Blumat auto watering

[Canniwhatsis]

This thread and the references within were all I needed to make the investment, get set up and rolling,.... Right now I can say that blumats are the best thing I've done to my grow!

 

[silver hawaiian]

My maxi's arrived yesterday Gonna jam out some 15 gals

 

[Vaporetti]

You are making this way more difficult than it needs to be. Pick up a step bit, commonly used in electrical work, and drill a couple of practice holes in some scrap material. If the fitting just slips through the hole without a lot of extra room, that is the size that you want. Carefully debur the edges with a knife or some sandpaper, install the fitting, and voila.

Cheap step bit -
http://www.harborfreight.com/1-4-qu...r-inch-high-speed-steel-step-drill-44460.html

Okay. I'm making this "way to hard." sunnydog said on page one of this thread that he could not recommend Tropf Blumat. Ever since page one everyone "seems" to love them. I shelled out the $85 for the Patio Deck & Balcony Set. I tinkered with it last night. Thankfully, I checked the grow tent before I hit the sack. One tub with two new strains were flooded. The clean up and laundry is real fun. The black feeder hose is too stiff, its too black, the directions that come with it are just more hype. I think this setup is cheap and made for hucksters. More power to you if you can make it work out of the box. Bet you can't unless you watch it every hour of every day.

 

[rives]

Okay. I'm making this "way to hard." sunnydog said on page one of this thread that he could not recommend Tropf Blumat. Ever since page one everyone "seems" to love them. I shelled out the $85 for the Patio Deck & Balcony Set. I tinkered with it last night. Thankfully, I checked the grow tent before I hit the sack. One tub with two new strains were flooded. The clean up and laundry is real fun. The black feeder hose is too stiff, its too black, the directions that come with it are just more hype. I think this setup is cheap and made for hucksters. More power to you if you can make it work out of the box. Bet you can't unless you watch it every hour of every day.

Well, you aren't going to slap a system together and get it right the first time. There are definitely some rules that you need to learn and follow, but I have 2-3 small systems running most the time (mom cabinet + 1 or 2 small tents, average around 14 spikes or so total) without many issues. Runaways are pretty rare - I seem to get one about once a year anymore, and it's usually from not having watched some new girls long enough before I have to go out of town. I'm gone 10-12 days every month, so unless I'm keeping close track of the timing I can screw myself.

I've got mine set up so that any overflow either goes down a shower drain or there is a catch-reservoir that holds slightly more than the supply reservoir. The hose is too stiff to make tight bends, you need to use fittings. Plumbing the supply line so that you can bleed off air pockets is critical, and have the supply fed from both ends is helpful.

 

[Eighths-n-Aces]

Well, you aren't going to slap a system together and get it right the first time.

i very respectfully disagree rives!

IMHO anybody who actually takes the time to read this thread (yes the whole thread) and then asks a few questions if they have some type of situation that the thread does not cover, can make it work just fine right out of the box.

it is a huge thread but the information you need is there. i'm glad i invested the time to read it because i don't have the time to struggle with things.

blumats work great if you understand and follow the rules

if reading english is an issue you can filter it down to posts by sunnydog, lazyman, lapides, rives, rrog and heady blunts among others that slip my stoned mind and still have plenty to read

 

[rives]

i very respectfully disagree rives!

IMHO anybody who actually takes the time to read this thread (yes the whole thread) and then asks a few questions if they have some type of situation that the thread does not cover, can make it work just fine right out of the box.

it is a huge thread but the information you need is there. i'm glad i invested the time to read it because i don't have the time to struggle with things.

blumats work great if you understand and follow the rules

if reading english is an issue you can filter it down to posts by sunnydog, lazyman, lapides, rives, rrog and heady blunts among others that slip my stoned mind and still have plenty to read

Absolutely, the critical words in my post were "slap together". Considering Vaporetti's question up above about making the hole in the reservoir, I think that it is a pretty safe bet that he hasn't done what you suggest. There has been a pretty serious effort made here to chronicle the issues and answers related to Blumat usage, and there is a very high likelihood that any problem Vaporetti is bumping into has been answered multiple times.

 

[Swayze]

Hey guys,

I've been reading this thread and have wanted blumats for a while so I ordered the deck and patio kit a week or so ago. I got it all set up yesterday I'm looking forward to not over/underwatering again.

And here is a pic of 4 of them set up in my 20 gallon smart pot with recycled/no-till living soil and some good ol' cannna mulch. Just regulars, no maxi's.

thanks for all the help and insight icmaggalites

 

[ThaMagnificent]

Nice Swayze! How do the 4 hold up watering the big 20 gal?

