[RichardA]

my best collection point would be the garage roof and would easily serve 2 IBC but I also have blue barrels inside polytunnel to keep filled and not easy to catch water off a polytunnel - has any one sucessfully pumped from IBC around a garden to transfer rain water and if so what pump did you use. Top filler point on IBC is only 140 millimetres - can a pump be that small???
I have solar panels and think it would be good to use free power to drive collected water upto where I need it.
Any thoughts ??
Many thanks
R

[grendel]

I'm sure its possible, I was looking  at something similar the other year, the only problem I had was finding the right pump. most were way too powerful.
Grendel

[grendel]

harvested another 100 litres from the conservatory roof last night, the wheelie bin is about half full now, so when (if) it ever stops raining we will be well set to keep the garden watered.
Grendel

[TerryB]

my best collection point would be the garage roof and would easily serve 2 IBC but I also have blue barrels inside polytunnel to keep filled and not easy to catch water off a polytunnel - has any one sucessfully pumped from IBC around a garden to transfer rain water and if so what pump did you use. Top filler point on IBC is only 140 millimetres - can a pump be that small???
I have solar panels and think it would be good to use free power to drive collected water upto where I need it.
Any thoughts ??
Many thanks
R

Why do you need a pump?
If you attach a hose pipe to the bottom of your barrels, grafity will equalize the level of water in each barrel. Only problem is if 1 barrel is a lot lower than the over.

[potatogrower]

i still need to put the drain pipe into the top of my tub. once i did with old pipes left over which didn't hold well and it filled up over night  . amazing what a few drips can fill up. wish i had a bigger one and have good pressure and try using a hose. hoping to buy some new 90 degrees bends for drain pipe and connect it back up and fill her up

[RichardA]

Hi TerryB, problem is size of garden and distance to polytunnel as using hoses alone would be very slow and fluid friction would need to be overcome. At best all 8 barrels and my 2 IBC would finish up part full which is not what I need -- I need to transfer water from where it is easiest to collect to where it is most needed.
Hence pump is required.
R

[grendel]

plenty of solar powered pumps on ebay for quite cheap prices.
Grendel

[RichardA]

house is solar powered in any case power is nmot the issue -- the problem is to get a submersible pump into the IBC -- it needs to go through a 140 mm diameter hole so mains or stand alone solar that is the size. Would an external pump work if the suction hose is down at the bottom of the IBC which is about 1200 millimetres deep and pump sttod on top or does priming become a problem ??
R

[compo]

house is solar powered in any case power is nmot the issue -- the problem is to get a submersible pump into the IBC -- it needs to go through a 140 mm diameter hole so mains or stand alone solar that is the size. Would an external pump work if the suction hose is down at the bottom of the IBC which is about 1200 millimetres deep and pump sttod on top or does priming become a problem ??
R

We use one of these http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rule-Aquacharge-Cordless-Submersible-Pump/dp/B00715XNO2/ref=pd_sim_sbs_lp_5
We recharge it at home then bring to the allotment. There is good pressure without the pump by connecting a hose to bottom tap, but its good for the toms when trying to get good fruit set etc. No probs with priming, pipe goes to bottom of ibc.

[RichardA]

much appreciated, Compo, gets me thinking.....................
R