Irrigatia.ca - FAQ

What is an "IU" Irrigation Unit?

We created the IU to provide a unit that would indicate the difference between our irrigation systems. The IU is the amount of water needed to properly water a tomato plant or the plants in a 20 L. pot.

How many plants will it water?

To make sizing your system easier the Irrigatia Kits are rated using Irrigation units or IU for short. Each product is listed with the Irrigation units it can support.

What water source do I need?

The Irrigatia pumps will prime from 2 m below (bottom of your water source) and can raise water to 5 m. So the unit can sit 2 m above the water source and raise the water another 3 m.

How much will it water?

The Irrigatia pumps run every three hours from the time they are first turned on. The length of time they run is related to the amount of sun that has fallen on the solar panel. Remember that the strength of the sunlight falling on the solar panels will vary with shading (to be avoided), orientation of the pump, time of year and air quality.

The amount of water delivered will also vary depending on the setting you have chosen. The selector at the side of the control unit adjusts the length of time the Irrigatia pump runs, not the interval between (always 3 hours). 5 is more and 1 is less. This allows you to provide more or less water as required, for example, more to establish seedlings and less as they grow or more to water-hungry crops such as celery and sweet corn and less to drier growing crops such as tomatoes.

How can I reset the timing?

The starting time can be changed by turning the pump off and on again.

Can I use it to water my shade plants?

Certainly you can BUT all the Irrigatia kits are solar powered. They must be hung in the sun. If your plants are in the shade or under a tree, hang the pump away from your plants and run tubing between them. You can bury the tubing or fasten it to walls or fences to keep it tidy. The distance the water runs is not as important (maximum recommended is 60 m) as the height (maximum 5 m).

How fast does it pump?

With a rating of 12 x 20L pots | 12 x tomato plants | 24 x pepper plants | 36 x strawberry plants | 12m row vegetable or flower beds, the Irrigatia kit C24L supplies approx. 7 litres per hour (100 ml per minute). Pumps with different Irrigation Unit ratings will pump different amounts of water based on their IU rating.

Can I use the pump for grey water or in my pond?

The Irrigatia kits come with with a filter but is not recommended for use with dirty water or grey water. Small particles can block the pump and stop it working. In pond or stream applications use the reservoir kit and fill with clean sand. Bury the inlet filter in the clean sand so that the sand can act as a pre-filter. Wash sand as needed to keep the filter clean.

Can I immerse the pump?

No!!! However, it is designed to keep the rain out of the working parts - as long as it is hung the right way up.

What happens if the water source runs dry?

The Irrigatia pumps now come with a water sensor. As long as the sensor has been attached above the water inlet, the pump will stop if the water level drops below the sensor. Once the water lever rises above the sensor, the pump will start again. The pump will emit an audible alarm and the LED will flash a warning if the low water level sensor has been activated. 

Tank Series Systems

Why do the controller have 2 pumps?

The tank series systems have 1 large pump to pump water and a secondary pump to deliver plant feed to the plants while the larger pump is supplying water. The large pump can either be the internal pump the is located in the control unit or a submersible pump that would be located at the bottom of your tank.