A young girl with her hair in a ponytail looks with curiosity at rows of green plants growing in an indoor vertical garden.

In a hydroponics system, the use of a peristaltic pump can circulate water from one side of a reservoir to another, preventing nutrients or plant food from settling at the base of the reservoir.

Let’s create a recirculation system using the peristaltic pump to keep our water healthy.

Our Water Recirculation Project will:

  • pump water from one side of the reservoir to the other
  • turn on the water pump on a cycle
  • modify the water hose to prevent debris from damaging the pump

Prepare

You’ll need the following items to complete this project:

Build

First, let’s assemble our Water Recirculation Project using the building blocks and robotics components from the Smart Hydroponics Kit:

Use a filter on your hose whenever pumping old water from your reservoir to avoid reducing the lifespan of your water pump and keep small debris out of the house.

A piece of cheesecloth is attached to a water tube using an elastic band to prevent debris from damaging the peristaltic pump.

Remember to plug your breakout board battery into a power source using a micro USB cable if using your project for more than a day at a time.

Code

Explore the code below to get started using your Water Recirculation project.

  • Connect your project to the computer and download the starter code to make it work!
  • Review the code comments on each block to learn about how your project works, then try testing it in real life.

Improve

Think about accessible features to add to your Water Recirculation project! How would you modify the sample code provided, or create your own code that includes the following features?

  • Adjust the length of time the water pump is on for
  • A visual cue when the water pump is on

Related Content

Feeling Stuck? Explore the Knowledge Base for common questions and troubleshooting tips.

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