Maintain Solution Level in Hydroponic Growing Containers with a Float Valve-Siphon Device
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- čas přidán 30. 10. 2017
- A float valve-siphon device which automatically maintains solution level in hydroponic containers is described. It consists of a yogurt container float valve ( • A Yogurt Container Flo... ) with a siphon tube which is placed through the top of a hydroponic growing container and extends to the bottom of the container.
Water or nutrient solution is supplied to the float valve from a tank. The float valve is lifted above the growing container until all of the air is excluded from the siphon tube. Then, the float valve is lowered to its original position. Solution continues to flow into the container until it reaches the same height as the solution in the float valve.
The float valve-siphon device replaces solution in the growing container which is lost by evaporation and transpiration and maintains the solution at the same height as set by the height of the float valve. - Jak na to + styl
Thanks. I used this method to keep my foggers running for my mushroom buckets. They kept running out of water, so I built a float valve with some foam and medicine bottles and put the reservoir, a yogurt cup, above the float valve. My fogger container never ran out of water too soon again.
Thank you for doing all the hard work and thinking (and recording) so we can copy what you do.
I'm gonna try this out. Too much of a chore to top up my eggplants and okra. Thanks!
That's a great idea!
Very good idea sir
How has the durability of your yogurt container design been? Have you tried a water cooler bottle type top-off system? Thanks for sharing!
The yogurt container could probably last one crop season if protected from light, and if it is not moved, and the solution level doesn't drop much from the original full position. The latter two issues can cause the float block to move slightly causing a poor seal - at least temporarily until a new seat develops. A problem with the float valve-siphon system is that the device needs to be moved to activate the system and the liquid level can drop temporarily. This is not a problem with a fresh new, neoprene foam seal, but can be a troublesome with 'used' seal that has a nozzle indentation. Therefore, if the siphon holds for a long time, and the device is never moved again after the original activation, then it should be ok. A reliable commercial float valve in a plastic container (sump) would be an improvement over what was presented here. No, I am not familiar with the water cooler bottle topoff system.
I did a water cooler type thing in grow 3 of my latest video czcams.com/video/-VFwKDZQxAg/video.html I'm sure there's a technical term for it.
That was a great video, Jeb! The device is similar to a chicken waterer. It works great, until it runs out of water, so it would need to be refilled multiple times for a long-term crop such as tomatoes, but it is quite adequate for a short-term crop.
That is a great system. I was wondering how you got the 2 nutrients containers in the last video to empty at the same time. I have seen it used other ways but not this way. Thanks for sharing :)
I'm looking at this and wondering if you could daisy-chain buckets with float valves down the steps, one siphoning off of the other. Would height of original tank cause a problem if the last bucket on the bottom was too far below the initial source, or does the height rule only apply for the previous bucket in the system. (would the 11th step down cause a problem, or would it only be affected by the pressure from bucket on the 10th step). that would be fun to test out I think.
If the 11 buckets have float valves inside of the buckets, and each float valve maintains a 3" water level, and if the water from the previous bucket (higher) comes from the bottom of the bucket, and if the bucket height is less that the step height plus 3 inches, then the bottom bucket would have a 3 inch water level. Water would only need to be started in the top bucket to make this happen.
If the buckets were taller (case 1) or if the float valves were outside of the buckets (case 2) , the lower 10 buckets wouldn't receive any water unless each upper bucket (in case 1) or each float valve (case 2) was raised to establish siphon action into the succeeding lower bucket which would also have a 3 inch water level.
@@growkratky5558 thanks for that explanation!
A single valve-siphon is limited to just one bucket/container, or that same single valve can also works with multiple buckets/containers?
Multiple is fine, as long as they are all at the same level.
Sorry but im confused, isnt the point of your method to have a container with enough water for the lifetime of the plant? If so why would it need topping up.
Yes, all of the water is added prior to planting for short-term crops like lettuce which only require 1-2 gallons of water for the entire lifetime. However, longer term crops such as tomatoes might require 40 gallons or more of water for their lifetime and it usually isn't practical to have such a large tank. Thus, we use smaller 'tanks' and maintain a constant level of nutrient solution throughout the crop (after the initial level has dropped several inches ). In both cases, crops are grown without mechanical aeration or pumps or electrical power.
Thanks for the clarification.