Semi-Automated watering system for vert stadium soil room.

[headees]

My buddy has a sealed stadium using 2 gallon bags with soil, and wanted to set up some sort of system to help water more efficiently and quickly. When hand watering with bags, the water tends to run down the side and straight through to the floor; especially when the soil is dry and you dont pour the water in slowly.
Anyway I was thinking about something similar to a drip system, using a submersible pump with a manifold connecting a line running down each shelf with a tee branch going to each bag. Basically each batch of nutes will be mixed and then pumped into the room manually via 5 gal bucket. The goal is to have the flow of water come out slowly enough to saturate each bag with minimal waste run-off. Plus it will be much easier and save time cause watering a stadium is a PITA.
Anyone done anything like this or have any suggestions on how to pull this off? Size of lines, tee branches ect..? Ive never actually set up any hydro systems so this is going to be new to me.

He is planning on switching to coco soon, probably with blumats, but for the time being has to deal with the situation at hand.

Thanks

 

[headees]

no one?

 

[Fattie]

If he plans on going with blumats, purchase them now and use them in both grows.

 

[NextUp]

Yea i got one for you, fool proof, wont auto flow, and easy once you practice getting it right.



Take a res' and put it higher then the pots.......
Take some aquarium air pump hose clear, start a flow.
Tie two over hand knots (like the first ones you use to tie your shoe)
in two different spots. As the water flows, snug down a knot until it just drips. It will drip drip drip for ever........................No chance of auto flows, ect ect......K.I.S.S. Fine tune the flow with the 2nd knot.



I can get a drip rate of one drip per 5 seconds. You just need to fine tune it until the flow is how you want it. Once you get it right, a few times, for the media your using, it will be easy. I just tested this with 12 lines comming out of a small water container.
I got all them to drip at same rate in under 5 mins. Still dripp'n!

So how about that? 5 dollars in supply's, and a bottle to hold water........auto drip system...........So easy, a cave man can do it.......

I grow in organic soil, and use st8r water........

 

[headees]

Running too many plants right now for blumats. Going to go bigger pots, less numbers when he makes the switch. Shame those things are so expensive.

Next Up,

Thats a good idea, I was kind of toying around with some sort of gravity system, but I have a pump laying around so I thought why not use it?

I think I might give it a try though. Sounds easy and cheap! Less complicated the better.
You think it would work with 8 main lines and 10 water sites coming off each main line? I guess if the res is high enough there will be enough pressure, Im wondering though if the flow would be equal to all the sites down the line?

Also anyone know if there are some sort of tee branches available that can be opened and closed, so you can regulate which sites on the line you want watered? The room will have two sets of plants, one set a month behind the other so different feeds will be required for plants on the same line.

Thanks a bunch for the replys.
Repped

 

[NextUp]

Running too many plants right now for blumats. Going to go bigger pots, less numbers when he makes the switch. Shame those things are so expensive.

Next Up,

Thats a good idea, I was kind of toying around with some sort of gravity system, but I have a pump laying around so I thought why not use it?

I think I might give it a try though. Sounds easy and cheap! Less complicated the better.
You think it would work with 8 main lines and 10 water sites coming off each main line? I guess if the res is high enough there will be enough pressure, Im wondering though if the flow would be equal to all the sites down the line?

Also anyone know if there are some sort of tee branches available that can be opened and closed, so you can regulate which sites on the line you want watered? The room will have two sets of plants, one set a month behind the other so different feeds will be required for plants on the same line.

Thanks a bunch for the replys.
Repped

Nah man just run a line to each pot, make little holes in the top
of the cap, and push the tube through.......i just did a test for my vert system, had 5 lines dripping @ 1 drip every 5 seconds.
So its.... line through the top (think gallon milk jug, push line through cap, suck on hose to start flow, tie the 2 knots, pull knots until the flow slows to a drip) If you keep the end under water, it will drip for ever like this. (for the test)

So no pumps, no chance of free flow, and if you need to fert' then just drip then hand water the ferts/tea...........
Or better yet grow in organic soil then you only have to water st8r, no tube drip clogs from nuts ect ect....
all you need is something to hold water, and the air pump tubing like @ walmart 2.50 a pack 25'


Don't get me wrong, i imported (in my day) some of the most expensive mini reef system products from Europe........High tech stuff.....i dont mind spending if i need to.......watering..........
so easy, no need to make it hard..........Drip into pot.......5 bucks, no spills, no thrills!

Kiss

 

[NextUp]

I just read you post a little better man,

if i had that many pots, each pot would have its own water res. And i would just run a single line and drip drip drip. Res could be anything as long as it sits a little higher then the top of pot.

I would use a large central tub to mix my nutes.....then use a water pump and hose to fill all the little res's next to the plants.
setting the drip line takes like 10 seconds once get it.


So:

I would

mix ferts in a large tub
use a pump and hose to fill the plant res's
set a drip line
check everyday to make sure its still dripping, if its not,
takes 10 seconds and 10 cents worth of hose to set new drip........

 

[NextUp]

Running too many plants right now for blumats. Going to go bigger pots, less numbers when he makes the switch. Shame those things are so expensive.

Next Up,

Thats a good idea, I was kind of toying around with some sort of gravity system, but I have a pump laying around so I thought why not use it?

I think I might give it a try though. Sounds easy and cheap! Less complicated the better.
You think it would work with 8 main lines and 10 water sites coming off each main line? I guess if the res is high enough there will be enough pressure, Im wondering though if the flow would be equal to all the sites down the line?

Also anyone know if there are some sort of tee branches available that can be opened and closed, so you can regulate which sites on the line you want watered? The room will have two sets of plants, one set a month behind the other so different feeds will be required for plants on the same line.

Thanks a bunch for the replys.
Repped

Another thing ALLOT of people dont look at, if you get something bad, you could take out a whole group of plants if they are kinda linked with feeding.........


With thier own res', you can isolate a bad plant without spread issues!

 

[headees]

I see what you are saying, only thing is hes going to have like 80 pots once the room is full, I dont really see it being practical having a separate res for each pot.
Thats why I was thinking about just running a line down each of the 8 shelves, with emmiters for each pot. 10 pots per shelf.
Like this, or I could just make my own.
http://www.google.com/products/cata...=J7T-TZXAE-yz0AG40c3GDg&sqi=2&ved=0CFIQ8gIwBw

Also I wasnt really planning on having a constant drip, just every few days or whenever they need water, just mix up a batch of nutes and water. I just figured you dont want to have the soil to constantly stay wet, but but what do I know lol. Maybe a constant drip would be better, I mean thats what blumats do. Plus once its set up its going to be tricky to get things flowing again once it stops, lol.