A $99 Greens Bubbler You Can Build in 15 Minutes

[@EarlyMorningPipe27]

I found this video a few months ago and it inspired me to try my own small scale bubbler. Thanks! 1 (27 Gallon Tote) $15 1 (10ft 1/2" PVC) $3 (cut to fit tote) Glue, Tee, and Elbows ($14) 1 (Intex Quick Fill Pump) $30 Grand Total: $62 The smile on my face: Priceless

[@riotscopez7311]

How did you connect the air pump to the bubbler? I couldn't find the outlet size of the intex pump.

[@EarlyMorningPipe27]

@@riotscopez7311 , I didn't connect it. I usually hold it or some times I can get it to stay in the tubing without it falling.

[@jbindallas1]

If you decide to go with a ball valve make sure you put a t fitting and install the ball valve on the T. Instead of restricting the flow into the bubbler allow some of the air to go out the tea to control your flow. If you restrict the flow it may reduce the time your shop vac lasts

[@notillgrowers]

Great tip! Thank you

[@greenergrass4479]

Was just about to recommend this however consider running the vent to your drying screen because we usually have those things in operation at the same time

[@stevencecchini5725]

i would suggest teeing in the ball valve to vent excess air flow, rather than blocking it. Blocking it might make the motor work harder get louder, and burn it out faster.

[@David-kd5mf]

The world does indeed need another bubbler video :) Thanks for making the video

[@notillgrowers]

Haha, you got it!

[@HippocratesGarden]

Just starting to watch this.. PERFECT timing for me.. I've been at the stage of trying to find a pump for a couple weeks. and I even have a couple of small shop vacs.

[@christopherbrown6391]

FYI central vac tubing is much lighter and costs less. Mine is just pushed together other than the first portion with the tee and first two 90’s. I glued that because I hose clamp it to the rope handle so it can’t float up. Ty for the great video.

[@sgrin2300]

I’ve been doing this system for awhile. I use noise canceling ear muffs or whatever you call them. I also added some Ts on the bottom to hold it of the bottom a bit to let the debris fall to the bottom better. And no glue is needed. I have a 70 gallon tote and 3/4 pvc pipe. Am able to keep it from moving by attaching a ratchet strap to the stand pipe and attach to the edge of my tote. Would put a pic if I could.

[@sgrin2300]

Actually it’s 1 inch pvc just checked

[@Detroit-gx5nd]

@@sgrin2300 how did you do it without glue?

[@sgrin2300]

@@Detroit-gx5nd it just stays together with a dry fit. Plus you want be able to disassemble it so you can clean and sanitize it

[@Detroit-gx5nd]

@@sgrin2300 thanks that make sense. I was thinking of using hydro-rain glue less pvc fittings which you can also remove but the fittings are 3x the normal price.

[@sgrin2300]

@@Detroit-gx5nd no need to spend the extra money. Mine works just fine. Never any issues. Ive just tweaked my bubbler design from time to time

[@timchaffin5663]

Set vac outside and run tubing inside with some pvc valves ,T's etc., where ever you want, still portable dry fitting.

[@nickd8807]

man this makes way more sense and seems like a whole lot less headache than anything i have ever seen

[@notillgrowers]

Super simple.

[@EDLaw-wo5it]

Ahh an inventor too. Great idea. Havagudun Jesse. Btw I received my Living Soil book in a very timely manner. Read through once and now studying it. Kudos. 😊

[@gmaster716]

what up farmer Jesse, another great informative video! if it was me I would lose the PVC glue and just Dri-Fit everything.bad chem leaching... you could always get a commercial size air pump that we use for compost teas with a bubble wand/ diffuser...one recommend for 55 gallon drum, or build a box for the vacuum and line it with foam board although I think you'll have a problem with it overheating.. keep up the great videos. bk

[@notillgrowers]

Thanks, BK! All good notes!

[@TomiaMacQueen]

Awesomeness, thank you

[@charliefoxtrot6017]

For sanitizing, place the PVC pipes in a tub of sanitizer until next needed? If too powerful, in addition to the value to bleed off excess air, perhaps more aeration holes? Or lots of smaller holes?

[@PlantBasedGabriel]

I’ve shared this with 4 or 5 people already. Could really be a great asset for the small/ mobile market gardener!

[@notillgrowers]

That is awesome, Gabriel! When I was researching these I was fully daunted and then came across this shop vac idea and it seemed too easy no to try it. Glad it’s helpful!

[@ryanwillett728]

Honestly, I'd be interested in yet another bubbler video, specifically how you clean it.

[@notillgrowers]

Dor sanitation we are simply pouring a little isopropyl alcohol in it, running the blower through to blow the alc through the holes, wiping it down with alcohol, and then letting it sun sanitize. I think doing both a dunk in sanitizer water then the alcohol wash wouldn’t be a bad idea.

