Suitable water pump?

[Chris Head]

More excellent info GP, thanks. I'm only a third of the way through the hole (massochists welcome to lend a hand) and early on in the landscape plans, at the moment it's the softscaping and I'm going to incorporate a running water feature in some way as well as a static feature, I'm pretty sure the reservoir could effectively supply the features as well as irrigation.

My farmer neighbour is raising questions about the type of concrete used. I had planned to line the hole with DPC before concreting with ordinary stuff, he seems to think it should be a different type....any thoughts?

[friend of stouby]

Not sure if they are available, but why not buy a plastic tank such as a mini fosse septique?

Or maybe what was used previously which is pre cast concrete rings about 1m in diameter which slot together one on top of another to the depth you require. Guess they were sealed with a water proof cement?

I still think that plastic tanks are the modern way to go and a lot easier to install.

[Gluestick]

[quote user="Gluestick"]

Alternatively, you could use the same system that French and Spanish rural properties with only well water used to use - and probably still do! -  which is a like a small compressor that provides artificial "head", and thus whenever you turn on a tap, water rushes out!

[/quote]

Which is really what I said GP, above, right at the beginning!.

DPC Chris?

Treat it just like a concrete swimming pool, although I haven't a clue how these are sealed, these days.

 

[Gyn_Paul]

[quote user="Gluestick"][quote user="Gluestick"]

Alternatively, you could use the same system that French and Spanish

rural properties with only well water used to use - and probably still

do! -  which is a like a small compressor that provides artificial

"head", and thus whenever you turn on a tap, water rushes out!

[/quote]

Which is really what I said GP, above, right at the beginning!.

DPC Chris?

Treat it just like a concrete swimming pool, although I haven't a clue how these are sealed, these days.

 

[/quote]

Sorry GS, That's what comes of speed-reading the posts.

I thought you were still talking about the submersible pumps. as soon as I got to the part about rural properties, I

immediately visualised one of the long silver sumbersible pumps feeding an

above-ground arrangement rather like a UK hot water cylinder but made

of galvanised steel, just because this is what my neighbour has, housed in a sort of

tiny potting shed, at the edge of his allotment.

As my wife would say; "that's how wars start!"

p

p

[Gluestick]

No probs GP!

I first investigated this sort of pressurised system in Southern Spain 25 years ago. It was fitted to a wondrous modern luxury villa. A Small compressor pump and a sphere. All the water came from a well and storage tank.

Fr Chris's purposes, surely a simple pressure pump will suffice?

After all, he simply wants to feed aqua to a water feature (which can have a storage trough/bowl whatever to smooth out delivery) and additionally, feed a hose under pressure. If the pressure oscillates a bit, so what?

 

[Gyn_Paul]

Hmmm.... not so sure about that...

For a water feature, Chris, I think you'd be better off with a

purpose-designed model for a fountain or cascade. Apart from anything

else it will be designed for continuous use and much lower

wattage than any of the options discussed previously. And just

circulate it 'locally'. With the amount of wind-blown stuff you'll get

in an open water feature over the course of a summer, you not want to

have that deposited into your deep storage.

p

[Gluestick]

Sorry, GP, thinking at cross purposes here.[:$]

What is needed is a primary system pump for water pressure to the required head, capable of operating a watering hose and filling the header reservoir of the water feature/fountain.

Then the water feature or fountain needs its own circulating pump, which is expected to have a long operating cycle (12 hours perhaps?).

So it is actually two pumps, not one. The water feature pump for a waterfall, e.g., is peanuts in cost.

Even fountain pumps are cheap these days.

Thereafter, of course, is the computer controlled special lighting effects and lasers, for the multiple 50 foot high water shower displays, the smoke machines, the three dimensional holgraphic projector, the.................................[:)] Sorry! Well, it is Friday!

 

 

[Chris Head]

This is great stuff! The hours of research and trial and error you guys have saved me is really appreciated....although the project isn't that advanced yet, I'll need to come back with step by step stuff. I owe you all a pint in my private bar (yet to be built) with strippers as entertainment (yet to be sourced) as recompense.

 

[Gluestick]

Is that paint and varnish stripper, Chris?

Or are you recruiting herein? A sort of reprise of the famed WI calender?

Seriously, draw up the overall plan, in terms of what water resources you want where and post here.

I'm sure there will be mucho input.[:D]

Nice weekend.

 

[Chris Head]

Cheers GS, good weekend back to you. Be back with more specifics when the heavy work is done.

[billyo]

Sorry to Highjack, Im looking to do the same sort of thing as Chris, but refill the tank purley on rainwater. The only problem is that I cant for the life of me find out how much rainwater the region recieves or how much a small veggy plot uses (about 10m2) to work out if its viable. Can anyone help, cause the inlaws are thinking Im nuts and taking bets on how long its going to take me to fail!

