[DIY] Garden irrigation and learning project

[markk]

Just a quick note...
I've been having problems with pressure loss through the washing machine valves so I bought one of these
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321813372024? ... EBIDX%3AIT
It fits straight onto a standard radiator TRV body. When energized it takes about 20-30 secs to open and the same to close but the flow looks good in preliminary testing.
If it's all good I'll make up a little 4 port manifold with these on and give it a try

@blackdog65 - how did you get on with this valve please? I'm looking to do something similar. Originally thought about a smartwares trv but that would work out quite expensive.

[blackdog65]

Hi Markk,

I found that the work well, just a little slow. Also, because I use unfiltered rain water, I find them easy to clean out.

Sean

[Siewert308SW]

@siewert.
I am not allowed to send you a private message because I just joined this forum for a few days.
The photos seems to be removed from your own server/site? Is there a way to publish them again ?

Allthough I am living not far from Zoutkamp I don't want to go and stare in your garden.

Sorry for my late answer.
Strange, can't find them anywhere, will have a look where they are.

i'm getting these errors, any idea?

2016-04-24 12:44:00.437 Error: EventSystem: in /home/pi/domoticz/scripts/lua/script_time_irrigatie2.lua: /home/pi/domoticz/scripts/lua/script_time_irrigatie2.lua:334: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)
2016-04-24 12:44:00.454 Error: EventSystem: in /home/pi/domoticz/scripts/lua/--script_time_irrigatie.lua: /home/pi/domoticz/scripts/lua/--script_time_irrigatie.lua:291: attempt to concatenate global 'VarIsPump' (a nil value)

*Edit, its working allready

VarIsPump is your irrigation valve switch in Domoticz.
Look like if you filled in the right device name that it is protected, i'm i right.

btw: didn't update the script due to winter and some other circumstances.
As we speak i'm rewriting the script to make it less heavy and easier to maintain.
Also found some bugs i it lately which also will me fixed.

[Raducanu]

Hi,

just found your project. I'm trying the same at my place.
Can you tell me if the Soil Moisture Sensor are working fine and reliable?

Regarding the valve:
I'm using three Hunter Magnet Valves, powered by 24VDC, controller by a 4 way relais connected to my RPI2.
Price is around 17€/each (amazon germany (https://www.amazon.de/Magnetventil-Hunt ... gnetventil)). They get still hot (tech data sheet says ut to 66°C) but they are build to it. also the are only working with 24V, so bit safer.

[Siewert308SW]

Hi,

just found your project. I'm trying the same at my place.
Can you tell me if the Soil Moisture Sensor are working fine and reliable?

Regarding the valve:
I'm using three Hunter Magnet Valves, powered by 24VDC, controller by a 4 way relais connected to my RPI2.
Price is around 17€/each (amazon germany (https://www.amazon.de/Magnetventil-Hunt ... gnetventil)). They get still hot (tech data sheet says ut to 66°C) but they are build to it. also the are only working with 24V, so bit safer.

24vcd is indeed a bit saver if you have a waterproof converter or a good stacked away converter.
For me 220volt valve is working fine till now.

As for the sensors, i have three of those right now and experimenting with them.
Those two i bought last year i modded with a longer antenna.
Downside was both of them took faster batteries then i could by.
I had to replace them every two weeks.
So i bought two new sensors and didn't mod them, till now already running 3 weeks on the same batteries.

As for reliability, Then tx range is short.
Overhere a max of 14mtr from my RFXtrx433E till the sensor which is the farest away with brick wall in between.
And then it is sometimes lost for a couple of hours.
Closest sensor 7mtr and don't have issues with reception.

As for measurement, The temp measurement seems fine.
Only the humidity is a bit weird.
It looks like the humidity reading is stuck at some point and that counts for al my three sensors.
The last two weeks we had no rain and high temperatures.
So i would expect the soil to drop in humidity fast as we live on a clay based soil.
It could be the issue can found in soil composition.
What i mean is that at some point the humidity reading is stuck and a certain reading for a long, long, long time.
Until i drop some water at the base of the sensor then it starts reading again and drops like i would expect as i hasn't rain for some time now.
Still need the check if it only counts for my specific soil composition.
Maybe someelse can shine a light on this issue

[elmortero]

Hi all,

This might be useful for those who use 12/24v valves.
Instead of using separate power adapters and switches I use an RGB controller with one power adapter for 3 separate valves. Each valve is connected to one of the colors so when you set the controller to the assigned color, that valve will open.
Saves a lot of space (and headaches)

[piotr]

Very nice project ! But: why rely on Kaku for switching the irrigation on ? I would opt for zwave because its much safer and more relieable.

[everburg]

For some reason the timer counts down 45 minutes in about 5 minutes when the pump is on. I can't find the reason for this. Has anybody else encountered this?

I have stripped the version 1.0 from all the Dutch language and added some features to enable more sensors for THB values and some option to simulate moisture etc for testing purposes.

Anyone?

Brgds,
Edwin
Operating Domoticz on the Raspi

[bram82]

I'm also working on irrigation of my garden using domoticz.

I have a valve like this :http://magneetventielshop.nl/magneetven ... r-nbr.html

and a AWS-3500 KAKU module.