[@joseestrada3496]

the battery operated black and decker leaf blower has a speed control that may work for you

[@jvin248]

There are smaller vacs that could be strapped to a taller vertical stand pipe so you only have one object to carry. Probably even battery powered options for a portable system.

[@briansakurada2823]

I might try this with one of my electric leaf blowers for the input since that's what I have on hand.

[@briansakurada2823]

I finished it today and it works awesome. Thanks for sharing the idea.

[@Xxfades321xX]

I also love this, more mobile than other systems I've seen, and looks like decent price

[@notillgrowers]

Yeah, the bulk of the price was the new shop-vac really. A used one (if properly sanitized) could likely reduce the cost even more.

[@Xxfades321xX]

@@notillgrowers yeah I was looking at some used but not sure how to go about sanitizing

[@DrewSynder]

When curtis stone released his version -- I commented on his video, why not use a shop vac? I'm glad someone went out there and gave it a go.

[@notillgrowers]

I think there are advantages to his system (from what I can tell) in power, possibly longevity, but this is just so darn simple. I also really like the mobility element of the shop vac bubbler.

[@ryanwillett728]

Curtis is also using a lot larger tub.

[@SowtheLand]

I would love to build/try this! Thanks!

[@notillgrowers]

Dude, you should and I'll bet you could build a nicer insulated box for it than I ever could!

[@leighannandrews7509]

This is so helpful and simple. Thank you!!!

[@healinghopefarms7563]

Some Vacuume cleaners have a noise rating. You may so be able to use some extra PVC and line it with some type of foam as a muffler. Like is used in certain central house vac systems. Or similar to a glass pack on a car. Hope it helps

[@notillgrowers]

That's awesome. I didn't realize that about the rating. Thank you for the tip!

[@brudo5056]

If you make an extra tube connection the air capacity will automatically go down and you can put your ‘blower’ further away = noise reduction

[@codetrauma]

Do your lettuce heads go in the spinner? Just curious, cause I'm currently designing my wash/pack station.

[@ajsstudiosinc]

nice! do you think it would remove aphids from kale or other greens? I recently had an aphid infestation. I had to spray each leaf one at a time at the kitchen sink. very labor intensive!

[@TheGardenerNorth]

I've used a water bath method in the kitchen sink. I had a few drops of organic insecticidal soap like Safer's and then just agitate it for a minute or two, adding two clean water rinses and that seams to work well. The soap is just breaking the water tension and makes it really hard for the insects to cling to the veg. Small scale for sure and not selling, but it works. Just cut leafy greens though, I wouldn't do it for heads.

[@royalreign143]

I am hoping someone in here can help me. We need to make a very small kitchen sink size bubbler. We wash about 7-9 heads of lettuce and 2 bunches of celery weekly for organic green juice. We get organic produce from a grocery store. It is filled with bugs and dirt. We wash it once with reverse osmosis water with apple cider vinegar in it for disinfection, and then again in clean plain reverse osmosis water. We have tried several different methods out, food grade plant sprayer, putting it in a sealed Tupperware and shaking it it, and straining it several times, but they are all extremely time consuming, and it is putting physical strain on our bodies. I know we can cut the pipe small enough, but we are concerned that even the smallest shop vac would be too powerful and would blow the bubbler out of the large container we would have to be put in. I think a jacuzzi pump would have the same issue, not to mention it has to be wired etc. We do not have the room to build a larger scale one outside, plus we are in a climate with a lot of different weather types, so doing it outdoors would not work. Does anybody have a suggestion for using a less powerful type of device for pushing the air through? I have looked at pond and aquarium pumps, but most of them do not seem strong enough. I am just not sure what type of pump, or motor, would be just powerful enough, but not too powerful. I am about ready to tear my hair out trying o figure it out. Anybody’s help would be appreciated.

[@roglanvw]

A light dimmer switch worked for me to slow it down.

[@stephenlivingston7889]

Try using a 110v squirrel cage fan from an old a/c unit and if your lucky you might find one with a variable speed switch,also Flexible gutter spout will fit on most of the smaller fans

[@notillgrowers]

Interesting idea, Stephen! Thanks for the tip

[@drwatson1234]

What's a squirrel cage?

[@plantbasedlargefamily8724]

our farmer's markets won't let us wash our greens...only rinse them (running water) bc of cross contamination. we are looking into a bubbler for csa reasons but i was wondering what your thoughts are regarding a bubbler & cross contamination. thx!

[@notillgrowers]

We sanitize between every crop. So the same cutting of lettuce may get the same bubbler, but between crops we always sanitize with isopropyl alcohol sprayed around the fittings and blown through with the blower. Sanitation is our biggest concern.

