Blumat auto watering

[greenmatter]

drip systems have limitations ........ that is all anybody is trying to get across to you. a few of us have been there and done that.

all the information you will ever need on blumats is in the thread ...... you just have to start at page one and go until you read this post again

and again, i think you are underestimating yourself. there is no rocket science involved in a basic blumat set up. the tools and skills involved are not something you can't handle

you can do it if you try! or are you gonna act like a girl? and don't take that last question to seriously

 

[TribalSeeds]

hey guys,im sorry for posting this since this isnt about bluemats lol,but i kinda need some help really fast?iv been trying to figure out how dripper setups run,i think ill go with them because the bluemats are more expensive and more difucult (atleast to me).

so you get a waterpump,attach 1/2" tubes to it,then on each pot,attach a "t-line" connector,to add a dripline and to keep the line running.

then at the end,install a cap?,is that more or less how it works,i made a diagram,its TINY,so please click on it and zoom?

View Image



and lets say i use this pump.i attach the 1/2in line,then just run that to the pots like in the diagram?

View Image


thank you soo much guys,im trying to figure this out on my own,but i need some advise

When I first started putting together my blumat setup this thread was overwhelming with all the different setups. I didnt know anything about a drip system, so its was a lot to go through.
When I had questions I was lucky to get some of them answered. I even sent private messages that went unanswered by the same people falling over themselves to respond to your off topic posts. Comical really...
All I know is that if I came in here asking how to make a sprayer for an aero system Id get no responses in the blumat thread because Id be cluttering it up for people looking for info on blumats.
But then again I dont type in pink.
Dont you have a dripper thread?

 

[sweetestsin420]

how is that comical??nobody is falling over themselves,thats called being HELPFUL and i appreciate it alot,same way i try to help other newbies with their questions,i dont fall over myself..and whats my pink lettering have to do with anything???i like other colors other than basic black,and its an option this website has,so im going to use it,if you dont like it,sorry?

im sorry for posting "off topic",but even my posts about drippers are somewhat relevant,there will be other newbies seeing this,and seeing how drippers and bluemats compare in terms of price and difficulty,

and about the price of the timer,i actually found a digital timer that does 1-min intervals,so ill post it up for anybody looking for one,its less than 15$ lol http://www.plantlightinghydroponics.com/cap-120v-15a-dual-digital-timer-p-2013.html

and yeah,why are you hating on the pink letters?does it really bother you that bad?,ill leave this in BLACK,since it bothers you

 

[sunnydog]

lmao "ill be back"..lol,

i agree with what you guys are saying,i would LOVE to go with a bluemat,after all the positive reviews,but its definitely more complicated to ME than what you guys think,not everybody can just bust the drills and hammers out and build something from scratch,ya know?certainly not me lol

second is the price,for 75$ i can build my own dripper setup that can water ALOT of plants,and i feel with more versatility..or i can buy a patio kit that only waters 12 plants,AND i still have to buy drills and pumps and stuff...

with drippers i dont have to drill anything,just get a rez,fill with water,then run some plastic tubing from the rez to the plants,very easy for me,it took me around 3-4 days of researching for me to get the dripper concept lol,imagine bluemats,

You need to make one hole in a tub. Either way. Cycle timer is AT LEAST $75. Let us know how things work out.

 

[joedogsong]

I might as well jump in the frey here;

I don't think that the comparison is off topic at all, as with others here I've watered so many different ways over the years it seems silly. From running miles of gorilla drip lines to single hanging planters.
Tried many different ways of growing the herb also, aero was my personal biggest disaster

What I know is that with living soil the myth of dry/wet cycles is destroyed with the blumats. Continuous even moisture for each individual need.

What I see here is a bunch of fellas trying to help a girl see the light.

The arguments that you present for going with the subject of this thread are not realistic.

" with drippers i dont have to drill anything,just get a rez,fill with water,then run some plastic tubing from the rez to the plants,very easy for me,it took me around 3-4 days of researching for me to get the dripper concept lol,imagine bluemats,

How do you not need to drill a hole in the rez for drippers? I've always had to.
How do you meet the individual needs of the plants with drippers?
The timers will need to be constantly monitored as to specific needs until you have the strain dialed in.

And oh so much more.

The entirety of this thread deals with options beyond the basics, that is why it appears overwhelming. Everyone has their specific needs when it comes to setups. As human beings it is our nature to improve things to fit our situtation and they are shared here. The BASICS are so simple and way beyond efficient and save so much time in the endrun that my impression at this point is that it cost MORE to not use them. The time I save is invaluable. They save my ass in labor, once dialed in.

Bottom line is, growing is an art. We have so many ways to get to Paris, who's to say how another should create their masterpiece.

 

[silver hawaiian]

Holy sh*t, that was very well-said. :friends:

sweetestsin, I think you might be well-served to put pencil to paper and make a list - pros and cons of each setup, and exactly what you think the process will entail to set up each method.

Couple things - for one, I think it'll be helpful for you to go through the exercise, and at the end to be able to compare one vs. another, side-by-side.

For two, I'd like to see the "to-do list" required to get each system going.

To the points of many others, there are some fundamental facts that I think you may be overlooking en route to saying "Well this is easier and therefore better."

If nothing else - let's pretend the pump never fails, the timer never fails, you never lose power - your plants are not going to require the same number of drips at the same frequencies forever.

Some plants will grow faster - they'll need more drips.

