Blumat auto watering

[lowbrow]

Lowbrow and Cali, I think that the media has a great deal to do with the success of "dialing back two arrows" ability to hit a good moisture content. I've had better success with getting the media to the moisture contentl that I want, and then just dialing to a cling.

I don't think any water ever came out of the drip line in these 3 pots, because if they had started dripping and then the cone went dry, wouldn't I be flooded? It seems like unless the dial was completely pinched shut at initial install, it would be a runaway.. no?

The reason I'm thinking this is because when I was repotting some plants that already outgrew their pots, I pulled the cones and closed the dials tightly, and left them there to take the girls to my work station. When I came back 15 minutes later, all four cones were emptying water on the floor! Oops.

It was no biggie, 20 minutes with the shop vac and most of that time was fussing with the vac itself. So what I'm thinking is this: if the water in the cone even starts to empty out and dial isn't completely closed, it'll flood.

Does that make sense? Or am I on the wrong track?

 

[Cali MedPatient]

Thanks for the tips AK. I have two blumat setups going, one is pressurized with a pump like weed, killer's, and one is a raised bucket gravity setup. With the pressurized one I got to the cling, tightened 2 notches, and they are staying nice and heavy. The gravity one dialed to the cling then tightened 1 notch, the pots are mostly too dry. So I think the added pressure of the pressurized setup requires more tightening of the dial after the cling than a gravity setup. That's my hypothesis, I haven't tested it yet.

That's weird Lowbrow. Did you pull the hose through the blumat a little to make sure it hadn't been stuck in the pinched closed position? I found a bunch like that out of the box. Maybe if the hose was pinched closed the soil would wick all of the water out of the carrot through the terra cotta? After reading your posts I checked the water in some of my carrots that were too dry, but I hadn't lost any water from the inside.

 

[ak-51]

Can I get some thoughts on an idea I had to modify my upper res:

It's a 5 gallon bucket that will be fed from pump in the main res that's on a cycle timer. On the left we have the overflow tube, except for instead of coming out of the top like it is now it'll come out of the bottom. So that the whole thing doesn't drain out I'll have the hose coming out and looping back up top, with a T at the peak for air to come in so that it doesn't all siphon out. There would also be a T right after the bulkhead that goes to a ball joint for manually draining it. It would be filled from another bulkhead that just goes through the bottom. A check-valve would prevent this from draining everything. Only after I sketched that out I thought that I might need something below the check valve to let air in so that nutrients aren't always trapped in the line. The blumat bulkhead is on the right.

Would this work? I think it would work better than my current setup.

Basically what I have now is the same holes in the bottom, except for with the fill line there is no check-valve, and I just have risers running all the way up from the bulkhead to the top where the water line is. It fills and primarily drains from that point. There is an overflow bulkhead on the side of the bucket near the top.

I think it would improve my current setup by agitating the lower parts of the bucket more. With it filling from the bottom and with a ebb and flow filter fitting on it, it should create current outwards from the center, stirring stuff up. The fact that it will empty from the bottom should help it drain sediments better than if it were emptying from the top, where sediments are less likely to be.

The bulkheads are setup the same, so I would just have to do some shuffling of hoses and get a check valve in there.

 

[rives]

AK, I don't see where circulating your sediment does you any good - I wouldn't think that you could get precipitates to go back into suspension. A stir pump in the upper reservoir might be easier than check valves, etc, but I think that I would just let that stuff lay at a point below where the blumat supply line could pick it up and clean the upper reservoir between runs.

That's weird Lowbrow. Did you pull the hose through the blumat a little to make sure it hadn't been stuck in the pinched closed position? I found a bunch like that out of the box. Maybe if the hose was pinched closed the soil would wick all of the water out of the carrot through the terra cotta?

I would suspect that this was the case if the blumats had never been dripping. I've had a number of new ones where the hose seemed almost "glued" together at the pinch-valve point.

 

[Cali MedPatient]

I would suspect that this was the case if the blumats had never been dripping. I've had a number of new ones where the hose seemed almost "glued" together at the pinch-valve point.

That's what I'm talking about too. Just grabbing it and rolling it back and forth between your fingers loosens it up a bit.

AK-51, I think your plan will work, but seems a little more complicated than it needs to be. In the effort to KISS things, I have been using this and it seems to work fine. The bottom line goes to the blumats, the middle line comes from the pump, and the top line is for the overflow. The only thing I'm gonna change is to make the top line 3/4" with an elbow in it. Seems like you should have the line going to the blumats on the side of the bucket. This would allow sediments to settle to the bottom of the bucket where you could drain them out to waste if you want, and they wouldn't get sucked into the blumat line.

If you want the feed line to drain out back to the res you could put a T in below the check valve you have in the fill line. On the T that sticks out the side, you put another check valve with the arrow pointing back into the fill line. That way when the pump is on, the water will go up into the bucket. When the pump turns off, the other check valve will allow air into the line allowing it to drain back into the res. Not sure that it's necessary, but it will accomplish what you're talking about. But it does make a siphoning noise when it's overflowing. i'm hoping the 3/4" overflow line will reduce the noise.

