Pros and cons for auto pots?
- Thread starter ab2t2000
- Start date
MedicinalMyA$$
Well-Known Member
Use suitable nutrients. Thick or organic nutes will clog the lines eventually. The best method I have tried is mixing a cup or so of your intended nutrients into a glass and letting it sit for an hour. If they separate then they will do that in your lines and either cause the valves to jam open or shut.
coreywebster
Well-Known Member
Biggest thing I liked about them was silence.
Worst thing was clogging up pipes, you can upgrade them though or use a line cleaner.
To me they are better than had watering but not as good as any active hydro system.
Worst thing was clogging up pipes, you can upgrade them though or use a line cleaner.
To me they are better than had watering but not as good as any active hydro system.
ab2t2000
Well-Known Member
Nice set up bro and what do you mean by clog in like I got to watch out that there’s always water being fed and also I use idrolab nutrients good for hydro also comes w cleaner (by cleaner you mean the nutrient right?)
MedicinalMyA$$
Well-Known Member
That is one sexy setup you got there
coreywebster
Well-Known Member
Looking good.
Are those 13mm tubes and connections?
Mine were 4mm and the connectors probably less.
Pipes go hard , might be the nutrients or the tap water but with 4mm tubes it doesn't take long to block.
Leaks shouldn't happen without user error.
I think I maybe ran them a year or less before I retired them for a hand built flood n drain system which I eventually retired too.
Last edited:
iggy097
Well-Known Member
These are the latest gen valves - 1/2" main tubing and 1/4" secondary tubing.
coreywebster
Well-Known Member
Nice, that's the biggest problem solved then.
Everything else is user error , like not seating the aquavalve properly or grommet in Res.
Alien do there own style auto pots now... Had a good piss about with them in the shop and they seem far better. A simple ball cock float valve rather than the over complicated autopot aquavalve.. but then in fairness the latest gen of autopots are far better than the ones I used.. I had 4mm tubes that clogged regularly
Star Dog
Well-Known Member
I've not got that far along, my plants are 10 wks now so it won't be too long.
If you subscribe to flushing autopots aren't great, I don't flush as such with dtw only 3/4 days of water after I decided they're ready.
When the time comes I'll give them water for 3/4 days then check the ec in the tray to get some idea of what's happening then take it from there.
If you subscribe to flushing autopots aren't great, I don't flush as such with dtw only 3/4 days of water after I decided they're ready.
When the time comes I'll give them water for 3/4 days then check the ec in the tray to get some idea of what's happening then take it from there.
ab2t2000
Well-Known Member
Also your ec will be the same as the water your flushing with tho?
Because it’s says not to flush from top
Star Dog
Well-Known Member
If you sit a plant pot with salts in it, it'll naturally leach nutrients, it'll keep leaching nutrient untill the ec in the water is equal to the ec in the medium.
I believe the leaching effect is called osmosis if you want to check it out.