[@plantbasedlargefamily8724]

@@notillgrowers thx!

[@bradsuarez2683]

I wonder if a leaf blower would work as well. Amazon has one for under 20 bucks.

[@notillgrowers]

Dude if you try that, let me know!

[@bradsuarez2683]

@@notillgrowers Definitely!

[@lauriekiley4593]

Cut the power by leaving a gap in the tubing of the shop vac.

[@chadbunker486]

Make another bubbler and T them together and run 2 tubs at once since the vacuum is too powerful for one tub

[@notillgrowers]

Had this same thought! Might actually expand our tubs at some point and t-them together--will update if I do

[@mb3600]

Can you washer potatoes, Okra, Ginger, Turmeric with this washer??

[@donfredricks8965]

What size air holes did you use? Thanks

[@cristianprelicz3678]

could you provide more technical details about the blower? (for a better orientation when purchasing the device)

[@brickovenfarmandfare8653]

I have a recommendation for sanitizing your pipe and your lettuce if you’re interested. Ozone. I build custom ozone generators for bubbling systems and for supplemental “thunderstorm watering” for crops. Ever notice how plants nearly double in size after a good rain storm? It’s the ozone. Let me know if you’d like to talk about it. I’m sill in trials on my farm with this watering method.

[@jasona.neverforgetfukushim647]

yes ozone that is created by the static electricity discharging in the air to creates ozone is key to all plant life. thats why I have major problems with the geoengineering of our atmosphere and weather modification as we used to have 2-3 thunderstorms a day here on the great lakes, now we all lucky to get 2-3 a year, let alone 2-3 days a year of direct sunlight, and I have the sat images to prove it. Ozone is the key to life and you need an ozone generator in any building you live and work in. there pretty cheap to buy too, and you will feel the immediate health effects right way.

[@brickovenfarmandfare8653]

Jason A I agree with your view on geo engineering. I’ve philosophized about the intentions behind doing so, whether it’s designed to overcome something coming that most don’t realize “ grand solar minimum” aka mini ice age in many areas, or just working to depopulate the earth, because government has made promises that it can’t possibly keep, entitlements. The whole climate change by mans hands, is literally a mirror to the acts they themselves are actively doing to create the problem. And tax the citizens of the world for the actions “they” are taking. But that’s just the concepts I’ve contemplated.

[@brickovenfarmandfare8653]

Jason A my original comment was about injecting high concentration ozone or o3 to water, to emulate the natural anomaly of Lightning’s effect on rain. Not to mention that all mass food processing systems have shifted to ozone sanitization. You generate on demand, and eliminates the use of chemicals. The half life of ozone is about 30 minutes, so after that time, the o3 oxidizes and just returns back to o2 oxygens. Ozone kills 99% of pathogens, bacteria, and viruses on contact, with no residual side affects or residue. I build systems for pool santization to reduce chemicals, also as spraying system to treat wine grape vines, also to reduce the use of chemicals, and finally to bubble my veg in cleaning. My latest trials are watering my crops with the same ozonated water which the roots require to uptake minerals.

[@1toolquip]

I use a ozone injector and spa blower setup. Much better efficiency. It's not about the price when it comes to food safety.

[@okuhfesa]

What power (in W) for the bubbler you guys would recommand for that water's volume ?

[@jp1563]

Your valve needs to also vent the excess air, otherwise you will overheat your shop vac.

[@tourmaline7742]

would this work with a leaf blower?

[@marcelvisser3815]

I'm curious if anyone has used a standard air compressor for running a bubbler? I'd like to build a wash/pack room next to a garage and if one compressor could serve the needs of both places that'd be pretty slick.

[@Nick-tw4rs]

you need an aquarium bubbler. Also, as far as sterilizing goes use hydrogen peroxide. It is very close to bleach in how it interacts with biological matter however once oxidized it decays very fast into nothing harmful. Brewers use it to clean out their pipes.

[@gangofgreenhorns2672]

Get a Ryobi battery shop vac?

[@Sssanbo]

How long do you bubble for ?

[@1231dre]

Do you have a link for your shop vac

[@afern2141]

Silly questions but, how are you scooping your greens out of the barrels to make sure you don't also scoop the debris you just washed off?

[@notillgrowers]

Not a silly question at all. A lot of the dirt and bug debris sinks. Some of the woody stuff floats so we’re grabbing the greens out mid-bubble. That seems to be working, but it’s not perfect. In some cases a second rinse may be necessary.

[@benjaminbrewer2154]

If you box the vac, watch it's temperature (shorten the life of the motor).

[@notillgrowers]

Good call. Good to think about. Thank you!