Blumat auto watering

[MIhomegrown]

Can someone explain to me a little how these don't cause salt build up in coco? Whenever I tried to water coco with no run off I get a lot of salt build up. I flush then my ppms of the run off are really high. I still was keeping the medium moist enough so drying wasn't causing the salt accumulation. Isn't blumats kind of the same thing or are the plants taking up just enough to salt build up to a minimum?

 

[Sforza]

Can someone explain to me a little how these don't cause salt build up in coco? Whenever I tried to water coco with no run off I get a lot of salt build up. I flush then my ppms of the run off are really high. I still was keeping the medium moist enough so drying wasn't causing the salt accumulation. Isn't blumats kind of the same thing or are the plants taking up just enough to salt build up to a minimum?

I can't explain it, but I have used my blumats with coco and did not have a problem with salt buildup. The plants loved the system of always having enough moisture and never having too much moisture.

I can't explain gravity either, but I know it is there and it works.

In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is.

 

[stoned40yrs]

This isn't about blumats but it's about water/feed in coco from the Master grower DJM- Post#31:
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=300255&page=4

 

[maimunji]

Are blumat deliver enough oxigen for roots in coco with this slow drops? How can compare them to heavy irrigation 6 x day?

 

[caljim]

This isn't about blumats but it's about water/feed in coco from the Master grower DJM- Post#31:
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=300255&page=4

Take the info from the post by DJM, add to that knowledge gleaned from PPK users and info about perched water table and a solid understanding of the drainage characteristics of your media and it is a recipe for root zone health and vigorous plants.

I have been growing with various degrees of success, and failure, for years. With the help of these posts, just now am I truly understanding my media

 

[LostTribe]

can these be run with a rez and timer? I have been strictly hydro for a decade or more.....have a soil haze grow going....

 

[LostInEthereal]

Reservoir yes, of course. The timer is unnecessary however.

 

[LostInEthereal]

A little update on my end. I got around to working on the Blumat pump on Friday. Of course the mounted pump system I bought had a couple small leaks so I tore it down to fix it. Only I got a little overzealous with the tightening and cracked one of the coupling. And of course this is some non standard size that cannot be purchased at Home Depot. I contacted SV and will hopefully have some resolution in the next couple of days. Until then it's more hand-watering tedium for this guy...

 

[kalopatchkid]

Anyone using the irrigro tubing? I'm curious if it can be used with nutrients in the rez...I'm doing blumats with the distribution drippers and veg bloom but I think having a ring around my plants with the irrigro could be even better.

 

[LostInEthereal]

So I got replacement PVC couplings from SV. I hooked everything up (in the bathroom this time prepared for leaks). No major fountains just a constant dribble from both sides of the accumulator, the damn 1/2" PVC couplings. Irritated I torqued them on pretty good, and they of course still dribble, but now I'm unable to uncouple them and I'm pretty sure I have to replace several more fittings because these leak yet I cannot separate them in attempt to fix. Incredibly frustrating. I was hoping to be running these for at least a few days realistically and over a week sans-lazyness, lol.

I'm wondering if I can just put some silicone based sealant of sorts on the unions that drip and once cured call it a day? I hate to track down more PVC fittings, and the correct slip union (hey look at that I know what it's called now), etc, if I can ghetto rig it for now. This hand-watering is killing me, and unfortunately some plants are at the point of being nearly bone-dry come feeding/watering around 24 hours later when I can. I'm going to attempt to start getting up at 3:30 am to feed before work until I can resolve this. At least that way I can water once again before lights-off.

 

[Lapides]

Years of success right here with an elevated rez topped off with a float valve. Nothing fancy of complicated. Pretty much right out of the box minus the float valve.

 

[Bwanabud]

So I got replacement PVC couplings from SV. I hooked everything up (in the bathroom this time prepared for leaks). No major fountains just a constant dribble from both sides of the accumulator, the damn 1/2" PVC couplings. Irritated I torqued them on pretty good, and they of course still dribble, but now I'm unable to uncouple them and I'm pretty sure I have to replace several more fittings because these leak yet I cannot separate them in attempt to fix. Incredibly frustrating. I was hoping to be running these for at least a few days realistically and over a week sans-lazyness, lol.

I'm wondering if I can just put some silicone based sealant of sorts on the unions that drip and once cured call it a day? I hate to track down more PVC fittings, and the correct slip union (hey look at that I know what it's called now), etc, if I can ghetto rig it for now. This hand-watering is killing me, and unfortunately some plants are at the point of being nearly bone-dry come feeding/watering around 24 hours later when I can. I'm going to attempt to start getting up at 3:30 am to feed before work until I can resolve this. At least that way I can water once again before lights-off.

I've assembled a number of these systems and never a leak.
1) Use Teflon tape on the threads, at least 5 wraps 360 deg around pipe/fitting....covering the entire thread body, adding 1-2 extra turns at the bottom/fat part of thread/fitting.
2) Sounds like you're over tightening the fittings to me, and probably cracked the accumulator hubs...there are rubber washers that go inside the fitting provided by Blumat with the tank....like an automotive oil filter, once the pipe hits the rubber washer only turn 1 1/2-2 more revolutions tighter.

The input side of the pump(dip tube/filter/pump has zero pressure on the fittings(negative pressure)...the output side of the pump is only 38-45lbs, and after the pressure reducer only 12-15lbs pressure.

Rarely is a pvc "bad", the threads are intended to get tighter as it is connected...if the appropriate Teflon tape & procedure is followed, it's almost impossible to get leaks...much less repeated leaking issues, it's about technique not strength.