Some plants will grow slower - they'll need less drips.

Some plants will be older and therefore move faster - they'll need more drips.

Some plants will be younger and therefore move slower - they'll need less drips.

There's a learning curve for all of that. Every time. Every variety. Every stage.

What if you one day want to give just plain water? Or extra food? Do you just turn off the drippers, water, and then wait a few hours or day or so to turn the drippers back on? I hope you'd remember.

How do you address these things if you're working with the same pressure to the same drippers for the same amount of time?

Anyway - I really think it's worth the critical-thinking exercise, on paper, to really make sense of it all for yourself. As joedogsong pointed out, there are many ways to skin this cat. But I do think the prospect of blumats may be overwhelming you between the ears - and it's not far off, technically/mechanically/handy-ily, from what you're willing to take on for the drippers.

<rant off>

PS No hammers were used in the rigging of my blumats.

 

[silver hawaiian]

Oh, I should mention.

I also have an Oasis watering system gimmick. It's essentially an "all-in-one" drip system with its own timer of sorts. Each dripper delivers the same amount of water per interval.

So if one plant needs more water than the next, it meant inserting more drippers around that plant itself. It's not exactly a convenient system.

And then the battery died. Replaced that.

And then the timer switch died. And wouldn't water. At all. And I was out of town.

About 6 months later, I got blumats and hooked 'em up to my veggies I was starting for the spring. .. And everyone lived happily ever after.



PS The Oasis is still in storage. Don't even bother with it on my clones and vegging plants - I just handwater.

 

[Tyga]

Let me know how the pump works when your power goes out when your on vacation.....

 

[sweetestsin420]

ok,all those are important,if your running a huge setup,or take vacations,or run a grow and not live there,i think for a hobby grower,doing a small scale closet or tent setup,then these things dont even BEGIN to matter,ill be there to see if the timer fails,ill check up on the plants everyday,ill water by hand if need be,basically whats stopping me from the bluemats,is the price and all the complex setups iv seen on this thread,you guys say theyr simple,all i see is huge tubs as rez's..connected to ANOTHER tub,using pumps and grommets and valves and all kinds of different plumbing,plus the initial investments is more than 150$ for 24 plants,while a dripper setup,the parts are like 0.75 cents a piece,and the dripper is less than 20,and i can water as much plants as i choose,

and about drilling the hole lol,ill literally pump the water out of the pump,through the tubing & out of the tub,i see no reason to drill any hole in any tub??...i honestly think alot of stoners complicate things lol,if the price drops,then id consider it,ok im gone from this thread,this is off topic,dont wanna make this about drippers lol,thank you for ya help bye!

 

[ak-51]

I'm only going to try to talk you into blumats so much. Go do what you want to do. Try different things, that's the only way you really learn anything anyway, by first hand experience.

Come back in 6 months.

Don't even bother with it on my clones and vegging plants - I just handwater.

Me neither for the most part. I only put in the blumats and calibrate once my plants are in the spot they'll stay in until harvest. Sometimes I when I throw them in a tent I'll still veg them for a week or two, but they don't move from then on. Handwatering a handful of vegging plants is not a big deal.

 

[SilverSurfer_OG]

Found a good deal on blumats on ebay and picked up 50 emmiters for under AU$100...

Just the cones no tubing. From reading through the thread and the good info it shouldnt be hard to get some but is it 3mm, 4mm or 8mm tubing i need?? I am sure i can work it out when they arrive but just having a wee think.

Cheers!

 

[ak-51]

I think the 3mm drip line is the only thing you probably won't be able to substitute out. You'll probably have to order a big roll of that.

For everything beyond that it would be much easier to adapt to standard size hoses and fittings. You're really restricted when you're stuck with the weird blumat size lines.

Other people on here have gotten parts from Kent Systems that work for them. I've never done it though. They can probably help you figure out what you need.

 

[joedogsong]

Are you sure that they are not Blumat Jr's at that price? Just saying that that's a great deal if they're the Blumat regulars.

 

[SilverSurfer_OG]

Yeah they are the standard size going by the description... rrp $250 they reckon.

Im in Australia so Kent systems perhaps not the best option for me but perhaps i will have to order from USA or EU somehwhere for the real deal. There are loads of silicon fuel and air pipes etc for sale on ebay of all sizes. These might do the job or is there something special about the blumat tubes

 

[joedogsong]

You can use all sorts of variations EXCEPT the 3mm silicone tubing. The most critical part of the system is the contact between the tubing and the valve that puts pressure on the tubing to regulate flow. The device is dependent on this junction working correctly and the silicone is designed specifically for this pressure interface.
Save yourself some trouble and use the Blumat 3mm silicone tubing.

Or not...

 

[SilverSurfer_OG]

Cheers this is based on your own testing or someone else in thread?

Just how special can a piece of tubing be?

Its only $15.50 for 5 metres of this stuff: http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI...akeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:en

 

[SilverSurfer_OG]

Ah ok so from reading the official site i see its very soft silicon so the valve can close over it... hmmm. That stuff from ebay would be too rigid i reckon... looking at the officlal site and its $75 for 50 metres 3mm drip line including shipping. Not bad.

 

[silver hawaiian]

The extra 3mm drip line is a must.

 

[875]

sustainablevillage.com

$46 for 30m of 3mm

 

[SilverSurfer_OG]

Cheers guys how much will i need for 50 cones?

Its the same shipping for 50m as for 100m so i might as well get a bit more.