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Reinstalling your Drip Lines & Checking for Leaks (Part 7 of 7)

Part 7 of 7: How to seat both Drip Lines, flush the assembly, and walk your Flex Acre for leaks

After refilling your Tank and rebuilding the irrigation, your 2 Drip Lines are the last parts to go back on. Both come out of Deep Cleaning your Drip Lines & Disc Filter (Part 3 of 7) scrubbed, brushed and fully air dried. The six month deep clean ends with a leak walk, so hold your next crop until your Flex Acre passes it. Follow the steps in Keeping your Flex Acre Clean before you begin.

Gather Tools:

  • 5-Gallon Bucket
  • Ladder

Step 1: Confirm your Fittings & Valves

  1. Check that your Disc Filter is correctly seated and locked in place.
  2. Check every irrigation fitting the same way, working from your Primary Pump up to the Cradle.
  3. Confirm the Main Send Valve (called the primary valve in your Assembly Manual) just below your Disc Filter is OPEN.
  4. Confirm the Drain Valve at the bottom of the vertical line is CLOSED.

Confirm both yourself before the pump runs, as an open Drain Valve sends your freshly refilled Tank onto the floor.

Step 2: Flush the Drip Line Assembly

  1. Take a bucket up the ladder to where your Drip Lines connect.
  2. Remove the pipe "D" assembly and its 2 elbows.
  3. Hang the bucket handle over the irrigation to catch the water.
  4. Plug the Primary Pump in.
  5. Let the water run into the bucket.
  6. Unplug the pump once only clear water is running.

Any algae left in the line lands in the bucket instead of the holes you brushed clean in Part 3 of 7. Keep the water level above the top of the pump while it runs, as running a pump dry will damage it.

Step 3: Seat your First Drip Line

  1. Reconnect the pipe "D" assembly and both elbows.
  2. Connect one Drip Line to the fitting.
  3. Tighten the fitting.
  4. Turn the Drip Line so the holes face you.
  5. Turn the holes downwards about an eighth of a turn.
  6. Pull the Drip Line away from the pump side.
  7. Tap the Drip Line into the Root Chamber by hand to secure it.
  8. Work down the whole side until the Drip Line is fully reinstalled.

Reinstall 1 Drip Line at a time. The eighth of a turn aims the water at your Panels instead of straight down the wall.

NOTE: THE LEFT AND RIGHT DRIP LINES ARE IDENTICAL. EITHER ONE FITS EITHER SIDE.

Step 4: Seat your Second Drip Line and Replace the Top Caps

  1. Repeat Step 3 on the opposite side of your Flex Acre.
  2. Replace all 16 Top Caps, the covers that sit over your Drip Lines, on top of your Root Chambers.

Step 5: Walk your Flex Acre for Leaks

  1. Confirm your Light Bars are still unplugged from Draining your Flex Acre (Part 1 of 7).
  2. Open all 4 doors fully to keep your Light Bars away from the water.
  3. Plug the pump in.
  4. Walk the length of your Flex Acre.
  5. Check up top, where the Drip Lines connect.
  6. Check the sides of the outer Root Chambers.
  7. Check between the Panels.

CAUTION: KEEP ALL 4 DOORS FULLY OPEN WHILE THE PUMP RUNS. THAT KEEPS YOUR LIGHT BARS CLEAR OF THE SPRAY.

If you find water escaping, unplug the pump, reseat the leaking fitting, plug the pump back in, and walk your Flex Acre again until nothing is leaking. Once your walk turns up nothing, let the pump run for about 10 minutes and walk it one more time.

Step 6: Reset your Water Before Planting

  1. Recheck your nutrient level and your pH before your next crop goes in.
  2. Follow the steps in Mixing Nutrients for your Flex Acre (Part 3 of 5) to bring your Tank back to target.

Your Tank now holds fresh water and roughly 5.5 ounces of hypochlorous acid, so both readings start from scratch. Flex Acre Maintenance Schedule shows when your next reset is due.

Your Flex Acre is back together, sealed and holding water—well done!

Next: Preparing & Sanitizing your Rockwool (Part 1 of 6)