Thanks
Trillium. It took me a few reads to digest and get a mental picture of what you were saying, but I think I have it now!
I've also had a think about what
hunros said about syphons and having the same amount of water in each and the mists are clearing in my head about that too
. I found a helpful discussion about syphons somewhere else - unfortunately I can't make the link work, but I searched for 'linking water butts' and it came up on
The Green Living ForumI like the simplicity of using cheap hose! I could then set up my 'system' (ha, ha) without having to do so much barrel cutting (which is where I started this). This is my thinking...
Set whole lot raised up to take a watering can from a tap in the last barrel. All of them at the same level?
Barrel No.1: I take off the two screw caps in the top. Down pipe fills into one hole and my syphon hose will come out of the other. I'll try and fashion some kind of mesh to keep debris out of the hole or better still, drill a hole through one cap to take the hose snugly. Will weight the hose to keep it's ends at the botom.
Barrel 2: Drill hole through the caps. Syphon hose into one from barrel No 1 and another coming out of the other ready for barrel 3. I can easily link in more barrels here. I could drill small holes through the caps for air pressure release, perhaps
Barrel 3: Cut out the top (try and make a replaceable lid with battens as per an earlier suggestion?). Fit a tap low down. Set up syphon hose through the lid as before.
Would I need overflow pipes on all of the barrels or would it be sufficient on barrel 3 only? (I could even leave the top open or covered in mesh).
I'm imagining being able to fill a watering can by plunging into barrel 3 from the top when there's lots of water in and using the tap when not so much.
If you can see any obvious flaws, I'd be grateful for the feedback.
ETA - already found a flaw!! I'll need a hole in the tops big enough to get my arm down to the bottom of the barrel to create the syphon (thumb over the end of the pipe). Durrr! (and Grrrr!)
PS this is the link which doesn't link (!), but if you copy and paste it, it will get you there..
http://thegreenlivingforum.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=7215