Content:
1 piece Tropf-Blumat Maxi
(without drip tubing and T-branch connector)
consisting of the lower part (= porous clay cone + long sleeve) + watering head + 60 cm drip tubing and T-branch connector 8-3-8 mm
Automatically controlled dripper for 1 plant or 1 container, which is inserted approx. 7 cm into the soil with its clay cone as a probe.
Watering happens via the drip tubing (not included in the contents of delivery here !), connected to the supply tubing and triggered by means of a valve in the watering head.
The water is supplied via a common water tank or via the tap of the house water supply. Pressure is required for the watering head to function -- through tank elevation, pump or mains pressure.
Special advantage:
With its long design, the TB-Maxi is specially intended for tub plants from a size of approx. 30 cm (height or diameter) or can also be used in beds from a planting depth of approx. 15 cm.
In this case, the moisture is felt and regulated in the deeper layer, close to the roots, so that watering is less frequent but more intensive, the surface remains drier.
Note for installation: The insertion hole is usually pre-drilled, also with a power drill depending on the root density, the clay cone must have good contact with the soil.
Dimensions (approx.): Total length 130 mm, Ø max. 35 mm, clay cone Ø 20 x 55 mm.
Operating characteristics:
- Minimum pressure for tank supply approx. (30)-50 cm water column, pressure losses in the hose and preventing clogging require in practice at least 70-100 cm WS (Tropf-Blumat to medium water level), better 150 cm, for larger systems from 200 - 300 cm height difference necessary.
- Standard pressure 1 bar (use pressure including losses 0.8 bar) by means of pressure reducer or pump.
- Application rate per Tropf-Blumat - depending on pressure, setting and degree of opening of the valve (depending on dryness) - usually approx. 0.2-1 litres per hour, in dry conditions and from 130 cm WS also up to 3 litres per hour.
Water quality: clean water required, also clean rainwater, also with water-soluble fertiliser, but operation without filtration - possibly filter water at tank inlet,
Water treatment (softening) from water hardness approx. 30°dH.
Lifetime: according to experience, approx. 8-10 years in normal operation, usually more, annual or occasional cleaning advisable, winter operation possible to a limited extent.
Required connection: 3508 drip tubing 3 mm -- cut to size, as short as possible, insert through the watering head with 8 cm overhang (= drip distance)
Connecting fittings: 3517 T-branch connector 8-3-8, also 3412 Mini-branch connector 3-3-3 for branching from neighbouring drip hose
Spare parts: 3515 clay cone with sleeve for Tropf-Blumat, 3511 watering head.
Function and adjustment
Before inserting the Tropf-Blumat into the soil, fill it with water (only for the sensor function!) - see instructions for use. The soil becomes drier and sucks water out of the sensor via the porous clay cone, creating a vacuum.
This releases the thin drip tube via a membrane in the watering head (previously pressed together) and it slowly begins to drip. The water moves back to the clay cone in the soil, the vacuum inside decreases, the valve closes again and the dripping slowly stops. Each dripping point is thus sensor-controlled according to the tensiometer principle.
The brown adjustment knob at the top is set so that the drip tubing just does not drip when the soil is optimally moist. The sensor needs some time to adjust at the beginning, so that this setting can only be made the next day or so. The general instant setting is described in the instructions for use or in our setting recommendations. The correct initial setting is important, possibly slight temperature adjustment in summer, occasional checking of the water filling is rarely necessary with the TB Maxi, it has a good service life.
