Building the System

We have designed our own hydroponic system using a preexisting support system and pvc pipe. Our hydroponic system is an ebb and flow system, this means that it floods for about an hour a day and then drains back in to the reservoir leaving only an inch of water and nutrient. This is the most energy efficient way to build a hydroponics system because it optimizes how of often the pump is running. This is the main reason we chose this over a continuous flow system. We achieved ebb and flow by using two sets of pipe and two different heights. The first is a 1/2 inch pipe that is in the center of the pvc. When the system fills, it fills to this level and then drains to the next step of the system. The other set of pipe is a 1/4 inch that is an inch from the bottom of the pipe. When the pump is turned off the water and nutrient drains through these pipes and into the next row of the system. The falling of this water provides oxygenation for the plants, oxygen is important to the healthy development of roots in our plants. We have successfully tested this system and we will be putting plants into it in the next couple days.