Veggy Indoor Hydroponics... update.

I've been interested in indoor hydroponics for a few years. Many YouTube videos and online educational websites later, not to mention a few years of slowly gathering all the parts needed....it's FINALLY happening!!

Since my fascination commenced, the lighting technology has evolved and the old (very hot and energy sucking) incandescent lighting has given way to cool running, low energy LEDs. And in the last few years the LEDs have come down in cost, and quality has improved.
A couple of years ago, we moved out of town (it WAS less townish when I built there in 1993, things change). This new-to-us home came with a "spare" fully functioning, albeit rough, double-wide mobile home. A 1982 model. Great Man cave.!!

I'm converting one bedroom into a grow room. With small window unit AC.

I've tried "square foot gardening" with limited success. Things go great with veggies until the Texas summer heat arrives, then no matter how well you water them, the intense summer heat stops veggie production. Nice green plants, no flowering/no fruit. Until late September to early Dec.
3-4 years ago, I bought a nice pawnshop Husquavarna (sp?) tiller, fenced off (deer, rabbits, etc) a section of nice bottom land soil at my former home, enriched the soil with alpaca "beans" and peat moss. Ran a long hose to this garden. Had good success, again summer slowed it way down. (Then sold the place!!)
Last year, at new home, I did container gardening with buckets on a harbor freight  wagons to move into shade on hot days. Same results. The heat stops production.

Okay, enough rambling, and build-up. Here are some pics...

Amazon sourced. A 600 watt and a 300 watt LED light.

The 600 has switch for the 2 growing modes. Different light spectrum/color.

Some of these Pak Choi lettuce seeds are tiny!!

Using cheap Home Depot $7 mortar mixing tubs for nutrient container. 8 gallon.

And cut up one inch foam board for tubby top panels.

I have one LARGE mortar tub for tomatoes. 23 gallons. Mounted low since tomatoes can get very tall. Grow lights hang from ceiling.

I'm lining walls with cheap Mylar $2 "space blankets". This is commonly seen with "wacky weed" growers, so can't be bad for veggies, right?

Seeds are sprouted in nutrient solution soaked grow cubes for a few days under an LED light with a timer. 18 hours on/ 6 hours off for now.

These 2 tables will hold the smaller tubs for lettuce, after cleaning off my set up paraphernalia. Grow lights are very bright pink lights.

Scale for measuring nutrients, air stones for bubbling in nutrient tubs.

Multi port air pump for air stones (not required but will help keep nutrients and oxygen churned up in tubs)

Net pots for grow cube transplants. Need to cut perfectly sized holes in Styrofoam panels for these net cups. Proper spacing between is important.

Gotta get the PH level to the correct level for plants. 6.2-6.5 is best. Our tap water is around 8... really high. Special LED lightshade glasses. These LEDs can give you a headache trying to work in the same room for long.

Sprouting tray. Nearly done with this stage.

5 days of sprouting time with this pic. Color rendition off due to grow light.

I better get busy suspending my grow lights.!!!! And filling tubs with water and nutrients!!

Well, that's about it for now. More pics in a few weeks, with plant progress.

(Previous blog post on mini-split AC...waiting for AC guy to make final connections and start up.)

Adios...!!

Latest progress...

The tomatoes have landed...in their permanent home, under the 600 watt blue grow light.

(Had to order one more 300 watt LED grow light light...too many seedlings.!!)

West Texas

great sundown one evening

tin shack at Fustercluck Corner.

view down the long driveway to our gate.

small swamp cooler helps, but only if you sit right in front of it while it's running.

all recycled corrugated tin for the shack exterior.

Low sunlight just before sunset hitting 9 Point Mesa

This little 6,000 btu window unit saved our lives!!! The older I get the less I like the HEAT. I built the one bedroom with R19 insulation in all 4 walls, and even insulated the floor. So we have the one "chill room" that has the small window unit AC. Hung a sleeping bag over the door.

And this propane powered generator also saved our lives. Ran this genny 18 hours a day on the 104 degree says. noon to daylight.

Back home now.

Mini Split 12k btu heat pump AC install... update..DONE!!

I bought this Pioneer brand (not a car radio) mini split 17 SEER heat pump AC a year or more ago. Finally getting around to installing it, now that 105 summer temps are rolling into north TX (about 6 weeks too early). I got mine on Amazon, but plenty are on EBay, just watch out for high shipping costs.

Our spare double wide trailer house that came along with our main, newer "trailer house" makes a sweet man-cave/storage shed. Working bathrooms, half-assed working window unit ACs, and even has a metal roof overlay. It's a 1983 model that came to this property new in '83.

I'm adding this one ton heat/cool unit... because, they're cheap, easy to install, super quiet, AND....can be (depending on model)..Extremely Efficient with electricity usage.!

These mini splits have been very popular in the far east, India, and Europe.. But for some "strange" reason are seldom seen in the US. My guess is the HVAC industry and a couple other construction trades can make a little bit more profit $$ via the old system we've been using for 70 years in home and apt construction.

