Q. How many times a day does it water the plants and how much?

A. It always waters twice a day but with different watering time durations:

>10 days program: it opens twice a day for 12 minutes each, with approximately 120 cc's of water per dripper (120 cc's is very close to 1/2 cup per day)
>20 days: twice a day for 6 minutes each, with approximately 60 cc. of water per dripper (60cc's is very close to 1/4 cup per day)
>30 days: twice a day for 4 minutes each, with approximately 40 cc. of water per dripper
>40 days: twice a day for 3 minutes each, with approximately 30 cc. of water per dripper (30 cc's is very close to 1/8 cup per day).

A quick note here. If you are the type who hates math and numbers, then keep reading, but don't be intimidated by the information. At the very end of the list is a question on how to get some help.

That said, some plants are large and will require more water than your small ones. The remedy to that problem is to start with one dripper in your smallest plant and then set your output selector to the amount needed to satisfy that plant. Then use multiple drippers in your larger and thirstier plants. As an example, use one dripper in the smallest plants, and 3 drippers in each of the large ones. The large one will then receive 3 times as much water as the small one.

We highly recommend that you do your best to order this product well before departing on your vacation so you can experiment and determine the best configuration and then observe how your plants respond. One week should be sufficient, but two or three weeks is much better. Don't forget that it takes a few days from the time you order until the time you receive your product.

Q. Assuming I use less than 20 drippers, does the system keep working longer than the program time?

Yes, with each program selected the Oasis keeps working until the water is nearly depleted. However, the timing on the dial (10 days, 20 days, 30 days, 40 days) will not apply, since it's calibrated to 20 drippers. It is sometimes makes more sense to view the "days" settings as 10 being the highest output level delivering about 1/2 cup per day per dripper, and 40 as the lowest output level delivering about 1/8 cup per day per dripper.

The tank is designed so that the water will not deplete completely so as to protect the lines from getting contaminated. The 26 liter tank translates into about 110 cups, but when the system reaches about 10 cups, it will no loner drain.

Therefore, to estimate how long until the tank will become depleted and need refilled, simply divide output per day (from the chart above), times the number of drippers used, into 100 cups. As an example:

If you use 10 drippers, and set the timer at 10 days, then the math becomes:

10 drippers times about 1/2 cup per day = about 5 cups per day total output.
100 cups in the tank divided by about 5 cups per day means that you can expect the tank to become drained in somewhere around 20 days.

The reason I keep saying "about" and "approximately" is due to rounding when converting cc's into cups. I chose to approximate the conversion into cup increments that most of us are familiar with. But to do that required some rounding of the numbers and does distort the precision of the math.

Q. It is possible to add extra tubing and drippers?

A. Not always. Sometimes we have additional drippers and/or hose available. Feel free to contact us if you have an interest or a need.

Q. What is the proper height where to set the Oasis?

A. At least 2.5 feet above the plants. Higher is fine, lower will not work.

Q. Can I use the Oasis outside?

The unit is designed for indoor use only. If used outside, you would need to have it in a dry place and never under direct sun because the water will get too warm and it will damage the housing of the Oasis. Note that using the unit outdoors will void your warranty. Also note that we do offer a similar product which is designed for outdoors.

Q. It all sounds great, but you lost me with all the math and numbers.

A. Not a problem at all so long as you are planning your trip enough in advance to afford me the time to help you. All I need from you is the following information and I will do the math and give you a starting point on how to configure your drippers. See the contact page for how to get in touch with me.

1) How long will you be away from your home?
2) How many cups of water should each of your plants get per day? The minimum per plant is 1/8 cup per day. If each of the plants need different amounts, then just identify the plant and let me know how much water it needs.
3) If you are leaving for more than about two weeks, and especially if you have a lot of plants, let me know if it is possible to have someone come in from time to time to refill the tank.

With that information, I can crank the numbers real quick and advise you on how to configure your drippers, what dial setting to use, and when to expect the tank to be drained. I prefer that the information be on an email so that I can give you a written answer which you will be able to refer back to as needed. But as always, if you prefer to call, my number is on the contact page.