AWS with mini-float

[JamesL]

I really like the diagrams. Great visuals.
Intermediate reservoir could work. It would have to be on the same level with the planters and the float set to the equilibrium water level of the planters so when they drop, it triggers a fill-up. Then you get to run a single line with T's.

Make sure you have a lid for the reservoir. Keep the bugs out...

[elight]

Any thoughts on tubing diameter? Can I really get this done with just 1/4" OD polyethelene tubing all around, or do I need to step up to 3/8" or 1/2"?

Also, can I get away with just barbed fittings like these (from http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/ite...08&catid=465):


... or do I need to step up to more expensive compression fittings like these (from https://www.freshwatersystems.com/p-...on-tee-14.aspx)


Can't wait to get this parts order placed...

[JamesL]

I think you can us 1/4 without any issues. I went with 3/8, primarily because I have a very long run from the spigot. Picked the compression fittings as they go together and come apart easily, apparently without damaging the tubing.
Barbed should be fine, especially if you don't think you have to redo the connections much.

[rnewste]

Make sure you add in 1/4" plastic shut-off valves near the head-end of each feed line. This way, you can turn off a particular feed line at will without any difficulty. They are about $1.00 each at Lowes, or other hardware stores.

Raybo

[JamesL]

Raybo,
What do you think of the downstream issue? is that a real concern?

[rnewste]

If you are mixing different vegetable varieties in the different containers, then I would not use the EarthTainer water reservoir to feed the other containers. Salts and fertilizer for the EarthTainer's plants may not be beneficial (or too potent) for the other types of plants in the remote containers.

So, I still fall back on the scheme the Global Buckets youngsters came up with for this system outlined above. You will have to get a siphon action started initially (hint: put a little bit of water in each container first), then commence the siphon to the individual containers.

Raybo

[elight]

I will start with the barbed fittings and see how they work. They are so cheap (and I am ordering the mini-float valve from the site anyway) that there's little harm in trying.

Ray, do you have a link to the shut-off valves you're talking about? The cheapest ones I can find on the Lowe's website at about $5/each. I am going to swing by on my way home tonight to see what else I can find, though.

[rnewste]

That price *should* be for a bag of 5 units.

Raybo

EDIT: Here is an on-line link. About $0.70 each - - but shipping is high, unless you are getting other items included.

http://www.dripdepot.com/1159

[elight]

Thanks, Ray. With shipping, it's about $10 for 5... still beats the prices elsewhere. And I'll need 5 anyway!

Last question, I swear, before I place this order... how important is it that the OD of the barbed fittings and the ID of the LLDPE tubing match up? I'm finding it difficult to find fittings whose specifications match those of the tubing, even from the same site. The actual size of 1/4" tubing seems like it can vary by quite a bit. We're talking about tenths of an inch here, but I just don't know how much of a difference it makes.

[rnewste]

elight,

There is a primer on the site I posted about actual sizes.

I would also order your other tubing / connector needs from them as when I checked, the shipping remained the same for 2 items - as it is for only one item.

Raybo

[elight]

Ah - the site's tutorial mostly discusses 1/2" tubing, but does say: "1/4" tubing (vinyl and poly) also comes in different sizes however, even different sizes of 1/4" tubing will usually work together." It also recommends that poly is easier to attach to barbed fittings, so I'm going with poly.

The fittings themselves specify that they fit tubing with .156" ID; but the poly 1/4" tubing they sell is .17" ID. I think I'll be OK being off by about a hundredth of an inch... in any case, the barbs themselves are .22", so it should hold fine.

I'm ordering the tubing, fittings and the shut-off valve from dripdepot.com; I'm getting the mini-float valve and 1/2"-to-1/4" barbed elbows (to hopefully connect to a 1/2" grommet on the main reservoir) from usplastic.com. I couldn't find the white nylon elbows specified in the InnTainer guide from either of these sites, so I'll give these a try first. I'll be back in a couple weeks with some pictures of the construction and testing!

[JamesL]

elight,
I found the white nylon elbows from Raybo's Inntainer plans locally at Ace Hardware. They have a lot of stuff in store that I didn't see on their website, nor could I find at Home Depot.
Including clear tubing, etc.

[elight]

With my EarthTainer build complete, I am now starting to experiment with my AWS setup. I have already encountered a pretty big problem: the 1/2"-to-1/4" elbow fittings that allow me to connect from the 1/2" rubber grommet to my 1/4" poly tubing do not fit the tubing.

EDIT: It occurs to me that I could just try a 1/4" grommet, which is what I should have done from the get-go given that I'm using 1/4" tubing. I will try to pick one up from my local hydro shop tomorrow and do some experimenting (specifically to see if I can make do without a barbed connector inserted into the grommet).

EDIT 2: One of my local hydroponic supply stores did carry 1/4" grommets! I inserted one into a 3/8" hole in a test bucket, and inserted the poly tubing directly into it (no fitting). It's been an hour and no leak whatsoever. Crisis averted.

[elight]

Time for an update! My system is complete and my plants (except for one) are planted. Everything seems to be in working order. The gist of the setup is this: a main water reservoir (33 gallon trash can) connected to an intermediate reservoir (small plastic storage box) with a mini-float, attached to the SWCs. The tubing that goes from the intermediate reservoir to the SWCs connects to the containers at the lowest possible point. It is important that the tubing remain below the water level at all times, or the water will not make its way through to the containers.

Here's a big picture of my setup:


Here you can see the connection from the main reservoir to the intermediate reservoir with the float, and then out to the SWCs:


This one shows the close-up view of the connection to an EarthTainer. The 1/4" poly tubing is simply inserted directly into a 1/4" rubber grommet. The grommets were purchased from a local hydroponics store for about $1 each. Each container also has an inline shut-off valve that services it, in case I ever want to take a container "offline" (these also cost about $1 each, or cheaper if purchased online):


Here you can see three 5-gallon buckets chained together (although one has a pepper plant, I couldn't think of any easy way to prevent back-flow and cross-watering between containers... we'll see what happens):


So, that's it. All of my tests so far have been successful. We'll see what happens when it gets hot and these plants start drinking! Thanks to everyone on this thread who offered their help and suggestions over the past two months!

[JamesL]

Elight,
Nice job on the build, and the write-up!
And good luck on the growing season!