saturn is a self-contained 6-plant flood and

Transcription

1 saturn is a self-contained 6-plant flood and drain system with the potential for expansion up to a 24-plant system through the addition of 3-plant expansion kits (at extra cost). Please read these instruction through carefully before commencing assembly!

2 Kit Contents Box 1 Plug Hole Connector Hole Float Switch Hole 250 litre Reservoir (capable of servicing 24 planters) A 1 x Flood & Drain Controller* B 1 x Control Tank & Lid C 1 x Flood Pump* D 1 x Drain Pump* E 1 x Pump Connector F 1 x Delivery Manifold Part A G 1 x Delivery Manifold Part B H 1 x Delivery Manifold Part C I 1 x Delivery Manifold Part D A B C Upper Switch Hole Barbed Outlet Lower Switch Hole Flood Pump D E F G H I Drain Pump *Read specific Flood & Drain Controller and Pump instructions carefully before use. 2 Drain

3 Box 2 A B A B 6 x Flood Tank 6 x Flood Tank Fitting Box 3 A B A B 7.2m length white 19mm hose 6 x Planter You will also require A pipe-cutter or suitable similar tool for cutting the white 19mm hose into required lengths Selected growing media for filling Planters (we recommend expanded clay pebbles) 18L per Planter Suitable hydroponic nutrient solution (and associated additives, ph adjusters and ph/ec testing equipment) 3

4 Assembly Instructions 1 Position the Reservoir and Control Tank it is recommended to place the Reservoir in line with the Control Tank relative to where the plants will be grown, though it may be positioned to either side if floorspace is restricted. The connector hole in the reservoir must always face the Control Tank. NOTE if you intend to use the Tap to empty the Reservoir then it may be more difficult if the Reservoir is positioned on the right - alternatively you can use a spare (not supplied) pump and hose. 2 Fit one end of the Pump Connector to the outlet of the Flood Pump, then place the Flood Pump at the bottom of the Reservoir. The Flood Pump plug should be put outside the Reservoir via the plug hole. Feed the other end of the Pump Connector through the connector hole, leaving the 4mm breather hole on the inside. 4

5 3 From the underside, feed the Drain Pump plug through the hole in the Control Tank lid. Then feed the free end of the Pump Connector through the same hole, but from the topside. Fit the Pump Connector to the outlet of the Drain Pump, and position centrally at the bottom of the Control Tank. 4 Remove the Flood & Drain Controller from its packaging and unravel the float switch assembly. The float switches are colour coded and should now be connected to the relevant holes on the Reservoir and Control Tank as follows: (also see page 5 in Controller instructions) RED Reservoir LOW Switch float switch hole in the Reservoir, Float UP BLACK Control EMPTY Switch lower switch hole in Control Tank, Float UP BLUE Control FULL Switch upper switch hole in Control Tank, Float DOWN The float switch is positioned from the outside, tightening the nut by hand expands the washer and creates the seal. Suitably position the Flood & Drain Controller, off the floor and away from possible spill locations (the case has screw locations to enable wall fitting if required). The Flood Pump and Drain Pump may then be plugged into the relevant sockets on the Flood & Drain Controller.! The float switch assembly has a minimum length of 3m to the first switch, allowing the controller to be positioned well away from the system and outside a grow-room if necessary this is longer than the pump leads, therefore 2 x single socket extensions may be required. We recommend the use of waterproof options and position off the floor and away from possible spill locations. 5

6 A C 2. 5 D B 3. Assemble the Delivery Manifold as follows: 1. Push-fit Part A over the barbed outlet on the Control Tank 2. Connect Part C to Part B 3. Connect Part D to Part B 4. Connect Part B to Part A Tighten threaded connections by hand only. Then adjust valves to ensure the bases all touch the floor. 6 Now you must consider the layout and spacing for your plants within the floorspace available and position the Flood Tanks appropriately. If you are building a larger system (including one or more saturn Flood & Drain 3 plant expansion kits) the original 6 Flood Tanks and their respective fittings must always be positioned at the end of a line coming off the delivery manifold, i.e. furthest from the Control Tank. Fit all of the Flood Tank Fittings to the Flood Tanks, (including any Expansion Flood Tanks and their respective fittings) and line them up with the relevant outlet on the Delivery Manifold ensure the washer is on the outside of the Flood Tank and the nut is as tight as possible (by hand only). Measure the lengths of white 19mm hose required to join the Delivery Manifold to the Flood Tank fittings (and to join Flood Tank fitting to Flood Tank fitting where expansion kits are being used). Cut the correct lengths of white 19mm hose using a pipe-cutter, a good craft knife or other appropriate tool, taking care to make clean, straight cuts. PLEASE MIND YOUR FINGERS! Push-fit the cut lengths of white 19mm hose over the appropriate barbed connections on the Delivery Manifold and Flood Tank fittings to join all the system parts.! Remember to allow for the air-space your chosen plants will require at maturity, ensuring they will have room for air movement between. Plants will perform better if not competing for space and light. 6 Optional layouts for standard 6-planter system

