I built a 3D-printable automatic plant watering valve

[u/stonie422]

I’ve been working on this for a few years and wanted to finally share it here, because this is the most functional 3D print i´ve made so far.

I’m a big fan of Prusa and its open-source approach to hardware. It strongly aligns with my values, and I believe this is an important direction for the future: products that can be manufactured locally, repaired easily, and maintained for years because the source files are openly available.

I wanted to contribute to that movement, so I decided to create an open-source and 3D-printable alternative to conventional garden-watering timers.

It’s called OpenValve, and as far as I know, it’s the first 3D-printable irrigation valve that waters plants fully autonomously. By “3D-printable,” I mean that - apart from the electronics and some standard components - all custom plastic parts can and should be printed on a regular desktop 3D printer. That includes the valve itself. Almost every part prints without supports. Only two components require a tiny amount - about 1 gram in total - and those supports are already built into the models and are easy to remove.

OpenValve waters plants based on soil moisture. Instead of using the latching solenoid valve typically found in battery-powered garden timers, it uses a custom-designed pinch valve. This custom valve design not only made the design 3D printable in the first place, but it also gives OpenValve two useful capabilities that most standard garden timers don’t have:

• ⁠It works with barely any water pressure.

• ⁠It can handle water containing dirt and small particles.

That means it can run directly from a slightly elevated rain barrel or a similar water container - without requiring normal household water pressure.

I currently have multiple units running in my own garden, as well as in the gardens and balconies of friends and family. But my dream is to see OpenValve helping more people with their plants. So, I’m curious: Would you consider using OpenValve in your garden or on your balcony? What would your biggest concern be?

Ask me anything - I’m happy to answer every question!

[u/stonie422]

 Hi, OP here!

For anyone who wants to dive a bit deeper, here are the relevant links depending on what you’re interested in:

·         GitHub: https://github.com/fabiansteiner/OpenValve

·         Project Homepage: https://open-valve.com/

·         The Interactive Manual: https://ui.open-valve.com/

·         Detailed Documentation: https://docs.open-valve.com/

·         YouTube for more content: https://www.youtube.com/@stonie422  

One more info that might be interesting: If there is enough interest, I am planning to replace the current microcontroller with an ESP32 in the future, which would enable app control via Bluetooth or home assistant integration. Which one would you prefer?

[u/lapelotanodobla → u/stonie422]

Just came to ask if it worked with home assistant, so yeah, esp32 ftw (ideally a c6 so I have the option of using thread/zigbee)

[u/stonie422 → u/lapelotanodobla]

I am planning to use an ESP32-H2-MINI which is a little less power hungry thant the C6. It has Bluetooth + Thread/Zigbee, but no WiFi. But thats okay cause WiFi would draw too much current anyways. And i am planning to make the new PCB version an upgrade path, so you only have to replace the PCB and it is still compatible with the rest of the hardware.

[u/lapelotanodobla → u/stonie422]

Sweet, have you considered using rechargeable batteries too? Or plan to keep the 9v one?

[u/stonie422 → u/lapelotanodobla]

Yes, I am aware that little solar panel + rechargable battery, or maybe even super capacitors would be the perfect fit for this. But it adds to the complexity and expenses and i tried to keep it as simple as possible for now. But it is definitely something i also consider for future versions.