The New EarthTainer III "Convertible" Guide Now Available

[rnewste]

Originally Posted by rtsouth

Thanks Raybo, I'll try to let you know how these do in Zone 7b.

There is another Poster here from Alabama (B54RED) so you may want to send him a PM to learn what he does to control blight and insects. I lived in Huntsville several years ago and gardening there was a real challenge.

Raybo

[rtsouth]

Thanks Raybo. Let me tell you what I did with the fill tubes. Having never had any before I started playing around with them just to see what made them tick. I liked the fact that if you used the supplied fill pipe in the EB kits that the vacuum valve would stay in place by sliding down on the black tube and would not be waving in the wind. When I first tried to get it into the 1 1/2" PVC that you recommend, it would not fall in. However, if you squeeze it just a bit on the ears of the valve, it slips into the PVC very nice and tight. This brought on another challenge since you recommended having the bottom of the bell within approx. 3" of the bottom of the container. As it turns out, for the bell to be at proper distance from the bottom with the valve pushed into the PVC, the length of the ice maker tubing needs to be 11 1/4". I just left the original black tube in place. Culd have cut off a short sleeve, but it's so thin I just left it alone and used it. Do you forsee any problem with the valve being in a 'fixed' position at the top of the fill tube? I just thought it was a safer arrangement rather than allowing the valve to 'float' above the top of the fill tube. Got my first two cages built and fitted. Excellent directions made it a simple task. Thanks for the (B54RED) note. I'll have to contact him and get some tips. By the way, is your water timer electric, battery or solar powered? And if you don't mind, what's the brand and model?
Thanks

[rnewste]

rt,

I am having a problem visualizing your filler tube setup to comment on it. Can you post a few pictures of what you did?

I simply throw away the thin filler tube that comes with the EarthTox AWS, and as you said, the "ears" of the regulator valve simply slide into the 1-1/2" replacement PVC filler tube.

raybo

[rtsouth]

I'll post some pictures as soon as I go back and find your instructions as to the best method for getting them on the forum. I'm a little technology challenged. What I experienced was that if the valve was simply placed into the PVC it seemed to be a little loose and would come out. By putting the ears on the black tube and then squeezing it into the PVC it seemed to tighten it up and it takes more pressure to get it to come out. Perhaps my wall thickness on the Sched. 40 I used was different from what you are accustomed to. Anyway, most of the pictures that I have seen had the valve up above the fill tube sort of floating and I thought it was better to be firmly in place to avoid either breaking the little tit on the back of the valve or being to high out of the tube and wasting water. Everyone that has seen the ET's so far has been very impressed with the methodology that you have conceived.

[rnewste]

I think I now understand. Kind of like a slide trombone, so to speak.

Actually, you could remove the thin tube altogether, and wrap a layer or two of Electrical Tape around each of the 2 ears of the pressure sensor unit to thicken it up. Then, it would be a press fit inside the 1-1/2" PVC pipe to hold it securely in place in the new filler tube.

Raybo

[rtsouth]

Gotcha! Did you remember to include any info about the timer you use?
Thanks

[rnewste]

Originally Posted by rtsouth

Gotcha! Did you remember to include any info about the timer you use?
Thanks

I've got a 12 zone irrigation timer system, so I just use one of those zones that used to go to the raised bed, which now feeds the AWS. I set this zone to allow access to water for 30 minutes in the morning, and another 30 minutes late in the afternoon. This time of year, I can hear the EathTainers replenishing for about 5 minutes. Later in the Season when the plants are in full production, the replenishment takes about 15 to 20 minutes.

I set my system up this way to "limit" any potential wasted water if a 1/4" line comes off if I am not home, to no more than 60 minutes per day, or 1/24% of what would happen if I did not have a timer system set up. Make sense?

Raybo

[rtsouth]

Yes, but I think my zones are full. I'll check this out and if they are I'll come up with some sort of timer to handle the 'tainers. The safety factor is what I was concerned about. I'll figure something out. Here water is reasonably cheap, but thanks to some thieving politicians, our sewer bills are about 7:1 of the water expense. We do have the ability to install secondary meters and not have to pay the sewer expense on the water used outdoors. Haven't done that yet, but it's in the works. Talk to you later.
Thanks

[rnewste]

rt,

You can simply attach a hose timer to an unused bib (or use a "Y" adapter on a currently used bib). About $26.00 on Amazon with free shipping:

http://www.amazon.com/Orbit-91213-On...2066345&sr=8-1

Raybo

[lowlylowlycook]

I just finished making a couple of the new pea-fence cages for my EarthTainers. It's amazing how awesome they are.

[Irv Wiseguy]

I just made some Home Depot bucket SWCs and found a 1 1/2" x 12" PVC extension tube with one flared end that the Earthbox AWS tube fits nicely inside. It's made by Dearborn Brass, model number HP9787A and was only a couple bucks at H.D. I found it in the kitchen sink and faucet repair section of my local store.

I was originally looking at 1 1/2" PVC pipe but all I could find locally was schedule 40, which looked too thick for the AWS valve to clamp to.

Irv

[rnewste]

Originally Posted by lowlylowlycook

I just finished making a couple of the new pea-fence cages for my EarthTainers. It's amazing how awesome they are.

llc,

Thanks! I really put a lot of thought and "engineering" into the new design. I am so happy that I can load up the EarthTainer III with the Grow Media, plant the tomatoes with full access. Then, the cage simply clips on. I can install the extension cages months later as the plants grow higher.



My NARX plants seem to be doing well and are even flowering:



Irv,

The stock "ears" of the AWS assembly slide right inside the inner diameter of the Schedule 40 1.5 inch PVC without modification of any kind. Notice in the photo above.

Raybo

[cushman350]

The load on the support bolts is showing.

[rnewste]

cushman,

All by design.....

If you look at the toggle bolt attachment of the EarthTainer II you will see a similar deformation to the sidewalls. Remember, this is LDPE material and the relatively soft plastic will deform to some degree at the attachment points. The key is to spread the stress over the aeration bench support (which carries about 95% of the load) with the two side bolts accounting for the other 5%.

The deformation you observed also keeps the EarthTainer III sidewalls from bowing out, which would happen without them. In my "stress test" experiment, you can see the effect of the placement of the two upper bolts to minimize the bow-out effect in the lower photo:



Bottom line, flex of the container wall is acceptable as long as there is no hard "crease" or tear point that would crack the wall over the long term.

Raybo

[Irv Wiseguy]

Thanks for the PVC and AWS valve information, Ray. Although it's too late for me since I already bought the extension tubes, maybe it can help somebody else. A 10 ft length of sch 40 PVC pipe costs much less than an equivalent length of the extension tubes.

Irv