Advertising on the portal

Irrigation pump from a barrel: how to choose and how to organize watering

– the most necessary hydraulic device in a suburban summer cottage, where there is no water supply from the central water supply channel. If automated watering of beds and flower beds is also relevant for you, below you will learn all about how to choose pumps for watering a vegetable garden from a barrel.

Description of the pump for irrigation and its varieties

The main feature of barrel pumps for watering a garden from a barrel is that they are able to independently create pressure and pump water out of the barrel, supplying it through a hose to the right place. Perhaps this is due to the fact that during the start-up of such a unit, a vacuum is created inside it, into which water is drawn. Since the vacuum is created continuously, more and more portions of water are pumped into the sediment, and those that initially got into it under pressure are thrown out.


There are special pumps designed specifically for working with barrels. They are distinguished by their very compact dimensions, as well as the presence of a water supply hose (in some versions even with a convenient sprayer and flow regulator) and a water pressure regulator. Filters are also installed on many pumps of this type, so clean water must be selected for them. During operation, such a pump simply clings to the edge of the barrel and starts either from an outlet or from a battery. In addition to compactness and ease of installation, such devices allow you to add fertilizers to water during irrigation. The most common barrel pumps are units manufactured by the German company Kärcher.

However, to organize watering a vegetable garden from a barrel, you can use not only special barrel devices, but also other types of pumps that are likely to be in your pantry.

Did you know? The big advantage of barrel irrigation is economy, as pumps suitable for this type of irrigation are very affordable. Their cost ranges from 400 to 1500 thousand UAH, and the service life is not limited.

Submersible

A submersible pump for a barrel for watering beds is different in that it descends directly into a container of water, which it will subsequently pump out. Such pumps are designed to supply water from wells and wells, so they often have very high power. When choosing a submersible pump in a barrel for irrigation, it is better to stop at the simplest and weakest option, since it is unlikely that you will find a barrel on the site with a capacity of more than 500 liters.

When buying such a pump, it is worth remembering about its following features:

  1. Unlike a barrel pump, a submersible pump can be used not only in a barrel.
  2. A submersible pump is capable of lifting water from any depth to which it itself will be lowered.
  3. In winter, the operation of submersible pumps in a barrel is not possible, although they can be operated in a non-freezing well even in severe frosts.
  4. It is the most silent device for watering, as it works under water.

Drainage


A drainage pump for watering from a barrel and generally watering beds is practically not used, since its main purpose is to pump liquid from flooded rooms or feces from a toilet. However, if you already have such a pump on the farm, it can be easily adjusted to the needs of the garden. For irrigation, you can use the smallest drainage pump in terms of power. At the same time, he will be able to supply water not only from a barrel, but even from a pond, if there is one on your site.

Surface


The surface garden pump for watering from a barrel has the following principle of operation: the device itself is installed on a solid surface, and the water intake hose from it is thrown into the barrel. On the other hand, a main pipe is connected to the pump, into which water will be supplied from the barrel, and from which you will be able to irrigate.

Important! If you decide to use a surface pump to supply water from a well, please note that it is not capable of lifting liquid from a depth of more than 9 meters. However, in the case of barrels, it will work perfectly.

Benefits of Using a Barrel Pump

To water the garden in the area where, apart from the old well or pond, there are no more water sources, summer residents have to rush all evening or all morning with heavy buckets and watering cans. But if the garden is really large, you should think about facilitating the task of watering, with which a conventional water pump for a barrel will help to cope.

The benefits of using it include:

  • significant reduction in irrigation time;
  • the possibility of supplying rainwater collected in barrels from sewers to the garden;
  • the ability to irrigate when the pressure drops in the central water utility;
  • the ability to transfer and reconnect the irrigation device, each time taking water from barrels installed in different parts of the site;
  • the ability to add mineral fertilizers to the water for irrigation and feed the plants in the garden at the same time as watering.

Did you know? Depending on the method of pumping water by the pump itself, these devices are divided into centrifugal, vortex and vibration. For watering the garden, it is better to opt for vibration ones, as they are able to pump even polluted water and will not fail even if air enters.

Features of irrigation pumps: how to choose the best option


It is not so easy to choose the best pump option for your summer cottage, since in each case there will be a need for devices of different power and performance.

It is equally important to initially decide on the following questions:

  1. Will the pump be used only to pump water from a barrel, or is it necessary to use it to pump water from a basement or pump water from a well?
  2. At what distance is the garden and flower beds from the barrel (taking into account this distance, not only the pump power will be selected, but also the length of the hoses for supplying water)?
  3. Are there elevation differences on the site, what is their direction and magnitude?
  4. How often and how long will the pump be used?
  5. How large is the garden area (how much moisture will have to be pumped into it daily)?
  6. What type of watering do plants need - drip, rain or under the root?

