Building a Home Hydroponic Rail System
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- Опубліковано 16 кві 2020
- A full build and set up for our DIY indoor hydroponic rail system for growing lettuce in our home. We use square PVC fence posts for the rails and continually circulate water through the rails - sort of a hybrid between a NFT (Nutrient Film Technique) and DWC (Deep Water Culture) hydroponic system. This is a fairly simple and easy project for beginners!
We've updated this design slightly since making this video. The connections are simpler and don't require PVC glue.
We have a free guide to building this system on our website: www.simplegreenshydroponics.com
Why Hydroponics?
-Indoor garden year-round!
-No dirt means it's clean! Very little mess
-No dirt = no e-coli bacteria, no salmonella, no lettuce recalls!
-Uses less water than traditional gardening
-Access to fresh produce anytime
-Healthy hobby!
UPDATE: We've improved the design since making this video, particularly with the connection fittings. You can see the new design in our more recent video here: ua-cam.com/video/X87wT78lUoM/v-deo.html
The design is also free on our website here: www.simplegreenshydroponics.com
That was by far the best video on how to set up a hydroponic system at home
I completed this build about a month ago and have lettuce growing. Great design! Pump size based on hose length (distance from reservoir) is crucial to getting the standing water depth correct in the rails. Once I got that dialed in, it is working as designed. Also, be aware of the hole placement above the exit coupling. Too close together and the grow pot won't seat as it will hit the coupling threads. Thanks for the design specs and videos. Outstanding!
@Bob Ross The input hose is about 3 ft. The output hose is the one I had to adjust. It is about 2 ft with no loop in it. The loop creates more back-pressure so the water in the rails was too high. The pump is 130gph. Hope that helps. Good luck!
Been preparing for this for months. Today I build this! Thanks for the guidance.
How'd it go?
Your craftsmanship is TOP NOTCH! I absolutely love your videos. You don't skip a beat and I'm forever grateful for the information that you have provided on your channel.
thanks for sharing your build - can't wait to do it myself!
Thank you so much for taking the time to create a video of your process in making this.
Keep the videos coming! And keep up the good work!
Thanks, will do!
YES!!!!!!
After 9 months in production, I am now building a second set of rails for more produce! Since this one will be above the first set, I'm using a second (larger) pump in the same 27 gallon reservoir. Leetuce on the lower set, and strawberries on the upper set. Planning on fewer holes as I have not used them all in the original build. Great design! Thanks again
I just finished building this system, only two rails for now. It cost me around $175, I didn't really add up all my receipts yet. No leaks! Woohoo, looking forward to the fresh greens. Thanks again
This build idea is awesome. Thanks for sharing! You might want to change the "caption" of the system type, since this does not seem to be a nft system, but a DWC stretched out over rails. You have a lot of standing water in your pipe / squares, that even needs to be aerated. Im my world, nft uses a really thin film (like 2 mm) of nutrients. Your systems productivity seems to be outstanding, the plants look really happy.
Love this system
very well done, thanks!
Great stuff!
Super presentation...
I appreciate this video better. thanks
Very good.
good job!
Fantastic video! Thank you for the easy to follow information!!
Cool. Thanks.
Dude I have to say, you could give the flash a run for his money 😂😂😂 seriously though, your system is by far the best I’ve seen yet. Great job and thank you 😊
I do love the square tubes over the round plumbing pcv. But not sure that love using products with black to grow food. Probably the material was quite a bit less expensive before the pandemic.
Awesome
Thanks for this. I don't think you need to silicone the bulkheads -- that rubber fitting will make it water tight. Another option to check out are Uniseal Bulkheads. There's no gluing and you can slide just slide PVC tubes in it and it's water tight -- easier to adjust water height.
Yes, in this video I put the bulkhead gasket on the wrong side. However I've done it the other way and have still gotten small leaks on several occasions, so the silicone is nice to be safe. I think the bulkhead fittings are designed for glass so may not stick to the pvc quite as well.
Thanks for the tip about uniseal bulkheads, I'll check them out.
@@SimpleGreensHydroponics Something else to consider. You don't need to silicone the threaded connections. They make a product specifically made for sealing threads that is much better than teflon tape and is still easy to remove if you ever want to. Look up pipe thread compound (sometimes called sealant). Using that, I have never had a threaded connection leak on pressurized water systems.
@@SimpleGreensHydroponicsAre the plastic rails food grade plastic?
