?? Questions and How 2's?? ... that may be dumb 4 some, but not 4 noobs!

[IamN2pot]

My question this morning is on some basic cleaning techniques. I took apart my 4 site RDWC and this morning it was time to clean up the parts, well, the parts I could. I currently have most of my 1/2 recurculating lines, pump and large airstones soaking in some stuff I was given at my grow store called Enzimes Komplete Natural Cleaner... here. First time I really used it. It suds up nicely.
Will that stuff clean up hoses just by soaking them?
Should I soak them in a 5% bleach solution?
Do I need an extra long rifle cleaning rod, to run a cleaning cloth through them? ...or a fishing line with a lead weight to pull a cloth cleaned throught them?
How should vinyl hoses and pumps or PVC connections and other stuff be cleaned between runs?
Is anything more than a good washing with Dawn, a sponge, the garden hose and drying in the sun needed for the buckets, reservoir and lids?

Thanks guys!!!

 

[moe.red]

In-between grows where I have some time between plants in the water, I clean the system. If I am growing back to back, I do not.

When I clean I empty, then refill. Tap water is fine. Add in a bunch of H2O2. Turn everything on.

Let it run 30 mins.

Get in there with a toilet brush or similar to get the bad spots.

Empty.

Refill

Potentially rinse and repeat. I learned that from my shampoo bottle.

 

[IamN2pot]

THanks Moe, I'd totally forgotten the H202. I had alot of brown organic looking stuff come out of my pumps and the compressor chiller, when i flushed it with clean RO water during the switch over to the single site buckets. I also don't intend to do a continuous grow, I don't need to since I'm only supplying my personal needs.


...hmmm, my shampoo bottle says the same thing.

 

[Cool_Beans]

If you guys can get your hands on some peroxyacetic acid, that stuff is the shit for sanitizing water contact surfaces and nuking flora inside water systems. Breaks down into basically vinegar. Simple Green is a good multi-purpose cleaning concentrate for external surfaces, also biodegradable. Both are approved for use in commercial food and beverage production.

 

[moe.red]

If you guys can get your hands on some peroxyacetic acid, that stuff is the shit for sanitizing water contact surfaces and nuking flora inside water systems. Breaks down into basically vinegar. Simple Green is a good multi-purpose cleaning concentrate for external surfaces, also biodegradable. Both are approved for use in commercial food and beverage production.

I’ll look that up on pc.

 

[smoke]

Call me old fashioned, i use just bleach, i grow 2 crops back to back and then my system sits empty for 5 months or so.

1/2 cup bleach to 25 gal well water, circulate for an hour then pump most out not getting too particular. Before starting next grow ill do the bleach thing again and continue to rinse with well water 3 or 4 times until the foaming stops, drain the rinse water and fill with ro water

 

[Cool_Beans]

I’ll look that up on pc.

Ecolab has a product called Oxonia Active if you want a gander at msds etc.

 

[IamN2pot]

Thanks guys, for posting the way you clean your systems. I'm going to be doing like Smoke, back to back and put away for the winter.
...and for the airstones? Same treatments, H202? bleach soak?

I gave them a good scrub with Dawn and a tooth brush, rinsed over and over in warm tap water. Then I cooked them in a cup of water in the microwave until the water started to boil. Rinsed again, in RO, and bubbled for a few minutes before I let the airpump dry them out and I put them away. I hope that cleaned and disinfected them for later use???

 

[Anthem275]

If you guys can get your hands on some peroxyacetic acid, that stuff is the shit for sanitizing water contact surfaces and nuking flora inside water systems. Breaks down into basically vinegar. Simple Green is a good multi-purpose cleaning concentrate for external surfaces, also biodegradable. Both are approved for use in commercial food and beverage production.

I use a none food grade cleaner that is amazing at removing salt and plant build up. Actually made by one of the nutrient manufacturers but you never hear of them Grow More Naccosan. About 30 a gallon and dilution rate of 1 oz per gallon. HD has a similar product but is so weak it is a joke.

 

[moe.red]

I typically just replace airstones rather than clean them.

They really only have a problem if you quit running the pump. If the pump is on forever, the air channels cannot close up.

I'm sure the way you cleaned them is fine tho, just give them plenty of time under water and with the pump on to come back to life when you start up again. If after a while, all the bubbles are coming out of just a couple of spots - probably need to replace.

 

[Max]

What you guys reckon of those steamers you see on paid tv shopping shows you see all hrs of the morning.

 

[Rootsruler]

I bleached the feed lines for an auto irrigate system I DIYed at 1500ppm. I mixed up the bleach solution in a 5 gal bucket and stuck the whole system in it and ran it through for 30 minutes then ran a weak peroxide solution to neutralize the bleach for another 30 minutes. Clear water rinse for final step.

Cleaned everything well but I did notice what looked like a fine white powder inside the vinyl tubing after awhile of not using it. Tubing is clear. I need to replace it with black vinyl to keep algae from forming. Rinsed it again before I used it but not sure if it was bleach or peroxide residue.

 

[Observer]

Potentially rinse and repeat. I learned that from my shampoo bottle.

Ahh, so you're the target demographic for those shampoo instructions.