 

[LostInEthereal]

I've assembled a number of these systems and never a leak.
1) Use Teflon tape on the threads, at least 5 wraps 360 deg around pipe/fitting....covering the entire thread body, adding 1-2 extra turns at the bottom/fat part of thread/fitting.
2) Sounds like you're over tightening the fittings to me, and probably cracked the accumulator hubs...there are rubber washers that go inside the fitting provided by Blumat with the tank....like an automotive oil filter, once the pipe hits the rubber washer only turn 1 1/2-2 more revolutions tighter.

The input side of the pump(dip tube/filter/pump has zero pressure on the fittings(negative pressure)...the output side of the pump is only 38-45lbs, and after the pressure reducer only 12-15lbs pressure.

Rarely is a pvc "bad", the threads are intended to get tighter as it is connected...if the appropriate Teflon tape & procedure is followed, it's almost impossible to get leaks...much less repeated leaking issues, it's about technique not strength.

Wow, 5 times around? The guy at Home Depot told me I used too much and that's why it cracked, lol. I think I'm much more akin to trust you guys though. I honestly went pretty light on the teflon tape this time around because of the utterly useless Home Depot visit. Oh well, live and learn.

I'll restock on the teflon tape and try again. I think the accumulator is fine, it doesn't leak from the accumulator itself. Luckily I did have the rubber seals installed and evidently didn't over-tighten too much on them. It's most definitely just leaking from the lack of teflon tape on the seal of the PVC couplings. Granted now they are seized and unusable, I leave learned an important lesson. Thanks dude!

Lol, and I just want to edit to add-in, it came leaking out of the box!! I spent $500+ on a mounted pump system to not deal with these headaches. Actually it was spraying veritable fountains when I first turned it out out of the box. Fair warning to buyers! Sorry Steve, lol.

 

[LostInEthereal]

Years of success right here with an elevated rez topped off with a float valve. Nothing fancy of complicated. Pretty much right out of the box minus the float valve.

Hehe, I read just a couple of run-off stories and that was too much for me. I opted for the much more expensive pre-assembled route with the pump system and obviously haven't had the best luck. Hopefully once it's running however, it will rival your flawless track-record!

***Honestly in the 400+ pages in this thread I cannot be certain if it was the elevated systems that ever had a run-off, but I thought maybe a user or two had reported such issues. It may very well be that just because fewer users running the pump system, fewer problems (or in this case none to my recollection) to report.

 

[stoned40yrs]

I get runoffs all the time with my gravity feed. Only have 14 bloom plants hooked up. Got another 1 today, two last week. I keep each plant in a wally world 3 gal tub. The never dump more than that in 24 hrs. Just vacuum it out. They just all of a sudden for no reason runoff, fuckers. Still better than hand watering.

 

[rives]

Wow, 5 times around? The guy at Home Depot told me I used too much and that's why it cracked, lol. I think I'm much more akin to trust you guys though. I honestly went pretty light on the teflon tape this time around because of the utterly useless Home Depot visit. Oh well, live and learn.

I'd agree with Bwana - you are probably overtightening the fittings. It's very easy to do with PVC and teflon tape, the tape is so slick that you can easily force the tapered fittings together too far and crack one. Check them over VERY carefully when you reassemble - sometimes a crack is hard to spot when the pressure is relieved.

 

[Sforza]

I get runoffs all the time with my gravity feed. Only have 14 bloom plants hooked up. Got another 1 today, two last week. I keep each plant in a wally world 3 gal tub. The never dump more than that in 24 hrs. Just vacuum it out. They just all of a sudden for no reason runoff, fuckers. Still better than hand watering.

Can you get your rez up higher?

The greater the pressure in the line, the bigger the difference between on and off and the less runoffs. I have run twelve plants on a rez and twelve plants using house pressure water with the step down pressure regulator and the system with the pressure regulator does not runoff at all. Since there is a good deal of pressure in the line, you can tighten down the screw top regulator. When it is off, it is off. It is only when the media starts to get dry that there is a good suction in the carrot that the line opens up enough to let the relatively high pressure water through to wet the media.

Getting your rez up as high as possible gets the pressure in the lines closer to that in systems using the pressure regulator, either using house water pressure or the pump and accumulator method.

 

[Sforza]

Wow, 5 times around?

I think he means five times around in total, so that means you are pulling the tape a bit, stretching it and making it thinner, and over lapping as you spiral up the fitting, ending, as he says, with a couple of turns at the fat end of the threads. It is not just five layers of tape in one area of the threads. That would be too much tape. It does not take much tape and you do not need the couplings to be too tight for it not to leak. Just firm it up, but do not really crank on it with a lot of force.

 

[LostInEthereal]

I appreciate all the information and help everyone. Quite the lively thread tonight lol. Unfortunately however due to being inept I'll have to replace a few fittings but valuable information was gleaned from the thread and first-hand experience. Again, thanks brothers!

Lol @stoned40yrs, if was utilizing the basement in a home I owned I wouldn't think twice about setting up a simple gravity fed system in the mean time! But I'm renting 2nd floor apartment and trying to take the utmost precautions. The whole while I'm second guessing my choice and still worried about something like a line popping off a barb and spewing nutrient solution all over the tent!

 

[Jhhnn]

Years of success right here with an elevated rez topped off with a float valve. Nothing fancy of complicated. Pretty much right out of the box minus the float valve.

About a year for me with the same results from the same kind of setup w/ organic soil. Once flowering commences, I just watch out for problems until harvest unless I'm growing something floppy. In my space, that turns into a PITA. I really like plants that have strong stems & are self supporting. I'm thinking of sowing fems in 5 gal pots w/ mini tomato cages to have even less to fuss with.