 

[Globule]

Okay. I'm making this "way to hard." sunnydog said on page one of this thread that he could not recommend Tropf Blumat. Ever since page one everyone "seems" to love them. I shelled out the $85 for the Patio Deck & Balcony Set. I tinkered with it last night. Thankfully, I checked the grow tent before I hit the sack. One tub with two new strains were flooded. The clean up and laundry is real fun. The black feeder hose is too stiff, its too black, the directions that come with it are just more hype. I think this setup is cheap and made for hucksters. More power to you if you can make it work out of the box. Bet you can't unless you watch it every hour of every day.

Hey there Vaporetti

Sounds like you're a bit stuck about where you could be going wrong getting your Blumats setup.

Can I suggest perhaps describing exactly what you actually did to try to setup your Blumats rather than saying things like 'tinkered with them last night' as I have a feeling your version of 'tinkering' might be quite different to the rest of us who have managed to get them working out of the box.

Lots of dudes here happy to help you get these little beauties working properly but maybe just focus on describing the actions you performed to set them up which will make it easier for the rest of us to pinpoint where you might need to 'tinker'...

Peace
Globs

 

[Fou]

Hello There!!
Blumat is the shit,i think i will go with it!!
Need some help though....
How many gals of reservoir do i need for the 12 plants set up??I got 3 gallons pots...

 

[nachoconqueso]

Does anyone remember where they sell those plastic on/off valves for the main water line? I think I remember them at Home Depot maybe, but I couldn't think of what department they might be in. They're white and have a small blue top to close it off. Its killing me that I can't remember and I need about 3.

 

[Lungy]

Hello There!!
How many gals of reservoir do i need for the 12 plants set up??I got 3 gallons pots...

How long do they need to be unattended for?

 

[Fou]

How long do they need to be unattended for?

I am an outdoor grower m8!!Till now i was visiting the spot 2-3 times per week!!I rly need to lower the visits there!!I usually grow autoflower plants in 3gal pots and they need about 5-6gals of water a week!!
So if i need to visit the spot once a week i need 5gals of reservoir...
If i need to visit once per two weeks i need 10 gals of rsrv...
Am i right??????

 

[rives]

I am an outdoor grower m8!!Till now i was visiting the spot 2-3 times per week!!I rly need to lower the visits there!!I usually grow autoflower plants in 3gal pots and they need about 5-6gals of water a week!!
So if i need to visit the spot once a week i need 5gals of reservoir...
If i need to visit once per two weeks i need 10 gals of rsrv...
Am i right??????

If you are near a pressurized water source, the guys that have been running a pressure reducer rather than a reservoir have been having excellent results.

If you do need a reservoir, keep in mind that the fluctuating level can raise hell with the blumats because of the changes in head pressure. Also, you do not want them running dry for a whole bunch of reasons. I use a self-topping reservoir so that the reservoir level feeding the blumats never changes much. The upper reservoir hold about 4 gallons, the lower reservoir holds a maximum of 20. This feeds up to (4) 3 gallon smart pots, and will easily handle an absence of 2 weeks with a comfortable reserve left.

 

[nachoconqueso]

Anyone ever try these on/off valves? They might fit since the OD of the main tubing is about 5/16.

http://m.homedepot.com/p/Orbit-1-4-in-Barb-Shut-Off-Valve-5-Pack-67404/204463984/

 

[dansbuds]

too small nacho .... a 3/8th inch might be closer to the right size ...... might be .
the tubing sizes that come with the blumats are 8mm & 3mm .... if i remember correctly , you can only use the 8mm fittings on the main line.... nothing here in the states comes close enough .

 

[nachoconqueso]

too small nacho .... a 3/8th inch might be closer to the right size ...... might be .
the tubing sizes that come with the blumats are 8mm & 3mm .... if i remember correctly , you can only use the 8mm fittings on the main line.... nothing here in the states comes close enough .

I was just reading those valves were leaky anyways. I use a 1/4" valve that I got at Home Depot about two years ago, but apparently the manufacturer changed the design and it also leaks. I was told that John Guest makes the quality valve and they do have an 8mm which I was unable to find in the US. I ordered the 1/4" version to see if it fits like my old one does. They appear very similar so when it arrives I'll give an update. FYI a seller on eBay has them cheapest. Part # is PPSV040808W.

 

[Bobbo4200]

 

[silver hawaiian]

If you are near a pressurized water source, the guys that have been running a pressure reducer rather than a reservoir have been having excellent results.

I've been meaning to ask this: In this setup, what are folks doing to mitigate chlorine? Are peeps just not concerned, or is there a rigged-up solution?

 

[rives]

I've been meaning to ask this: In this setup, what are folks doing to mitigate chlorine? Are peeps just not concerned, or is there a rigged-up solution?

No idea. I don't use that method and my water isn't chlorinated anyway. Both Sunnydog and Rrog use pressure reducers, I think, and it seems like Rrog is on well water. Not sure about SD, maybe he'll pop in.