Blumat auto watering

[JumpKickYerGunt]

Someplace in the thread here is a buildup of a travel trailer surge tank (accumulator) that is pressurized with a pump......

Found it - https://www.icmag.com/ic/showpost.php?p=5198162&postcount=2174

Search for Weed, Killer as the poster for the rest of his posts referring to it.

Thanks so much

 

[skyview]

Blumat pumping systems

Blumat pumping systems

We're using two systems like this with the new Shurflo 115 vac "Revolution" pumps, accumulator tanks, and the Blumat pressure regulator. They're really working well.

 

[kalopatchkid]

I set up a blumat system about 2 weeks ago for a 9 plant ScrOG under 400w HPS in an organic water-only super soil, top dressed with grokashi and other goodies, and then covered in two inches of bark mulch. Seems to be doing much better than my first run with the Blumats, now all I do is stare at my plants because I dont need to hand water anymore.

 

[Lesterburnum]

Damn good thread. I have been thinking of these for a while and now you guys have answered all my questions and concerns.
Good job and thanks a ton!

 

[Hemphrey Bogart]

Got a mailer from Costco and it turns out they're carrying the 12 pack patio kits! If you have a costco membership or know someone who does, you can order them online from Costco.com.

I ordered mine from overseas and I paid way too much. The set is going for right around 60 bucks at costco right now. I might order another set and try them outside.

HB.

 

[rives]

Got a mailer from Costco and it turns out they're carrying the 12 pack patio kits! If you have a costco membership or know someone who does, you can order them online from Costco.com.

I ordered mine from overseas and I paid way too much. The set is going for right around 60 bucks at costco right now. I might order another set and try them outside.

HB.

Good find. Did you happen to notice when the sale is good through? Costco must have some stoners with a sense of humor working there.....

"Valid 3/27/14 through 4/20/14. While supplies last."

 

[silver hawaiian]

 

[Hemphrey Bogart]

Good find. Did you happen to notice when the sale is good through? Costco must have some stoners with a sense of humor working there.....

"Valid 3/27/14 through 4/20/14. While supplies last."

Hah, good catch, rives! LOL. I know they have at least one stoner working for them, but she's not in the marketing/advertising department.

HB.

 

[skyview]

A very serious stoner with sense of humor - an "Indoor Gardening & Hydroponics" section on costco.com with Blumats, grow tents, cloners, lights... -
http://www.costco.com/indoor-gardening.html

 

[TheDonSE]

Hi all,

I actually posted the following question over in the coco form: https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=283005, but maybe it is best suited here so i will ask again

I have a question regarding the Blumat digital, from people that have been growing in coco and using the Blumat's, what have you found to be the optimal reading one should be getting?

Thanks in advance, and please feel free to read my other post ;-)

 

[Discorilla]

You guys think three of those Deck and Patio Kits would completely cover 16 five gallon buckets with everything included? I'm trying to find the cheapest way to make the conversion, but I don't have much of a checklist to go off of.

 

[generalgrievous]

It sounds as though you may have skipped over the directions on how to set the blumats up. The easiest way that I've found to do the initial setup is to submerge the spike, with the cap off, and let it soak over night. According to the directions, a couple of hours should do it, but I used to put them in water the day before I planned on using them - now, I just store them in a jar of water.

After the spike is saturated, take a syringe and blast any air bubbles out of the spike that may be hanging around the bottom side of the plastic ring. The cap should be held under water and use a syringe to squirt water into the holes in the underside of the cap, purging any air bubbles out. While still holding everything submerged, screw the cap onto the spike and tighten it up.

The easiest way get the moisture level set properly is to pre-moisten your media to the moisture content that you want. Insert the spike into the media, and make sure that the media is making good contact with the spike. I use coco with perlite added, so I pull the spike out and fill the hole with straight coco, then push the spike back in. If you do this several times, you can get a good, tight fit between the media and the spike - if it is loose, the spike does a poor job of sensing the moisture content and you will get more runaways. It also helps to "water in" the spike - pouring water over the top of it and soaking the media immediately surrounding it so that any aeration or voids are removed.

At this point, I let the plant sit for a couple of hours or so with the water turned off to the blumats. This allows the spike to set itself to the moisture content that it is sensing. After 2-3 hours, turn the water supply on to the blumats and adjust the cap to where you get a clinging drip. This will adjust it pretty damn close to the moisture level in the pot - any drier and the blumat will start to flow, any wetter and it will close off. You can't really go by how often you are getting a drip - they react in their own time.

