COCO - Automatic watering system - Question

[XYZVector]

@Orange's Greenhouse Yes I am using a diaphragm pump, 12 vdc use the DC ones with an ac-dc adapter (a lot quieter, you might have to adjust the pressure switch). The issue with the diaphram pumps since they are displacement pumps water will only flow one way thru them. So what happens is the water that is in the lines between fertigations will stagnate between fertigations. In a 1/2" line that could be upto 500ml of water depending on how much line there is between the pump and the drip emitters. The secret sauce here is how to remove the stagnant water after a fertigation event. However if you can figure out the secret sauce you have a cheap high quality pressure compensated system. There is an elegant solution to be had just waiting for my pending patent to share it.

 

[XYZVector]

@G.O. Joe yes you can use the fountain pump, with the drip stakes or the rings. I did that for about half a year. It worked ok, but I was generating huge volumes of runoff. Also it was a pain to own, and more expensive that what I have now. With the Pressure Compensated system I am running I have never had a clog, using a #50 mesh strainer. The pumps I am using cost the same as a fountain pump. I can easily compute exact amounts of nutrient solutionI the system is providing the media, and each plant gets the same amount of nutrient solution. This is all a win in my book, yes the fountain pumps work far far far better than hand watering, what I am running is far far far better then my old fountain pump system. Plus pc emitters ar $0.25 a netbow ring is $2.99. What are thos hydro halo's $12.00 a pop. If you look at drip components they are the cheapest fertigation solution on the market. This is because there are hundreds of millions of drip systems from farms to homeowners just wating to water their plants in the yard. How many installations of fountain pump hydroponic systems are there using the fountain pump system?