Blumat auto watering

[sunnydog]

Fail-Dry

Fail-Dry

Had one unit fail-dry the other day. Caught just in time to save it. I think this is the first fail-dry I have had since going to the pressure reducer. I check in about every ten days now. Makes it seem faster by not checking things all the time. I am happy I've got it nicely dialed in now.

 

[ThaMagnificent]

Anyone have any good soil mixes for organic?

 

[rrog]

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=241964

 

[SilverSurfer_OG]

High guys. Been tweaking my system for a week or so now. Got it all setup and dripping well. Really happy with the setup just have to get it dialled in.

My situation is kinda unique because the girls where already in flower and have been moved from outdoors. They are in a double pot with the larger bottom one (24 litres) acting as a runoff rez. I was thinking about trying to make a PPK type setup but this is much easier!

One pot is nice and saturated but 3 are quite dry after being given their initial good soaking. So i just opened up the dripper a bit and should do the trick. The really nice thin is that if it starts to fill up the lower rez to the point of overflow the liquid and bottom of the smaller pot and roots will start to wick it back up

Fixed all the leaks now ( i think, maybe a couple tiny ones) and i can now see the level in my main rez slowly dropping.

In there i have about 50 litres rain water, 10 litres river water (a wee bit salty as its tidal), 10 litres worm juice from my wormfarm and a dash of kelp, aloe vera and some 420 brand beneficial
microbes.

The girls are all Grapefruit clones. Very stable as lots of strains would hermi like crazy from being taken indoors, outdoors, indoors... but it works.

13mm, 19mm, 4mm tubing made into the rez diagram you linked to Sunnydog. Thanks for that, how essential is the bleed valve?

 

[SilverSurfer_OG]

 

[rrog]

Hey Surfer man. Can't help you on the bleed valve deal as I run water from a well / pressure reducer. I do have a bleed at the top of my water lines, with a nice valve that I use as an auxiliary little hose.

Not everyone does this, but I seat my carrots in the soil by giving them a drench. Settles the soil more tightly around the sensor giving greater sensitivity and faster reaction time. I also use the maxi carrots in my 7 gallon geopots.

I'd also maybe manually water any pot that was dry when started rather than relying on a temporarily fast drip rate.

Keep us posted, mate!

 

[SilverSurfer_OG]

Hey rrog man hope you're well.

They were given a good drench but perhaps i already had dy spots... thats why i reckon just letting em fill up and suck the water from the bottom will achieve an evenly soaked medium. Then i will turn em back a bit.

The alternative is unhooking em all and dunking right under in a big bin.

I also got a nice hand pump type sprayer that is good for soaking the top layer.

Perhaps i need 2 carrots per pot or the slave drippers that have been mentioned?

 

[rrog]

I do just one carrot, but have been thinking of running with 2 per. A little more sensitive. I use three drippers per pot and might go to two carrots and 4 drippers.

 

[sunnydog]

If you have a garden hose connection (I think I see one there) I would use the Pressure reducer, it is far more reliable than res. feed.

Hey rrog man hope you're well.

They were given a good drench but perhaps i already had dy spots... thats why i reckon just letting em fill up and suck the water from the bottom will achieve an evenly soaked medium. Then i will turn em back a bit.

The alternative is unhooking em all and dunking right under in a big bin.

I also got a nice hand pump type sprayer that is good for soaking the top layer.

Perhaps i need 2 carrots per pot or the slave drippers that have been mentioned?

 

[SilverSurfer_OG]

Yeah planning on using reducers outdoors but no plumbing in there. I was thinking about running a line but this is easier for now.

I noticed theres now an Aussie supplier on ebay selling the lines and connectors etc. But i will stick to the 13mm fittings and reducer etc as its about 1/3 of the cost. But some 3mm drip line be good and its nice and cheap.

 

[cirog]

Can anyone point me in the direction of a company in the us selling the 3mm tubing in smaller lengths like 1 or two yards? I have been searching around and the only thing I can find is coming out of europe, and the smallest length is 30 meters.

