ThaMagnificent
Member
What kind of pump do you use? Also, do you have pictures of your overflow installation?
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blumats and reservoirs
- Thread starter joe fresh
- Start date
What kind of pump do you use? Also, do you have pictures of your overflow installation?
B
Bluemater
These all look to complicated and to elaborote for me, I was hoping to just put a through hull connector on a 70 liter container that connects to 8mm tubing and feed straight to an on off valve/quick connect that waters a row of 4 x 5 gallon pots and keep the rez about 3' above plant level and let gravity do the rest will that work? Is it really that simple or Do I really need a to use thick pipes and have one going into the top of the rez like that? I did
B
Bluemater
I didn't think you needed to use a pump with these things so it surprises me to see people using them here...
No, you don't have to use pumps. However, Blumats work best with more head pressure, which requires your reservoir to be significantly elevated. In order to achieve that elevation, it's easier to use two reservoirs and have the one that you need to refill down at a manageable level and then pump the nutrient to the reservoir that supplies the Blumats.
B
Bluemater
Wow thanks SO much for explaining that! You really helped.. How high do you think I should keep my rez? Will it be alright with the 8mm tubing connected straight to a thru hull connector? Thank you
The higher the reservoir is, the better the Blumats will function. If you run their line pressure regulator, it sets the pressure at just under 15 psi if I remember correctly. You get .433 psi/foot of elevation, so the reservoir would have to be 30+ feet above the Blumats to equal that pressure. The lower the reservoir, the more sluggish the response and the greater the chance of runaways. I have my upper reservoirs mounted as close to the ceiling as I can get while still being able to remove the lid and check inside with a mirror.
Yes, the tubing can go straight to the thru-hull connector, but I always put a valve a couple of inches down from the connector. You may benefit from a looped system that is fed from both ends (two thru hull connectors) if you have a long run of 8mm.
B
Bluemater
The Instructions say rez should be .5m above plants for every 5m of tubing but the higher the better you say? Ok.. Thanks... What kinda valve you talking? I was hoping to be able to just get away with an on/off quick connect like this? www.sustainablevillage.com/8mm-quick-connect-on-off-valve-for-water-supply-line
The instructions are for the minimum head height. Yes, the higher the better.
This is the valve that I use. The one that you are looking at may be fine, I have no experience with them.
https://www.sustainablevillage.com/blumat-shut-off-valve
This is the valve that I use. The one that you are looking at may be fine, I have no experience with them.
https://www.sustainablevillage.com/blumat-shut-off-valve
B
Bluemater
I read about the deluxe gravity kit and it is apparently designed to be run as a looped system and comes with a "pipette" to let out air bubbles, etc so I'm thinking of getting that and running a looped system but using white 8mm tubing instead of the one it comes with.. You think this will work? Is there anything else you can recommend from sustainable village or any other website that I should order? Am I covered or do I need something better for release of air bubbles, etc? Thanks 
B
Bluemater
I have now decided to use two 160L containers as reservoirs and keep them at least 5 foot off the ground.. 4 foot above plant level.. That high enough?? Thanks m8..
The only potential downfall that I can see to white tubing over black is that if it isn't opaque enough, you might have crap growing inside of it. I had a nightmare with air bubbles when I was running a small, self-topping water-only system because our municipal water supply has a lot of entrained air in it. I went to great lengths to cure it, including grading all of the plumbing and putting in a solenoid valve to purge the air out automatically. Since I went to the upper-lower reservoir system, it has no longer been an issue because the water has plenty of time to outgas the entrained air. Do NOT run an air bubbler or pumps continuously. I would suggest that you carefully figure out the fittings that you need and then double or triple the number - I went through numerous revisions on my plumbing until I was satisfied, and the fittings were always the stumbling block to doing what I wanted.
I think that elevation should work fine. Something to keep in mind is that it is the water level that determines your head pressure, not where the bulkhead fitting is placed. Another thing that may impact your design is that the Blumats aren't happy with pressure fluctuations. If you have a tall, narrow reservoir, the pressure to the spikes is going to change substantially more than if you have a shallow, large-diameter one if you allow the level to drop much. This is another good reason for the upper-lower reservoir design, where a simple timer can keep your feed reservoir continually topped off within a few inches.
I think that elevation should work fine. Something to keep in mind is that it is the water level that determines your head pressure, not where the bulkhead fitting is placed. Another thing that may impact your design is that the Blumats aren't happy with pressure fluctuations. If you have a tall, narrow reservoir, the pressure to the spikes is going to change substantially more than if you have a shallow, large-diameter one if you allow the level to drop much. This is another good reason for the upper-lower reservoir design, where a simple timer can keep your feed reservoir continually topped off within a few inches.
B
Bluemater
Yea that's what I read.. Black on the inside white on the outside..
Sorry not sure why pics will not pull along with the reply.
What are pros/cons between the two reservoir systems diagrams?
Single line reservoir system with the main line venting system (much like your homes plumbing)
vs.
The two lines exiting the reservoir in a loop. Usually shown with a clean out valve in the middle of the loop.
P
pongster
hey bro,
the one with the vent needs to have the pipe standing up, also it only uses one shut off valve, the other uses more materials and doesn't have the vent.
my system is like this:
reservoir -> thru-hull adaptor -> shut off valve -> 8mm feed line -> T -> 2 8mm feed lines to 1 blumat each -> return to a T -> shut off valve (to release potential air).
very very simple, no problems
cheers!
PurplePotion
Member
The “two line” or loop setup is designed to give equal pressure distribution throughout the entire loop. Typically, you will experience pressure loss as you travel further down the line; the loop fixes that. I actually have my line setup in a loop with a discharge line at the furthest end of the loop feeding back to my reservoir at all times. This is a pressurized system with a pump. I run a warm room and have found the nutrient solution to heat up in the lines more than I’d like before I started recirculating the main drip line.
PurplePotion
Member
Raise res and use two. Small feed res up top with drip line exiting to plants and an overflow line back to large res on floor. Pump from bottom res to top res set on a timer to keep top res at the same level. Your water level can have a significant impact on a gravity fed system, this will keep your water level the same while recirculating your nute solution.
Or.. if I were using Blumats in soil I’d consider running straight from the tap with a pressure reducer, totally eliminating the need for a res. If your tap isn’t ok to use for plants, you could setup a pump system. As we’ve noticed, operating at higher pressure seems to give the Blumats a bit more stability. The only time I have a runaway is within the first couple days of setting them up.
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