If you drill the new hole in the proper place then I see no reason why it wouldn't solve your problem. The only downside is that the reservoir will hold less water which will call for more frequent refills.

sure you can. just measure down a 1/2 inch and drill a 3/8 or 1/2 hole. that will give you a 3/4ish gap. i have done it before on another brand(gadeners supply junk) which didnt come with a overflow hole.

Or you could raise the screen with something, blocks of wood, pvc pipe segments, ...

I think I would try raising the screen. Can you cut some PVC "legs" to lift it and not lose any water space?

Athena

Thanks one and all. I will go with the extra drainage hole because I have the automatic watering system in place. I will try to get some photos and at season end will report back.

Cheers,
DL

HI DC, you post is quite interesting. I was thinking that an air gap would materialize pretty quickly because the plants will use water thereby causing the level to fall away from the screen in a short time.

The thing to do would be to refrain from adding water until the water level becomes to within an inch of the bottom. Perhaps a small dip stick made from a wood dowel would be handy. If you were to drill a hole about 1 inch from the bottom of the tank and insert a clear plastic tube glued to the outside of the container, you could have a visual water level indicator.

Yes, drilling a lower hole will insure an air-gap. The function of the airgap is to prevent plant roots from growing down into the tank is it not?

Thank you for your post. I intend to follow my own advice and add visual water level indicators to my own self-irrigation containers.

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