Blumat auto watering

[rives]

If Blumats are once activated in water they do not stop giving water as long as the soil around them has less moisture than Blumat himself.
place container lower or higher to control the amount of outflow.
max outflow is 250/300ml/24h
min outflow is 70ml/24h
Blumat is not really a sensor...
5blumats in 1 gallon coco/soil pot and a swimmingpool of water and you can flood your house... will take long but theoretically possible

Once again, you are confusing the Jr.'s with the Tropf Blumats.

Yes, the Tropf is a sensor. Yes, it will shut completely off, so the minimum flow = zero. No, placing the container higher or lower doesn't appreciably impact the Tropf (it will self-adjust to throttle higher pressures up to a maximum of about 15 psi, but the response will get mushy when the feed pressure is too low).

This is a Tropf Blumat. Notice that it has a brown adjustment cap for varying the volume from the discharge hose, and is designed to connect to a feed line -

This is the Tropf Blumat's pinch valve (hose removed) which regulates the flow from zero to maximum -

No, the Jr. is not a sensor. No, it will not shut completely off. Yes, varying the pot elevation vs the reservoir changes the flow rate.

These are Blumat Jrs.. They have a green cap, are not adjustable at the spike, discharge directly through the ceramic spike into the media, and the feed line has a weight on it to help hold it on the bottom of a reservoir -

You guys really do need to find out what the hell you are talking about before cluttering up the thread with this bullshit.

 

[Lapides]

232 pages and people still can't seem to understand. I am convinced that people, as a whole, are fucking morons. Theoretically

 

[rives]

"You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Lapides again."

Bingo.

 

[silver hawaiian]

232 pages and people still can't seem to understand. I am convinced that people, as a whole, are fucking morons. Theoretically

"You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Lapides again."

Bingo.

Other bros, do you even intelligence?

 

[komboloi]

You guys really do need to find out what the hell you are talking about before cluttering up the thread with this bullshit.

This applies to 99% of the posts I read in MJ cultivation forums.

 

[komboloi]

I am convinced that people, as a whole, are fucking morons.

And this applies to that same 99%.

 

[skyview]

cannaisok, I remember 30+ years back, those Blumat Juniors were all there was and we had to make due. Now though, as people have already mentioned these are mainly just used for indoor house plants.

 

[downtoearth]

Greetings. I'm about to pull the trigger on a Blumat system. In my cart now, I have these items. Am I missing something? Also, I will be using one of those blue 50 gallon "rain" barrels as my res. What is the purpose of having 2 connections into/out of the res? Versus just one? What did you use as a bleeder valve? I have never used any drip system before so I'm just trying to stop any issues before they arise. Many thanks again. Peace.

Tropf Blumat Ceramic Automatic Watering Patio Deck & Balcony Set
Blumat 30504 Water Supply Tube, 32.8-Feet, White
Blumat 3 mm Micro Drip Tube, 30 M (98.4')
Blumat 32102 Shut-off Valve for 8mm Water Systems

 

[rives]

I like to have extra fittings around, but I have multiple systems and change things around a lot.

If you are in a square tent and want to keep the feed line up tight against the sides, some extra 90's will allow you to make square corners. If you are setting up "arteries" off of the main line to get between rows of plants, some additional "T"s would be a good idea.

I wind up using several extra valves on each installation, but it's mainly for convenience. One at each reservoir connection, one (or 2 if fed from each end) that shut off the feed loop inside the tent, and one for the air bleed. I put a piece of flexible tubing on the end of the air bleed and it can be used to hand-water the plants if you want to.

I used two of the "rain barrel" fittings on one of my systems to feed the spikes from each end in case of a trapped air pocket causing a blockage, pressure loss from multiple spikes calling for flow, or whatever. However, my other systems all have a single fitting at the reservoir and have never had a problem.

I ran the feed loop down into the grow areas, circled around the perimeter to feed the spikes, and then ran back uphill a bit to the air bleed valve so that the trapped air bubbles would move toward the bleed valve.

 

[Lapides]

I use multiple fittings on my rez to reduce the overall length of my feeder lines so that I don't have to have the rez on the roof of my house to maintain the recommended 1 foot above the plants for every 10 feet of feeder tube for effective gravity feed.

Wow, I'm super baked, I hope that made sense

 

[silver hawaiian]

I use multiple fittings on my rez to reduce the overall length of my feeder lines so that I don't have to have the rez on the roof of my house to maintain the recommended 1 foot above the plants for every 10 feet of feeder tube for effective gravity feed.

