Junior and AWS

[EarthBoxAdmin]

Disclaimer: This post was originally posted by Hero Member, movrshakr. This user is located in Zone 10a - Cape Canaveral. This was originally posted on March 19, 2012.

In following this thread, a thought keeps kicking... maybe it's not the water depth that matters, but the air space. The sensor reacts to air pressure which changes as the air space changes due to rising or lowering water levels. It doesn't care how deep the water is....

Mickie

No, it =is= the water level relative to the tube.  As the water level rises, it compresses the air INSIDE the AWS tube.  That increased pressure on the diaphragm of the valve is what shuts it off.

If the standard AWS does not go all the way to the bottom of the reservoir (I don't know), it still might could be gotten to work in a junior by mounting it so that it projects further down into the water than normal (by shortening the fill tube for example).

[EarthBoxAdmin]

Disclaimer: This post was originally posted by Newbie, joel7269. This was originally posted on April 22, 2012.

Any updates on this?

[EarthBoxAdmin]

Disclaimer: This post was originally posted by Active Member, jdheere. This was originally posted on April 22, 2012.

Why not just use a dripper and microtube on a timer?  The period would need to increase as the season warms and the plants demand goes up but an average that wouldn't starve the plants or water the patio could easily be found.  The system could also be very inexpensive to add on to later as the 'farm' increases in numbers.

[EarthBoxAdmin]

Disclaimer: This post was originally posted by Hero Member, movrshakr. This user is located in Zone 10a - Cape Canaveral. This was originally posted on March 19, 2012.

In following this thread, a thought keeps kicking... maybe it's not the water depth that matters, but the air space. The sensor reacts to air pressure which changes as the air space changes due to rising or lowering water levels. It doesn't care how deep the water is....

Mickie

Mickie, I owe you a bit of an apology.  In re-reading what you said, it is correct, even though I said it wasn't. 

What matters is the TOP of the water relative to the AWS sensor tube.  So, you are correct--the water could be 50 feet deep, and the sensor would turn on and off with the rise and fall of the top of the water plane.  Looking at it that way, "it's not the water depth that matters", only where the top of the water is.

If you take a DEFINED CONTAINER (reservoir), then depth does matter because the top of the water level is what is going up or down, thus the depth is changing, and looking at it this way, then depth does matter--because "depth" is changing the top level of the water.

[EarthBoxAdmin]

Disclaimer: This post was originally posted by Hero Member, Deb. This user is located in the Pacific NorthWET - Sunset - W. Climate Zone 6. This was originally posted on April 23, 2012.

I've seen here where people will check if the AWS is working by lifting a sensor out of a glass of water and seeing if it drips.  How does this happen if it is an air pressure issue?

Deb

[EarthBoxAdmin]

Disclaimer: This post was originally posted by Hero Member, movrshakr. This user is located in Zone 10a - Cape Canaveral. This was originally posted on March 19, 2012.

Disclaimer: This post was originally posted by Hero Member, Deb. This user is located in the Pacific NorthWET - Sunset - W. Climate Zone 6. This was originally posted on April 23, 2012.

I've seen here where people will check if the AWS is working by lifting a sensor out of a glass of water and seeing if it drips.  How does this happen if it is an air pressure issue?

Deb

When the bottom of the AWS tube goes down into the water, the water "presses up" on the air inside the tube, increasing the pressure.  As the water level falls, the air pressure in the tube decreases--at some point enough to allow the valve to open.  When then water level rises "enough" to increase the pressure inside the tube to the cutoff point, it cuts off.

Putting the sensor up and down in a glass of water simulates the same thing as the water level rising and falling in the reservoir.

[EarthBoxAdmin]

Disclaimer: This post was originally posted by Hero Member, Donald1800. This user is located in Fontana, CA Zone 8. This was originally posted on April 2, 2012.

In other words, the valve is Normally ON, and is only turned OFF when the water level has raised the sensor tube air pressure high enough to press the diaphragm against the water emitter  hole.

[nitrous]

YES!
and the other key element here is the bell at the end of the tube. It increases the amount of air that is being compressed up the clear tube. 
as long as the level of water in the reservoir of the Junior is the same as the regular size, there will be no problem.
In fact, if you don't want to cut the vinyl tube to the sensor to fit the shorter fill tube, just use a regular length tube.

This is a very simple system, Normally flowing, controlled by a simple pressure activated diaphragm.  Water flow is controlled by a simple "effusion port" that limits the flow to ~ 3-4 gal per hour. 

Check out the patent.  It is very detailed and spells all this out.
Doug