7 7 It is now recommended you carry out multiple Flood & Drain test cycles. Please read the Flood & Drain Controller instructions carefully before filling the reservoir with water. You may also wish to position some of the Planters to note maximum Flood level. Do a manual test cycle with all the Delivery Manifold valves closed, then repeat using the timed setting functions, opening a single valve for each test to check each line individually. This will help to familiarise you fully with the Controller and the system. 8 You should now fill the Planters with your chosen growing media we recommend the use of expanded clay pebbles*. Place all the Planters in the Flood Tanks. We now recommend a final Flood & Drain test cycle with all the Delivery Manifold valves open, before emptying the reservoir - this can be done via the Reservoir tap, or alternatively by using a spare (not supplied) pump and hose. *Expanded clay pebbles should be cleaned thoroughly to remove dust before use this can be done easily by running water through the pebbles (using a hose or under a tap) while in the Planter, until the run-off is clear. This should be done where the resulting run-off can easily drain to waste (outside or in a sink or bath). Your saturn Flood & Drain system is now ready for planting! 7

8 Starting up and planting your saturn Flood & Drain system Fill the reservoir with your preferred hydroponic nutrient solution - the maximum working volume will be approximately 225 litres. Newcomers to hydroponic growing should follow the nutrient manufacturer s instructions or seek advice from your retailer for the specific dose rates that relate to your chosen plants TIP: For young plants, a low/half dose is advised. Run one complete flood cycle prior to planting. Planting - Choose only strong, healthy transplant to put in your saturn system. Ideally plants will have been propagated in specific pre-formed plugs or blocks. However, if raised in soil/coco/ soil-type media, gently wash off as much as practically possible without causing significant damage to the roots. Scoop out enough of the growing media in the Planter to ensure (only) the base of the transplant will be touching the solution at the maximum flood depth (about 10cm from the rim) position the transplant and replace the media to original level. If you are transplanting very small seedlings that cannot be put deep enough to reach the flood depth some manual watering may be required until they are established, though the media will have some capillary action monitor carefully for the first few days. Immediately following planting, run another complete flood cycle. You can then set the required timed flood cycles on the Flood & Drain Controller. Flood Frequency This is variable, dependent on media used, plants grown and environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, light intensity). For young plants, take care not to over-water - as few as two or three flood cycles per day may be 8 needed until established. Drier conditions will encourage faster root development, but too long between Floods may lead to some wilting and slower growth. As the Plant grows, increase frequency to keep up with the plants requirements. Once fully established, tailor the flood cycles to maximise water use as this is directly related to plant growth, bear in mind that for some plants, too many Floods may lead to a drop-off in water use, suggesting over-watering, so be prepared to cut back. In natural light conditions, floods should be more frequent during the middle of the day than in the morning or evening. In artificial or supplemented light conditions, light levels tend to be more constant so an even distribution throughout the day is better. Simple flood schedule: Young plants One Flood Cycle every 4-6 hours during the day Established plants One Flood Cycle every 2-3 hours during the day! This is based on using expanded clay pebbles as the growing media. If using media with greater water retention (eg. Clay/Coir mix) then even fewer flood cycles will be required! You are unlikely to go wrong with the above (except in very hot, dry environments, where increased frequency will be required) but the more you are able to adapt the schedule to your plants specific requirements and environmental conditions, the more improvement you are likely to see. Night-time floods should not be necessary except in very dry conditions.

9 Ongoing Maintenance Topping-up - the reservoir with nutrient solution should be done as frequently as practical, ideally maintaining as close to maximum volume as possible. Bear in mind a flood will use a significant amount of your reservoir volume, so even if it looks like there is plenty of solution when it is not in a flood cycle, it may trigger a Reservoir LOW warning on the Flood & Drain Controller and not complete the flood. Daily nutrient solution demand will depend on the total number of Planters in the system and the size and maturity of the plants being grown. Solution Maintenance - for precise dosing of your selected Nutrient, you should always refer to the manufacturer s instructions and recommendations for your chosen crop. If you are unfamiliar with ph and EC (Electrical Conductivity) meters, but wish to use them for ongoing monitoring of the nutrient solution, please seek advice from your hydroponic retailer regarding their correct use. Simple ph and EC guidelines for hydroponic nutrient solutions ph EC Acceptable Limits 5.5 to 7.0 Optimum Range 5.8 to 6.5 Young Plants ms/cm * Established Plants ms/cm * *In very hard-water areas it may be necessary to exceed the maximum EC figures. Please seek specific advice from your hydroponic retailer or nutrient manufacturer. Solution Changes - will be necessary to prevent build-up of impurities and to maintain the balance of nutrients in the solution. There are two options: 1. Occasional full solution changes requiring a complete emptying and refilling of the reservoir. Recommended at least fortnightly. 2. Frequent partial water changes requiring removal of 10-25% of the total reservoir volume every time prior to topping-up. This can be done via the Reservoir tap, or alternatively by using a spare pump (not supplied) and hose. Re-using saturn All the parts are re-usable, though everything should be cleaned thoroughly and preferably sterilised (with diluted hydrogen peroxide or similar do not use detergents or chlorine based bleaching agents) before using again. PLEASE KEEP THESE INSTRUCTIONS SOMEWHERE SAFE FOR FUTURE REFERENCE! 2014 PLANT!T Brand. All rights reserved. PLANT!T have taken all reasonable care in preparation of this information but make no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of the information and cannot be held responsible for any resultant effects of using this information on any person or thing including plants or equipment. We reserve the right to change or correct product specifications, prices, errors and omissions without prior notification. We accept no liability for any such changes, errors or omissions. Use of these instructions is solely at the customer s discretion and risk. 9

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