 

[Cali MedPatient]

Greenacres Hydro does.

http://www.greenacreshydro.enstore.com/item/troph-blumat-dripline-3mm-per-ft

 

[srs_bznz]

Hi icmag, first post here. I've had my head deep in this thread for a few days and it's starting to get sore. I'm trying to compile a final purchase list for 54 5 gallon smart pots, and as I understand it's crucial to make sure I get everything necessary in one buy to save on shipping and hassle. I apologize as I'm sure a few of these questions have been asked a million times in the last 180 pages but I just need to be certain.

setup: 54 indoor soil plants, pure water feed, 2 closed loops

-How many blumats/slaves per 5 gallon pot?
-What's the best way folks have found for administering dense liquid feeds? do you add it to your res and then clean it? do you shut your blumats off for a bit somehow before you water with your compost teas? do you just oversaturate your plants by just watering with compost teas etc and then let the blumat compensate by closing for a while?
-Pressure reducer or double reservoir setup? Is there a way I can use my water filter with a pressure reducer?
-Is the kent systems route significantly cheaper? easier?

Here's my current purchase list, advice on revisions very welcome:
-50 pack blumat+T's + 4 single blumat+T's
-spool of 3mm
-spool of 8mm
-2x hull fitting
-6x shutoff valve (2 at the res + 1 at the bottom for drain for each loop)
-2 8mm T (for attaching the drain at the bottom of the loops
+2 res's, pump, and fittings to be purchased elsewhere


a second, redundant apology for my many redundant questions, but perhaps this will help summarize some knowledge in the thread for other readers.

 

[Cali MedPatient]

I built a kent systems gravity fed system and had tons of problems with it. The gravity system got clogges and the barbs into the bigger line leaked in lots of places. I then build a pressurized setup, using all the blumat parts, including the little Ts that come on the blumats, and I don't have any leaks, and it was way easier to setup. The pressure helps prevent them form getting clogged. I know some people have good luck with the gravity setup, but I think pressurized is the way to go. Weedkiller has pics and explainations earlier in this thread.

 

[srs_bznz]

Thanks for the feedback cali med, I can't wait to automate but I don't want to pull the trigger before I get feedback from the clever folks on these forums. I've seen the pressurized systems and it does seem like the way to go if you're running anything through your tubes, but do you think it's necessary for pure filtered water? What sort of solution do you run through your blumats? And I'll take your recommendation for the blumat tubing, I'm sure many have used the kent without trouble but I'm willing to pay the few dollars more for the peace of mind

 

[Cali MedPatient]

If you're going to just feed them water then get the pressure reducer and just hook it up to a hose spigot. Super simple. I am running GH 6/9 with a bloom booster at the end. It's working great so far.

 

[icdog]

I'm running blumats with a gravity system. I would like to directly setup a rez with a pump with the pressure reducer directly to my feed lines. Can you do this or do you need to set it up the way weed killer did with the accumulator and a pump that shuts off now and then?

 

[Cali MedPatient]

You need a filter, a pump, an accumulator, (get the 5 gal. they work better than the little one weedkiller used the first time) a pressure reducer, a watts pressure guage and a bunch of fittings. It'll cost you a few hundred dollars. It's not that hard. I can give you a list of things to order. Isopurewater.com has everything you need.

 

[SilverSurfer_OG]

So i am loving my blumats but so are my fungus gnats!

I usually neem them into submission which takes a week or 2. It was interesting to read h202 is bad for the drip line but what about neem oil or other oils? I know they aint too good for latex lol

Its either neem or shelling out for some bti mosquito stuff. $40 shipping!

 

[TribalSeeds]

I wouldnt put neem or any other oils into my res. You really dont want it to run in your lines.
You should have a seperate irrigation system for any poisons, or do it by hand. You dont want your plants always feeding off the residue of that shit. Id wouldnt even use the same pump.