As a hydroponic enthusiast, you should have a hydroponic air pump. Seen as a major part of the hydroponic system, the air pump serves as a source of healthy air.
To get the best from your hydroponic air pump, you will have to turn it on. Also, you should choose the right time to make it run.
Now should the air pump work overnight? With this post, you can determine if you should use the pump at night.
Can a Hydroponic Air Pump be Turned Off Overnight?
No, you should not turn off an air pump overnight. Apart from cutting off the air supply, turning off the air pump can disturb the flow of food. If you need to turn off the air pump, ensure it remains inactive for a short period.
If you use deep water culture hydroponic systems, your air pump should run as often as possible. As expected, this activity offers many benefits to the plant and system itself.
For instance, a working air pump stops algae from growing in your system. Besides, the device ensures that the plants get well-blended food. It even provides the right temperature for your nutrient reservoir.
Although it is not a great idea, you can run some hydroponic systems without using a pump. However, such a technique works best with simpler systems. Moreover, you should expect a low yield, pests, and diseases.
What Will Happen If I Turn Off An Air Pump?
If you turn off an air pump overnight, many things will happen with the system. First, a turned-off air pump makes the water stagnant. With the water in this condition, you will find algae in the water.
In a hydroponic system, algae create a tough barrier on your growth medium. It even produces a nasty smell while blocking tubes in the system. Moreover, your crop will share nutrients with these fungi.
What Should I Do to a Hydroponic Pump that Makes Noise at Night?
If you have a noisy hydroponic pump, you might want to turn it off overnight. But since a turned-off pump causes problems, you will need these methods to reduce the noise.
Make sure that your hydroponic air pump gets serviced. Also, ensure that the internal parts receive a good tightening. If you want to make the air pump extra silent, you might place some sound-absorbing material at the bottom of the pump.
Other techniques include placing the air pump on soft foam rubber or fabrics. Besides, wrapping parts of the machine with a cardboard box and bubble wrap can reduce the noise. As you use any of these ideas, do not cover the air intake.
If you have some DIY skills, you can even construct an isolation box for the air pump.
- Look for a plastic box and a lid
- Ensure the box can contain the pump even if you close the box.
- Cut out a square hole at the side of the box
- Make another hole at the other part of the box.
- Pass an airline through the box
Are Hydroponic Air Pumps Required for All Systems?
No hydroponic pumps are not required for all hydroponic systems. But if you use deep water culture hydroponic systems, you will have to install an air pump.
What are the Hydroponic Systems that Do Not Require Air Pumps?
Even air pumps serve as important tools in hydroponics, many hydroponic systems do not need air pumps. Instead, they use other ways to provide air to their roots. So if you don’t like running air pumps overnight, you should try these models.
Ebb and Flow Hydroponic Systems: If you installed such systems, you will not have to bother about turning on hydroponic pumps. After all, they use timers to drain the nutrient solution. Thanks to this activity, the root can enjoy oxygen
NFT Hydroponics Systems: These models work well without adding air pumps. With NFT hydroponic systems, the nutrient solution does not fill up the channel. Besides, it moves over the root system thereby allowing oxygen to reach the roots.
Kratky Hydroponics Systems: In a Kratky hydroponics system, plant roots touch the top of a nutrient solution. As the plants consume the solution, their roots expand. Such expansion ensures air for the roots.
Vertical Hydroponics Systems: With this method, plants stay suspended in the air. In this position, the plants get enough oxygen for their development.
Aeroponic Hydroponic Systems: If you use an aeroponic hydroponic system, plants stay in the air. As expected, this technique provides the roots with the required amount of air.
What are Features of An Air Pump that Should Run Overnight?
Before you use a hydroponic air pump for hours, it should have the best features for such a workload. Here are the features that should be offered by a good hydroponic air pump.
Quiet Operations: Because the air pump will run overnight, you should use a silent hydroponic air pump. When it comes down to it, you wouldn’t want to keep your neighborhood awake with your indoor farm. If you can’t afford a new pump, try using the above hacks.
Durability: If you use a regular air pump for your overnight operations, you might spend excess cash on repairs. You can solve this issue by using a tough air pump with premium materials. Also, ensure that the internal part of the device can handle the pressure.
Compact Build: Such models are easy to move around. Besides, they can fit in most tight spaces. Even if you want something small, ensure that it has enough power for your hydroponic setup.
Sufficient Nozzles: Choose models that have the right amount of nozzles. If you want to expand your setup, you will models with more than one nozzle.
Energy Efficiency: A good hydroponic air pump should not consume all your energy. Instead, it should reduce your bills and still work for extended hours. If you don’t know much about energy efficiency, you should seek advice from a professional or salesperson.
Tips for Using A Hydroponic Air Pump Overnight
Since air pumps should run for the whole night and day, you will need to use them properly. You can use these tips to keep your air pump in top shape.
1. Get a Quiet Air Pump
Even if you can use hacks to reduce the noise of your air pump, models with special “silent” features look like a better option. As you look for a quiet model, aim for something that offers less than 45 decibels. Also, get models that have mufflers for noise reduction.
2. Look Out for Durability
Durable air pumps can withstand the pressure of working for extended periods. With this in mind, you should get the toughest air pumps that you can find. So before heading to the shops, research the toughest hydroponic air pumps in the market.
3. Think About Energy Consumption
If you are planning to save your energy, you might not want to run your pump overnight. But if you use a model with energy-saving features, you will not worry about consuming your energy.
4. Get the Best Accessories
Aquarium tubing is one of the ideal accessories for a good hydroponics system. After all, it consists of materials that will not harm the environment. To avoid algae growth, use only dark-colored models. Remember to purchase the tubing in large quantities.
What Should I Do If My Hydroponic Air Pump Goes Off While Running Overnight?
Hydroponic air pumps might develop faults and go off at night. If you can’t replace the pump immediately, you might end up with unhealthy plants.
To avoid any issues, take the roots from the water. Then, dip them back from time to time. However, ensure that the air pump is fixed as quickly as possible.
How to Fight Algae in Your Hydroponic System
Do you have algae in your system because of a switched-off pump? Well, there are ways that you can solve this issue.
Keep the Algae from Light: Cutting the sunlight from algae is enough to wipe off algae from your system. Perform this hack by shading the fungi from sunlight.
Install UV filters: Algae cannot withstand the light from UV filters. For this reason, you should get a filter and install it with your system.
Wrapping Up
If you have a hydroponic setup, you should leave it on overnight. Do not turn it off as it can lead to the growth of algae or less food for the plants.
To keep your pump running for hours, get a pump with the latest features. Thanks to these features, the pump will be silent, tough, compact, and energy-efficient. Besides, it should offer value for your money.
If you can’t get a good air pump, use several hacks to make it suitable for overnight use. For instance, cover the pump with an insulation box or any of our recommended materials.
Also, pair your air pump with dark-colored tubing. For the best results, use only the tubing that is used for aquariums.
You might even forgo the air pump and choose techniques that do not require such devices. But such methods provide might cause diseases with low yields.