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I've been fiddling with automated watering systems. Building them from scratch and controlling them via the inter-webs. My biggest problem is getting even water flow to each pot. The plants closest to the pump get too much water, those far away get too little. Are there any tricks I can incorporate into my design to smooth the water flow automatically. Right now I have to poke/plug holes and constantly tweak the system.

I feel I may be missing some major design principle of such systems? Any hints? Or things I should study to find a method on my own.

futurebird
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You need regulated emitters such as this pressure compensating emitter or these. There are other brands that I've used as well, but the idea is the same.

I've seen them from 0.5 gallons per hour (GPH) to 24 GPH. If you need more than that, you can double them up. If you know the flow from your hose, then you can estimate how many of these emitters you can put on one zone.

Ben
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That Idiot
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This is probably more of a physics question that could be solved with math, but I would try adding valves to the systems arms as a method of controlling the flow. It would allow for later re-adjustment too.

user2272115
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