My simple T-Valve airlift windowfarm
10:16 pm in Completed Window Farms, Getting Started, How-Tos, made from scratch (without a kit), Materials and Resources, Other Cool Urban Ag. Stuff, Plants, posts with pitcures!, Projects in Process, R&D-I-Y, Seeking Advice, Starting Seeds by Jesse Liberty
My Skylight T-valve windowfarm.
Those version 3.0 designs are way too complicated. I wanted to make something as simple as I possibly could using minimal materials. This is what I have come up with:
February 26th, 2013 Update
Moved, Settled in, Got windowfarm back up, new plants started, images and new stuff will come soon, as I finalize my new design…
APRIL 5th, 2012 Update
Ghost chiles are fruiting!, and Jalapenos ready for stuffing and wrapping in bacon
MARCH 8th, 2012 Update !
COSTS TOOLS & WHATNOT one|two|three|four
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The Jana water bottles seem to be perfect, it is a Croatian brand of spring water. I like the water, they are 1.99 a bottle, but you can find used arrowhead 1.5L bottles fairly easily.
($0-10[$40, for 4 columns]) Bottles can cost anywhere from free to $10/tower. - ($0) Suspended with a hook and shoestrings, you can use anything, this doesn’t need to cost anything, spend here only if you feel like trying something fancy.
- ($10) Airline tubing is 10cents a foot. I bought a $10 Roll of it, plenty to spare.
- ($3.50) T valves are a 50 cents each x7
- ($2.00) flow valves are a 50 cents each x4
- ($10-20) the pump was pretty darn cheap, repurposed from fish tank… 3watt, super cheap, and costs about 20-80 cents a year to run on the timing i have.
- ($8.00) 3″ net pots were 50cents each x16
- ($30.00) 2x Timers were $15 each, 24 hours of 15min intervals for water.
TOTAL FOR SETUP: $113.50 for 4 towers
Additional costs(& ongoing expenses); nutrition, lights, paint if you don’t have it, electricity is about 25-75cents a year for the air pump, lights are costlier.
Seeds I’ve Started (for windowfarms or my garden outside):
http://store.myorganicseeds.com/ <— Hot Peppers !
http://seedrack.com <–Cool and interesting plants
Oregon Sugar Pod Peas – Pisum sativum
Green Onions
PEPPERS – Capsicum
SUPER HOTS 300,000 to 2million Schoville Heat Units
Trinidad Moruga Scorpion – Capsicum chinense
Sunrise Scorpion – Capsicum chinense
7 Pot, Barrackapore variety – Capsicum chinense
Habanero – Capsicum chinense
Bhut Jolokia – interspecific hybrid (mostly C. chinense with some C. frutescens genes)
Low – Medium Heats (6,000 – 100,000 SHU)
Marbles – Capsicum annuum
Black Pearl – Capsicum annuum
Jalapeno – Capsicum annuum
TOMATOES – Solanum lycopersicum
Roma
Brandywine
Yellow Pears
Green Zebra
Black Krim
Speckled Roman
Purple Tomatillos
Butternut Squash
GREENS
Rouge d’Hiver Lettuce –
Arugula –
Dwarf Blue Curled Kale – Brassica oleracea
HERBS
Purple Basil – Ocimum basilicum
Cilantro – Coriandrum sativum
Sage – Salvia officinalis
Oregano – Origanum vulgare
Thyme – Thymus vulgaris
Chamomile -Matricaria recutita
Chives
Catnip
Lemon Balm
Skylight Windowfarm
Things to Do:
add check valves to the input from the airline to the T-Valve
add proper airline manifold to pump
add 2 more towers
add proper suspension system …using Shoestrings o.O
I am interested in trading heirloom variety seeds within the USA….hollar!
Looking good. I don’t think you need check valves because your pump is higher than the reservoirs. But you might want to position your columns a bit closer to the light? and when you do that, maybe the reservoirs will be higher and you will need the check valves. (Unless you raise the pump up more).
I am moving in Feb so maybe I will finally start a windowfarm.
I want to add check valves right where the airline meets the airlift T. I am just lazy and havnt gotten them yet. I will be adding LED lighting strip inside the skylight frame there, for aesthetics and what not, the CFL there is just for the seedlings.
Snap peas are going to be interesting. The plant is 3-4 feet when mature.
