DIY auto watering systems?

[Crane]

I have a bit of a crisis on my hands; due to unforeseen circumstances a relative is moving in to live with us for some months. I have my closet grow underway, the setup is stealthy enough otherwise, but I'm afraid that I won't be able to attend to the plants (i.e open the closet) every day, and I would need ideas for self-watering contraptions.

 

[philthegeek]

link on my sig to the setup i use. Tray based and uses Autopot Smartvalves which i have found very reliable. All mechanical so no timers involved. Gravity feed from a 20l jerry can on the shelf.

 

[Crane]

Thanks!

 

[Weaselcracker]

Here are some pics of one of the last incarnations of my watering system. It’s been through a couple variations since then but the basic system is straightforward and works great.
In order- Timer, reservoir (garbage can) small electric pump, hose to watering manifold (splits from garden hose size line down to several 1/4” lines), 1/4” lines, then whatever dropper/sprayer attachments you want to add at the ends.
In my case I just leave the lines open to get around risk of clogging.
If you have water on hand and can just hook up a garden hose you can obviously skip the pump and reservoir.

 

[gr865]

OK, just made a change to the irrigation system. Day 25 of veg. Increased the rez from a two rez system with a capacity of 15 to 20 gallons to a single 35 gallon rez, running around 25 gallons in the tank.
Went with a 12V, 1 gallon per minute, @ 80 psi, 120V to 12V reducer and a 30 psi pressure reducer.

A bit cleaner setup, no more drip ring, using adjustable stream heads.

This manifold is from my original setup from years ago when I was growing in my DIY cabinet, I kept it and glad I did.

Got roots? Just love my Smart Pots, Canna Coco and Great White!

Did a test run, this new system seems to wet the medium more even than past methods.
The plants are, as stated previously, very Indica dominate. One is 21 inches, two more of the 5 are just under that and the last two are around 16 inches. As fast as they took off after germination I expect them to be growing more.
If you have grown Big Buddha Cheese what are your experiences?

GR

 

[ClobberWatts]

OK, just made a change to the irrigation system. Day 25 of veg. Increased the rez from a two rez system with a capacity of 15 to 20 gallons to a single 35 gallon rez, running around 25 gallons in the tank.
Went with a 12V, 1 gallon per minute, @ 80 psi, 120V to 12V reducer and a 30 psi pressure reducer.

A bit cleaner setup, no more drip ring, using adjustable stream heads.

This manifold is from my original setup from years ago when I was growing in my DIY cabinet, I kept it and glad I did.

Got roots? Just love my Smart Pots, Canna Coco and Great White!

Did a test run, this new system seems to wet the medium more even than past methods.
The plants are, as stated previously, very Indica dominate. One is 21 inches, two more of the 5 are just under that and the last two are around 16 inches. As fast as they took off after germination I expect them to be growing more.
If you have grown Big Buddha Cheese what are your experiences?

GR

What are the tips that you are using?

 

[gr865]

What are the tips that you are using?

You mean the emitters?
They are Rainbird Xeri-Bubbler - Full-Circle Umbrella Pattern on a 5 in. Spike
8 streams.

 

[ClobberWatts]

Rainbird Xeri-Bubbler

I'm just lost on this stuff. I've always been an ebb and flow guy with pretty much the same mixture as it looks like in your photos of perlite/coco, I'm assuming. Last run I did it ebb with drip system on top. I wanted the tops of my buckets to get the water since ebb never gets to the top. Bad move. Ended up over watering. Anyways... what are your spikes? This is what I want and I'm a noob on this even thought I've been doing it for 20yrs I want your system. Looks perfect under a tray. Was going to go with the floraflex shit, but it is so expensive for some dumb ass shit. Oops, nevermind. They got the spikes already. You rule bro. All over this stuff. You got a recommendation for a manifold?

 

[Weaselcracker]

Here are some pics of one of the last incarnations of my watering system. It’s been through a couple variations since then but the basic system is straightforward and works great.
In order- Timer, reservoir (garbage can) small electric pump, hose to watering manifold (splits from garden hose size line down to several 1/4” lines), 1/4” lines, then whatever dropper/sprayer attachments you want to add at the ends.
In my case I just leave the lines open to get around risk of clogging.
If you have water on hand and can just hook up a garden hose you can obviously skip the pump and reservoir.

Wtf...
I never noticed that my pics never made it on to that post.


Here’s one incarnation of the contraption. Just a down and dirty thing thrown together from random stuff as you can see. Like I said it gets re-rigged a lot. I think this one was for a solo cup grow. Usually the 1/4” lines are longer, to cover a whole room.

I ended up drilling out the flow-rate valves - which are under the bumps on top of the manifold. They never really worked and were just one more place to clog, Since my grow isn’t all that clean and I run on rainwater that sometimes gets bits of crap in it, the less fiddly parts to clog up, the better.
the manifold and all the fittings that came with the kit are just cheap-ass junk. I never came across a good quality version so can’t recommend a good manifold myself.