Minis use much less power (big energy Corp doesn't like that notion). Only need one power source -outside. No furrdowns, no return air chases, no interior registers or grills. No attic access, no attic equipment platforms. No big concrete pad behind your house. Don't require ductwork ... think hot 140 degree summer attic spaces with cheapo low RValue flex duct feeding each room, taped together with DUCT tape. (Usually leaking a good portion of your expensively conditioned air into the summer kiln that is your attic)
Higher end, rich folks homes may have better hvac components, but usually if the buyer-owner can't see it, the builder isn't going to spend an extra $500plus  for duct-board or round metal duct. If it works, most builders won't spend money here, only on granite tops, and stainless steel appliances. The things a buyer "sees".

My last job before retirement involved two high end, luxury apartment projects that we built. Early on, in the early development stage I noticed our open concept floor plans (perfect for mini splits). When I brought this up for consideration during a design team meeting, all I got was blank stares, and questioning expressions. Most, including the high priced multifamily architects, had no clue about mini splits.

They do make these units with 3 or more inside units tied to one single outside condenser unit. You only need condition the air in whatever room you are using at the time, versus the entire house. Much more cost effective for energy use.

Okay, rant over. Here are a couple pics of work in progress. Not completed yet!! All I've done is hang the inside unit so far.

Location is on center wall of double wide home

Bracket installed, unit hangs onto this. Hole for Freon lines, power line, and condensate tube bundle

Unit installed, trim board not level.

Opened panel showing removable filters. Bottom panel silently oscillates up and down to better distribute air output.

Lookey!! Outside wall of old trailer is made with real wood panels... not pressed sawdust. 

Updates forthcoming.

(Will get installation done, then call AC tech to handle startup. Comes precharged with Freon)

UPDATE Aug 8

Finally got my local AC guy to arrive and connect, and startup this one ton mini split. $100 and 90 minutes later... It RUNS!!

He made soldered connections both inside and outside (had to extend line set). Did the electric connections, and vacuumed lines. Unit is pre charged at factory with refrigerant.

This unit easily cools the large main living area of my double wide man cave junk storage area. Seems impossible for a one ton unit, but then again our highs have only been mid 90s for the last few days. Back to 100+F.... next week.

Cannot hear it run, and outside unit is about as loud as a box fan on low/medium.

I really believe in these mini splits.!!

Meat Smokin' Time, again.

Trying some beef back ribs this time.

Used a light plain mustard rub to get dry rub seasonings to stick to the meat. And just used a generic grocery store rub mix. (Not that sophisticated here yet with smoking recipes).
Rib rack went in bone side down. Barely fit in this smallish smoker.

Trying to keep the temperature around 220 -230.
Not that difficult with a propane fueled smoker. But still hafta pay attention to it. I used Mesquite woodchips this time for smoke.
The wireless temp and timer monitor really helps to keep an eye on it.
At the 3 hour mark, I pulled the ribs out, added some soy sauce and other ingredients to drizzle over the bone side up, wrapped it in foil, and back into the smoker for another 2 hours. Bone side up. (Forgot to take pics).

Done....5 hours total.

Pretty damn tasty.....But I prefer pork ribs myself. More meat, and better flavor.

Adios.

Multifamily Construction ...Memory Lane

Being retired, I admit I often wish I was still involved in building apartment projects. I have dreams about being in meetings, or walking around a project underway, and working on solving some sort of problem. Guess it takes awhile to get it out of your blood. (after 36 years)

This is one project that I happened to find some old aerial pics of. I've got more around here somewhere of other projects. (Mostly in TX, but also in MS, FL, KS, TN, GA...and Tx jobs were in Houston, Austin, Round Rock, Mesquite, Bryan/College Station, Dallas, Longview, Fort Worth, North Richland Hills, Hurst, Allen, McKinney, etc)

This was about 220 units, three story, Senior Living units located in Fort Worth, TX. The company I worked for pretty much left me alone and didn't try to micro-manage  me (can't stand that).  The economy was still a tad slow in 2003, and I was able to hire some top notch subs at fair prices. I called it the "dream team" of subs and suppliers. My field staff was very capable too. AND it was a nice flat open site, easy to get a quick start on sitework and slab pours.

Construction began the week between Christmas 2002 and New Years 2003 - not a great start time of the calendar for fast production. All these pics were taken around the 15th to 20th of each month.

Jan 2003 excavation completed with utility work and plumbing underway

March 2003. slab pours nearly complete. Paving next.

April 2003. paving almost done. Framing started.

May 2003. rough framing nearly complete. Roofing started.

Aug 2003. Roofs complete, exterior paint in progress. Fine grading started.

Oct 2003. Landscape in progress. Pool completed.

Jan 2004. Substantially complete.

Finished 2 months early on the schedule and doubled the expected profit on the job. My boss was happy, and the client we built it for was happy as well.... Me? I just got a paycheck and a decent bonus at the end. Then went on to other projects.

It would be fun to do another project. But I've moved too far from the DFW area to get involved in this again.

Adios...!