Thank you for purchasing the V1 Multiflow System, the UK’s Original Pot based Flood and Drain System. This is the system that that started the trend and which all the other imitations and copies are based on. All Multiflows are made with superior componants making them robust by design, your system should provide you with many years of service making the Multiflow a prudent and economical choice of growing system.The Multiflow is a Flood and Drain type Hydroponic growing system. The operation is simple, the pots are flooded with nutrient solution from the bottom through the growing medium to a preset level and then drained off again. This process evenly moistens all the root system in each pot. Flood and Drain is one of the simplest and most reliable methods of hydroponic gardening. As the nutrient solution rises up the pot during a flood cycle it pushes any gases made by the plants root system out of the growing medium, it washes any old or high strength feed away, effectively making each feed a flush and also helps to reset the pH of of your chosen growing medium. Finally as the nutrient drains away it drags in fresh air helping to provide oxygen to the root environment.The V1 Multiflow System Timer Unit is extremly easy to use and utilises the best quality analogue timer on the market (Grasslin), this ensures precise and accurate timing of the flood cycle. The Pot/Pipe fittings are custom-made plastic moulded items, specially made for Multiflow Sytems providing a superior leak proof connection again and again, without the need for fiddly glands and special tools.

THE MULTIFLOW SYSTEM V1 INSTRUCTION MANUAL

System Shown: 24 Pot With Accessories.Propagation Domes (for use in low humidity environment)Pot Stands (not required on levelfloor)

Unpack and identify all parts carefully.Use the list below as a guide.

Items included with the 6 pot system:1 x Irrigation and Level Controller Assembly (Head Set) including fittings.6 x Inner Pots6 x Outer pots1 x 100lt Tank with Pump and Piping 6 Meters of Multiflow Piping.

Items included with the 12 pot system:1 x Irrigation and Level Controller Assembly (Head Set) including fittings.12 x Inner Pots12 x Outer pots1 x 200lt Tank with Pump and Piping 12 Meters of Multiflow Piping.

Items included with the 24 pot system:1 x Irrigation and Level Controller Assembly (Head Set) including fittings.24 x Inner Pots24 x Outer pots1 x 200lt Tank with Pump and Piping 24 Meters of Multiflow Piping.

Items included with the 36 pot system:1 x Irrigation and Level Controller Assembly (Head Set) including fittings.36 x Inner Pots36 x Outer pots1 x 350lt Tank with Pump and Piping 36 Meters of Multiflow Piping.

Items included with the 48 pot system:1 x Irrigation and Level Controller Assembly (Head Set) including fittings.48 x Inner Pots48 x Outer pots1 x 350lt Tank with Pump and Piping 48 Meters of Multiflow Piping.

The Irrigation and Level Controller Assembly contains:1 x Irrigation Level Controller with Digital Timer, Pump Assembly and RCD1 x Lid for Controller1 x Bag of Pipe/Pot Connectors (Tee’s and Elbows)1 x Instruction Manual1 x Connector Lubricant (Slip it In)

Connect the tube from the water tank marked “Fill” to the inlet marked “From Fill Pump”. This is done by simply pushing the smaller pipe inside the other by 2-3cm, if the fit is tight you may need to use a few drops of the fitting lubricant “Slip it In” which is supplied with the kit. This tube will carry water from the tank to the Controller

Connect the other tube from the water tank marked “Drain” to the connector on the level controller labeled “Drain to Reservoir” using tha same method described above. This tube will carry water from the controller back to the water tank.

Prior to placing the Tee’s and Elbows into the Multiflow Pipedip the last 2-3cm into very hot water for ten seconds. This will make the pipe go soft, ensuring an eaisier connection and a better fit.

Place the Irrigation Controller on the floor next to the water tank.Make sure that you are able to gain access to the timer.Face the Outlet Stubbs toward the area where you plan to place your Pots

Lay out the pots in your grow room in 6 rows /lanes (if Possible) and cut some of the piping into about 60cm lengths. Connect the pots with the tee’s and pipe sections as shown. Use the elbows to end each row. Lubing the fittings with a few drops of “Slip it In” (as shown) will make it easier to insert the fittings into the pots. Pushing too hard may crack the plastic and cause leaks!

The piping connecting the pots should lay as flat as is possible and should not be kinked. any kinks or high spots will reduce the flow of nutrient.

Using hot water to soften the pipe and “slip it it” for lubrica-tion, connect the pipe from the first pot to one of the six outlets at the base of the level controller. Use extra tubing and connector if needed.

Remove the cork stoppers from each of the outlet lanes in use, these are found inside the level controller. This will allow water to travel down the pipework and into the pots. The stoppers should be retained for future use.

Fill all the pots with around two litres of Clay Pebbles, this will ensure good drainage. Now fill up the rest of the pot with your chosen medium, this could be clay, Coco, Perlite, Rock-wool etc. Our favorite here at Multi-flow HQ is 50/50 Clay & Coco mix.When planting out ensure that the bottom of the plants root system is just in contact with the nutrient when the pot is flooded.