Love the loft windowgarden idea.
Nice idea. I could buy a t-valve with removable clamp fittings. Even three clamps can be glued into a single bottle cap. Jana bottles have wider caps than usual (at least in this part of the world). OTOH I have a 32mm (1 1/4″) holesaw, but the cap size is 33mm (1 9/32″).
Will onions survive in hydro? Even in clay pebbles?
I like your mod for the bottle cap. Ive been wondering how I am going to build that part using a standard cap. I too thought the air needle design was a bit too complicated.
I scrapped the onion idea for now, a challenge for later, perhaps.
Ill be doing Ghost Chiles, Habaneros and Jalapenos in ones tower, and Strawberries, and tomatoes in the other…Two more towers to come for this installation.
Ya, I finally drilled out the Bases of the bottles and fitted them together, and removed the valves from the lid so they just drip down. I was having clogging issues with the fitted tubes in the lids, and I can fit another bottle per tower when they are fitted.
The bottom bottle still uses the valve section, and it hasn’t seen any clogs yet. I’ll report back if I have to alter that for any reason.
Hello,
My window farm is taking alot more time than expected. I almost have all the pieces but I am really confused by the DIY instructions on how to use the threaded needle from a bike tire. I just scrapped that. I came here looking for some help. I still don’t understand though how to take the air valve and cut it- mine is hard plastic and is more of a T-joint. Maybe the air valve is what I am missing.
I took a little plastic t-valve and cut it into 3 parts, then used each one as a pressure fitting for the tubes in the lids in the reservoirs.
To get them in, poke a hole in the lid so that it is difficult to get the tubes into the lids, then insert the t-valve section, and fit into place in the lid.
It has been running well for me since I set it up, though I would recommend checking it for clogs when you change the res.
OK!!! So this t-valve will work… aaaand I do not need to do this whole stupid submerged sports ball needle contraption??? as long as the T-valve is near the lowest point of water in my reservoir. the bubbles will only go up and not push bubbles into my reservoir. I am trying to wrap my head around how the air does not go both ways at the t-valve and they only go up…???
Seems soooo much easier, more efficient and let finicky
Well, the air does occasionally backflow into the reservoir, but I have solved that by having the air intake come in vertically against the bottle.
It appears a simple matter of finding the balance of pressure and aligning your tubes and connectors according to water level to ensure enough pressure to force water up without the back flow.
It is excruciatingly simple, but does require a small amount of finesse in getting the pressure and levels of everything correct.
I highly suggest flow valves on each line, if running multiple towers, to control the air pressure to get the right lift action.
If you are running one or two lines, then a variable pump or a flow valve to let some air out to reduce the pressure will keep your pump quiet and stress free. If you simply dial down a single line on a non-variable speed pump(or some variables) you may cause stress on the diaphragm leading to increased noise and damage
———PS
My plants are doing great and my system has been running like a charm. I will post pictures and updates soon…I have devised some very nice techniques for starting seeds, clones and transplants that people may find useful.
I will be growing some interesting plants here, I’ll post pictures, updates and tutorial videos soon.
Hi Jesse,
Thank you for sending that. I have seen some of your work but I like this one real well. It is sindowfarmers like you that have helped keep me encouraged while I have had to wait to get my windowfarm going. Thank you much. I am learning a lot investigating this site. Sylvia
Thanks, Sylvia.
I will be doing an update this week with all new images and instructions for my most recent refinements(currently building/painting/etc). My plants are doing quite well, and Im excited to share new images and tips from what I’ve learned.
The most important thing is just doing the best you can with what you have and can afford. I’m trying to keep my designs as cheap and simple as possible so that it is easier for me or anybody else to make one, even with minimal supplies and tools. Using my pressure fitted lids and tubes, you can assemble a tower without drilling holes and connecting the bottles, making the point of entry much lower and easier to access the technology. Many people do not own drills and fancy bits, so being able to make a mod for a few cents means you don’t have to spend $50-200 on a drill and like $10-20 on a bit. Shoelaces j e worked great for me, and they were free.
I think the T-valve is FAR superior in terms of efficiency of design and efficacy of pump/power usage.
I hope to see more designs and innovations that make it cheaper, simpler, and easier to grow the foods we love.
Share your windowfarms so we can all find insights in one another.
