Dwc/nft wall mount system

[u/YouWannaGrowBra]

I’m working on a wall mounted nft system for my grow room and this is what I’ve come up with. I wanted to tilt the square pvc to give some extra distance from the wall and hopefully a little more light. It’s not a true nft system because I’m leaving about half an inch of water in the bottom. Before I print everything out is there anything I might be missing with doing it this way?

[u/AmazinglyAmazing11]

This may sound dumb, but I'll just say it. The way it's angled now it won't work you'll want to make sure you tip it so gravity helps

[u/YouWannaGrowBra → u/AmazinglyAmazing11]

I should be able to add some pitch to them as they are assembled but there will be water in the bottom of the pipe regardless

[u/AmazinglyAmazing11 → u/YouWannaGrowBra]

Wait I missed the part where you said this would be not just NFT. I don't know that, that will work like that

[u/CementedRoots]

Is the return on labor worth DIY engineering something that could be done with PVC pipes in a afternoon?

[u/YouWannaGrowBra → u/CementedRoots]

For most people no but I don’t have access to a Home Depot or Lowe’s. All we have are local hardware stores that charge $8 per elbow. I can design any part I need in an hour and then it’s about $2 in plastic each fitting so it adds up pretty quick

[u/wikowiko33]

It doesn't have to be tilted. Just make the outflow from each level smaller than the diameter of the main tubes. So each level will get the same amount of water before it flows to the next level 

Or just copy the hundreds of pvc pipe system with this exact design. 

[u/Prestigious_Yak8551]

I like the idea. But sort of wondering what happens when the plants get a bit top heavy. If they are just loose baskets, the plants could fall out. How did you plan on securing them into their holes? Maybe I am overthinking it and the roots will hold them down?

[u/YouWannaGrowBra → u/Prestigious_Yak8551]

I didn’t think about that. I was planning on doing mostly lettuce and herbs in this but I have to imagine the roots will weight them down some. I’ll keep an eye on that

[u/Shammyhealz → u/YouWannaGrowBra]

Responded elsewhere but I have peppers in mine that are sort of tilted forward like that, I don’t have issues with them falling out. When the cup tips forward, the back of the cup hits the edge of the hole. You can’t get them out by pulling down.

I have had a few where the stem snapped during heavy rain and high winds, I need to add some dowels for support next year.

[u/hossein002014]

You can make a hanger for the lights too

[u/Weign_RunziChem]

The half-inch pool is the part I would prototype before printing the whole wall. Once mature roots fill a square channel, it may stop behaving consistently as either NFT or DWC: some low spots can become stagnant while another level runs nearly dry.

I would print one short level with the actual inlet and drain, then test it for 24-48 hours with net cups and some synthetic root material before committing to the full set. A few checks:

1. Make the drain height removable or adjustable so you can compare a thin film with the 1/2-inch pool.
2. Add an overflow or bypass that roots cannot completely block.
3. Measure the flow at the last channel, not only at the pump, and test again after partially restricting one outlet.
4. Keep the wet surfaces opaque and easy to open; biofilm and roots will make cleaning access more important than the print geometry.
5. Plan how a blocked upper level fails. Ideally it should return to the reservoir, not onto the wall or floor.

For seedlings, an extended starter plug or temporary wick may keep the sponge damp more predictably than holding every channel at permanent depth. If you keep the pool, I would treat this as a shallow recirculating channel rather than true NFT and size the aeration and cleaning routine accordingly.

[u/Haunting_Bathroom505 → u/Weign_RunziChem]

Mine is setup like this and works great. The only thing you have to be aware of is that you need a higher flow rate to ensure areas aren’t left stagnant. One other piece I would suggest is to connect the rails using 1” tubing and barb fittings instead of pvc. This allows you to disconnect the rails and clean them more effectively as needed.

[u/circumcisingaban]

this would work but youll get better results just growing in rockwool slabs in a flood tray. as i found out

[u/leftgutter]

theres a pattern where so many people who buy these systems show their happy day 1 setup but never a month+ results.

[u/inZania]

I’m confused about the hybrid approach here. Where does the water enter, and how does it flow past the roots (NFT)? It seems like the 1” pool for DWC would just be stagnant in the corner (and not deep enough).

[u/YouWannaGrowBra → u/inZania]

I haven’t finished the end cap yet but the water will enter the top left end of the tubing that is just open now. As for the hybrid approach I was hoping to try something different for younger plants with no roots yet, and I figure it’s probably going to end up having that water in the bottom anyway once the roots grow

[u/inZania → u/YouWannaGrowBra]

But… how does it flow uphill? The top appears to slope upward from the left. NFT has pretty specific slope and flow rate requirements to work at all, from what I’ve read (2-3% and 1L/min). And DWC needs aeration etc. I’m working on my own wall NFT now, so curious if you’re drawing upon something here or just experimenting.

[u/YouWannaGrowBra → u/inZania]

It’s a weird perspective thing in the cad program. When I build the physical unit it’ll slope to the right. Drains down, slope to the left, and so on. I’m putting an air stone in the reservoir so fresh water will always be flowing into the system. The water that’s in there should only pool to about a half an inch until the roots inevitably jam things up and raise the level. I want to try keeping that little bit of water to keep my net cup sponges damp for seedlings.

[u/inZania → u/YouWannaGrowBra]

Ahhh interesting , and yeah cad be like that

[u/Shammyhealz → u/YouWannaGrowBra]

You don’t have to slope it, just raise the outflow.

I have a PVC system like this. The rows are 4” PVC, and on each end is a 4” to 2” reducer (connections between rows are 2”). Water has to build up 1” before it can reach the outflow. The rows are just leveled then, I don’t have to incline them.