There's no time like right now to make sure the garden does well this
year ... So I've installed a submersible pump in our well (was here when
we bought 20 years ago) and I'm in the process of designing a drip
irrigation system .
The plan is to use a large "caged tank" , a plastic tank in a steel
cage (used to transport peroxide in this case) of around 275 gallons
capacity . The pump will fill the tank , which will supply water to a
system of piping with drip emitters . If I use that whole tank every day
, it will cost me about 2-3 bucks a month for electricity . That much
city water would cost me around a hundred bucks or more , with the added
benefit that my well water has no chemicals added .
If ever there was a time when it was important to have a productive
garden , I think it's now . Too many signs point to a coming shortage of
food , and I don't like going hungry .
--
Snag
My rights don't end
where your fear begins .

On Fri, 22 Apr 2022 22:04:48 -0500, Snag <Snag_one@msn.com> wrote:

> There's no time like right now to make sure the garden does well this
>year ... So I've installed a submersible pump in our well (was here when
>we bought 20 years ago) and I'm in the process of designing a drip
>irrigation system .
> The plan is to use a large "caged tank" , a plastic tank in a steel
>cage (used to transport peroxide in this case) of around 275 gallons
>capacity . The pump will fill the tank , which will supply water to a
>system of piping with drip emitters . If I use that whole tank every day
>, it will cost me about 2-3 bucks a month for electricity . That much
>city water would cost me around a hundred bucks or more , with the added
>benefit that my well water has no chemicals added .
> If ever there was a time when it was important to have a productive
>garden , I think it's now . Too many signs point to a coming shortage of
>food , and I don't like going hungry .

Maybe less electricity than you think ?
... not sure of my maths here ..
: 10 minutes per day to fill the tank x 30 days
= 300 min = 5 hours
: 1/3 HP pump <?> 300 watts x 5 hours
= 1500 watt hrs = 1.5 kWhr per month.
< seems too small ? dunno .. >

Assuming that you are doing gravity-feed drip system -
be sure to get the proper product - and not the
< more common > ones that require pressure
from the tap to work.

https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/garden/water-and-irrigation/irrigation-systems/49691-gravity-feed-watering-kit?item=XC609

Scum will want to build-up in the tank pretty quick -
you'll want to keep it from clogging the system ..
Happy growing.
John T.

On 4/22/2022 10:53 PM, hubops@ccanoemail.ca wrote:
> On Fri, 22 Apr 2022 22:04:48 -0500, Snag <Snag_one@msn.com> wrote:
>
>> There's no time like right now to make sure the garden does well this
>> year ... So I've installed a submersible pump in our well (was here when
>> we bought 20 years ago) and I'm in the process of designing a drip
>> irrigation system .
>> The plan is to use a large "caged tank" , a plastic tank in a steel
>> cage (used to transport peroxide in this case) of around 275 gallons
>> capacity . The pump will fill the tank , which will supply water to a
>> system of piping with drip emitters . If I use that whole tank every day
>> , it will cost me about 2-3 bucks a month for electricity . That much
>> city water would cost me around a hundred bucks or more , with the added
>> benefit that my well water has no chemicals added .
>> If ever there was a time when it was important to have a productive
>> garden , I think it's now . Too many signs point to a coming shortage of
>> food , and I don't like going hungry .
>
>
> Maybe less electricity than you think ?
> ... not sure of my maths here ..
> : 10 minutes per day to fill the tank x 30 days
> = 300 min = 5 hours
> : 1/3 HP pump <?> 300 watts x 5 hours
> = 1500 watt hrs = 1.5 kWhr per month.
> < seems too small ? dunno .. >
>
> Assuming that you are doing gravity-feed drip system -
> be sure to get the proper product - and not the
> < more common > ones that require pressure
> from the tap to work.
>
> https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/garden/water-and-irrigation/irrigation-systems/49691-gravity-feed-watering-kit?item=XC609
>
> Scum will want to build-up in the tank pretty quick -
> you'll want to keep it from clogging the system ..
> Happy growing.
> John T.
>

It's a 1 hp pump, I figure I can fill a 275 gallon tank in about 30
minutes at 10 gpm so at .11 per kw/hr that's about $.08 per day . The
pump running unrestricted moves around 25-30 gpm but the well won't
sustain that rate for more than 5 minutes or so . The emitters I've
ordered are adjustable gravity flow up to 2 g/HOUR . It's going to take
some tuning to get the correct amount of water where it's needed ,
peppers don't need as much as tomatoes ...
The problem we usually have here is too wet in the spring followed by
no or very little rain for 2-3 months in the mid-late summer. I can't do
much about the wet spring but I can fix the dry spells . I think this
year my wife will not feel like I put too much work in for the results
we get . I just hope we have enough jars !
--
Snag
My rights don't end
where your fear begins .

