Timer Programmable Control Timer Time Switch **

12v Solar panel **

12v Deep Cycle battery **

Silicone or tape (to attach CD's to end of Pipe)

Old CD's

Coco peat or other growing medium

Hydroponic fertilizer (I use Cana Coco) **

* Available from Banggood

** Available from eBay

*** Available from Caloundra Hydroponics

Tools

Drill

75mm hole saw

14mm drill bit

5mm drill bit

Grinding wheel (to shape the CD's to fit)

Screws and Screwdriver or Nails and Hammer to fix frame together.

Steps

Step 1

On one of the lengths of pine mark a line that is at least 90 mm more than the height of one of the containers, including the lid.

Then make a mark 400mm and 800mm above that line.

On another of the lengths of pine make the same marks plus 20mm.

Attach the ends of other 3 lengths to these original 2, using the marks to line up the top edge of the timbers.

Place the first timber on the right if you want the water to run to the right side, as I have done in my setup.

Cut the 6 M length of stormwater pipe into 3 even lengths minus the bell end.

Step 2

Starting at one end of the 2M long pipes mark a spot at 50mm and then every 185mm after that (50, 235, 420...1900)

Drill a 14mm hole in the first spot and a 75mm hole in the rest.

Repeat for all three 2M lengths.

Place a cap on the end nearest to the small hole.

Next cut a CD in half.

Use the small end of the bell end that you have already cut off to mark the CD and grind off to fit the outside of the pipe.

Next drill a 5mm hole near the what will be the bottom of the CD

Repeat for a total of 3 CD halves.

Next attach a CD to the each of the currently vacant ends of the 2M pipes using either the silicone or some tape, with the small hole furthest from the 75mm holes in the pipe. The hole in the CD will be the drain that will encourage the roots in your plants to grow as the water between each cycle drains away.

Step 3

Next place one of the elbows with the opening facing away from the 75mm hole on the same end as the CD. This will be your top pipe.

Place the two T-junctions on the other two pipes in a the same orientation.

Now lay the frame down and place the pipes in order on top of them, lining the top of the pipe with the top edge of the timber.

Now cut the other pipe to fit between the elbow and the first T-junction and another piece to fit between the 2 T-junctions.

Finally cut another to join the bottom junction to another elbow, this will divert the water to your reservoir.

After this is done use the metal strapping or cable ties to attach the pipes to the frame. then stand the structure up, leaning it against a wall in a sunny position.

Step 4

Drill a 14mm hole on the short side of both of the reservoirs.

Insert a small piece of irrigation pipe into the hole and place a T-piece into the pipe on the inside of the container.

Then place an elbow into the pipe on the outside

Next apply some silicone around the pipe next to the T-piece and pull the pipe through to the outside, creating a seal.

Then join the two elbows. This will create one reservoir out of the two containers.

Now join the remaining stormwater pipe to the bottom elbow and lay it across the reservoirs. Cut it to length so that when the final elbow is placed it will drain into the right tank.

Then, after fitting the elbow, mark where to cut a hole in the lid.

After cutting the 90mm hole place a short length of the pipe into the hole for the elbow to join to.

Step 5

Next cut the irrigation tubing to fit as per this diagram.

Make sure to allow enough tubing so that when your water pump is fixed at the bottom it is sitting on the base of the reservoir.

Step 6

The rest of the setup including the wiring of the solar panel, controller and battery will be explained in the instructions for these devices included in their packaging.

My setup is programmed to deliver 5 minutes of water every hour from 8AM to 6PM. You will need to keep an eye on the water level to make sure it doesn't run dry.  It's also a good idea to drain the system and replace the water on a regular basis to prevent the build up of toxins. 

A little research on hydroponics will go a long way to ensuring your system gives you plenty of fruit. I hope you found this guide helpful.

[Akanksha]

Hello @DavidMSly,

A warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community! It's a pleasure having you join us and trust you'll find the site a handy resource for useful D.I.Y. advice and inspiring projects.

You've started off with a bang - that outdoor hydroponics system looks terrific. Many thanks for providing those details of your process along with handy tips and links to the tools and materials you used. I'm sure our members will appreciate your efforts. 

We look forward to seeing updates of how your plants are doing as they grow. 

Akanksha

[Dave-1]

Good morning @DavidMSly 

Thats a brilliant explanation and design! The one think I have always wante dto grow is strawberries and I keep heading towards this type of idea as too many bugs/slugs take a liking to it apart from me forgetting to water them lol Definently on my list of ideas to try!

Dave