Thanks for sharing. I'm almost done building my system and am excited to start growing. One point of clarification for the parts list on your website - the bulkhead fittings from Zoro have a larger OD and will not fit in the 1 1/4" and 1 3/4" holes. Unfortunately, I did not realize this until I had already cut the holes, so currently waiting for a shipment of bulkhead fittings from Amazon. If anyone gets the bulkhead fittings from Zoro, you will need a 1 5/8" hole saw for the 1/2" fitting and 2 1/4" hole saw for the 1" fittings.
Yes, bulkhead fittings seem to vary in OD quite a bit even for the same ID. Did you find a link to the Zoro bulkhead fittings on my site, or you just found them when browsing? As far as I know I only have a link to the Amazon ones for OD consistency. Thanks for the tip! Hope you're growing goes well!!
@@SimpleGreensHydroponics I believe I clicked the link off your website, but I just saw you removed the Zoro links for the bulkhead fittings and can't confirm. The part numbers I ordered were G2270107 (1/2") and G3483986 (1"). I also just saw that they provide the hole diameter on the Zoro website. Total derp moment on my part!
Either way, thanks again for compiling all the information. I tend to be someone who over-engineers everything, and I loved your design, much more so than any other design I saw. Got seeds starting now and hope to have them in the rail soon.
Awesome design, thanks for sharing. But is all this material safe for food production/consumption?
Is there any reason you could not put the post end caps on with the silicone and 2 stainless screws on each side without the PVC cement? I would think it would be just as water tight and leave the possibility of taking an end cap off for a deep clean if needed at some point.
I'm confused on the seedlings. If the net cup only extends 2" into a 4" depth, how does the water reach the netcup? Do you have 2" of water level? You mentioned that you alter flow specifically for the seedlings, but how ?
When using Rockwool, does the cube as to touch the water or only the root of the plant have to be in contact with water?
Awesome video. I am designing my system also. I was wondering what you used to glue the end caps on. What was the liquid you put onto the silicon. Thanks for your video
Thank you! We used silicone to seal up the end caps and then PVC glue to actually hold the end caps on. The end caps don't fit flush like regular PVC pipe so you need both the PVC glue and silicone to make a full seal. We have a tutorial (link below) that lays out all of the steps and what we used.
www.simplegreenshydroponics.com/posts/rail-system/part-1-rails
This is awesome! If I wanted to use three rails would I just add another connection at the opposite end as the first, then drain at the end of the third on the opposite side of the connection?
Yes, you basically create a zig-zag pattern with the rails. With 3 rails, your exit will end up on the opposite end of the rails as the entry, so you will need a longer tube to get back to the reservoir.
What is the square tubing and caps that you use called and where do you get it? Please
I built this system exactly as directed here, right down to the seeds (cause I wanted someone else to blame if it didn't work). It works great. Haven't bought lettuce since the first head matured. Now it's time to clean the whole system, but that means I have to remove every plant in every stage of development so I can break the system down. Any tips on this? All I can think of is to build another pair of rails to "transplant" to.
I recently made this system and I've made an easy and cheap deep water culture system to transfer the plants to during cleaning. I did this by just using a long storage bin from Walmart (~$20) that I can fill up and transfer my air stone to and I've drilled some holes in the top for the plants. It's not something I keep the plants in more than 48 hours but it's effective and cheap for cleaning. If they are seedlings then use a plastic egg carton for an even cheaper fix. Cut holes in the lid, fill the inside with water, close the lid and stick the seedlings in the holes.
@@nickshull02 Good idea, Nicholas. Thanks
What seeds do you use?
Could you create a system where the top could be lifted up and off of the section that holds the water? I can imagine you would clean better and more efficiently if it was possible. Im interested in your whole system. Its really well done and you provided crystal clear step by step directions which im gonna follow
Great video. Can I ask why you paint the bottom of the lid black ? Is it for better UV protection/less algae?
Yes! We want to keep the reservoir as dark as possible inside to prevent algae growth.
Yes to block out any visible light source that will encourage algae.
drape a piece of panda over the res. paint is toxic and flakes off in your res.
What if you get some fish for the water tank. I think it would help the nutrition. How often do you add water to the tank?
Do you let the pump run all the time or does it cycle on and off through out the day. Great videos. Keep them coming.
In the past we've tried both and either method works. Right now we just leave the pump run all the time to provide more aeration.
Loving the videos, have you thought about using a slightly larger size tube, and staggering the holes so that it increases the space between plants, and also allowing a little more water flow?