Wow, I'm super baked, I hope that made sense

Doesn't seem to matter around here

Besides

Did you really make SENSE?

 

[Lapides]

Oh no he didn't....

 

[StennyH]

I recommend extra fittings in your reservoir. Having two effectively doubles your water pressure in your system, which is definitely going to help you, if not just so that you won't have to keep your giant reservoir as high in the air.

 

[rives]

I recommend extra fittings in your reservoir. Having two effectively doubles your water pressure in your system, which is definitely going to help you, if not just so that you won't have to keep your giant reservoir as high in the air.

Sorry, but this is incorrect.

Water pressure is created by the height of the column of water extending between the reservoir surface and the point of discharge. You will get .433 psi per foot of elevation, and it doesn't change whether you have an 8mm line or a 6" pipe, or multiple lines, or enlarging the surface area of the reservoir.

The only time that multiple feed points will increase your water pressure is during times of high flow - if there is more demand for water than can be supplied by a single inlet, then feeding the loop from both ends will certainly help.

What many of us have done to avoid the "giant reservoir in the air" is to use a small reservoir up high to supply the pressure, and a large reservoir down low to keep the small one topped off. If you use a large overflow returning to the lower reservoir, you don't need a float switch or any controls other than a timer - you just turn the lift pump on frequently enough to keep the upper reservoir full on a worst-case basis, and let the excess drain back to the lower reservoir.

 

[Lapides]

rives, i think he is sorta correct, as I believe he re-iterated what i said.

Having two effectively doubles THE LENGTH OF FEEDER TUBE YOU CAN RUN

 

[rives]

rives, i think he is sorta correct, as I believe he re-iterated what i said.

Having two effectively doubles THE LENGTH OF FEEDER TUBE YOU CAN RUN

Yes, but it's not because of increasing the pressure, it's the result of decreasing the pressure drop.

The internal friction of the line is going to limit the maximum potential flow. By feeding the line from both ends, this pressure loss can be reduced but the static pressure (no flow) will remain the same whether it is fed from one end vs multiple feed points.

 

[Yesca73]

well I just got my patio set from Costco . I was surprised that Costco has a Hydroponic section now.
I have read thru the first 80 pages on this thread
So is everybody still running these Blumats ?
Now that people have had them for a few years now what do u think ?
I am planning on using in a tent grow either with smart pots or airpots(i have both)
I want to use w coco though I am not too experienced with it
I could use FFOF
I have some sample of Botanicare KIND that i got @SFexpo that I would like to use

 

[skyview]

well I just got my patio set from Costco . I was surprised that Costco has a Hydroponic section now.
I have read thru the first 80 pages on this thread
So is everybody still running these Blumats ?
Now that people have had them for a few years now what do u think ?
I am planning on using in a tent grow either with smart pots or airpots(i have both)
I want to use w coco though I am not too experienced with it
I could use FFOF
I have some sample of Botanicare KIND that i got @SFexpo that I would like to use

I think for most people, the more they use Blumats, the more ways they find to use them. I started off with using them for my cannabis plants now have them in my house plants, vegetable garden, outside hanging pots, even some landscaping ground cover.

I think they're great in airpots which with hand watering or even drip tend to let the water leak out the sides before it can get to the roots. Blumats drip so slowly you don't have to worry about that. Blumats and cocoa are a great match because of the capillary action.

I talked to a Botanicare salesrep about Blumats last year. He's been using Blumats with almost all their different products for years and says they work fantastic together.

 

[StennyH]

Yes, but it's not because of increasing the pressure, it's the result of decreasing the pressure drop.

The internal friction of the line is going to limit the maximum potential flow. By feeding the line from both ends, this pressure loss can be reduced but the static pressure (no flow) will remain the same whether it is fed from one end vs multiple feed points.

Unsurprisingly, Rives is right and I was wrong. It helps you get more even pressure with longer tubing, but it doesn't help you set the reservoir any lower. I didn't mean to mislead you, downtoearth.

I use a constant pump system in my indoor set up, as Rives suggested, and for my outdoor setup I just elevate my giant reservoir which feeds a smaller one right beneath it which has a float valve to maintain constant pressure.

 

[skyview]

In systems with small numbers of plants, I don't think the pressure differences between the beginning of a run and the end make much difference. The first sensor will put out more water at first but when that plant has enough water, the higher flow rate will just go to the second one. For the other reasons mentioned before though, I still really like the loop method.