Float valve for automatic refilling

🚰 Float valve : the water level that takes care of itself

The float valve is the accessory that turns a manual RDWC into a semi-autonomous system. With every evaporation or uptake by the plants, the water level in the control pot drops. The float goes down with it, opens the valve, and the nutrient solution is replenished from a buffer tank placed higher up, by simple gravity. No electronics, no programming.

The benefit is twofold : you gain stability (the level stays constant, so the nutrient dilution stays constant), and you gain autonomy (a weekend away, a weekday absence, no more stress). With a buffer tank of 50 to 100 L, the system can run several weeks without intervention.

Technical specifications

• Type : mechanical float valve, no power supply
• Connection : 16 mm barbed
• Max flow rate : about 5 L/min
• Permissible pressure : 0.5 to 3 bar
• Material : ABS and stainless steel
• Compatibility : Growrilla 32 x 16 mm push-fit adapter required

🔧 Installation and precautions

First fit the 32 x 16 mm adapter onto the control pot, at a height matching the target water level (usually at mid-height of the tank). Screw the float valve onto the 16 mm outlet, then connect the hose coming down from your buffer tank. Fill with water and adjust the float position if needed.

The buffer tank must contain the nutrient solution already prepared and corrected (pH 5.8, EC adapted to the growth stage). The float valve does not mix anything, it only makes up for the volume consumed.

💡 Tips : sizing the buffer tank

Sizing rules :

• 4-pot kit : 50 L buffer = 1 to 2 weeks of autonomy.
• 8-pot kit : 100 L buffer = same autonomy.
• 12-pot kit and above : 150 to 200 L buffer recommended for peace of mind.

Buffer tank height : at least 30 cm above the controller's target water level to ensure a sufficient gravity flow. The higher the tank, the faster the flow.

⚠️ Limitation : it makes up the volume, not the EC

Warning : the float valve makes up for evaporation and uptake by volume, but it does not correct the EC that builds up as the plants consume some salts more than others. A full flush of the circuit is still essential every 7 to 14 days to start over with a clean solution.

🛡️ Origin and after-sales service

Float valve Made in Italy, ABS body and stainless steel float resistant to hydroponic nutrients. 2-year warranty, spare parts available on request from Univers-Aquaponie.

Growrilla is an Italian manufacturer of soilless growing systems, based in Robassomero, in the province of Turin. The brand has been designing and manufacturing its own RDWC, DWC, Oxy Ring and NFT systems since 2014, in a 100 % Italian workshop.

Its technical signature : a double-walled bucket with an anti-algae black interior and a reflective white exterior. All parts are produced and assembled in Italy, with 32 mm push-fit fittings for the 2.0 line and 50 mm for the PRO line. The systems are covered by a 2-year manufacturer warranty.