Please note the position of the elbow on the sucking side of the pump, this should face NEARLY straight down. In any other position the pump can become airlocked resulting in the system remaining full even though the pump seems to be running. To remove an airlock simply pull the whole pump assembly out of the outlet stub (while still under water) and wait for the pump to start flow-ing properly then put it back in.

Connect the plug from the fill pump (the cable from the pump inside water tank) to the plug socket on the Analogue timer unit labeled ‘Fill Pump’. If you have sited the level controller any distance from the water tank you may need an IEC extension Ca-ble (not supplied) these are available as an accessory from the store where you pur-chased your Multiflow system. Then plug the mains lead from the level controller into a power socket and turn on.

Fill the water tank with water leaving 20-30cm from the top, this is to ensure that you DO NOT COVER the Air/Water Anti syphon holes (these are the two small holes in the pipework which water squirts out of during the fill/drain cycles located in the water tank just below the lid).Add nutrient and additives to the water as per manufacturers instructions and set the pH.It is now time to set up the Analogue Irrigation Timer Unit.

A V1 Six Pot Multiflow System planted up with Bananas at Multiflow Head Quarters

Plug in the power cord and using the 24hr clock set the timer to the current time of day. Use a small screwdriver to push OUT the pins on the timer for the watering times. One pin will turn on the system for 15 minutes and fill the pots. It will drain auto-matically after the 15 minutes are up. 30 minutes may be needed for the 48 pot system to fill com-pletely. If so push OUT two adjacent pins. If you want the system to water three times a day, just push out the pins at the desired time in the dial.

Q: When should I add nutrient? A: You should add nutrient every time you fill the reservoir. If you’re topping off the res-ervoir between regular nutrient changes, use half strength nutrient. When the water evaporates it leaves the nutrient behind, increasing the concentration.

Q. My system is filling and draining at the same time, what is the cause? A. It is likely that you have filled the water reservoir too high and covered the air/wateranti-syphon holes in the pipe work just inside the tank, if these are covered they can cause the sys-tem to syphon itself full whilst draining, to fix this simply remove some water from the tank until you can see a trickle of water from one pipe in fill mode, and the other in drain mode.The tank should never be filled over the water level mark. Q. My System has remained full of water and not drained, what should I do? A. Check to see if the drain pump is running, if it is then it is likely that it has an air lock in it. This can be removed by undoingthe grey valve until air bubbles can be seen escaping, when they have stopped retighten the valve and the pump should start draining the system. This issue is often caused by the pump sucking air at the end of a drain cycle, to resolve this ensure that the elbow on the input side of the pump is facing directly down to face the floor of the irrigation controller.

Q. When should I check and adjust my pH? A. Initially after planting out, its best to check evey 2-3 days, however when the plants are small and if you are using a good nutrrient (Canna for example) it can be as little as once per week.ideal pH is between 5.8 and 6.2 so as often as it takes to keep the levels close to this.

Q: Do I need a bigger Level Controller if I want to add more pots? A: No, the same Level Controller is used for all systems. The reservoir may need to be larger though. You should have at least 5 litres of storage for each pot on the system.

Q: Can I add more than 48 pots? A: You can, but it’s not a good idea. All the water goes into the system through a 3/4 inch hose. A system with 100 pots could take an hour to fill and drain. The longer the plants are sub-merged, the less oxygen the roots get, slowing the growth. If you need that many pots, you should run two Level Controllers.

Q: What size plants can I grow in the Multi Flow? A: Anything up to about 5 feet tall without some other means of support. If the plants are supported with a trellis, the skies the limit.

Q: The base has about an inch of water left in it after draining. Is this normal? A: Yes, the pump will shut off when there is about one inch left in the pots. If not the pump runs dry, and it may need to be primed.

Q: Can the pots or reservoir be placed higher or lower than the Level Controller? A: No, the reservoir, Level Controller and pots should all be on a flat level surface. One excep-tion to this is, if the plants have a large amount of fine roots and have been growing for a long time, a lot of roots can grow out of the bottom of the insert. The base always has about an inch of water in the bottom after draining. The roots would then be submerged all the time. Some of our custom-ers have found that raising each of the pots about an inch by placing them on a piece of plywood drains out almost all the water in the base, resulting in better growth.

Q: Can I grow different types of plants in the same system? A: Yes. All the plants must be able to use the same nutrient mix and have similar watering needs.

Q: Some of my pots don’t fill up all the way, or drain down to the one inch level, what’s up? A: If after 15 minutes of filling you still have some pots that don’t fill all the way, there is probably an obstruction. Some common causes of this are, a rock in the tube, a kink in the tube, a rubber stopper left in or the roots have grown so large they clog the tube.

Q: There is some water on the floor around the pots, what happened? A: A small amount of water near the pots is usually a leak near the grommet. Check the plas-tic around the grommet for cracks, pushing too hard on the connectors can crack the plastic.

Q: My system put too much water in the pots and they overflowed, what’s up? A: Make sure that the pots and the Level Controller are on the same level surface. Then check the air/water anti-syphon holes on the tubing just inside the reservoir they must not be obstructed and must be above the water level.

We hope you enjoy using the Multiflow System if you have any questions or queries please contact your local Multiflow distributor, if in the unlikely event that cannot answer your queries they will be more than happy to pass it on to us the manufacturers. Happy Growing!