Somebody sell me on Blumats

[Buckeyetoker]

Ive gotta go on vacation a few times this year coming up and Im looking for something automated while Im gone. What are you using and why?

 

[Gentlemancorpse]

Funny enough Im in the process of saving up for a couple packs so I can try And get setup for 16 plants... but the one thing I havent quite wrapped my head around is how im going to suspend a large enough resevoir, high enough up. Id use a plastic boat fuel tank but theyre so expensive. But something like a 20 gallon tote is so tall, and I have so little head height, it will only be like two feet above the soil surface. And then theres the question of filling it. Would have to take it down every time.

If i went with an active system with pumps then the reservoir could sit on the ground and be larger and easier to fill. But then im reliant on having power and pumps are loud. And its just overall more complicated.

And this little thought circle has kept me hand watering for years but Ive decided to pull the trigger on the blumats, just need to raise some more funds.

 

[Lester Moor]

I tried the blumats...some people like them. They didn't work for me, tried these over head ring dripper things - sucked ass! . I like simple. It took me several attempts and wasted $ but I finally found what I like (for when I am out of town) no drippers, just an open line. On a timer with second intervals. Been working like a charm. Again...this is while I am out of town not my regular watering...pics on the way....reservoir is bit empty...but I am not on vacation lol....just poke a hole in the out going line at the apex or it won't stop watering.

 

[Lester Moor]

Then set your timer at intervals so the water slowly saturated the soil.

 

[DemonTrich]

I'm in the same boat. I usually fill the drip trays just before I leave 90% full (I water all moms night before). I can get 7 days before they start feeling light. 10 days and they need the trays refilled. My guy who used to do this for me moved 1.5hrs north of me. I'm heading to Florida for 16 days in June. So gotta figure something out.

 

[SCJedi]

27 gallon black and yellow tote filled with Jack's 3.2.1 ph 5.9 sitting on a wire rack shelf, elevated.

Install two tropf bulkhead connectors toward the bottom to feed a loop of their red tubing. Put a quick release shut off about a foot in on each side (makes pulled res out a lot easier). Half way through loop, at the furthest point, put a bleeder valve.

Connect your soaked and filled carrots, saturate your coco pots, and open the carrot to bleed air and pull back flow to a hanging drop. Many folks will tell you to dial it back a notch or two but don't. Run jacks into coco and let it run off a little bit. Wet media.

A 27g tote will keep a 5x5 wet fkr two weeks in good climate. The carrots only activate if the media begins to dry so it is literally On-Demand. It really doesnt get much better for small grows. Thanks can come later.

PS. Don't walk away but check regularly for runaways. Once they are set, rhen you can forget.

 

[Gentlemancorpse]

their red tubing

Is the red tubing necessary? My kit came with the black tubing, didnt know if there was a major difference.

Also, how high off the ground would you out the reservoir?

 

[SCJedi]

Is the red tubing necessary? My kit came with the black tubing, didnt know if there was a major difference.

Also, how high off the ground would you out the reservoir?

Colors may differ now but red tubing is approx 1/4" and black microtubing is really small, like 1/8" and is the one pulled through the top of the carrot.

I've been in pretty heated discussions about pressure on lines but if you look at the pressure regulator they sell its only something like 8-10psi which isn't much. I put a 27g tote about waist high on a wire rack so it was up about 3-4 feet off the floor. That should be plenty.

Don't run out of water, and bleed air and therefore monitor for runaways between res changes.

Edit: red tubing is 8mm and black tubing is 3mm. Black connects to red with fittings and feeds carrots, micro drippers or drip tape.

 

[SCJedi]

I like blumats because they require no power but there is no reason that you couldn't use a small pump to provide the required pressure for the carrots to work properly. However, at that point you might as well throw a timer and netafims inline.