Cleaning Dripper Tubing

[Miss Lily]

Do you ever clean your dripper tubes? I have made Amy a dripper and use aquarium air tubing, and I noticed yesterday that it has gone cloudy looking and a bit 'gunky' inside the tube. Do you clean your dripper tubing, and, if so, how do you do it? Maybe I just need to replace it. What does everyone do with their drippers?

 

[jojackson]

Buy some chunky pipe cleaners, the type used for art & Craft. Attach some thread to a needle or small nail, the loose end to the pipe cleaner. Drop the needle or nail through the tubing and pull it through.

Or you could simply replace it, its cheap! LOL

 

[warpdrive]

Do you ever clean your dripper tubes? I have made Amy a dripper and use aquarium air tubing, and I noticed yesterday that it has gone cloudy looking and a bit 'gunky' inside the tube. Do you clean your dripper tubing, and, if so, how do you do it? Maybe I just need to replace it. What does everyone do with their drippers?

that gunk is probably bactirea.
get a new tube or clean it like JJ said...man, he has great ideas.

Harry

 

[Miss Lily]

Why does it go black and nasty like that then? I only use cooled boiled water in it, fresh every day, sometimes twice a day.

 

[pssh]

I have no idea, the tubing I use for Pan dries out every night and hasn't got gunky so far.

 

[sandrachameleon]

I used to clean the tubing weekly (pull cloth scraps through and boil). Now I only boil monthly or sit in mild peroxide, and then just toss and replace every six months or so.
Although I am a fairly good enviornmentalist and do try to reduce consumption and reuse stuff, it takes too much time/effort to clean the tubing with pipe cleaner or cloth scraps. (I have quite a few drippers)

It doesnt get gunky fast if it dries out every night and you boil it now and then.

 

[Miss Lily]

Thanks for the tips! I shall have to dismantle it when I get time and give it a good clean! Failing that I will just replace the tubing instead.

 

[Karen]

Tiff try some milton, you know the stuff they use to sterilize babies bottles

 

[Miss Lily]

Tiff try some milton, you know the stuff they use to sterilize babies bottles

Thanks! I hadn't thought about using sterilising fluid! I use that to give the kid's school drinks bottles a good clean! I'll give it a try with the tubing.

Actually, thinking about people saying that thier tubing dries out overnight - mine doesn't. I made the dripper with the valve at the bottom (about an inch up), so the water never acutally all drains away, therefore the tubing doesn't get chance to dry out. Would the dripper still work ok if I made a new one with the valve in the bottom instead of the side so that the whole thing empties?

 

[Karen]

Try the valve nearer the top of the container Tiff

 

[SS4Luck]

If im not using a tube and am jsut letting it drip through the screen am i doing something wrong??

Ive never saw the tube in a setup

 

[pssh]

SS4Luck: No you dont need a tube.

Miss Lily: I just pull the tube off at night then put it back on in the morning.

 

[warpdrive]

the gunk or bacteria comes from both light and wetness.
to help aid with this use black tubes that you can sometimes get in aquarium stores or remove them after use to air dry.

this gunk is not bad, and does help clean the water further...making it nitrite and nitrate free.
I'm kinda wondering if there is something decaying in your water holder (dripper container)...even a small fruitfly could set off decay inside.
I'll bet a good cleaning is in order for that container.

BTW SS4Luck, I don't use tubes as well.
I just use a plastic cup with a pinhole for a dripper, or I use a "little dripper" without the tube at the top of the screen fror long drippings.

Harry

 

[jojackson]

the gunk or bacteria comes from both light and wetness.

Harry is right. Anerobic bacteria (same that are present in waterbowls) will be present in tubing permanantly filled with water.
I think most of us use a valve to turn it on/off (leaving the tube filled) rather than having to muck with it to get it flowing every time, myself included. (nothings perfect anyway, even rainwater has contaminants)
It's probably worth allowing as much of the tubing as possible to dry out on occasion.

Solid gunk is likely to be algae, difficult to avoid with clear tubing near lighting. Plastic does degrade and discolor over time aswell. I think cleaning/treating dripper tubing is probably just too fiddly for most of us to bother with, especially seeing as you can buy vast quantities cheap. I think my personal prefrence would be for clear tubing though, I like to see stuff

Regular replacement when it begins to look yucky is easier. With a nod to enviromentally aware folk, this stuff ought to be recyclable. (no idea how/where you might find out)
I think its more important to thouroughly clean and sanitise your resevoir atleast one a week. If its a small container this will be easier to do each refill.

cheers

 

[nightcrawler]

What about solid black tubing? I have this for my misting system, and the purpose of it was to keep the algae and bacteria from growing in the tube.

 

[jojackson]

That will prevent algae since it needs light to grow, but wont stop bacteria that is present in water to begin with (unless the water is chemically treated).

 

[warpdrive]

What about solid black tubing? I have this for my misting system, and the purpose of it was to keep the algae and bacteria from growing in the tube.

black tubing will prevent algae buld up as it dosen't alow light to pass into it, but bacteria can still grow in total darkness.

cleaning and/or discarding will prevent problems in the future.
but our main water containers MUST be cleaned regularly or such gunk can build up fast.

Harry

 

[Tomtom]

also dont forget that its also good to use water that doesnt have chlorine in it. such as not using tap water. from what i read it will clog up the mister that i use and i think that might have something to do with your situation too. but i havent had issues yet and ive been using bottled water