It will normally take a good week to 10 days to get them completely dialed in, and it sounds as though your adjustments have been far too large - moving the cap a couple of the little hashmarks at a time and allowing it a day or two to see how it reacts is how you want to adjust it. If you are moving it as much as the "V" marks, or more, you are going way too far.

As a very rough guide, I've found that aligning the bottom edge of the adjustment cap with the upper edge of pointer comes pretty damn close to where mine usually run. This can be seen in the picture below.

Good luck.

View Image

..mighty fine post ..thnx for that...

 

[StennyH]

What's the best container, about 50 gallons, for a main rez? It needs to be longer than it is tall for my purposes. Would a Rubbermaid roughneck tote work well? http://www.homedepot.com/p/Rubbermaid-54-Gallon-Roughneck-Hi-Top-Tote-FG3A05H2MICBL/100673965

This is for an outdoor application. I love my constant water pressure system with one reservoir feeding another, but I won't be relying on a pump because it's outside, so I plan to elevate both and use a float valve, and I have limited height to work with, hence the need for a not very tall main rez.

I'm hoping to pick up the roughneck tote at home depot tonight barring any objection or better recommendations from you veterans.

Thanks so much!

 

[Lapides]

I have blumats connected to a 4 of my mother plants. They're in 5 gallon smarties, but they are each about 5.5ft high and about 2.5-3ft around. I have a 5 gallon bucket with a float valve for their rez.

If the rez is constantly being topped off, theoretically you could most likely get away using a 1 gallon rez. The one you posted should be just fine.

 

[StennyH]

Thanks - yeah, I'm trying to not have to top off the water very often. The only reason I'm even using blumats is to avoid hand watering. A 50 gallon rez feeding a smaller rez with a float valve would let me leave my 14 or so plant alone for at least 2 weeks. Won't be easy elevating the 50 gallons though, that's for sure!! I'll probably have to make several trips from the sink with a smaller container and pour it into the big rez, but at least I can do it on my own damn time!

 

[marcfl]

Urgent Help!!!

Urgent Help!!!

Hello,
I am new to iCmag and need urgent help and a quick reply! I have the blumat juniors and installed them like the directions/forums said it. I soaked them in water for a long time and after closed them while still being submerged. I then stuck them in my soil, watered well as it was said in this forum and then left them alone to see what would happen. I installed 8 Blumats with seven 5 liter bottles as a reservoir. I made markings of the water level after installation. The water level has yet to change after 1 day and the soil is getting dry… i don't know if i missed any important step so I looked everywhere to try and find anything i could have missed. This is very important as I am leaving tomorrow morning and my babes can not go without watering for that prolonged amount of time. I was really counting on these things and they have yet to start working.. Any response is greatly appreciate!
Happy 4/20 and easter to all my fellow stoners

Greetings
Marc

 

[skyview]

Hi Marc and welcome to icmag!
Most of the discussions here are about the Tropf Blumat, not the Blumat juniors.
You can use the juniors like this but it's different and usually not nearly as effective.
With the Juniors, you control the water flow by the height of the water container - higher for more water, lower for less. If your soil is dry, try raising your water bottles.
And if it's been that long, you should also check the water in the Juniors to make sure it's still at the top.

 

[marcfl]

Thank you very much for the reply! It's exactly what I thought, that the res needs to be higher then the soil (as with for example the auto pot), but my friend kept telling me I was doing it wrong and that the water had to be below the soil. I will rearrange things again when I get home later. I will make another post saying if it works or not.

 

[rives]

The Jr's operate off of a siphon action, so the supply has to be above the discharge point. As skyview said, the higher the reservoir is, the higher the flow rate will be.

 

[sunnydog]

I knew this would happen, and i prepared. Finally it has happened, and i get to see what kind of safety margin i have when a full reservoir dumps into the plant overnight.

View Image

(yes i know, way more coco than i need...)

I'm lovin the setup. This grow has been a side-by-side of two bluedream clones, one DWC, the other coco/blumat/smartpot. (v-scrog/PLL/KISS) Removing the bulky DWC reservoir will give me room to stick a humidifier in there, the only real weakness of this cab as far as i can see. (And then, only in winter when im not running the swamp cooler.)

Blumats in general and this thread are what convinced me to give coco a try after years of DWC. Fuckin love it.

Your drip hose looks a bit long......