j wrote:
> I've searched the archives and couldn't find a clear answer
> to this question, so please forgive me if it is commonly
> asked and answered and I missed it.
> I've got an allotment (community garden??) that is bordered
> on one side by a small stream/canal. It is only permitted to
> water the garden from the stream and not use the installed
> drinking water systems. Logical, that. However, watering a
> 120sq meter garden by carrying a watering can around takes
> a lot longer than I have time for. Many people use petrol
> powered water pumps to water, but this is noisy and often
> dirty/smoky! I'd like to find a small solar system that might
> fit this application.
> I'm very restricted to size, unfortunately. In fact, I think
> I'd only be able to get by with using a panel that didn't take
> up more than 75sq.cm. of space. I've looked around for information
> on this and have only found details of larger scale livestock
> systems that are MUCH MUCH more than I need.
> I did find one message of someone that used a small bilge pump and
> a small 20wp PV panel and no battery?
> There are also pond pump systems ready built, but the ones I've seen
> are either not suited or expensive.
> This system will only be used in the height of spring/summer/fall.
> From about May to October, during the daytime hours. I live at about 44N
> so we get quite a lot of sun in summer. The spot I plan to put a panel
> is free of any shadow until late afternoon, but I plan to use the system
> in the mornings only. The water level is about 50cm below the level of
> ground that needs to be watered, and I would need about 13 meters
> of hose to get the water from one side to the absolute opposite plot border.
> Stupid question, I'm sure...but is this even feasible?
You may be better of with a battery powered system that you recharge
at home. Unless you are planning on leaving the thing there all the time to
recharge the batteries.
--Dale
j wrote:
>
> I've got an allotment (community garden??) that is bordered
> on one side by a small stream/canal. It is only permitted to
> water the garden from the stream and not use the installed
> drinking water systems. Logical, that. However, watering a
> 120sq meter garden by carrying a watering can around takes
> a lot longer than I have time for. Many people use petrol
> powered water pumps to water, but this is noisy and often
> dirty/smoky! I'd like to find a small solar system that might
> fit this application.
>
> I'm very restricted to size, unfortunately. In fact, I think
> I'd only be able to get by with using a panel that didn't take
> up more than 75sq.cm. of space. I've looked around for information
> on this and have only found details of larger scale livestock
> systems that are MUCH MUCH more than I need.
> I did find one message of someone that used a small bilge pump and
> a small 20wp PV panel and no battery?
> There are also pond pump systems ready built, but the ones I've seen
> are either not suited or expensive.
>
> This system will only be used in the height of spring/summer/fall.
> From about May to October, during the daytime hours. I live at about 44N
> so we get quite a lot of sun in summer. The spot I plan to put a panel
> is free of any shadow until late afternoon, but I plan to use the system
> in the mornings only. The water level is about 50cm below the level of
> ground that needs to be watered, and I would need about 13 meters
> of hose to get the water from one side to the absolute opposite plot border.
>
> Stupid question, I'm sure...but is this even feasible?
1 to 4 gpm @ 60 psi 12 volt agricultural sprayer pumps run <$100 and
will operate from PV panels, marine trolling batteries that you charge
at home, car batteries at the site, etc. It could be put on the bank
with an aluminum screen filter around the intake. but wouldn't deliver
the flow you probably want for hand watering.
A 20 watt panel and 1 gpm pump would be a good combination that would
pressurize a captive-air buffer tank in an hour or two (I use an old
water heater with an air bleed valve at the top), after which you'd
get usual hose flow rates for 20 gallons or so. How much water do you
need, and can you leave this paraphernalia on site? Another
possibility is continuous PV pumping into an elevated collection tank
with overflow into an irrigation trench or returned to the stream
(could be as simple as a 35 gallon trash can on a brick pier) and use
low pressure gravity or siphon hand or drip watering.
Personally I like to fill buckets from open raised tanks. With not
much effort a hand-cranked drum pump at the stream could fill 100
gallon stock tanks in the garden through a pipe or aquaduct. How about
a community get-together to trench a 4" pipe to a solar or hand pump
and stock tank at the center of the garden?
>Why not go even lower tech than D.A.Kopf wrote and run yourself some
>inexpensive poly tubing down the middle of every other row of your garden
>and connect them to a manifold with a big funnel or small tank of some kind
>at the bank of the canal...
Sounds like Chapin's bucket irrigation kit www.hydrosource.com/w3clp008.htm.
Nick
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> to this question, so please forgive me if it is commonly
> asked and answered and I missed it.
> I've got an allotment (community garden??) that is bordered
> on one side by a small stream/canal. It is only permitted to
> water the garden from the stream and not use the installed
> drinking water systems. Logical, that. However, watering a
> 120sq meter garden by carrying a watering can around takes
> a lot longer than I have time for. Many people use petrol
> powered water pumps to water, but this is noisy and often
> dirty/smoky! I'd like to find a small solar system that might
> fit this application.
> I'm very restricted to size, unfortunately. In fact, I think
> I'd only be able to get by with using a panel that didn't take
> up more than 75sq.cm. of space. I've looked around for information
> on this and have only found details of larger scale livestock
> systems that are MUCH MUCH more than I need.
> I did find one message of someone that used a small bilge pump and
> a small 20wp PV panel and no battery?
> There are also pond pump systems ready built, but the ones I've seen
> are either not suited or expensive.
> This system will only be used in the height of spring/summer/fall.
> From about May to October, during the daytime hours. I live at about 44N
> so we get quite a lot of sun in summer. The spot I plan to put a panel
> is free of any shadow until late afternoon, but I plan to use the system
> in the mornings only. The water level is about 50cm below the level of
> ground that needs to be watered, and I would need about 13 meters
> of hose to get the water from one side to the absolute opposite plot border.
> Stupid question, I'm sure...but is this even feasible?