Re: Water Butt Solar Pump

["Simon Coates" <simon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Paul,

A boat bilge pump will be too powerful - even a small one can pump alot of
water very quickly (but with quite low pressure).  You would need an
large/expensive solar panel to run it.
Best thing would be to use something that is low flow with high pressure -
there are some small solar powered pond fountains that might be suitable. 
Might be worth adding a float switch so that the pump  doesn't run dry -
otherwise you'd have to find a self priming pump.

Regards

Simon

----- Original Message -----
From: Paul Bendall
To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
Sent: 09 June 2008 22:47
Subject: [ukha_d] Water Butt Solar Pump


Evening all,

Looking for advice with regard to a continuing irrigation project.
Currently I have a 600L water tank that collects water from one-half
of the roof. I want to use this more effectively and possibly add
another two small water butts at the top of the garden to drive an
irrigation system.

From the current water butt to the top of the garden is around an
uphill slop of 1m - 1.5m. Then from the top of the garden to the
front of the house is maybe a 2m fall.

Therefore, I am thinking of getting a solar powered pump to take
water from the large butt up to the small butts. No real head because
the top of the large butt would probably be around the same height as
the top of the small butts.

First point what sort of pump would be best for this task, maybe a
12v bilge pump?

Then from the top of the garden the water will have three funtions:
1. Feed a leaky hose irrigation system around a hedge and flower bed,
leaky hose needs high volume low pressure so possibly will get away
with just gravity?
2. Pop up sprinklers for the lawn, I assume these are going to need
high pressure lower volume?
3. Run pipe to the front of the house to use as a source for water
pressure cleaner and garden tap for miscellanous tasks. I guess this
needs to be high pressure, high volume and achieve close to mains
pressure at 1.5bar?

For point 2 and 3 I assume I may need a second pump, but again what
type? I would like to use a solar panel to a battery array to power
the pump.

Control for the setup would be via a solenoid array (three or four)
and controlled by Idratek.

Cheers

Paul





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