Cheers

Billyo

Should just mention that I live near Montpellier 34.

[Gluestick]

Used to spend some time at Argeles, Billy and was always impressed by the sudden storms sweeping in from the Pyrenees. Was driving through Corbiere once on the way back from the airport at Tolouse: the thunderstorm was immense and the rain so heavy, that all traffic had to stop 'cos no one could see to drive!

Now from memory, Montpellier should have similar precipitation, as the storms sweep over from the Spanish side.

Ergo, I would guess that over the course of the year, you should have plentiful natural water resources for your project!

http://www.world66.com/europe/france/midi/languedoc/montpellier/lib/climate

 

[oliveau]

Some interesting answers on this thread, so for what it's worth, I'll stick my 5 eggs in as well:

I use a Guinard 8000 submersible pump connected to 1" pvc to pump from the well to an outside tap. From the tap I can fill an above ground 700L storage tank [Plastic cattle trough, £90 from Mole Valley Farmers], or feed direct to sprinklers. The well is 30m deep, so a powerful pump is needed, and the Guinard is very good, giving me better than mains pressure when reduced down to a 1/2" hose pipe supply. I have mounted the on/off switch next to the tap so I can control the pump conveniently from the garden.

I have a submersible pump in the above ground tank [19 euros from Bricomarché] which I connect to the trickle hoses - 2 connected together work well, but for a longer run I could really do with more pressure from the pump. I installed an external plug socket to feed power to this pump.

The tank is mounted on a stack of pallets to give me a minimum head of 1m, and this is enough to  water things like courgettes using Hozelock/Gardena low volume system -15mm pipe, down to 4mm pipe feeding each plant. [Gravity feed - no need to use the submersible pump]. 15 minutes a day is sufficient.

I find the trickle hoses, and the individual Hozelock drippers much more water efficient than blasting the whole area with a sprinkler.

I personally think it's worth spending money on a good watering system, rather than running around with a hosepipe every day!

Peter

[Chris Head]

Excellent stuff Peter...this is getting better all the time! I'll be using capillary matting and various top dressing materials and plan to run the trickle hose underneath the matting, perhaps a smaller pump would be better for them leaving the main pump to do the serious work?

At this stage of the softscaping all the pipework can be easily buried without tearing up the garden at a later stage.

Hey Billyo...don't listen to them, get focused, get mad and go for it! Watch out for de-hydration if you're free sweating in hot conditions, I figure on at least a litre an hour of water and take a salt tablet too. The upside of free sweating is you can drink more beer in the evening! Go for it!

[oliveau]

[quote user="billyo"]

Sorry to Highjack, Im looking to do the same sort of thing as Chris, but refill the tank purley on rainwater. The only problem is that I cant for the life of me find out how much rainwater the region recieves or how much a small veggy plot uses (about 10m2) to work out if its viable. Can anyone help, cause the inlaws are thinking Im nuts and taking bets on how long its going to take me to fail!

Cheers

Billyo

Should just mention that I live near Montpellier 34.

[/quote]

Here's an Irish answer:

1. An acre inch [ie the amount of water to give you an inch of rain/acre] is 123300 litres
2. You have 100 sq metres which is .01Ha or 0.0247 acres
3. You need (123000 x .0247) litres to give you the equivalent of an inch of rain or just over 3000 litres [.003 megalitres or 3 cu m.]

Peter

[billyo]

Gluestick, cheers for the link, its given me a rough idea!

Chris, im going to do it just because Im stubborn! Is free sweating where you get so hot even your shins start sweating?

Billyo 

[Chris Head]

That's the spirit Billyo! I'll give you a week, I'll expect it to be finished by then! If you're shins aren't sweating you're not working hard enough!

Good luck.

[Gluestick]

Chaps:

A useful series of sites here, on rainwater capture.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=Calculating+Rainwater+Capture+Roofs&meta=

Billyo's question set my mind working, as it does from time to time! [blink]

Obviously, for any successful rain harvesting project, it is important to know the average rainfall in your own region and departement and equally important, what potential volume of rain might be collected over say one year.

Most rain collection is going to come from a roof or roofs, (i.e. house, dependances etc). Ergo, roofs have a surface area: QED = volume!

The above sites have some useful calculators too!

Have fun!

 

[Meg]

Some info on departmental rainfall here. http://www.meteofrance.com

Click on your department and look at the archives.

[oliveau]

Chaps

It's worth a couple or three quid to buy your own rain gauge from the local brico. It won't help with your present calculations, but its useful to know what's happening on a month by month basis chez toi [if I might presume to be so informal!]

Peter

[billyo]

Cheers guys, think its going to work out ok, but chris Im going to need more than a week as the missus informs me that there are more important jobs to do first. I tried explaining how nice it would be to have fresh melons in the morning but shes not having it!

Peter, good idea, think ill do that, could be interesting.

billyo