Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Chatting => Equipment Shed => Topic started by: tublet on March 20, 2006, 23:13

Title: Collecting Water
Post by: tublet on March 20, 2006, 23:13
:shock: HI All,
  I am looking for rain collection and storage ideas. I have the down pipes from the greenhouse and shed covered. Am working on how to get that water into the greenhouse without making too many holes. As water on tap in there will be a bonus,plus water heats up during the day and will release slowly through the night. Any ideas greatly recieved, even passing thought will be useful. Thanks. Tublet
Title: Collecting Water
Post by: John on March 21, 2006, 10:42
I've read quite a bit about using water as a heat store in greenhouses, seems like a brilliant idea to me.

I played with designing a solar heating system so the sun in the day would heat up water in the house and this would release overnight.  You can get flexible hot water pipes nowadays and paint old radiators black allowing the hot water to rise into the tank and the cold enter the radiator at the bottom.

Still, my wife says I need to get on with building the greenhouse on the plot and play with this another day :)
Title: Collecting Water
Post by: twysted1 on March 21, 2006, 11:29
In europe and india you find the domestic hot water is often provided by solar stills like you are describing and they are very efficient. Even in our climate they can provide a almost free hot water from sping to autumn. you want your blacked radiators behind glass so that you dont get any windchill . i made one years ago for a bus i lived on for about a fiver and loads of scrap and it worked great.
Title: water storage 2
Post by: tublet on March 23, 2006, 21:49
Thanks for the solar ideas. Plot 4s previous occupant has left a bath. I was going to use it for a crop at first,but have it as water storage. A sudden idea on way from work, put bath in the greenhouse.I can put a worksuface on the top, this would act like a heat mat. Now i need to come up with how to get the water out to water the plants. HELP. I figured a water barrel would take up planting space. Tublet
Title: Collecting Water
Post by: twysted1 on March 23, 2006, 22:19
tublet you could try siphoning the water from your bath to your plants. you would just need a length of hose pipe. your idea would also increase the humidity in the greenhouse which is good; isn't it ?
Title: Collecting Water
Post by: Gwiz on April 01, 2006, 07:15
how about a small 12 volt bilge pump from a boat? it could be run of a small solar panel maybe, or even one of those cheap rechargable jump starter battery packs (has a light and compressor included) :D
Title: Collecting Water
Post by: John on April 01, 2006, 08:42
If you are looking for solar power stuff, try ebay france (ebay.fr)

I bought some solar fans and they were shipped quickly and cheaply. I was pleasently surprised.