(Part 3) Top products from r/aeroponics

I actually didn't tally up the cost as that wasn't really of a concern to me, but I'll try my best to provide links to the things I bought for this. Feel free to add it up for me!

• Lighting
  
  • T-5 Grow light (came with 6500K bulbs)
    
  • 2700K bulbs
    
  • Grow light hangers
    
• Grow medium
  
  • Net Cups
    
  • Black Buckets
    
  • Black lids
    
• Nutrients
  
  • General Hydroponics Flora Series
    
  • General Hydroponics pH control kit
    
  • pH/EC/Temp Meters
    
• Grow tent
  
• Air ventilation
  
  • The only thing I ended up using from this kit was the cheapest part, the ventilation duct...
    
  • The fan from this kit is way too powerful for my setup because my humidifier couldn't keep up
    
  • I didn't use the carbon filter because I'm not growing weed.
    
• Water Distiller
  
• Humidifier
  
  • The cheaper the humidifier, the better. I first bought (and destroyed) one that had some sort of digital switch, so it would always be in the off state when you first supply power to it, meaning you can't turn it on/off with just a relay.
    
• Plumbing
  
  • Aquatec 8852 booster pump
    
  • 2 Gallon accumulator tank
    
  • Pressure relief valve
    
  • Tubing
    
  • Inline Pre-filter (Sorry they must have taken the product down...)
    
  • Misting nozzle T's
    
  • Tube ball valves
    
  • Analog pressure gauge
    
  • Misting Nozzles
    
    • Note that these nozzles are meant for WAY higher pressure systems (~1000psi) and I actually had to take out the spring for them to operate correctly, but they never clogged up, are easy to clean, and worked perfectly for me!
      
• Electronics
  
  • Raspberry Pi 3 kit
    
  • Humidity sensor
    
  • Pressure sensor
    
  • Water solenoid valve
    
  • 5V 4-channel relay module
    
  • Analog-to-digital converter
    
  • 24V to 12V converter
    
  • 24V Power supply
    
  • Resistor kit
    
  • Semiconductor kit
    
  • Circuit boards
    
  • Standoffs
    
• Wiring
  
  • 22 gauge stranded wire
    
  • 22 gauge solid wire
    
  • Power supply cord
    
• Connectors
  
  • Electronic Connectors
    
    • JST-XHP Connectors
      
    • JST-SM Connectors
      
    • Dupont Connectors
      
  • Plumbing Connectors
    
    • Bulkhead connectors
      
    • Quick-connect kit
      
    • NPT to quick-connect connector
      
      I also bought various tools, like crimpers, Dremel kit, drill, etc, but I don't consider those to be project-specific as I'll have them for the foreseeable future. Let me know if there's anything you see that you think I missed!
      

My end goal is to build a farm. I sell technology to a company that wants to expand into Medical Marijuana grow systems and asked me to see if I could come up with something for them, and then the wheels got turning that I could also expand into urban farming, which is what got me into hydroponics years ago.

Anyway, for now, it will be a garden. I am planning on using these roughly 18" x 30" plastic tubs since I have them laying around. I will do a different crop in each one. I will probably do 4 of them to start.

To save cost, I will have to use a single nutrient mix for all of them. I am not concerned with the yield on the first run, I just want to do a proof of concept and show that it works.

I have the pump, tank, solenoids, pressure release, and pressure meter chosen, I just need to do nozzles so I can verify the tubing and Quick Connects will work.

Before I order, I will post my design on here to get feedback.

I found a pressure tank that is very cheap that I hope works, because it costs a third of what the other tank that a few designs recommend: https://www.amazon.com/Express-Water-RO132-TNK-Reverse-Osmosis/dp/B00Q798N8E/ref=pd_ybh_a_13?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=988EKD2TCFBSDHZQQK6S

For my design, I think I will spray from the bottom so nothing is attached to the lid and I can remove it easily for servicing.

I'm debating doing two nozzle loops that alternate. That way, if one fails, the other will work until it is serviced. I think this is the key to commercializing an aeroponic system since it is so sensitive to failure.

The pump has adequate pressure so it should be good.

The nozzles you bought are have too large of an opening. You want an orifice between .010in-.020in in diameter for a 100 psi pump to produce the right droplet size.

I got these for a 100psi pump
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011SFEXE4/ref=ox_sc_act_title_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3JVO9PJXTSCRK

Hi. Why did you decide to use the 45nm nozzle? It's super-duper-puper small, I'm not even sure where they can be used... maybe some spraying in the production of processors and microcontrollers...

In aeroponics people usually use 100-200micron nozzles, sometimes you can see 80micron, and such nozzles are cheap. Exmpl: https://www.amazon.com/MrDrip-Mist-Nozzle-Plastic-Barb/dp/B00GVB5HHI/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=100+micron+nozzle&qid=1563203120&s=gateway&sr=8-1

Those types of RO tanks usually are rated for a maximum of 100PSI. It can be difficult to find pressure tanks that have a higher pressure rating for a decent price. I am making a similar build and had the same struggle.

I would be curious to find out if it explodes or not. I imagine if it does fail it wont be a big explosion, but more likely it will spring a leak somewhere.

That said I just purchased this pressure tank, which claims to have a working max pressure of 130 PSI and a 2 gallon capacity:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IRFW38W/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I will make a similar post when I'm done with my setup.