After watching longer I noticed that you did stagger the holes on the pipe with more holes, but on the larger you didn’t
Yes I've started using 5 inch rails for bigger plants like strawberries and tomatoes and it's been an improvement. I don't think it's necessary for lettuce though.
Great informative video! One question, is there an angle to the rails or do they sit straight and just allow the pump to create flow?
They work fine flat with the pump creating flow, though adding a slight angle improves flow a bit if you have plants with large roots.
Question...if you glue the end caps in place, how do you remove them to clean out the rail??
Was the pvc socket union missing from the materials guide?
Is this crazy glue in the lil clear tube you’re using inside the black bulkhead fitting?
Hi,
Nice system you designed,
just a question, is the PVC made in food grade pvc?
Great video and amazing website! I do wonder why you spaced the cut outs so differently...is there a practical reason or just because you wanted to?
Good question! Yes the holes are spaced out to make better use of the available light. When plants are seedlings, they can be right next to each other without crowding each other. When the plants are full-sized they need more space. Since we're using indoor lighting we want to fit as many plants under the light as we can.
@@SimpleGreensHydroponics makes total sense. I initially thought it could have had something to do with the flow of water and the nutrients.
Spray paint?
I'm having a hard time finding the square PVC piping you guys used! Do you have a link? Much appreciated in advanced!
@Jude Doyle thank you!!
I can't get a 4 x4 in.vinyl post until the end of Dec., but can get a 5 x 5 in a week. do I need to change the measurements on the inlet hole if I use the 5 x 5 post?
For the inlet hole from the pump, you want it as low as possible to allow water to drain out when you turn off the pump. For the holes between the two rails, take the measurements from the top side of the rails. The main goal is to have the water level high enough to reach the bottom of the net cups to allow the seedlings to grow.
Where do you get those water holding pipe? What is it called? Link please!
Are there more specific instructions for the 3 rail system you use? Also, what are your thoughts on grow plugs versus hydroton or something similar?
We actually just made an video course showing the steps for a 4 rail system (link in this video description). We prefer grow plugs because they are simpler, but both work well.
simple pool noodles work great no need for hydroton or rockwool. KISS method grows just as good and way cheaper. and reusable no net cups no plugs ,, lots of info on yt ..
Thanks for sharing this video! Is this square PVC fence posts food safe plastic?
Why did you chose PVC, is it marked PVC-U or PVC-C aka non plasticized pvc?
You wore nice clothes to caulk and glue and didn't get a drop on you! Definitely wouldn't happen with me. Great job and video. I'll be working on this as soon as I can convince the GF to allot some space for it. Any problem with mold on your walls? There is something about having a water project inside the house that worries me in that regard. I've read about other UA-camrs having issues with that, but their systems were much bigger. Thanks for posting.
We haven't had issues with mold on the walls but the plants do raise the indoor humidity somewhat with our 8 rails. We run a dehumidifier in the winter to reduce condensation on the windows.
I'm having trouble finding pvc posts. Seems vinyl is the go to in my area. Online lowes a or home depot does not seem to carry either. Any leads on where people pick these up or search terms?
Fencing supply companies…vinyl/pvc fence post sleeve
What were those two blue things with hose u put in the black box?
Great Videos, thank you! Is it possible to grow peppers in this system too?
Awhile back I grew a bell pepper plant in my rail system but it grew too tall and had stability issues. A smaller, compact plant could work though.
I realize this is a quite old video, so I'm not necessarily expecting a reply - but this build seems to leave quite a bit of residual water at the end of the pipe loops. Have you found any ways of building a setup where that is taken care of?
Interesting approach. How do you handle cleaning inside the rails?
We've found they don't actually need to be cleaned very often - only about once a year. With this system, the rails can be easily separated so we can take them outside and spray the inside with a hose through one of the plant holes. Otherwise, to clean the rails in place, we've used a gravel vacuum (similar to what is used for fish tanks) to suck out any debris that accumulates along the bottom of the rails.
Is there a way to get the plans without signing up for weekly emails?
Do you find that the fluorescent grow lights work fine? Why not LED? Newbie here just wondering
Good question! We started with fluorescent because they were cheap and they produced white light (we have our systems in a living area so don't want a purple glow). However, LED keeps coming down in price and has full spectrum options so we are moving towards LED with all our lighting. We will make some videos about that in the next few months.
I am extremely allergic to the oils in plastics. I'm wondering if these oils would enter into the plants and cause health issues for people like me. Any idea where to find info on this?
Any concern about chemical leaching out? I am assuming these are not food grade plastics? Thank you, glad I found your channel.