 

[lowbrow]

That's weird Lowbrow. Did you pull the hose through the blumat a little to make sure it hadn't been stuck in the pinched closed position? I found a bunch like that out of the box. Maybe if the hose was pinched closed the soil would wick all of the water out of the carrot through the terra cotta? After reading your posts I checked the water in some of my carrots that were too dry, but I hadn't lost any water from the inside.

I ordered the long roll of extra drip line and replaced all the short ones that shipped with my patio kits. It's still possible they got pinched from being used the first time. When I pulled them I didn't check for sticky drip lines. I wish I had.

Maybe it would be best to come back the next day after installing and pull the drip lines back and forth thru the blumats to check for pinching, especially on brand new hoses. It seems logical to suspect they may lose flexibility from being dried out between being manufactured and being used for the first time.

 

[sweetestsin420]

help guys,im looking to buy some of these bluemat things for my next grow,except im VERY confused on what to actually buy??a guy linked me to sustainable village,but all i see is the "50 case" for 300$ and the "deck and planter kit"?

he said to look for the "patio kit"?..which one is that?can anybody help with a direct link to the actual product,and is that all i need,or will i have to buy other things??..300$ is alot for some plastic drippers

i SUCK at anything diy or building,so are these complicated,i tried searching but im still confused

im looking to water 15-20 plants?,how much does the "patio kit" bring?they seem so bad ass but expensive

 

[ak-51]

The Deck and Planter Kit at sustainable village looks just like what the Patio Kit is. I think they have various unofficial names for the kit. In fact clicking on the picture at sustainable village shows it labeled as the Deck and Balcony Kit.

I find it highly unlikely that these are different kits. What you're looking for is a kit that has 12 blumat sensors, 1 bulkhead (I wish they included 2 with each kit), some feed line and other assorted fittings. It should be around $75.

Here is the Patio Kit. Here is extra drip line, which is highly recommended but expensive. It kind of worries me that they appear to show a picture of the feed line for what I think is the drip line product. Maybe email them and make sure its the 3mm line before ordering.

Feel free to order somewhere other than Planet Earth Hydro. Their shipping is not as discreet as it could be. Big old "PlanetEarthHydro.com" right on the box. "PEH Inc." would have been just fine.

 

[TribalSeeds]

help guys,im looking to buy some of these bluemat things for my next grow,except im VERY confused on what to actually buy??a guy linked me to sustainable village,but all i see is the "50 case" for 300$ and the "deck and planter kit"?

he said to look for the "patio kit"?..which one is that?can anybody help with a direct link to the actual product,and is that all i need,or will i have to buy other things??..300$ is alot for some plastic drippers

i SUCK at anything diy or building,so are these complicated,i tried searching but im still confused

im looking to water 15-20 plants?,how much does the "patio kit" bring?they seem so bad ass but expensive

Skip the patio kit and go with the 1/2" feed line from your hydro store instead of the 1/4" stuff the blumats come with. Somewhere in this thread is a post where a guy is using 1/8" barb fittings to connect to the 3mm drip line into the blumat. The hydro store should have everything you need except for the Blumats and the 3mm "brown" line.
You will need atleast 2 bulk fittings instead of the one the blumat patio kit comes with. They are like 50 cents at your local shop. My upper res has 4 bulkheads(3 - 1/2" and 1 3/4") and my lower res has 2 (1 - 1/2" from the pump & 1 - 3/4" overflow line), but Ill be adding another for manual draining.
You might also want to pick up a cycle timer if you plan on using a topoff res to keep the pressure even in your lines so that you dont have issues with the drippers.
Maybe you can find a smart girl to come over and help you get set up, we know guys are pea brains

 

[sweetestsin420]

thank you soo much ak51! yeah its kinda making sense,another guy just told me that his kit included 12 "Carrots?" lol..so im guessing theyr all the same kits,and for 75$..not THAT expensive

will that kit include EVERYTHING i need,i dont have to buy a single thing more??no pumps?nothing?and why should i buy the extra line?,are the ones that come with the kits too short?im not looking for anything crazy,just enough to water 15-20 plants,in a mini-vertical in my closet lol,ill have the reservoir very close..do i still need the extra line?

 

[sweetestsin420]

in this pic>>that little white thing,is that ALL that will go in the rez?

 

[TribalSeeds]

AK- Are you still using CNS17 with the blumats? I never saw stuff on the bottom of my res when using that stuff.

I noticed that some have their feed line in the middle and their overflow up top. I get much more even pressure and consistency with my overflow in the middle, right where I want the water level to remain. Never had a run away this way. I put the feed line up top and get more of a waterfall. Im also unable to flood the tank using a 633 gph pump runing contantly. I do have a cycle timer but have messed up the settings and let it rip all night. It could be a little better if I raised the overflow about an inch and used a bigger line though, I guess.

