- Air Pumps
Air pumps are often used in conjunction with air stones to aerate a reservoir.
- Air-to-Air A/C’s
Air-to-air heat exchangers use an external condenser and Freon lines to cool an environment without the use of water.
Becoming increasingly popular in the age of water conservation and metering, the air-to-air heat exchangers (or environmental controllers) allow dry and concise environment cooling particularly useful in a sealed room. Many air-to-air heat exchangers have dehumidifying capacity, and also the advantage of being able to install a heating coil for three-in-one controller capability.
- Axial Fans
Axial fans, also called ‘Dayton’ or ‘puck’ fans, are smaller circular fans commonly used in computers. The advantage of an axial fan is the ability to control the environment of a small cubic-foot section of space. Common uses include storage and drying facilities, growing cabinets, and closet-sized indoor gardens.
- Box Blowers
Box blowers are essentially furnace fans (called squirrel or snail fans) in steel boxes. The steel boxes create a static resistance around the fan, causing air to be directly concentrated through the duct collars built on the box, and disallowing much of the air movement loss a similar fan without a box has.
- Chillers
Chillers, a.k.a. ‘Swamp Coolers’, are heat exchangers which utilize water circulating through a radiator to transfer heat. These devices often come in one-four fan models. These units are an effective means to cool an indoor garden, yet consume approximately 2/gal per minute of water per fan; ex. a 4-fan chiller consumes on average 8gal/minute.
- Condensation Coil
A condensation coil is an aluminum or stainless pipe, twisted in a wide coil with hose bibs at either end. Condensation coils are primarily used to cool a reservoir, circulating cool water through it (drain to waste); but can also be used to build a dehumidification system.
- Dampers
Dampers are small sections of duct with a ‘one-way-flap’ that is spring-closed to open with air pressure. Dampers are used to control the air movement in a duct one-way only, and close when the air supply ceases. The models with springs are more efficient than models with pins keeping them closed.
- Dampers (Electric)
Electric-controlled dampers are like ‘dampers’ but open or close from an electric signal. ‘Dual-room’ systems in indoor gardens, often called ‘flips’, utilize these devices to switch the a/c air-flow from one room to the other, synchronized with the lighting. Various other methods can be employed to utilize these devices including timer or thermostat controlled air intake.
- EC
EC stands for Electrical Conductivity, and measures the salt content of a mixture.
- Environmental Controllers
Environmental controllers are devices such as a/c’s, humidifiers, and heaters, which effectively control the environmental conditions of a closed environment.
A complete Environmental Controller, also called a Three-In-One, is capable of cooling, heating, and dehumidifying an environment. Such complete controllers are often called air-to-air a/c’s which utilize Freon, a heating coil, and a condensation coil to perform the three main functions. Alternative functions such as humidifying are not generally handled by these devices.
- Float Valve
A float valve screws onto a reservoir, and turns the water flow off when it reaches the plastic floater, eliminating over-flows.
- House Fans
Standard or household fans are commonly used for circulation in indoor gardens. Whether they are wall-mount or pedestal fans, this style of air-movers are generally circulatory and assist in the mixing of gasses and heat within the growing space.
- In-Line Fans
Turbine-style in-line fans connect easily to ducting and generate a high CFM for their size.
- pH
‘pH’ stands for Potential Hydrogen, and measures the acidity or alkalinity of a solution.
- pH Buffers
pH Buffers are liquids used to calibrate pH meters/pens, and most often come in pH7 and pH4.
- Potassium Silicate
Sold under many trade names, Potassium Silicate is most noted for giving plants drought resistance, turgidity, and can be used as a pH up. Different companies utilize differing mixing rates of Silicate, some requiring a pre-dilution in warm water before being added to the reservoir to ensure a consistent dilution. Many feed programs include Silicate regardless of pH, as it is beneficial to the health of plants.
- PPM
PPM stands for Parts Per Million, and refers generally to the salt content in a mixture.
- Radiated Box-Blower
Radiated Box Blowers (RBBs) are designed similarly to the Box Blower with the addition of a radiator in the backside of the unit, which replaces the intake pipe function of a Box Blower. RBBs are heat exchangers which utilize cool water flow through the radiator.
- Rez Chiller
A ‘rez chiller’ is a device that cools the water in a reservoir, often utilizing a Freon heat transfer system.
- Rooting Hormones
Rooting hormones are usually gels or powders, and contain the plant hormone ‘auxin’ which promotes roots. There are synthetic and botanical auxins used for the gels and powders, the most common of which is IBA.
The main difference in the gel or powder is that the newer form, the gel, apparently reduces mount of air which can become trapped in the cutting stem, increasing rooting time. We have no tests to validate such a claim, and both the gel and powder are deemed effective.
- Sulphur
Sulphur is a plant micronutrient which is also commonly used as a fungicide. Sulphur as a fungicide can be sprayed onto plants as a mixture, placed onto soil as a powder or granule, or burnt in a sulphur burner. Sulphur as a micro-nutrient is commonly found in base formulas, and is often in plentiful supply in outdoor soil.
- TDS
TDS stands for Total Dissolved Solids, and refers to the salt content in a mixture. TDS is often measured in PPMs.
- TDS Calibration Solutions
TDS/EC solutions are used to calibrate TDS/EC meters, and come in a range of solutions; most commonly TDS 1000.
- Willard Water
Willard Water, commonly used as a surfactant, is derived from a patented ‘micelle’ and contains various micro-nutrients from lignite.
The surfactant properties of Willard Water’s micelles are hydro-phobic and hydro-phillic, meaning one end likes water and the other end repels it. This allows for a great deal of nutrients to bond to the water ‘chain’, and allows for ease of absorption into root systems.
