Follow the instructions in this article to confirm your room can hold a Flex Acre before your unit ships. Close any gap now, while there is still time to move an outlet or a shelf. Collect your assembly tools in the same pass.
Gather Tools:
- 1/8 in (3 mm) Allen Wrench
- 5/32 in (4 mm) Allen Wrench
- 7/16 in (11 mm) Wrench
- 9/16 in (14 mm) Wrench
- Ratchet and Socket Set (optional)
- Drill or Driver with Socket Adapter (optional)
- Safety Glasses
- Ladder Reaching 10 ft (3 m)
- Moving Blanket or Tarp
Flex Acre Specs
- 9.5 ft long x 3 ft wide x 9.5 ft tall (2.9 m x 0.9 m x 2.9 m)
- 1,100 lbs wet (450 kg)
- 1,152 plant spaces
- Dishwasher safe Panels
- QD (quick disconnect) irrigation fittings for simple disassembly and cleaning
Plan your floor around the wet weight. A Flex Acre in operation holds roughly 80 gallons of water, and 1,100 lbs (450 kg) is what sits on your floor once your Tank is full.
Checking your Site
Check each line below in the room where your Flex Acre will live.
- Confirm your floor is level and rated to hold at least 2,000 lbs (908 kg).
- Measure your ceiling, as you need 12 ft (3.65 m) at minimum to service your Flex Acre.
- Confirm your room is temperature controlled and holds 68 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit (20 to 24 degrees Celsius).
- Locate 2 grounded electrical outlets on a circuit with 15 amp service at minimum.
- Locate a spigot or sink nearby that can be adapted for use with a hose.
- Choose an enclosed location for biosecurity, as an open room exposes your crop to outside contamination.
CAUTION: FAILING TO OPERATE YOUR FLEX ACRE IN A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT OF 68 TO 75 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT IS ONE OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT VOIDS YOUR WARRANTY.
The ceiling number is about service access, not about the unit fitting under it. Your Flex Acre stands 9.5 ft tall, and you will stand on a ladder above that height to reach your Drip Lines and Top Caps.
Your lighting runs on 2 double sided timers, one for the power cords on each side of your Flex Acre, and each timer plugs into one of the supplied GFCI Adapters. You need the spigot or sink twice: once at first fill, and again every time you drain your Tank through the Drain Valve and a hose.
Assembly day needs floor space that operation does not. Clear a 10 ft x 10 ft (3 m x 3 m) area for the build, described in Unpacking & Preparing your Assembly Area (Part 1 of 7).
Who Installs your Flex Acre
We strongly recommend that Fork Farms authorized personnel install your Flex Acre. It is commercial equipment and is intended to be installed only by qualified, trained, and properly equipped professionals. If anyone else installs it, that work has to follow our written instructions and specifications exactly, along with all applicable codes and standards. Installing your Flex Acre any other way, or modifying a supplied part, voids your warranty.
Your site is ready for delivery—well done! Continue to Flex Acre Parts List & Shipment Check to confirm every part arrived before assembly day.