How I make drippers

[Psychobunny]

Got a few PM's asking how I make these "IV" style drippers that hang from the ceiling, so, here we go:

First, the stuff you need.
Some 1/4'' soft PVC tubing
A plastic hose clamp
A plastic transfer pipett (cut the bulb off, and insert into the tube)
A plastic bottle, large size Gatoraid, or the spring water shown in the pics fit great.
A ceiling screw-in hanger.
A plastic stopcock (you only need one, not 2 like in the pics). Use the barbed tube connector here at the bottle instead of the stopcock
I have in the pic. Put the stopcock in line, and the hose clamp before the quick connect, so you can turn the water flow off
before you disconnect.
Plastic 'quick connects' for 1/4'' tubing.
A plastic barbed hose connector (elbow, or straight)
Epoxy glue
Piece of sandpaper
A hanging wire. These come with those ExoTerra dome fixtures, and fit the bottles perfectly.

You need to drill 2 small holes on the bottle to snap the wire hanger into it.
If you have a drywall ceiling, be sure to use the proper anchors for screwing in the hanger.

Using a razor hobby knife, cut a hole in the lower side of the bottle.

Use your sandpaper to rough-up the edges of the hole so the glue will stick better.
Epoxy the barbed hose connector into the cut hole in the bottle, and assemble as shown.

Filling the water bottle is made easy with the quick connects.
I am using cheap plastic ones that just push in to connect, and pull out to disconnect.

Use the stopcock to adjust flow.

Make hole in the screen top for the tip of the pipett, or just the end of the hose, with no pipett.

 

[LundqvistNYR]

thank you! this is super helpful

 

[Psychobunny]

In case someone says, 'what's a stopcock'

 

[nick barta]

In case someone says, 'what's a stopcock'

I was going to ask, but felt it was…inappropriate

Nick

 

[Psychobunny]

Here is a Amazon link to the ExoTerra dome fixture that comes with the wire hanger.
If you buy these for your cham cages, you probably have a few laying around somewhere.
They are a perfect fit for those large Gatorade or spring water bottles.
Or, if you have the tools, you could make one from a wire coat hanger

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0041OU75O/ref=wms_ohs_product_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Psychobunny]

I was going to ask, but felt it was…inappropriate

Nick

LOL!! I work in a lab, so I have to remind myself that not everybody knows what this stuff is.
Everything I listed can be ordered from Amazon or eBay.
Stopcocks for lab use and quick disconnects can be pricy, but people also use them for home brewing, and those are way cheaper

 

[Mike Fisher]

I was going to ask, but felt it was…inappropriate

Nick

At least it wasn't a petcock. Similar looking but different function. Strange terminology they chose for these types of valves......

 

[Psychobunny]

At least it wasn't a petcock. Similar looking but different function. Strange terminology they chose for these types of valves......

LOL! It's true, esp when you start talking about male and female connections.
You may be overheard and reported for 'talking dirty' in the office