How to modify autopots: Easyfeed for drippers?

[toenail22]

Hi

The questions in the title, basically I have an Alien easyfeed but am having issues with bottom feeding, one of my floats seems to be blocked, have cleaned it and have raised my tank for more pressure but doesnt seem to have made a difference, also I would like to feed more than once a day, a few smaller feeds rather than one big feed. I saw Cultivator had similar issues with this system and decided to modify the system with drippers, but he doesn't quite say exactly how how did it, ie he used a pump for pressure but didnt say where he attached the pump, how he stopped the water comming through if he wasnt using the original timer which cuts the flow of water ect, so really im looking for a guide on how to carry out this mod. I would have messaged Cultivator directly but it seems hes not been here for a while

thanks

 

[Old Salt]

First to the forum!

Replace the supplied timer with a ball valve.
You have two options for the suction line from the pump. You can install the in-line filter on the ball valve, or you can drop a suction line into the reservoir. Either way will work.

The pump? I've just ordered an automatic RV pump that limits the pressure to 35PSI / 2.5bar. It's 12VDC, so I needed a 12VDC power supply for it. You'll want a normally closed electrical valve inline after the pump to block the water when the pump is off. Both the pump and normally closed valve are powered by a timer.

The timer I use is a multi-funtional one from Permanent Industries. I sourced it through Amazon. This timer can be set to come on up to three times per day, and using the interval function, that time can be accurate to the second.

Multi-Functional Timer​

Drippers can be a DIY loop of irrigation tubing with multiple small holes in it, a commercial drip ring, or individual drippers. My first drippers were DIY. I found they clogged too easily. I'm using adjustable drippers now, but find them to be a pain to calibrate. I'f just ordered fixed flow drippers that operate from 20 - 45 PSI (1.4=3.1 bar).

What flow rate for the drippers? That depends on how many you have feeding the pot, and how quickly you want to apply the water. I went with four 4lph / 1GPH drippers. (4 x 4000 /60 ≈ 250ml/min or 1 cup per minute, per plant)

Irrigation tubing and fittings are used to connect the drippers to the pump via a manifold.

You will also need to figure something out to get rid of the run off from the plant trays.

MY original solution is here. I have more parts coming, so my updated design will not be available until I get the system built.

 

[toenail22]

Hi

Thanks for the reply, I have a wet vac I can use for the run off so not a problem. Electricity not a problem, the main reason I switched to Easyfeeds were due to height restrictions, before that was using Wilma systems, which to be honest I prefer over these autopot things, they just require less upkeep and aren't the flood risk these things seem to be