Based on all these indicators, let's start calculating the required pump performance, which is how many liters of water the pump can pump in 1 minute. It is clear that when it comes to watering garden plants, excessively intensive water supply can damage them. Therefore, the pump capacity for a 200 liter barrel for irrigation should be about 5-10 liters per minute. Given that the average need for garden plants in water is 5 liters per 1 sq. m, in 1 minute you can water about 2 sq. m of your garden, introducing moisture as accurately as possible.

Important! If the garden area is very large - about 300 square meters. m, then the pump must be selected with a high capacity, otherwise you will spend a lot of time on watering. To water such an area in 30-50 minutes, you will need a pump with a capacity of 30-50 l / min.

But the feed rate also depends on the pressure that the pump can provide, and on the height from which the unit has to raise water, and the height to which water must be pumped. It should also be understood that if the difference between the height of the water intake and the height of the drain is large, the pressure will be small.
To select a pump with the right kit, it is important to make some calculations. Let's say your barrel of water is dug in to a depth of 1.5 meters, and the garden bed that needs watering has a length of 35 m (35x0.1 = 3.5). Immediately calculate the 20% head loss due to joints and turns. Next, we summarize the height of the water rise, the length of the beds and the number of head loss: 1,5+3,5+7=12. It is recommended to add a margin of 10-15 units to the obtained pressure value, which will require the purchase of a pump with a pressure value of 25-30 units (this indicator will be indicated in the technical data sheet for the pump with the letter “H”).

As for the power of the pump, it will directly depend on the type of watering that is required specifically for your garden. Pump power for drip irrigation from a barrel may be minimal. If you have a need for abundant watering of garden trees, then you need to take a pump that can withstand a lot of pressure.

How to organize barrel watering

Each watering pump has its own characteristics of functioning, which are important to know about when connecting each of them to a barrel of water. Below we consider this issue in more detail.

A submersible pump for supplying water from a tank is quite difficult to connect, so it often requires the help of a professional to install it. It should be understood that the device will function in water, so even one incorrectly tightened nut can cause damage to the pump or slow corrosion of its individual parts.


When organizing irrigation with a submersible pump, you will also not be able to often transfer the unit, so only one barrel can be used for irrigation. Another feature is that the pump will not be able to pump absolutely all the water out of the barrel, so there will always be residues at the bottom that can become moldy over time. In this regard, the barrel will have to be periodically washed out very carefully. Another disadvantage of using submersible pumps is the impossibility of dissolving fertilizers in water for irrigation, since they can damage the unit itself.

How to organize watering with a drainage pump

The drainage pump for the barrel is best connected to a container dug into the ground, which will reduce pressure losses when pumping water to the garden. This type of pump is best suited for watering the garden, as they are capable of pumping a very large amount of water from the barrel at the same time with a small pressure. With such watering, the outlet hose can simply be thrown into the aisles of trees or in the middle of two beds and follow the unhurried pumping of water.

Watering the garden and vegetable garden with a surface pump


A garden pump for watering a surface type is often characterized by high power and the presence of strong vibrations during its operation. Therefore, it is important to install the pump itself on a hard surface, laying a rubber mat under it (it will neutralize vibrations and make the pump work quieter). It is easiest to connect such a pump, while it can be carried within the garden and installed at any convenient point. However, after each watering, it is important to cover or hide such a pump in the room.

Features of the operation of pumps in the country: how to extend the life of the device

The electric barrel pump for water is used only in spring and summer. At this time, he can stay outside around the clock, the main thing is to build a shelter for him from the rain.

But as soon as the temperature starts to drop, it is recommended to disconnect the barrel pumps for irrigation from the hoses and the barrel itself, from which they supplied water, dry thoroughly, clean it of adhering dirt and transfer it to a warm, dry room. If the pump has a protective device, install it. At the same time, it is very important not to allow the pump to idle without water, as this can damage its sensors. This storage method will allow you to operate the same pump for an infinite number of seasons.
Garden pumps for watering from a barrel have a different design and principle of operation, however, when properly connected, all of them are able to provide your garden with the required amount of water directly from a barrel or any other water container. The main thing is to choose a spray of the required power and productivity for your site so that watering 10 acres of a garden does not stretch for 5 hours.

Was this article helpful?
Not really