[mark.carline]

I have a largish plot with no water supply other than a water butt and I have managed to get a big 12v car battery - Does anyone know what kind of pump I might be able to get that I could use on the water butt to attach to my hose pipe ?

[pipfit]

Plenty of 12v pumps on E/Bay we use a drill pump  on a battery drill works fine

[8doubles]

You will need a good pump if you intend to use a hosepipe to water direct at anywhere near mains pressure. The small 12v pond pumps are not up to moving water a long distance and filling watering cans from them is very slow.
Lugging big batteries for charging is worse than lugging watering cans.
Not the positive reply you were looking for but i hope it might save you money 

[mark.carline]

You will need a good pump if you intend to use a hosepipe to water direct at anywhere near mains pressure. The small 12v pond pumps are not up to moving water a long distance and filling watering cans from them is very slow.
Lugging big batteries for charging is worse than lugging watering cans.
Not the positive reply you were looking for but i hope it might save you money 

thanks but the car battery is on my site all the time and recharging it itsnt an issue - Solar power

I like the idea of using a drill pump and trying to get an old 12v drill that I can butcher

thanks

[BrianK]

Rather than try to get a jet of water why not invest in seeper hoses and irrigate rather than drown?

Lay the seeping hoses up and down the aisles by the plant roots and leave the mini pump gently ebbing the water.  The water should "seep" out the holes in the hose and water each aisle.  Then a few hours later or in the next oppurtune moment move the hose to another section and continue.

You can make your own seeping hoses, buy the blackspur watering kits off ebay (6.95 plus p and p) or buy ready  made holy hoses.

Seems a better idea than trying to power water out a hose and will probably save water and get the plants irrigated a lot better.

[noshed]

Don't forget you can make a network of water butts using a simple siphon - a length of hose leading from one butt to the other - just fill the hose with water, put one end into the bottom of one butt and keep your thumb on the other end to stop air getting in. Then put that end into the bottom of the other butt (obviously you need about a foot of water in each butt to start).
Water will then find its own level, so you can have a butt next to your shed which feeds other butts around your plot. You then only have a short distance to go with your watering can. No need for pumps. I have one butt and three old wheely bins which work well linked together.

[mark.carline]

nice ideas and thanks but I have just one 600 litre water butt I maanaged to get from freecycle and although its gravity fed (its standing on a *VERY* strong frame) i would like to pimp up the pressure a bit.

I might try and get one of those drill pumps - I have seen a 1500litre/min drill pump on ebay and then all i need is a 12v motor from a drill (which i am sure somebody has an old 12v drill on freecycle).

[mark.carline]

Update:

After looking around for a bit I managed to get a drill pump and the best spec I could find (for the price) is on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/EXTRA-HEAVY-DUTY-DRILL-PUMP-AND-ADAPTOR-CONNECTOR-KIT_W0QQitemZ260435612318QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM?hash=item3ca32c129e&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A10%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

Its 3000ltr/min and this includes all the connectors etc.

Looks like it will do just the job!

Of course buying something like this (along with Glastonbury starting) does mean that its going to rain non stop now ! 

[siandc]

You'll need a drill with 2 gear selections, at high revs you'll kill, even a large car battery pretty quickly but the slower, higher torque gearing will not struggle so much.

[Kristen]

My plan is to have an elevated water butt with 3/4" or larger connector, and then use a solar pump to fill it from other butts - which it can overflow back to. So my main butt will "always" be full, and at full pressure.

I expect it won't drive a hose, but should manage some drip irrigation, and will fill my cans faster than when the butts are all 1/4 full

[pumpkinpatch]

Not braging and all but on my plot we each have a little mains connected hose pipe thingy (dont know what you call it) but its in a metal case and locked away and we have are own keys for it.