Added and updated image with the system Im using to run 4 towers on one 3watt pump.
Jesse
My husband and I are retired and must take it easy with expenses. The T set up also works better for me. My net cups are Solo cups cut with an xacto knife. I’m doing my best to get some pictures on the site. My son (who is usually a whiz on the computer) did not know how to put the pictures on for me. He might figure it out. Some nylon cord that has been around for several years runs through my upside water bottles to hold them. 3 cheers and a hooray for your work. I’m getting there!!! Your plants look great. Looking forward to your updates. From Sylvia
I’m Finding that when you add more towers it becomes a bit of a game of finesse to dial in the lifts on the columns, I think adding check valves at certain points may improve this, I dunno… More to come.
So, My Ghost Chilies started Blooming, they have about 7 flowers so far and piles of little flowers forming all over. I’m gonna let them go, because the vegetative growth seems to be doing very strong. Unless someone can inform me to a reason they may still be too early to fruit.
Here is an image
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/558030_10150713107799662_613789661_9278878_1076478233_n.jpg
harvested a couple of servings of Cilantro tonight =)
Hey Jesse
Really nice system! I have a question about the way you are connecting your water riser to the reservoir though: How is their no leakage!? I am studying your pictures and I cant tell how their wouldn’t be water leaking out of the reservoir.
Ya, the tube is pressure fitted with a little piece of T-Valve. This pressure fitting is watertight as long as the hole is small enough. It should be difficult to insert the tubing into the lid. I have made a couple that were too lose and not watertight, so it is in the finesse of proper sizing, something I both guess at and learn through practice.
Hollar if you have any questions about it.
PS, Im getting tons of new flowers on my Ghosties, and the tomatoes are throwing off hella flower bubs. Shouldn’t be too long until the first fruist set, as I have been hand pollinating them
Got a bunch of garden stuff today
Spring is coming
I had an issue recently where my valve was too high, when the bottle lost some content the lift stopped working, I happened to be away for the night and had some drought stress on a couple tomatoes. Prolly almost lost one, but with some pruning they should be good.
So, word of wisdom is: “keep the valve low, or the water wont flow”
These three weeks have been busy with moving back to my regular quarters and it has been a little more difficult than I expected. Because of some watering problems I lost a strawberry plant that might have actually gotten too much water. I transplanted 2 basil and 2 strawberry plants which were purchased. I rinsed the soil off and put them into my bottles. The top strawberry plant died ;( I have learned lots studying your system and am learning a lot with the two columns now. The curley parsley plant that I began with is still doing good, and is reaching outside the bottle now for more room. Thanks for sharing your hard work and those great suggestions with us. Happy windowfarming. Sylvia
Hi again Jesse, This move I am doing has been harder than expected. There is much stuff to get rid of. Studying your system has been a big help to me. I purchased a strawberry plant and a basil plant, which really had two plants in the pots. I carefully rinsed off the dirt and placed them into my bottles. The top strawberry plant died – think it was from too much water.
My curley parsley that I started with is reaching out of the bottle for more room now. Since I am using a fish tank for the nutrients I must be very careful of what I put into it. My plants look like they might need some iron to me and I am not sure how to deal with that, but I am going to continue to study the site and hope I run across some more help. Thanks for sharing your wonderful setup. 
Sylvia
Iron deficiency is common in aquaponics.
Some solutions are available, if you add a Calcium/Magnesium supplement, they generally have a small amount of iron, adequate for most plants. Botanicare’s Cal-Mag, for example.
If you just wanna hit them with iron, chelated iron is safe for fish in small amounts. Also, plants absorb less iron progressively as the pH goes higher, check your pH and try to keep it at the lower end of the spectrum, without making it hard on your fish. Iron can be tricky, and any Magnetic pumps in your fish tank will pull the iron out of the water. Regularly adding small amounts of chelated iron or using mechanical pumps should help there. I like to utilize sugars for fruits, but it is best to use the most natural sugars possible, like molasses or sucanat(evaporated cane juice). Pineapple juice makes a good pH reducer for fruits, too. Any acidic juice with sugars make great pH adjusters if it is too high(as with your possible iron uptake problem).
