How to Install a Gravity Rain Barrel Drip Irrigation System | DIY Raised Bed Project
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- čas přidán 3. 06. 2024
- Rainwater harvesting with rain barrels is rapidly becoming a mainstay in home gardens. One of the best ways to utilize your collected water is by connecting it to a Drip Irrigation system.
Shop our selection of Gravity Irrigation Kits: www.dripdepot.com/gravity-fee...
www.dripdepot.com/gravity-fee...
If you'd like to start with the exact kit we installed in this video, we used a modified Standard Gravity Feed Drip Irrigation Kit for Clean Water: www.dripdepot.com/gravity-fee...
Gravity Kit Selection Guide: help.dripdepot.com/support/so...
Special thanks to Hummingbird Estates in Jacksonville, Oregon.
www.hummingbirdestate.com/
Tools used:
- 🔨 Hammer
- ✂️ Scissors
- Tubing Cutter: www.dripdepot.com/1-inch-poly...
- Pro Punch: www.dripdepot.com/pro-punch-q...
- Drip Tape Hole Punch: www.dripdepot.com/punch-size-...
Parts list:
Head Assembly:
- Zero Pressure Timer: www.dripdepot.com/zero-pressu...
- Inline Hose Filter: www.dripdepot.com/inline-hose...
- 1/2" Tubing Adapter: www.dripdepot.com/perma-loc-t...
- 1/2" Tubing Elbow Adapter: www.dripdepot.com/perma-loc-t...
Tubing:
- 50' 1/2" Poly Tubing: www.dripdepot.com/polyethylen...
- 50' 1/4" Poly Tubing: www.dripdepot.com/polyethylen...
Emitters:
- 1/4" Barbed Tubing Coupling Valve: www.dripdepot.com/barb-tubing...
- 0.5 GPH Cleanable Dripper: www.dripdepot.com/cleanable-d...
- 100' 5/8" Drip Tape 15 Mil Thickness 12" Spacing 0.25 GPH Emitter Flow: www.dripdepot.com/p1-five-eig...
Fittings:
- 1/2" Poly Tubing Coupling: www.dripdepot.com/perma-loc-t...
- 1/2" Poly Tubing Tee: www.dripdepot.com/perma-loc-t...
- 1/2" Poly Tubing Elbow: www.dripdepot.com/perma-loc-t...
- 1/2" Poly Tubing Coupling Valve: www.dripdepot.com/perma-loc-t...
- 1/2" Poly Tubing End Cap: www.dripdepot.com/perma-loc-t...
- 5/8" Tape x Barb Tubing Takeoff Adapter Valve: www.dripdepot.com/perma-loc-t...
- 5/8" Drip Tape End Cap: www.dripdepot.com/perma-loc-t...
- 1/4" Barb Tubing Coupling: www.dripdepot.com/barb-tubing...
- 1/4" Barb Tubing Tee: www.dripdepot.com/barb-tubing...
- 1/4" Goof Plug: www.dripdepot.com/goof-plug-s...
Misc.:
- Stay-Put Wire Anchor: www.dripdepot.com/stay-put-wi...
- 8" Galvanized Steel Wire Stake for 1/2" Tubing: www.dripdepot.com/8-inch-galv...
- 1/2" Tubing Clamp w/ Nail: www.dripdepot.com/tubing-clam...
- 1/4" Tubing Clamp w/ Nail: www.dripdepot.com/tubing-clam...
- 6" Micro Tube Stabilizer Stake: www.dripdepot.com/6-inch-micr...
How to Design a Drip Irrigation System: • How to Design a Drip I...
Planning a Drip Irrigation System Guide: help.dripdepot.com/support/so...
Read more about Gravity Feed System Basics: help.dripdepot.com/support/so...
Metal Raised Beds: www.dripdepot.com/product/dri...
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - Intro
01:09 - What You'll Need to Get Started
06:43 - Elevating the Rain Barrel
07:00 - Installing Head Assembly
08:27 - Installing Drip Tape
12:06 - Installing Button Drippers
15:48 - Flushing the System Before The First Watering Cycle
16:00 - Running the System For the First Time
17:09 - Recap
#rainwaterharvesting #dripirrigationsystem
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After 2 solid days of Googling, I find this video which is exactly what I've been looking for. Well done sir! Just place my order!
So glad it was helpful Scott! When everything arrives, don't hesitate for a second to reach out if you have any questions, we know all the tips and tricks :)
@@dripdepot Thanks! I will take you up on that if I run into trouble!
@@dripdepot Got my first order, hooked things up and tested with my existing timer. No dice. Tested the timer from the house spigot and it worked fine. Bingo - I remembered your warning that some of these require pressure to work. Ordered the one you used in the video and Presto! My hydroponic tomatoes are now being fed automatically from a 55 gallon barrel! Thanks again for the great instructional video!
Awesome Scott! Enjoy those tomatoes this Summer, I too am excited for fresh tomatoes right out of the garden :D
Finally installed my drip irrigation into my raised beds which are 26 inches high. Used one rain barrel elevated at 4 feet and it carries 3 (4x8) feet beds that are spaced 3 feet apart !!!
