PH Rise General Hydroponics GH4720 Farm Controller - Terra Cotta

[fizz]

Sold a General Hydroponics GH4720 Farm Controller to a customer.
Every single time he checks the PH it's high.... A/Nutrients... Use R/O water ... Using way too much PH down,,,, PH is never low but always high.... Said he can clean the whole system out and PH at 5.5 and 24 hrs later it's at 7.4.....PH down to 5.5 again and same results day after day after day....... He's really discouraged.

Hydroton and pretty simple system but just can't get the PH to level out. Roots look pretty and white....

Anyone know what must be the issue.... Was told it would eventually level out but it will not regulate...

 

[DukeO]

What is his ppm?

The wrong ppm can make the ph go up and down fast.


What stage are they in?

If it is a day after day thing and he has been changing the water. Then I don't thing it has to do with the hydroton.

What all is he putting in the water?

I ran a waterfarm and had no issue with ph.

If he lives in the US.

I would say get some z7 water treatment and a good 3part nute.

Those two things are all that are needed and will make it easier to dial in what is going on.

My first guess would be it has to do with what he is putting in the water and how much of it he is putting in.

 

[fizz]

A/N A&B and Hobbyist Bundle... PPM is under 500.. Thanks, will check into the z7

 

[fizz]

Think we got him straightened out... I had suggested everything over the phone I could think of and nothing helped. We took a ride over to where he has it setup at which I've rarely done for a customer but the first 2 things I checked were the PH and PPM... He was right about the PH, it was 7.4 but was incorrect about the PPM which wasn't under 500 but just under 1400.

When I opened the lid to the controller I saw a lot of sediment in the bottom... He had said over the phone he had cleaned it out. It's an 8 bucket system and the bottom of every single bucket was covered in the same sediment. he said he was using hydroton which he was but apparently ran out and topped some of the buckets off with lava rock.... The sediment was mostly lava rock plus the tubes were filled with algae.

Anyway, after some sweating, cleaning and refilling the system which was yesterday morning.. It's holding steady at 5.8. He said it's never held steady for this long (a little over 24hrs) so hopefully it just needed a good cleaning.

 

[DukeO]

That great. If he runs some z7 it will stay clean.

I never have to clean anything the whole run and I don't even change the water till flush when I am using it.

 

[fizz]

That great. If he runs some z7 it will stay clean.

I never have to clean anything the whole run and I don't even change the water till flush when I am using it.

That's wild. If it's that good, it's a must have.