harvst WaterMate User manual

WaterMate
Greenhouse installation
This is a guide to installing the WaterMate irrigation system into your greenhouse. Every
greenhouse is different, so you will need to adapt the guide for your own situation. The
guide assumes you have an aluminium framed greenhouse with slotted channel, to take
M6 cropped head bolts.
Tools needed
Secateurs for cutting pipe
10mm spanner
Kettle to warm water for soening pipe ends
If you have any difficulty or questions while setting up, please call us on
0333 090 5440 (Mon-Fri 9am - 5pm) or email [e-mail]
See more online at www.harvst.co.uk/setup

Concept
WaterMate supports two separate irrigation zones. This allows a versatile setup which can
adapt to your greenhouse crops throughout the seasons. An auxiliary output can also run
an extra pump if you want to add a third zone, or transfer water from a separate tank to
your main greenhouse tank.
Different plant types
Some plants will want
more water than others.
WaterMate lets you run
different schedules for the
two different zones.
Different emitter types
Soak hose and misters
require high pressure, yet
drippers and sprayers will
be lower pressure. Two
zones allows you to run
both from the same
irrigation system without
needing to manually
change connectors or taps.
Double your capacity
You can also use the two
separate zones to double
the number of emitters
you can power with the
same pump. One zone will
pump first, and then the
second.
Changing your setup through the seasons
When plants develop, their watering needs can change. You may also be rotating crops,
and doing multiple sowings of different crops in a season. Consider how you might want
to change the setup as time goes by. This can be done by fitting taps to the main 13mm
irrigation line, or to the 4mm take-off lines. Or, you can remove 4mm take-off lines and
replace them with sprayers, or vice versa. Plastic “goof plugs” can be used to plug
redundant holes in LDPE pipe. Adjustable drippers can be shut down completely and le
inline.
Sprayers
Spray nozzles (90, 180 or 360 degree) can be pushed directly into the LDPE pipe, aer a
hole is made with a punch. The sprayer reach is around 1 metre from the pipe at 1 metre
above the ground. We recommend sprayers at around 35cm intervals.
Drippers, “shrubblers” and other ground level emitters
Adjustable emitters are fitted to 4mm micro irrigation hose, in a daisy chain format. For
even water distribution, we suggest a ring of emitters which are then connected to the
main perimeter pipe using a take-off line. A maximum of 8 emitters per take-off line is
recommended.

Water is distributed around the perimeter of the greenhouse using a 13mm LDPE (semi
rigid) pipe which is fixed to the frame at least 1m above the ground. Into this pipe, you
can connect sprayers directly, or 4mm take-off hoses for drippers or other 4mm emitters.
Example 1 One perimeter pipe & one staging sprayer
Seedlings, small pots and trays need more regular watering than plants in deep soil. Run
zone 1 as a perimeter pipe around the greenhouse with drippers or sprayers for a
once-a-day (or less) soaking of the larger plants, and have zone 2 spraying or misting your
seed trays and pots on the greenhouse staging / shelves on a more regular basis, perhaps
controlled by a soil moisture sensor.
Example 2 Two perimeter pipes
Having two perimeter pipes lets you use water from either irrigation zone anywhere in the
greenhouse.
Example 3 One perimeter & one ground level
Use zone 1 with a perimeter pipe to provide water for general sprayers and drippers
around the greenhouse, where the plants need it. Use zone 2 with a ground level soaker
hose for watering efficiently in rows without wasting water.

Installation
Start by choosing where you will feed the inlet pipe into the greenhouse or polytunnel.
Many greenhouses are well sealed and you may need to drill a hole in the aluminium at
the ridge, or through the base.
For the WaterMate Pro, mount the pump securely near where the inlet pipe comes into
the greenhouse. The WaterMate Mini pump is placed into the water tank which should be
within 4m of the water valves.
Plan where you will run your perimeter pipe(s), and mark on your greenhouse frame
where you will need pipe clips. Approximately 1m above the ground is a good start. A full
ring around the greenhouse is best, coming back to a tee joint to connect to the water
valves. A ring helps get water to all emitters sooner.
Mount the water valves in a suitable location, so that at least one of the outlets can feed
into your perimeter pipe. The angle bracket on the valves bolts to the inside of the
greenhouse frame using an M6 cropped head bolt and nut. The head of the bolt is in the
greenhouse frame.
Fix a cropped head bolt with a nut into the slot of the greenhouse
frame at each mark, leaving the bolt thread exposed; you’ll fix the
P-clips to these. Some greenhouses have slightly larger slots, which
do not lock the cropped head bolt, but you will still be able to
tighten the nut up with care.
Place the 13mm semi-rigid pipe around the greenhouse and secure
it to the bolts with the P-clips. It’s intentionally a tight fit. If you’re
struggling to close the clips, you can remove the rubber lining - it’s
not strictly necessary but prevents the pipe from moving and
flexing.
Link the two ends of the perimeter pipe with a tee joint.
Attach a length of black braided hose to the centre of the tee piece, and then to the water
valves. The one with the yellow wire is zone 1, and the one with the black wire is zone 2.
Secure it with a jubilee clip over the raised part of the barb.
Run a second pipe in a similar fashion for zone 2, or get creative and use it another way!