Sweet- Your res wont look anything like that bowl. Its just a demonstration. The white piece needs to be placed on your res like these bulkheads on mine. You dont want light getting in there.
Here is my res. The tubes at the bottom go to the blumats, the others go to the main res/water storage. The middle is my overflow line and the top feeds the bucket more water to keep the pressure even. You have to keep the "upper" gravity fed res at an even pressure to avoid having run away drippers and or dry pots. You also get much better pressure and a backup if you use two lines in a loop instead of their stock one line/one bulkhead.

 

[sweetestsin420]

^^ok,no blumats for me,ill stick to handwatering,that just looks WAYYY to damn difficult for me,i though these things were easy??,that looks like some serious diy^^^

 

[TribalSeeds]

^^ok,no blumats for me,ill stick to handwatering,that just looks WAYYY to damn difficult for me,i though these things were easy??,that looks like some serious diy^^^

Honestly, those holes were all made by the same hole saw. The 2 different size ECO PLUS bulkeads fit in the same hole size. If you have a drill, an entire hole saw kit is like $10. The only other work involved is plugging the the tubes in and running them across your room. It actually makes growing a lot less work after the setup. Life changing, really. The biggest advantage is no more runoff. Thats what sealed the deal for me. Watering turns into some back breaking work

 

[RetroGrow]

in this pic>>that little white thing,is that ALL that will go in the rez? View Image

Yes, but rez must be higher as it's gravity fed.....

 

[ak-51]

in this pic>>that little white thing,is that ALL that will go in the rez? View Image

That is a blumat jr. and not what you want. You want the regular blumats. The blumat jr. waters through the cone. I imagine if it were used with nutrients then it would clog up pretty quick.

AK- Are you still using CNS17 with the blumats? I never saw stuff on the bottom of my res when using that stuff.

Yes, I'm still using it. It's not a huge deal. It's just a layer of white sediment on the bottom. When it settles in 12-24 hours the solution is visibly less cloudy than when I first mix it.

^^ok,no blumats for me,ill stick to handwatering,that just looks WAYYY to damn difficult for me,i though these things were easy??,that looks like some serious diy^^^

It's not as hard as it might look.

 

[sweetestsin420]

Tribal,i dont even HAVE a drill,let alone a "hole saw??" lol,uggh,trust me it IS back breaking work..not only that,but sometimes I forget to water,and I have to be up early to water them,it gets old reallyy fast.i dont get WHY you need all that,cant you just use whatever comes in the kit?,like i can put the rez way high,and then just run the lines out of the tub?,like whats with all the holes and tubing and stuff??for that i might as well go with a drip setup,both seem the same in terms of complicated!

can i use them the way that picture shows?with the fish bowl? like just run whatever lines from the top of the rez??without having to drill stuff???thank you and sorry i know im a complete and utter newbie lol

 

[TribalSeeds]

Tribal,i dont even HAVE a drill,let alone a "hole saw??" lol,uggh,trust me it IS back breaking work..not only that,but sometimes I forget to water,and I have to be up early to water them,it gets old reallyy fast.i dont get WHY you need all that,cant you just use whatever comes in the kit?,like i can put the rez way high,and then just run the lines out of the tub?,like whats with all the holes and tubing and stuff??for that i might as well go with a drip setup,both seem the same in terms of complicated!

can i use them the way that picture shows?with the fish bowl? like just run whatever lines from the top of the rez??without having to drill stuff???thank you and sorry i know im a complete and utter newbie lol

Blumats make love to your plants and only give it to them when they want it, exactly how they want it. A drip system relies on a pump and timer. Its totally up to you.
If you want to let your res go for a week or more without doing anything, you will either need to put a huge tank high in the room or use a smaller elevated tank and a larger storage tank on the ground. The extra tubes are just connections to the larger storage res. Its really only a matter of adding a couple more fittings and tubes. It might look complicated until you have it all in front of you. I actually ordered the patio kit to to figure it all out for myself, but never used it. It just seemed easier for me to learn it that way. I had never put together a drip system before this love making machine I have here. I really had no idea how it was going to be until it was done

 

[budman678]

i have a passive rez about 3ft off the ground...only "mod" i have is an air vent running veritcal from the bulkhead...

everything works just fine. i had a bucket of ph'd water ever 5-6 days.

 

[sweetestsin420]

lmao,you guys might as well be speaking an alien language with all those terms "bulkheads,fittings??"...budman,can i see a pic of your rez..does the patio kit come with EVERYTHING i need,i wont have to drill anything?..im not looking for a huge rez,just a 15 gallon walmart tub,i dont want to complicated things please..i just hate handwatering

i dont care if i have to change the rez everyweek,thats fine,as long as i dont have to drill anything