On 4/22/2022 10:04 PM, Snag wrote:
>   There's no time like right now to make sure the garden does well this
> year ... So I've installed a submersible pump in our well (was here when
> we bought 20 years ago) and I'm in the process of designing a drip
> irrigation system .
>   The plan is to use a large "caged tank" , a plastic tank in a steel
> cage (used to transport peroxide in this case) of around 275 gallons
> capacity . The pump will fill the tank , which will supply water to a
> system of piping with drip emitters . If I use that whole tank every day
> , it will cost me about 2-3 bucks a month for electricity . That much
> city water would cost me around a hundred bucks or more , with the added
> benefit that my well water has no chemicals added .
>   If ever there was a time when it was important to have a productive
> garden , I think it's now . Too many signs point to a coming shortage of
> food , and I don't like going hungry .

Bits and pieces are heading my way . I've ordered everything but the
hardware to hook my pump outlet pipe to a faucet for a garden hose .
That will be purchased locally . I've decided to try throttled flow from
the pump instead of using a tank as a reservoir to feed the system . I
can throttle main flow at the faucet interface , plus each run of pipe
will have a valve from the main supply line and adjustable emitters .

--
Snag
My rights don't end
where your fear begins .

On 4/23/2022 10:28 AM, Snag wrote:
> On 4/22/2022 10:04 PM, Snag wrote:
>>    There's no time like right now to make sure the garden does well
>> this year ... So I've installed a submersible pump in our well (was
>> here when we bought 20 years ago) and I'm in the process of designing
>> a drip irrigation system .
>>    The plan is to use a large "caged tank" , a plastic tank in a steel
>> cage (used to transport peroxide in this case) of around 275 gallons
>> capacity . The pump will fill the tank , which will supply water to a
>> system of piping with drip emitters . If I use that whole tank every
>> day , it will cost me about 2-3 bucks a month for electricity . That
>> much city water would cost me around a hundred bucks or more , with
>> the added benefit that my well water has no chemicals added .
>>    If ever there was a time when it was important to have a productive
>> garden , I think it's now . Too many signs point to a coming shortage
>> of food , and I don't like going hungry .
>
>   Bits and pieces are heading my way . I've ordered everything but the
> hardware to hook my pump outlet pipe to a faucet for a garden hose .
> That will be purchased locally . I've decided to try throttled flow from
> the pump instead of using a tank as a reservoir to feed the system . I
> can throttle main flow at the faucet interface , plus each run of pipe
> will have a valve from the main supply line and adjustable emitters .
>

Wouldn't that result in excess hours of pump run rime?

On 4/23/2022 5:00 PM, Bob F wrote:
> On 4/23/2022 10:28 AM, Snag wrote:
>> On 4/22/2022 10:04 PM, Snag wrote:
>>>    There's no time like right now to make sure the garden does well
>>> this year ... So I've installed a submersible pump in our well (was
>>> here when we bought 20 years ago) and I'm in the process of designing
>>> a drip irrigation system .
>>>    The plan is to use a large "caged tank" , a plastic tank in a
>>> steel cage (used to transport peroxide in this case) of around 275
>>> gallons capacity . The pump will fill the tank , which will supply
>>> water to a system of piping with drip emitters . If I use that whole
>>> tank every day , it will cost me about 2-3 bucks a month for
>>> electricity . That much city water would cost me around a hundred
>>> bucks or more , with the added benefit that my well water has no
>>> chemicals added .
>>>    If ever there was a time when it was important to have a
>>> productive garden , I think it's now . Too many signs point to a
>>> coming shortage of food , and I don't like going hungry .
>>
>>    Bits and pieces are heading my way . I've ordered everything but
>> the hardware to hook my pump outlet pipe to a faucet for a garden hose
>> . That will be purchased locally . I've decided to try throttled flow
>> from the pump instead of using a tank as a reservoir to feed the
>> system . I can throttle main flow at the faucet interface , plus each
>> run of pipe will have a valve from the main supply line and adjustable
>> emitters .
>>
>
> Wouldn't that result in excess hours of pump run rime?

I don't think so . If I run the pump at 7.5 GPM for an hour it
doesn't matter if that 450 gallons goes directly to the plants or if it
makes a trip through a holding tank . My first task in either case will
be to regulate flow so I'm not over-pumping the well . We'll go from
there to decide a watering schedule . Might be alternating rows every
day , easily do-able with the valving I have on order . I need to
finalize a layout for this year so I know where I need water . And how
much .
--
Snag
My rights don't end
where your fear begins .