I have implemented an Alaskan Grow bucket system for my tomatoes this summer. If your not familiar here is a video:
FYI: This is not me LOL
My plants are growing very well. Biggest bushiest tomato plants I have ever grown.
My issue is my float valve is not fully functional. The float will not go high enough with enough pressure to stop the water flow. I basically have a a 5 gallon bucket full of water on top of the bucket with the valve in it, connected with a 1/2 inch tube and gravity is pushing the water to the bottom bucket.
I just duck taped 2 empty water bottles to the side of the existing float, and still no dice. Not enough pressure to stop the water from coming down.
All ideas are welcome.
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Damn a down vote for a help topic :(Thanks for adjusting it LOL
I see you have duct tape in the equation, but you are missing WD40, you really need to up your game if you want to call yourself a mechanical engineer.
I will never claim to be a mechanical engineer.
I'm assuming its something like this configuration? With all water levels equal?
Yes it is. And the damn float valve won't shut off.
Upvote for the sweeet drawing.
No idea how to fix your float valve.
But I've seen wicking-based growing systems...my brother in law in Minneapolis makes his...sans the aeration holes in the side and connected watering system. What he does for water is put a pvc pipe from maybe a couple inches above the top of the container directly to a reservoir under a false bottom (like your colander) in the bottom of the container. The surface of the dirt is "mulched" with black plastic. Drain holes in the side just above the level of the false bottom set the max water depth and prevent over watering. Yes, he has to water from time to time but he loses little water to evaporation and he likes walking around and looking at his garden plants, which he has interspersed in his flower gardens.
edit: there is no shortage of versions on the internet
I would reorder a new float valve, but apparently this is a common issue with the valve from what I have read on line.
The wicking system is amazing. I didn't need to water my plants for like a month and they are the best round of tomato plants I have ever had in my garden.
congrats on the plants! I don't have a green thumb, but it doesn't keep me from trying. I have a beautiful Devil's tongue pepper bush and enough tomatoes to keep Mrs D happy. Sadly, citrus greening is hammering my citrus trees.
I'm getting some end rot right now on some tomatoes. More then likely due to the crazy wet weather recently, and now its hot and dry out. The whole point of using this system was to prevent that, but the thing with the float valve isn't helping.
Doesn't sound like buoyancy is the issue. How rigid is your connection extending the float into the bucket? Can you confirm it's not bending enough to keep the valve from closing?
It's a stiff piece of plastic. Maybe the seal isn't that great. If I force it up further by lifting the float it seals. I let it go, it starts to leak in again.
With the water at fill level, push on the mount, applying force parallel to the arm of the float, away from the float end. This should cause the float to rotate downward, deeper into the water.
If the float closes the valve, I'd say you have a mount problem. If it doesn't, the float/valve is the problem.
Simple. More duct tape.
Use an ultrasonic fogger instead
Why don't you just use an old school toilet valve (the big ball float ones). They are rated for holding back 60 psi a 5 gallon bucket would be nothing.
For reference.
Float Valve
Now that I am looking at it, I might have this upside down, but it doesn't make much sense as it doesn't seem like it will close this way with the float going that direction.
you just need a better float valve. This one is fairly low quality. My parents have a bucket system as well and had similar problems. we ended up making our own from a balloon valve and parts from the hardware store.
but they have these now that you can buy:
https://www.zenhydro.com/hydro-logic-float-valve-for-big-boy.html
The balloon tends to work better. Not sure if this will fit in your bucket but it should.
or you can piece together your own
https://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=103518
Fernley for the win!
Based on the photo there should be some adjustment with the wing nut. If you can lift up on the float and it shuts the valve, you simply don't have your float placed correctly. Also as you mentioned, if it's upside down then that is your problem numero uno.
Longer lever would create more closing pressure but you probably don't have room. Probably need a better valve with a better seal.
If the additional buoyancy of the plastic bottles didn't help the situation, it's not a closing pressure problem. There's flex somewhere in the assembly that is preventing the pressure from being applied. Better valve is the answer.
So I flipped the float, to look like it does in the picture above, and that seems to have fixed the leaking issue with the float.
I have to get some washers though because the connection at the bucket has a slow drip and I can't tighten it enough to get it to stop.