You are correct, they are not certified food grade. At this point I am not concerned based on the research I've done and the prevalence of PVC piping within home and municipal water supplies. We have not noticed any ill effects after growing produce this way almost 3 years now. But I always recommend you do research on your own to make sure you're comfortable with it 👍
@@SimpleGreensHydroponics The 4 in was never intended to be in contact with drinking water or agricultural use I think one can safely assume that plastic Was never intended to be used in this manner, at least PVC can and will be used in this manner coming in contact with agricultural and water needs, definitely research that plastic you don’t want to find out five years from now but it was Leaching something in the water.
How long does it take to change the water?
Do you know if this applies to outdoors as well? - lighting
Looking for the net cup hole spacing, i bought the udemy corse, but i think that step for hole layout is missing?
Very nice videos. I didn't like seeing you put glue on the inside of the pipes. I would only put glue on the outside of the small end pipe.
Where do I get the tubes/rails?
what’s the reasoning for painting the inside container lid black? Thanks
What are the spacing between all the holes?
where did you buy the rails from
Can this work wall mounted?
Can you share with me what the black threaded pieces are I’m building a system?
Those are bulkhead fittings, check our website or the video description for links to them 👍
Excellent quality video. Only suggestion is to complement with narration or captions to explain the steps. Otherwise, well done!
Agree, what could have been a great video was just frustrating.
Thanks for the feedback! Our goal with this video is to show a quick overview of the steps to setting up a hydroponic system for someone considering this sort of thing. We created a very detailed step-by-step tutorial on our website for those who are interested in pursuing it further.
www.simplegreenshydroponics.com/posts/rail-system/part-1-rails
Narration. Nobody watches videos to Read everything. Otherwise we'll just go get the Book or Webpage version. The days of No Mic Caption videos are over. People are even getting tired of all the UK male Text to speech bot videos.
How do you get comfortable that the sealants, adhesives, paints (plus plastics more generally) are no leaching into the water?
Do you give your parts time to off gas or have a cleaning regime you use once the adhesives / sealants have cured?
Does it mean if u put some fishes into the bucket it will be aquaponics instead of hydroponics?
Is your reservoir tank FDA approved food grade to be free of BPA ?
It is not food grade, though it is polypropylene so I'm not concerned about BPA. I wrote an article about some of the info I've found on materials here:
www.simplegreenshydroponics.com/posts/2021/is-pvc-safe-for-hydroponics
Is it better to use black pvc to prevent algae growt in the tubes?
The white PVC doesn't let any light through so I think its good. The only time algae grows is when there's gaps around the net cups.
what size hole saw is that?
why did you paint the inside of that lid black?
What are the dimensions of your support structure? How high above the floor and are your light supported from the structure?
There are lots of different support structures that will work well for a rail system like this. We have an article with more info on support structures here:
www.simplegreenshydroponics.com/posts/rail-system/part-2-support-structure
Where you get pipes from
PVC food safe for NFT/Hydro? The commercial NFT tray/channels use HDPE OR PP instead of PVC.
There are commercial PVC food-safe trays available (CropKing NFT channels are an example). DIY options are generally not labeled food safe, but I am not concerned based on the research I've done.
2:54 what are the pieces here? I don't see them in the list of parts.
I've tweaked the design for the rail connections since making this video
Do you run your drill in forward or reverse?
Reverse for most drill bits, otherwise they lock up.
what are the Square rails you are using? and are they 4"
vinyl fence posts
Why spray paint the inside of the top of the reservoir black? Limit algae growth? Is this step critical?
Yes its to block light and stop algae. It's critical if your reservoir top isn't opaque and it will be near the light.
Should have sprayed the side that Isn't near the water. Same blackout result. No paint particles mixing into the water.
What pvc fittings are used between the bulkhead fittings
Check out the materials list here: www.simplegreenshydroponics.com/posts/rail-system/part-1-rails
Some of the fitting shown in the video aren't listed on your website.
What kind of food and how to mix it in the water please?
Hello! Our website has all that info here: www.simplegreenshydroponics.com/posts/rail-system/part-5-nutrients
Why did you painted in black the inside of the tub cover of the reservoir?
To prevent light coming in and causing algae growth.
what do you call that black threaded thing?
That is a double threaded bulkhead fitting. I added a link towards the bottom of this video's description if you'd like to see the exact product we used.
@@SimpleGreensHydroponics thanks
I assume this would work for growing chard, spinach, kale, etc. as well?
