Those with water chillers, what steps did you take when cleaning your system in between grows (reservoir, water tubes, airstone, water chiller)? I have no idea what cleaning measures to take, what cleaner(s) to use, what could damage the chiller, etc… any advice on this would be greatly appreciated. Would like to be prepared when the time comes. Thanks!
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In between grows maybe something like ZeroTol HC mixed in with a full reservoir and let it circulate through the chiller and reservoir for an hour or two. If you suspect you have algae or mold growing let it run for 24 to 48 hours.
Typical dose for growing is recommended 10 mL per 50 gallons. I have been adding 0.25 mL to the 1 gallon reservoir for my Niwa. It’s doing a great job killing the algae that had taken up residence in the rockwool.
ZeroTol HC will sterilize your Grobo and water chiller. I’m pretty sure it kills Hydroguard, but in doing so it helps build healthy roots. I would only use it in my Grobo during a grow if there was an emergency. Definitely going to be using it up between grows to clean and sanitize.
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Thanks @VermontGrobo, was simply wondering because I was not able to find a thread on post-harvest cleaning with a water chiller. Appreciate the info and the link!
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Sorry never used a water chiller
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Good to know just in case…lol
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Thanks Mark, trying to remember which growers here use chillers haha. @Bplatinum9 @omacoder I believe you guys do, any advice on cleaning in between grows that relates specifically to those running water chillers? Thanks!
I just manually drain my chiller after draining the Grobo. I then use the water vinegar solution and cycle it through the pump, chiller, and reservoir. I did this a couple times then called it good, and drained the chiller again, and flushed the system with tap water.
Basically what @VermontGrobo is suggesting, but I haven’t tried any other chemicals besides what Grobo states to use.
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I do the same thing clean my chiller with Vinegar
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Awesome, thanks guys. Think I will use the product that @VermontGrobo with this method when the time comes.
ZeroTol HC is mostly peroxide, so you could probably get away with a couple drops of peroxide (not the stuff you buy at the super market) and mix it in your reservoir water to help clean.
I would avoid using ZeroTol HC during a grow unless its an emergency, it will kill all of the good stuff. I’m not 100% but I am pretty sure it negates Hydroguard and products like Orca. It is an antifungal after all.
I’m running ZeroTol HC in my Niwa right now to clear up some algae that started taking up residence in the rockwool. Going to flush it next fill with just water and then go back to normal hydroguard/Orca/Revive.
Yes, I am only asking for post-harvest cleaning purposes.
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I just realized I missed this, but I’ve only just started using mine so I haven’t had to clean it yet. This is what the manual says:
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Thanks @Hellyesshedid I’m sure someone will be looking for this info, even late info is worth gold to someone!
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Just realized I never checked the manual before I asked about this 
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Not going to lie I prefer limiting error
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