How to Recycle and Use Water in Your Hydroponic System

To save on water usage in your hydroponic grow operation, it is best to clean and reuse the water so that you can operate a more efficient facility. Using a hydroponic system is beneficial because it allows you to reuse water and recycle it. In so doing, you will reduce the water consumption, helping the environment and reducing the cost of operating a hydroponic system.

When you reuse water in your hydroponic system, it is challenging because recycled water can carry viruses, bacteria and certain kind of diseases. These can be transferred from one harvest to the next. And so, it is important that you clean and sterilize the water before you reuse it. This will minimize any risk of infection and damage of your cannabis plants.

The Pasteurizing Process

To kill those bacteria and viruses, it is best to use the pasteurizing process because of the heat that it will provide. This process is not uncommon in the dairy industry as milk can be infected and the pasteurizing process does the disinfection, used to sterilize and clean a wide range of other liquids including the hydroponic water in this case.

To use the pasteurize process, you have to rapidly heat the water through heat exchangers designed to swap the temperature between two gases or fluids. The heat exchanger acts like a cooling or heating agent to cool or heat the water that you have to use in your hydroponic system.

In this situation, you don't have to use pre-filtered water and by using this process, you will be able to build up minerals in the water. However, to prevent the buildup of agents in the heat exchangers during the pasteurizing process, you have to make sure that they are frequently cleaned so as also to maintain efficiency.

The Ozone Sterilizing Process

When you infuse water using ozone, it means that you will be able to recycle water efficiently and effectively in your hydroponic system. The process is known as ‘Ozonation.” High concentration of natural gas is found in the ozone layer, creating ultra violation radiation that comes from the sun. While this comes naturally from the sun, it can also be artificially created and used in the recycling and sterilization of hydroponic water.

Get an ozone generator to use in your grow room. It will create the ozone gas that you need. You can choose between two kinds of ozone generators; one is ultraviolet and the other is the corona discharge. This process helps to kill the contaminants in the water.

The UV Disinfecting Process

Another effective technique for recycling and using water in your hydroponic system is UV disinfection. It is free of chemicals and so it is an attractive and natural method of sterilization that cannabis growers use.

When water is disinfected using ultraviolet lamps, it helps to penetrate through the water's molecules, getting rid of harmful pathogens and bacteria, destroying the DNA of the plant. The UV disinfection process also removes chlorine from your water and UV radiation can sterilize your drinking water.

When you compare the ozonation and pasteurizing process to UV disinfection, it is safe to say that the latter is more cost effective and more natural.

The Water Purifying Process

To clean your water so that you can recycle and use it in your hydroponic system means that you have to choose the right water purification process. To choose the one that is right for you means that you have to look at your budget, decide on your personal preference and look at access to the right equipment. You also have to make sure that it is cost efficient.