Watering System Question

[Track]

I'm considering automating my watering system so that I could possibly be away from the plants for more than 3 days.

I have found a container large enough to accommodate about 2 weeks worth of watering and I already have a pump.

What I'm having trouble with is - when I connect a hose to the pump and make some holes along the hose, the first hole gets the full pressure and the latter holes don't.

This means that the first plant will be watered better than the second and so on.

Is there a way to fix this?

 

[pcduck]

Put a tee in and make a loop.

 

[Track]

Put a tee in and make a loop.

I'm.. not entirely sure what you mean :/

 

[BenfukD]

make your main line return to the reservoir...IE ..Loop

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

You need to try and equalize the pressure all the way around the hose. Putting in a tee and making a circle out of your tubing will help equalize the pressure.

 

[Track]

You need to try and equalize the pressure all the way around the hose. Putting in a tee and making a circle out of your tubing will help equalize the pressure.

I'm not entirely sure how that would work..

If my holes are too big, then I need a dripper. But a dripper is a continuous watering system, which means my pump would have to work constantly.

What I wanted, was a way to have the pump turn on every 6 hours or so and water each plant about 1/3 of a liter.. but that doesn't work because the first plant gets 1 liter and the latter plants get half a liter..

 

[Hackerman]

I have used a simple water distribution system for years and I never got it to work just right. As you said, the first plants get more water than the last. I re-sized all my holes to allow a more equal distribution but even with that, some plants needed more or less water than others so even with an even distribution, some plants were getting saturated while others were going dry. I tried several variations of the drippers and they never worked well for me under any tests I tried.

The only really correct way is for each plant to have it's own moisture sensor and supply. They have those but I never really got into looking at them seriously. I am always tending my plants anyway so watering them is just one more part of the hobby. Not sure how safe I would feel leaving my plants for days even if I had a completely automated system. I am fire paranoid.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

If you want a timed system, then go get a timer and put your pump on a timer. It is that simple. If you want the convenience of being able to be away for a few days at a time, you might want to check into some kind of ebb and flow hydro system. Once you get things going, they can pretty much take care of themselves for several days.

Maybe you should look into some kind of manifold that comes off the pump with as many outlets as you have plants. Here is a link: [ame]http://www.amazon.com/Orbit-Adjustable-8-Port-Irrigation-Manifold/dp/B00004S26U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405963901&sr=8-1&keywords=drip+manifold[/ame]

Each port is adjustable. The pump can go on a timer so you can regulate it. Use drippers and do some tests to see how long to leave the pump on. I would get drippers that emitted the least amount possible as I have found that most of them put out more water than they say. It would be a trial and error thing at first. Do not connect the pump to any kind water line that is under constant pressure. Rather, use a large container that will hold adequate water in case of an emergency--five gallons of water is not going to cause many problems, 500 gallons would.

If you have adequate amperage to your grow spaces for the equipment you have, fire is not any more of a danger than any other electrical/gas thing in your home. Hackerman, do you throw the main switch everytime you leave, shut off the gas, do you ever turn the dryer on and leave, does the furnace run when you go somewhere? Your dryer, water heater, oven/stove, furnace, etc is probably far more likely to cause a fire than your HIDs if your grow room is wired safely.