Misting Pump/System Arrangement Question

[Olimpia]

I have a question out there for everyone that has a misting system. I am usually a Mistking person, and after I dropped and ruined my last pump down the stairs (dur) I quickly sought to replace it with a new one. This was summer of 2011, so over a year ago. I use the starter pump. Well over the last few months my pump has gotten weaker and weaker, to the point where it runs but won't suck water.

I emailed Marty and his response was that there was too much height to the system. I took that to mean that my reservoir and pump should be up higher, closer to where the nozzles are. But my previous pump had a very similar set-up and it lasted well for almost 2 years until I broke it.

Here is my set-up:

I don't see my set-up being any different, now or in the future. The only other thing might be to raise the reservoir to the same shelf where the pump is, but I don't see that making a huge difference.

Perhaps this next time around I should buy the more powerful pump instead. Perhaps this will resolve the problem? Or maybe buy one of the Aquazamp pumps instead, maybe they will not do this to me.

$100 isn't extravagant once every year or two but it really throws off my husbandry and my schedule when I don't have a dependable water system in place. I would like to not have to keep replacing my pumps this often.

What are people's opinions on this problem?

 

[camimom]

Thats basically how my set up is, but not so nice and pretty. lol.

 

[Olimpia]

Thats basically how my set up is, but not so nice and pretty. lol.

Thanks! But have you ever had your pump stop working like mine? It just lost suction power, and you'd have to tilt it one way or another to get it to prime and start pumping. Let me see if I have the video I send Marty on here somewhere...

 

[camimom]

No. but my system is only like 6 months old, and i havent dropped it down the stairs.

And i got the ultimate set up, not the starter.

 

[deerharvester]

Love your setup looks great, and very clean. Just wondering what kind of flowering plants you had there they look great.

 

[Olimpia]

No. but my system is only like 6 months old, and i havent dropped it down the stairs.

And i got the ultimate set up, not the starter.

Har har! lol I didn't drop this second one and it still gave out on me. I want this system to start working outside in a couple months and will really need it to be dependable, so I may have to get the ultimate pump instead.

Love your setup looks great, and very clean. Just wondering what kind of flowering plants you had there they look great.

Thank you, they are bromeliads.

 

[Olimpia]

Edit// woah, made a mess! wanted to edit my comment and ended up making a moderating mess. lol Ignore this message.

 

[camimom]

I think if you run that many nozzles off the starter pump, that maybe it just cant handle it.


The ultimate one i have works amazingly well. and Im very pleased with it.

maybe its time to upgrade?

 

[cricketkilla]

Yeah, I saw somewhere that around 6' high the starter pump starts to struggle. Do you use tap or distilled? Could something have fallen into the reservoir and gotten sucked up? Happened to me once and I had to pull that bad boy apart.. It would be awesome if someone developed a fine micron filter that could be cleaned and fit in between the reservoir and the pump. I just never wanna have to take mine apart to clean..

 

[chameleonkev]

When you say smaller pump witch do you mean, what bar? As my mistking it around the same height as yours an does 13 vivs with no problems

 

[coldbloodedAL]

With the starter kits ive found seems to need to be at or below where your bulkhead is.. Try bringing the reservoir up. If that doesnt work i think its time for a bigger pump.

The starter pumps seem to be a bare minimum for our needs. Mine had such a hard time running up 7' and pushing 3 nozzles... My ultimate runs 7 cages with tubing going up and down no problem..

 

[Olimpia]

When you say smaller pump witch do you mean, what bar? As my mistking it around the same height as yours an does 13 vivs with no problems

The starter pump, the one in the basic kit from Mistking. I only have it hooked up to 4 nozzles!




It may totally be time to upgrade to the ultimate system. I don't mind upgrading, I just want to make sure a more powerful pump should not have this issue.

 

[cricketkilla]

The starter pump, the one in the basic kit from Mistking. I only have it hooked up to 4 nozzles!




It may totally be time to upgrade to the ultimate system. I don't mind upgrading, I just want to make sure a more powerful pump should not have this issue.

Do you use distilled water or tap? That could be the cause for the slow decline in performance due to mineral build up.

 

[Olimpia]

Do you use distilled water or tap? That could be the cause for the slow decline in performance due to mineral build up.

Tap. I don't think it's mineral deposits, because the pump works when I tilt it one way or another. I think it's just worn out, either because it can't handle the height or something, but I don't think it's clogged.

 

[chameleonkev]

The starter pump, the one in the basic kit from Mistking. I only have it hooked up to 4 nozzles!




It may totally be time to upgrade to the ultimate system. I don't mind upgrading, I just want to make sure a more powerful pump should not have this issue.

Mine is the ultimate set up so I would go for that, Personaly I'd always recommend that one because you don't no if you ever plan on adding more vivs in the future, I started with 4 when i for my mistking an now it's getting our of control lol

 

[Solid Snake]

How do you know the pump is "worn out" exactly?

It should either work or not.

Have you unscrewed all your nozzle heads and made sure their filters are clean?

If they have collected any debris, they will have a weaker spray, which would make it seem like the motor is going.

Just something to check.

 

[Olimpia]

I'll see if I can find the video that I sent Marty as a demonstration. When the pump works, the nozzles spray out flawlessly, they are not clogged or anything. I do regular maintenance on them and when I can get the pump to work they spray out with all the notmal pressure. But the pump won't prime, it will just vibrate until I can wiggle it into an angle where it will prime and begin suctioning water and then it'll work normally until I unplug it/time turns off.

 

[clarkrw3]

Ok, my system is very similar with one exception. My pump is on the same level as the reservoir. I do think that having the pump at or below the level of the water in the reservoir is very helpful on the pump life. I used the original MK pump from my kit until I had over 15 nozzles and then stepped up to a larger pump from Kevin which runs 1/2" dia through the pump...Now I run 21 nozzles off the pump and no problems with a set up just like yours except pump is on the floor. Without getting into a big ford vs chev debate I do feel some pumps are longer lasting than others I know some timers are WAY longer lasting than others. I also only use DI water but that can cause a whole different debate

 

[Lovereps]

I would check to see if the nozzles have gotten clogged. Inside the tip of each misting nozzle is a tiny, fine mesh screen.
The tip of the nozzle is threaded on and, once you remove the tip you can see the screen.
This has happened to mine and the water will then just slowly drip out.
A fine pair of tweezers can remove particulates and an overnight soak in vinegar of the entire nozzle should remove mineral deposits.
Once the clog was removed, then they were back to spraying a fine mist.

 

[schmidt1894]

i know this has nothing to do with the mist pumps... but man oh man... you have such nice enclosures! I feel like mine is way too much and over done!?!
May i ask, how do you have the branches in place?? and also, how do you hang the heavy plants on top???