 

[gr865]

I'm just lost on this stuff. I've always been an ebb and flow guy with pretty much the same mixture as it looks like in your photos of perlite/coco, I'm assuming. Last run I did it ebb with drip system on top. I wanted the tops of my buckets to get the water since ebb never gets to the top. Bad move. Ended up over watering. Anyways... what are your spikes? This is what I want and I'm a noob on this even thought I've been doing it for 20yrs I want your system. Looks perfect under a tray. Was going to go with the floraflex shit, but it is so expensive for some dumb ass shit. Oops, nevermind. They got the spikes already. You rule bro. All over this stuff. You got a recommendation for a manifold?

Orbit 67000 Apollo 8 Manifold

Orbit 67000 8 Port Adj Flow Manifold

Good luck buddy.

 

[ClobberWatts]

So you can take that thing apart and clean it out?

 

[Weaselcracker]

Yeah the smaller bumps on the top which I called flow rate valves, unscrew and can be removed. Also the larger bump in the middle comes off and has a little bit of foam material for a filter in there. So you can flush it out. But it’s not a system that’s forgiving of any sort of debris in the water, especially when you put all those little sprayer fittings on the ends.

 

[gr865]

Weasel is right, it can be taken apart and cleaned. To date no problems but my solution is very clean. I use all Canna nutes and they are clean.
Just have to make sure when I use rain water that there is no trash in it, I strain it prior to it going in the rez.

Thanks Weazzzzz!

 

[ClobberWatts]

Yeah the smaller bumps on the top which I called flow rate valves, unscrew and can be removed. Also the larger bump in the middle comes off and has a little bit of foam material for a filter in there. So you can flush it out. But it’s not a system that’s forgiving of any sort of debris in the water, especially when you put all those little sprayer fittings on the ends.

So the bubblers are adjustable. Why would I need a manifold? If the pump has a filter and I am just straight water.. just run a hose with some barbs plugged into it.

 

[Weaselcracker]

I’m not sure, by ‘barbs’ whether you mean to attach watering emitters straight to the hose, or attach fittings for multiple lines to the hose. I imagine either one would work- though that may be a little more awkward to conform to the layout of your containers, depending on your setup.

 

[bluter]

I’m not sure, by ‘barbs’ whether you mean to attach watering emitters straight to the hose, or attach fittings for multiple lines to the hose. I imagine either one would work- though that may be a little more awkward to conform to the layout of your containers, depending on your setup.

he's just describing building his own non-adjustable open manifold. i used to build them for top drip hydo systems over 25 years ago.

So the bubblers are adjustable. Why would I need a manifold? If the pump has a filter and I am just straight water.. just run a hose with some barbs plugged into it.

the reason is the manifold pictured are all flow adjusted so each drip line receives the same pressure and flow rate. this ensures each plant gets the same amount at feeding time. that is near impossible to do with a self build. besides, the manifolds are cheap, and can save a pile of work.

 

[philthegeek]

"all flow adjusted so each drip line receives the same pressure and flow rate. this ensures each plant gets the same amount at feeding time. "

Try these.

Online PC Drippers - Netafim

What we use in a GH (or something similar) when we need same same water over a lot of plants on a bench. fora pump fed system you would have to look at minimum line pressure though.

 

[Weaselcracker]

need same same water over a lot of plants on a bench. fora pump fed system you would have to look at minimum line pressure though

This was the conclusion I came to as well. The system is really designed to work with reasonably high pressure. A small electric pump doesn’t really cut it. This is partly why, besides the clogging issue, I skip the emitters and removed the flow valves on the manifold, and opened them all up wide elsewhere in the lines. Pressure from a 185gph pump isn’t enough.
Open one valve wide, and the flow from rest of the lines is affected. Adjust those... and the rest are affected. And so on. The fun died pretty early on in this little game of Wack-a-mole.

 

[gr865]

This was the conclusion I came to as well. The system is really designed to work with reasonably high pressure. A small electric pump doesn’t really cut it. This is partly why, besides the clogging issue, I skip the emitters and removed the flow valves on the manifold, and opened them all up wide elsewhere in the lines. Pressure from a 185gph pump isn’t enough.
Open one valve wide, and the flow from rest of the lines is affected. Adjust those... and the rest are affected. And so on. The fun died pretty early on in this little game of Wack-a-mole.

Weaz, guess it depend on your volume needs, this 1 gph @ 80 psi is very sufficient for my set up of 5 plants, now when I take the clones and try a 15 to 20 plant ruin that may be different. Wil let you know.

 

[Weaselcracker]

I didn’t need more water volume, just got the feeling that the emitters, and especially the flow rate valves, weren’t actually working the way they should - because of low pressure. I think if I had it hooked to regular town-style water pressure I wouldn’t have had to do so much pissing around trying to balance out the lines so they were all emitting at the same rate, if you know what I mean. Amd the sprayers probably would have sprayed in a more satisfying manner...