OMG Awful Product

[Wi-sunflower]

I just saw a commercial for a Miracle Grow Hose feeder that is an accident waiting to happen. Here is the Youtube longer version. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udac-H563X8

First they clearly show it connected to a hose bib without a vacuum breaker. Can we see sucking fertilizer back into your house water supply. I can. And then there is the issue of fertilizer remaining in the hose when you turn it off. Do you drink out of the hose on a hot day ? I do.

Talk about a product someone didn't think thru enough.

Carol

[ChrisK]

That's one freakin' expensive way to fertilize your plants.

Originally Posted by Wi-sunflower

I just saw a commercial for a Miracle Grow Hose feeder that is an accident waiting to happen. Here is the Youtube longer version. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udac-H563X8

First they clearly show it connected to a hose bib without a vacuum breaker. Can we see sucking fertilizer back into your house water supply. I can. And then there is the issue of fertilizer remaining in the hose when you turn it off. Do you drink out of the hose on a hot day ? I do.

Talk about a product someone didn't think thru enough.

Carol

[Worth1]

The way the system works is it wont suck fertilizer back the other way I hope.

Worth

[Lee]

I have a back flow preventer attached to the hose bib on the house.
This keeps the water from going back into the main lines if the pressure inside drops due to interior usage (ie. flushing the toilet with the shower on a dishwasher going....)

[Worth1]

Here it is I knew they couldn't market this without one.

This is what was in the FAQ on there site.
Does the LiquaFeed® Universal Feeder have a backflow preventer feature?

Yes, the feature has been built into the back of the Feeder to stop any plant food product from flowing back into the water source. This is compliant with city code regulations.

Sometimes this results in water spewing out the back of the Feeder when the water is turned off at the source, which is a normal function.

That last part did it for me it has some sort of vacuum breaker in it not just a check valve.

I might get 2 for the garden and use a different fertilizer in the bottle.'
The tops aren't that hard to get off.
They finally divulged the information I was looking for on the concentration.
Here it is.
What is the mixed ratio of plant food to water using the LiquaFeed® Universal Feeder?

The flow rate (fertilizer to water) is 325:1. This will provide the university recommended rate of 1lb of Nitrogen per 1000 sq ft.

http://www.miraclegro.com/smg/goART2...00004/12900004

[ChrisK]

Used one of these years ago on the farm. Same idea, worked great.

http://www.amazon.com/Hozon-Injector.../dp/B00081I7K6

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by ChrisK

Used one of these years ago on the farm. Same idea, worked great.

http://www.amazon.com/Hozon-Injector.../dp/B00081I7K6

I have been eying those will they work on a drip system with very little flow.

Ok never mind I went on line and found out they wont work not enough flow in my system, drat.
Worth

[heirloomtomaguy]

Originally Posted by Worth1

I have been eying those will they work on a drip system with very little flow.
Worth

I would think they have a flow rate minimum to create enough vacuum to pull liquid fertilizer out of a container.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by heirloomtomaguy

I would think they have a flow rate minimum to create enough vacuum to pull liquid fertilizer out of a container.

Yea I just posted that at the same time you did.
They work off of a venturi I have yet to make one that will work.

Worth

[Stvrob]

Originally Posted by Worth1

Yea I just posted that at the same time you did.
They work off of a venturi I have yet to make one that will work.

Worth

I have a micro eductor in my shed that I pulled from a job that will work. Ill try to find the cutsheet on it.

Here it is.http://www.foxvalve.com/lt_mini_eductors.aspx

What is your estimate of the flowrate through your dripper system? Ive used these for temporary hypochlorite feed with a needle valve on the suction end, they work great. Plus for a dripper system they will kill some (most) of your pressure as the water passes thru the nozzle across the venturi.

I see you can get them with nozzle sizes as small as 0.15" ( even though in the cut sheet they only have tables down to 0.30" divide the flowrate from the 0.30" nozzle by 4 for an approximation of the 0.15" nozzle.

[Stvrob]

Originally Posted by Wi-sunflower

I just saw a commercial for a Miracle Grow Hose feeder that is an accident waiting to happen. Here is the Youtube longer version. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udac-H563X8

First they clearly show it connected to a hose bib without a vacuum breaker. Can we see sucking fertilizer back into your house water supply. I can. And then there is the issue of fertilizer remaining in the hose when you turn it off. Do you drink out of the hose on a hot day ? I do.

Talk about a product someone didn't think thru enough.

Carol

I wouldnt jump to conclusions about it. Im sure it has a simple vacuum breaker built in, they wouldnt put it on the market without it.

[Gardeneer]

That is a BAD arrangement, too close to the house. Back flow can happen if the valve is left open after the use. So for example if the hose outside get hot and build pressure and you open a faucet in your kitchen, right behind the wall , you might get fertilizer flowing back. from the hose.

Gardeneer.

[Stvrob]

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

That is a BAD arrangement, too close to the house. Back flow can happen if the valve is left open after the use. So for example if the hose outside get hot and build pressure and you open a faucet in your kitchen, right behind the wall , you might get fertilizer flowing back. from the hose.

Gardeneer.

I think the built in vacuum breaker should prevent that from happening.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

That is a BAD arrangement, too close to the house. Back flow can happen if the valve is left open after the use. So for example if the hose outside get hot and build pressure and you open a faucet in your kitchen, right behind the wall , you might get fertilizer flowing back. from the hose.

Gardeneer.

Read the posts.
his is what was in the FAQ on there site.
Does the LiquaFeed® Universal Feeder have a backflow preventer feature?

Yes, the feature has been built into the back of the Feeder to stop any plant food product from flowing back into the water source. This is compliant with city code regulations.

Sometimes this results in water spewing out the back of the Feeder when the water is turned off at the source, which is a normal function.

That last part did it for me it has some sort of vacuum breaker in it not just a check valve.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Stvrob

I have a micro eductor in my shed that I pulled from a job that will work. Ill try to find the cutsheet on it.

Here it is.http://www.foxvalve.com/lt_mini_eductors.aspx

What is your estimate of the flowrate through your dripper system? Ive used these for temporary hypochlorite feed with a needle valve on the suction end, they work great. Plus for a dripper system they will kill some (most) of your pressure as the water passes thru the nozzle across the venturi.

I see you can get them with nozzle sizes as small as 0.15" ( even though in the cut sheet they only have tables down to 0.30" divide the flowrate from the 0.30" nozzle by 4 for an approximation of the 0.15" nozzle.

1.1 gallons a minute or 66 gallons an hour.
I have 11 1 gallon per hour emitters on each line and I have 6 lines.
That is coming from 2 valves going to 2 different beds but I could and need to run a line from this system to two other places to water some bushes this would get me to the minimum on both lines.


Worth