Hi Kswizz, Don't give up hope yet. I suspect you have nearly solved this puzzle due to your methodical approach. Let's try to work through this step by step and hopefully isolate some possible suspects. 1. Given the 4x repeated results with varying brands of nutrients we can safely assume that a bad batch of nutrients that slipped out of the factory isn't to blame, lets look elsewhere. 2. It seems you have been keeping the pH of the reservoir in check so lockout due to extreme pH is unlikely. 3. No noticeable burning of the leaves. You have been carefully following the directions prescribed by the nutrients and keeping the EC within range so this together would indicate the plants aren't dying from excessive nutrients. 4. Your environment sounds good as far as ventilation and temperature go. Is the humidity of the room reasonable? Something around 50 to 60%? I'm going to assume yes, but an extreme in either direction could be a contributing factor. 5. Young plants would be extremely challenged to deplete a five gallon reservoir of it's nutrients in less than two weeks. It's safe to say they aren't running out one or more nutrients and then dying from a deficiency. I concur with Greystroke's suspicion that the roots could be rotting. If they are brown, slimy or undeveloped instead of being white and fuzzy as Greystroke described it's likely the problem can be isolated to the root system and now we just need to determine the cause. Assuming the roots are rotting away: A likely culprit is that the roots aren't getting enough oxygen. Plants absorb oxygen through their roots and water with low levels of dissolved oxygen promote certain harmful bacteria. If the reservoir is much over 75 degrees F this could be be contributing to the problem. If the water gets too warm it can't retain oxygen. Having a small air pump that can bubble the water while it's inside the reservoir, preferably with an air stone, can help add oxygen to the water. Are you starting the seeds in soil that's mixed with coco-coir or using straight coco-coir? Adding soil to a hydroponic system can introduce problem causing bacteria. If you are using strictly coco coir then you should be fine. When the system is running how deep is the water that's running through those plastic channels? NFT systems are usually a thin film of water that runs 24/7. I'm not sure exactly how your system works based on that video. If the channels fills with a couple inches of water and then drains that works too, just shoot for 15 minutes on once every 2.5 to 3 hours. It may help as Greystroke mentioned to fill the cups with some pearlite and get the roots further out of the water. Couple other things to think about. Did you clean the system thoroughly between the 1st 2nd and 3rd and 4th try? It's possible that some bacteria or mold that killed your first crop has been living in the system ever since. A good cleaning with hydrogen peroxide or bleach followed by a rinse should eliminate this possibility for the subsequent try. Also in the unlikely event you have some kind of mold living in the water pipes of your house you could buy RO water from the store and use that following a thorough cleaning of that system using a biocide like bleach. RO water costs around $0.65 per gallon here and for a few dollars you could get enough sterile water to last through the first few weeks. At that point you should be able to see signs as to whether or not history would repeat itself. Good luck! - Bilberrybrian

Chceck with the NC Dept of Agriculture and your local government. You may have local business licenses to contend with. Janet

Thanks for the tips, davidtay. I didn't even realize I should get an electrician. Do folks typically pull out circuitry if they're trying to keep a light fixture? I assumed they just removed the fixtures since they didn't trash the house at all (just removed light fixtures, towel bars, window coverings, and bathroom mirrors). Our property inspector said we were lucky, as other foreclosed homes have been left a wreck, with demolished countertops (from former owners removing the sinks!), deliberately damaged walls, missing dishwashers, etc. I'll try to open up some of the blue covers this weekend and see if I see anything obviously wrong. It's a home in a rural area and I'm assuming that getting an electrician to drive 2 hours round-trip is going to cost me quite a bit! As for wiring being up to code, can you explain why this is something you suggest in a relatively new house (less than 10 years old)? I can see why you'd want to investigate code upgrades if it were an older home (say 40+ years old) but wouldn't a relatively new house be ok without upgrading to the 2014 code? Maybe I should also cross-post in Home Decor, as I don't know how to pick the type of light fixtures for each location either? Does anyone have advice on that?

Others have addressed the oven issue, but what I see is a LONG distance between fridge and sink, so the often-used cooking workpath of fridge-to-sink-to-prep-to-stove is a long trip. Especially since you say your kids will be working in the kitchen with you, I'd HIGHLY recommend a prep sink toward the fridge end of the island. It'll be useful, then, for cooking prep and baking projects.