Strawberries; make sure the crown is well above the substrate surface, too much water and a buried crown can cause rotting fairly easily. Strawberries need a decent amount of nutrition (PK in particular), as do most flowering/fruiting things. My mom would dump the last bit of her soda pops on her strawberries. Adding sugars helps to build fruit bodies but can be gunky in this type of hydroponics, and prolly isn’t good for the fish, but helps build soil bacterium that are beneficial in organic gardening.
As for the fish, I’d be careful not to do anything that could cause a buildup of anaerobic bacterium(like excess sugars), that’s a major danger to fishies.
I have a basil going, it has been slow growing, but the tower it is in hasn’t been fed properly. It is coming along, but I predict you shouldn’t have any issues as it is a fairly easy plant to grow.
Cheers, hope this helps you dial it in.
Thanks Jesse – It is interesting that I finally got a new filter pump for the fish aquarium before the plants looked like they were becoming iron defecient. Maybe I’ll try a new way of filtering the tank. Need to think on that for a while.
Sylvia
Hey Jesse, just a quick question: where did you buy those net pots in Croatia?
I am trying to find those here in Zagreb, but no luck so far…
Hi Dario, Ilived a summer with a guy from Zagreb, Neno. He was hilarious. I could tell some stories, but they might not be appropriate for this forum
Then there was Katja and Boris accross the hall, Katja is from Dubrovnik. I don’t remember where Boris was from… oh jeez. Anyways…on to the question at hand…
As for net pots, you might have to find them online.
http://www.amazon.com/Pots-inch-Round-Heavy-Duty/dp/B004GQSJPW
Good luck, and lemme know how your farm goes.
My Ghost Chiles are fruiting, in april…and i have jalapenos ready to munch down on.
windowform sucess.!
Tomatoes need hotterness, I be thinkin.
Maybe once I step it up to aquaponic cichlids?
Hi Jesse,
I’m about to embark on the building process and was a bit put back by the air lift system suggested. So I found your post and would like to build it your way. To get me started, could you provide some specs and/or brands of the pump and tube (diameter) so I can find something similar in Berlin?
Greetings
Christian
Hey Christian,
Should be easy to find, at any fish store. I’m using standard airline tubing and fittings.
The 3″ net pots you can find on Amazon, or any local hydroponics store(they prolly will have the airlines, too).
I’ll look for some resources and follow up,
and I’ll have an update on my garden soon, I have a tomato fruit starting, and lots of peppers that will melt your face off
Cheers,
Jesse
Hi Jesse,
I tried to copy your design with six columns on one pump with duel outlets. I have one three-line manifold connected to each line. Three lines on each part of the pump. I have check valves that prevent backflow of air into the reservoirs (which was one of the first issues I was having). I can get three columns to run with much adjusting of the air pressure valves on the manifolds. I have to do this each time the pump is turned on. Also while it seems fairly easy to get the first three lines functioning at the same time, getting four or five columns going at the same time seems impossible and I have never even attempted to get my six column going at this point even though it’s there.
I feel as if there is not enough pressure being put out from the pump, but then I wonder about this idea because you have four columns on one pump and it’s not a duel pump.
So I’m basically turning to you to see if you have any ideas why I might be having trouble. I appreciate any advice you can give me.
Thanks,
Kate
Hey Kate,
It’s a tricky business. I know all to well the backflow you are speaking of, but I have learned to mitigate it with finessing the height of the air/h2o Tvalve. I occasionally have the backflow, but not too often.
As for the pressure, every pump will be different. I have 2 single output 3 watt pumps, one I wrecked and learned a lesson about pressure. You have to release excess pressure via an additional release valve.
Now turning to your issue, the inadequate pressure for 4+ columns, I have a couple clarifying questions to help troubleshoot. Firstly, is your pump a dual ouput pump? It may not push equal pressure to each line. and secondly I am just trying to envision your manifold system.
It is a little tricky, but through just playing with the pressure to each line, as well as the release valve, Ihave managed to easily run 4 columns with minimal back pressure and pressure to spare. I am about to attempt a 5th column on my single out 3 watt pump and will update when I do.
Cheers,
Jesse
Hello folks, after a good 5 months of not having a home, I have finally found a house in Oakland, CA and have settled in and begun reconstruction of my projects. I am sorry for the neglect of this post and will work to bring all my new engineering marvels to light as best I can.
Cheers Windowfarmers
Jesse Liberty