New Library Article - DIY Air system

[Squiggle]

This is a step by step guide to building an air system for anywhere from 10 tanks to 500 tanks or more, the only difference will be the supply pump. This system that I have runs 20 tanks with ease & there is plenty of air to spare for more tanks.

First of all you will need a few things:

• Air supply pump, I'm using a Resun LP40
• Heavy duty 13mm irrigation hose, I used 10m for this job
• 13mm T pieces
• 13mm L or corner pieces
• 4mm silicone airline, I used about 15m
• 4mm threaded taps
• 4mm irrigation tool

I used heavy duty irrigation hose because it has a thicker wall & it will hold the pressure better & it has a tighter fit on the fittings

Now I'm going to run the hose under the shelf above the tanks that it will be supplying, this way if there is a power failure then there's no chance of any water siphoning back down into the pump.

First step is to measure the length & width of the shelves so you can cut the hose to the right length, then join the pieces together using the L pieces to form a loop. Make a loop for every shelf you have to supply air to. The reason I'm making loops is it balances the air pressure throughout the whole system.

Once the loops are made, you have to decide where the supply is going to join the loop. When you know where the join will be you have cut out a small section so you can put a T piece in, I have chosen to put it down one end, the same end the pump will be.

Next I secured the loop to the under side of the shelf with a multi purpose retaining device, aka Gaffa tape.

Then I started at the other end of the system, I placed the pump where it will stay & started to cut lengths of hose to join it to the rest of the system, first I ran it to the upright of the tank stand then used an L piece & started to run it up to the loops.

I then run a piece of hose up to the first shelf & used a T piece, I also secured the hose to the upright with Gaffa tape. The top shelf was the end of the system so I used a L piece there

Once the whole system is joined together I started to punch holes in the hose with the 4mm irrigation tool & screwed in the 4mm taps, then from the taps I ran 4mm silicone airline to the air stones, sponge filters & the water aging drums, then I adjusted all the taps to have the correct airflow to each item. I also have two lines running full open all the time, this is to relieve back pressure on the pump. Another way to do this would be to have a small reservior made from 100mm PVC pipe, about 300mm long, between the system & the pump.

When you have finished the system & you want to add another tank or air stone, all you have to do is punch another hole, screw in a tap, run the airline & adjust the tap to the correct flow.

Hope everyone enjoys this & has just as much fun as I did building it.

Click here to view the article

[Ronskitz]

The pics dont seem to work dude

[Squiggle]

Yeah I'll have to reattach them, they haven't come across from the old forum. They are still in the original library comp thread.

[NoGi]

I've fixed this article with the pics

 

[Squiggle]

Awesome NoGi, you are Da Man!