Irrigatia Solar Automatic Watering System Instructions
- June 3, 2024
- Irrigatia
Table of Contents
Irrigatia Solar Automatic Watering System
Contents
User Instructions for Irrigatia Tank Series
The kit is supplied with a choice of water pumps.
Internal diaphragm pump. (fig 1) This pump delivers about 1.5lpm at 3 bar
pressure and is ideal for use where the outlets are 2 – 5m higher than the
water source. However, it is not very good at self-priming so needs to be
situated low down where the natural flow from the tank will avoid the problem.
Submersible pump. (fig 2) This delivers more water at a lower pressure,
the volume delivered varies with the lift required to reach the outlets but up
to 2m will be higher than the diaphragm pump. As it is submerged it does not
require priming. In a typical situation, it will deliver 50% more water per
week from the same amount of solar power, but it will be at a lower pressure
which reduces the risks associated with over-pressurization, especially with a
micro-porous hose. It is also very quiet.
If the submersible pump is required, leave the diaphragm pump in place, but unplug it from the circuit board. The submersible can be plugged in, in its place, and the molded-in grommet is used to fit it into its designated slot in the case.
Postioning
Using the fixing holes indicated by the green arrows, mount the controller
close to the water source and low down so that the pump inlet (for the
standard pump) is below the water line in the tank – for the submersible pump
it can be mounted at a convenient height. The controller case is weather
resistant but can be mounted inside if desired.
The solar panel should be mounted, facing the midday sun, and has a 5m cable,
a 5m extension can be added if required. The panel can be connected and
screwed tight to the socket hanging from the base of the controller
.
Foot Strainer
- Standard Pump
- Top entry
- Vertical
- Resting on the tank bottom (see fig 5)
Water Level Sensor
- The water level sensor should be secured so that the higher probe is at least 3cm higher than the water inlet. Secure it using cable ties.
- During operation, if one of the sensors is out of water the pump will stop and the beeper will sound. If the beeper is a nuisance it can be silenced by unplugging it from the circuit board.
- The water level sensor comes with a 5m cable – this can be extended by purchasing an extension lead.
Water Outlet Tube & Filter
To protect the drippers from debris, there is a fine mesh filter. This can be fitted on either side of the pump, (fig 3) but a valve must be fitted between it and the tank to turn off the water flow while cleaning. (Valve 3 in fig 1).
Anti-Siphon Device
The anti-siphon is needed to stop the water flow when the pump has stopped if the first emitter is lower than the top of the water source. It should be fitted in the delivery tube to the emitters, (it is number 8 in fig1). It can be fitted by making a hole with the punch provided and pushing the blue part of the anti-siphon directly into the tube, threaded end first. Anti-siphon devices must be fitted higher than the water source.
Supplement Feed Pump
The C120 has 2 pumps. As well as the water pump there is a small supplement pump that runs intermittently to dose at a rate of about 1:100. (Your feed concentrate needs to be 100x the strength you wish to apply to your plants). This can be used to dose your water only with 100% soluble supplements. Connect a piece of small bore tube with the filter on the end to the pump inlet and connect the outlet tube to the delivery line before the first off- take (see fig 7). Use a valve for this connection. If not needed supplement pump can be unplugged from the circuit board (pump 2) and closed valve. The feed container must keep all light out.
Irrigation Kits
The Tank Series can be used with up to 180 drippers. The C180 will deliver up
to 1 irrigation unit (equivalent to a large tomato plant) per dripper, the C60
1/3 and C120 2/3 of that.
Use 13mm tees, elbows, and end plugs with the 13mm tube to make the
distribution main. Use either 4mm joiners or 4mm valves to connect the
irrigation kits.
Dripper kits (12 or 20 each of drippers, tees, and stakes, and 15m of
small bore tube.) Cut and join the pipe using the tees to make a network that
reaches all of the plants. Remember the rules for even watering apply
especially where there are more than 12 drippers per outlet, see:
irrigatia.com/how-it-works/principles-of-good-installation
Seep hose can be plugged into individual drippers with a stopper at the
other end in lengths of up to 1.2m, 2.4m when connected to a dripper at both
ends. They will not change the water output, but they spread it out more which
is useful for seedlings and small plants. Works best slightly buried.
Micro-porous hose emits water along its whole length, but unlike seep,
the hose is best used in long lengths. Follow the kit instructions and use the
punch and a connector nipple to connect with the distribution pipe.
Starting up
Open regulating and isolation valves (3&7 in drawings) fully – handle in line with the tube. Ensure there is water flow to the pump.
Open the case.
- Unplug the feed pump from the circuit board – marked as pump 2 on the board.
- Make sure the switch is in the off position.
- Remove 2 screws, open the battery case, install a battery, replace the lid, and plug in the connector to the terminal marked ‘bat’ on the circuit board.
- Attach the solar panel to the socket on the bottom of the case.
- Switch on to position 3. If it is reasonable daylight and the water sensors are in the water the pump should start.
- As the bypass valve (Valve 7 in fig 1) is wide open most of the water pumped should return to the tank. Wait until all the air has cleared from the system before VERY SLOWLY starting to close the bypass valve. This will push more water toward the drippers. The valve should be gradually closed until the drippers are dripping about once per second, or the microporous hose is full of water but soft, like a soft bicycle tire. If you are using the micro-porous tube, check the adjustment every few days after the installation as when it is wetted up it will emit less water than when newly installed.
- Check the whole system is working properly and for leaks.
- The duration of the first watering is likely to be long, the pump will not switch off until the batteries fall to 10v, this may take several hours, but after that proper control should be established. If the excess watering is likely to be a problem the bypass valve can be opened until this has happened.
- The switch on the circuit board controls the solar panel. This is charging the battery on a 5-minute cycle. On switch position 1,2,3,4,5, the solar panel is turned on for 1,2,3,4,5 minute respectively. Changing the switch position will not affect the current run time or flow rate, but will control the amount of charge available for the subsequent watering cycle, thereby affecting the pumping duration. The application can be fine-tuned with small adjustments to the bypass valve. Supplementary pump – if the main pump is running, this should run intermittently to dose the water with feed. After 24-48 hours the unit should have settled down. Monitor the water application, and turn the switch up or down accordingly. Once it is set up it will adjust itself for light intensity but you will need to readjust it for your plants as they grow.
Detailed instructions can be found at: irrigatia.com/how-it-works/setuptank-
series
For further information on this or any of the other products in our range, please visit: www.irrigatia.com