However, the valve seems to break the KAKU module (twice already). Ialready tried to add a 390V Varistor to catch the peak current caused by the valve, but it did not help.
How is the waching machine valve working?

[jjnj]

Hi,

just found your project. I'm trying the same at my place.
Can you tell me if the Soil Moisture Sensor are working fine and reliable?

Regarding the valve:
I'm using three Hunter Magnet Valves, powered by 24VDC, controller by a 4 way relais connected to my RPI2.
Price is around 17€/each (amazon germany (https://www.amazon.de/Magnetventil-Hunt ... gnetventil)). They get still hot (tech data sheet says ut to 66°C) but they are build to it. also the are only working with 24V, so bit safer.

24vcd is indeed a bit saver if you have a waterproof converter or a good stacked away converter.
For me 220volt valve is working fine till now.

As for the sensors, i have three of those right now and experimenting with them.
Those two i bought last year i modded with a longer antenna.
Downside was both of them took faster batteries then i could by.
I had to replace them every two weeks.
So i bought two new sensors and didn't mod them, till now already running 3 weeks on the same batteries.

As for reliability, Then tx range is short.
Overhere a max of 14mtr from my RFXtrx433E till the sensor which is the farest away with brick wall in between.
And then it is sometimes lost for a couple of hours.
Closest sensor 7mtr and don't have issues with reception.

As for measurement, The temp measurement seems fine.
Only the humidity is a bit weird.
It looks like the humidity reading is stuck at some point and that counts for al my three sensors.
The last two weeks we had no rain and high temperatures.
So i would expect the soil to drop in humidity fast as we live on a clay based soil.
It could be the issue can found in soil composition.
What i mean is that at some point the humidity reading is stuck and a certain reading for a long, long, long time.
Until i drop some water at the base of the sensor then it starts reading again and drops like i would expect as i hasn't rain for some time now.
Still need the check if it only counts for my specific soil composition.
Maybe someelse can shine a light on this issue

Same here, they turn out to be very unreliable, all 3 of them...

Verstuurd vanaf mijn LG-H850 met Tapatalk

[migwelly]

I use these.
Probably expensive, but they always work.
You can connect them to 230 V directly.

2016-08-27-23-03-37-1599358355.jpg (10.34 KiB) Viewed 6542 times

[bram82]

But do you encounter any problems when using kaku modules to switch these valves?

[booster]

Hi all,

This might be useful for those who use 12/24v valves.
Instead of using separate power adapters and switches I use an RGB controller with one power adapter for 3 separate valves. Each valve is connected to one of the colors so when you set the controller to the assigned color, that valve will open.
Saves a lot of space (and headaches)

I've got regular 24v valves (rainbird), but they are 24v AC.. I haven't been able to find 24v AC RGB-zwave controller. The fibaro needs a 12/24DC adapter as far as I can see.

Which RGB controller are you using, and which valves if I may ask?

[migwelly]

But do you encounter any problems when using kaku modules to switch these valves?

Sometimes, but realy sometimes.
Mist of the times they work flawlessly.


Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-G935F met Tapatalk

[krizzz]

This 12vdc looked quite OK for the job. Now I can afd a rgb controller for the power!

http://s.aliexpress.com/mUNvQVj6

[meel4chris]

Hi,

Great script, thanks for sharing!
One question however, I dont have a moistsensor.
I just tried to create a dummy switch called 'MoistSensor' but I'm getting errors in the logging:
-----------------------
2017-06-07 09:55:00.480 Error: EventSystem: in /home/pi/domoticz/scripts/lua/script_time_irrigation.lua: /home/pi/domoticz/scripts/lua/script_time_irrigation.lua:769: attempt to concatenate global 'smoistsensorTemp' (a nil value)
-----------------------

Is it possible to use the script without a moistsensor or do I need to remove all references in the script?

thanks!
regards,
Christian

[michaldobrotka]

Hi @Siewert308SW,
Thanks for great script!!!
Im runing it just on dummy switches for now and it works great. I have a questions:
1. "local VarMaxRunTime = 45" is ON time of pump. Is this max. time while is the pump running until it will be stoped by moisture sensor?
2. Is there option to reduce interval of logging? (every 30 seconds for example)
3. Didnt you (by chance) modify script to switch more valves on diferent day?
thanks a lot

[cwesystems]

Hi

Cool project! Do you have any pictures?

I'm interested to do a similar project for my own. My plan is to build it with a Raspberry pi zero, and control pump, valves and linear actuators with GPIO.. I have also bought soil sensor, to meassure moist.
I plan to communicate with Domoticz with MQTT.

[bobvanoijen]

Hi,

Would you post an overview of the hardware used?
This would make it much faster for me to start!
Less research would be needed...

Thanks in advance!

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

[Hobbyklus]

I just started with Domoticz and found this great post! I'm very bad in code writing, so I was wondering if anybody was planning to add irrigation zones to this project. I use now a simple Rainbird controller and have 3 zones, which should be controlled sequentially. It would be great if I could replace it with this! Especially the feature of not watering if rain is expected or when it was raining recently would be a great upgrade.