We have tried spinach and kale successfully, but they didn't produce as much as the lettuce does. Kale tends to spread out more so takes up more space and available light. We have not tried chard yet!
What’s the length of your post sleeves ?
50 inches.
Have you found a cheap source for square pipes?
Home Depot
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Nice video. It gave me some good ideas. I just wish you had a list of supplies, including sizes and where to but them. I have watched several videos and it seems nobody says where to get those square tubes, or what they are actually called.
We have a full tutorial with equipment list on our website here!
simplegreenshydroponics.com/posts/rail-system/part-1-rails
can someone name that part at 2:13 which is black which holds the seeds in it? I don't know what to call it
There are lots of seed starter media like rockwool, coconut fibers, etc. but I believe this is tree bark medium.
@@johnmorlan1790 thank mr.john, what would you suggest to use ?
with the seed starter varies for variety of plants ?
@@varsgaming6313 I usually start seeds in wet paper towel and transfer to rockwool or coconut fiber plugs, but these tree bark plugs look like a good idea. Read his build guide part 6: simplegreenshydroponics.com/posts/rail-system/part-6-planting
At 2:13, if you're referring to the part put into the hole, it is a 'net pot'--which holds the actual media (that others mentioned).
Fahrenheit or Celsius? :)
Where is the list of the rectangular PVC pipe?
Check the materials list here:
www.simplegreenshydroponics.com/posts/rail-system/part-1-rails
7:46😭😂🤣
Does anyone have any ideas on a simple easy to clean reservoir that wouldn’t get any light pollution or contamination outside in Hawaii?
Aluminum foil blocks a lot of light from getting directly through, and then either paint or i guess maybe fabric or black plastic would absorb a bunch of the rest that leaks in through any holes?
What is the growing medium?
Tree bark seed starter plugs
👍
Are you using PVC/Vinyl for your system? Does pvc/vinyl leak toxic chemicals? Are there any alternatives for a square design like this anyone?
Yes this system uses PVC. I recently did a water test to check for plastic leachates and the results were very good (I'll have a video about it soon). I've also done quite a bit of online research on the topic and I have no concerns. This is an article summarizing what I've found:
www.simplegreenshydroponics.com/posts/2021/is-pvc-safe-for-hydroponics
@@SimpleGreensHydroponics Hey thanks for the response. I'll have to check out that video when released! I did read your attached article. I'm still doing some more research on the topic, I'm no scientist, but I think yes, I agree that humans are exposed daily to numerous products that contain phthalates, such as cosmetic products, carpets, plastics, and foods, but wouldn't it be best to lower these daily exposures and intakes in our systems as much as we can to help avoid all of the associated health risks linked to phthalates? In your article, you say heat is something we are unlikely to encounter and is the way that these chemicals are released. From what I've found, phthalates (plasticizers) can be leached into water, which has shown to be absorbed by foods like lettuce, from more than just heat. It can be caused from prolonged usage of material and/or agitation of the surface of the material. Also doesn't our lighting such as the sun and grow lights give off heat onto our tubing? There's no doubt that food grown in non food grade systems contain phthalates, which are contributing to a higher daily exposure and intake of these chemicals. Not trying to say you are wrong, this is all for educational purposes and for people to learn. It seems like everyone uses PVC in their systems, but to me, it seems it would likely be worth lowering the phthalate exposure by obtaining a food grade plastic (HDPE, PP). It would achieve the same goal for growing food hydroponically, yet it would remain completely phthalate free! That's what I'll be doing with my system. If anyone has any more knowledge or thoughts to add on the topic, please feel free so we can all learn.
@@tjmathis6887 Grow lights shouldn't be close enough to your pipes to heat them enough to release the phalates. If you did have em that close or they were that powerful, your crops would never survive to be eaten anyway. You ARE however, correct about using Food Safe Plastics for hydroponics setups. They DO leach. Slowly over time and More as your pvc ages and degrades/takes damage. So Overall it's definitely better to use food safe plastic. However if that's really your concern, don't shop at any stores that aren't small mom and pop shops. Even then you'll need to read every single label. Phalates aren't the Only thing we get smashed with and the other items are in Most products. Imagine all the products that contain Soy or perhaps Corn Syrup - just disappeared off the shelves everywhere. That would be Most food products for sure. The real question is, does pvc leach an amount that's worth being concerned over short or long term. If it would take 120 yrs to build any sort of noticable amount of the stuff in your system, I think it's safe to say Most of us will Never have to fear that. So it wouldn't matter if we use Pvc or food safe in that regard. Though that's speculation. Good luck on your search.