Awesome! That's almost what we did in the video here as well -- what emitters did you end up using?
Gravity systems are amongst my favorite, so glad to hear about this!
@@dripdepot I did Drip tape. And my wife loves it. This video helped me a lot. !!!
Thank you for the great video! I've wanted a drip system for so long but thought I couldn't do it because I use a rain barrel. I've already placed my order and I am super excited!
Thank you as well Kyla! If you have any installation questions when it all gets there, don't hesitate for a second to reach out, we know lots of tips and tricks :)
After 2 months of use i am so impressed with the difference this has made in my garden! Missouri is going through a huge drought so I only got to use the rain barrel for 2 weeks, but the pressure was great and reached the far end of my garden! The rest of the time I've hooked it up to my hose and it is the only reason my garden is alive. I've already recommended you all to my grandparents and friends.
Thanks for saving my garden ❤
Also the goof plugs are a must!
Fantastic video! I've got three raised beds and a rain barrel and wanted to see how this could work with a drip system. I learned so much! I'll be ordering soon!
I'm very glad the video was helpful to you! When everything arrives, don't hesitate for a second to reach out with any questions, we'll be happy to assist :)
This is so good. The editing, the speaking, the advice. Glad I found your channel!
Thank you, and the feeling is fully mutual, I love your channel description: "We believe in the opposite of the metaverse. More time outside, less time on screens." Yes! The less of vitamin D we get from a pill, the better we'll feel :) - Adam
Excellent video. lot to learn
excellent: i didn't know, that a timer is also valid in gravitational irrigation systems !
A timer for a gravity system is rare indeed! This is one of those rare timers that doesn't rely on water pressure to assist in opening the internal valve but still allows for fairly robust programming options. :)
Perfect timing to do this one.. thank you again 👋
You're welcome! Happy gardening 😊🌱
Very well explained video, exactly what I was looking. I just make an order from you for an irrigation system. Thanks. Diego Lagos
WOW! This guy is REALLY good. Excellent product and I am ordering tonight!
thank you for this want to do this
You're welcome, Linda!
Good job,
Thank you, Paul!
Hello Adam! I am very interested in getting a rain barrel. Thank you for this.
You're very welcome! They're great to save a little on water, particularly if you live in a place that gets a reasonable amount of rain. A rain barrel can easily handle a few beds with just a little elevation :)
Excellent tutorial and explanation.Avid follower from Kenya.
Thank you for the kind words, what a great way to start Monday over here!
just the video I was looking fer...starting to plan next years garden. I live Off Grid and want to use gravity drip system.
If you've got some elevation to work with, a gravity system can be even more reliable than municipal water :)
If you document it, don't hesitate to drop a link to the videos in reply to this comment, we'd love to check it out (a good gravity system is probably one of my favorite to see and work with).
This is ammazing! I did not realize you could run a drip irrigation system using rain barrels. I absolutely love your you videos,I have learnt some much. I now have a solution to paying for water. Thank-you.
Bob, I'm so glad the video was helpful!
And you got it, running drip irrigation from collected rain powered by gravity is indeed a rewarding experience -- it can take some adjustments to get just right, but when you do it's a great thing :)
Thank you. Sunday on 9-10-23.
Thank you too Cathy!
incredible, how fast you speak & work! we're more like our ex - stray cat: contemplating the beauty of the landscape, panorama, orchard... suppose, he admires my work!
We filmed out gravity video at a vineyard who was nice enough to let us use some raised beds they have -- you can bet, after the video was done and the system installed, we took some time in the evening to leisurely stroll the vineyard and take in the sights and sounds -- it was a remarkable place :)
Love your video. Going to the store this week to create my system as well :) Can you tell more about the water consumption for a 2 x 1 m garden?
Thank you!
There will be a lot of factors that go into this one -- types of plants, planting density, time of year, weather conditions, etc. As a very general rule, I start the season with short watering cycles (10 to 15 minutes) -- in a 2 x 1 bed, this would be about 20' of drip line with a 0.5 GPH emitter spaced every 12", which would be a total of 10 gallons (38 liters) of water used every hour, so about 1.6 gallons (6.3 liters) for a 10 minute cycle.
During the hotter months when there is no rain, I'll increase this to 30, 45 or even 60 minutes (or two 30 minute cycles, one early and one late).
A lot of conditions influence this, however, so you'll definitely want to experiment and find the sweet spot, while keeping in mind the sweet spot is likely to change during the year as the plants mature and the summer gets hotter, and likewise, if you experience much rain during this time. :)
Note: Forgive any math or conversion errors!
That is a very good video. Where do you get the plastic turn on valve that goes at the bottom on the rain barrel? I am in the process of setting mine up as we speak utilizing a steep hillside with the "barrel" elevated about 10 feet and will pipe in water from our regular water source with a float valve like the kind in a regular toilet bowl and I am using a black 40 gallon tote instead of the rain barrel.
Thank you Mike!
The faucet we used in the video actually came with the barrel itself, but hose bibs are available without the barrel (item 10346 on our site is an example). Do you already have a threaded hole to install one? If so, all you'll need to do is match the inlet size and thread type (1/2", 3/4", MPT or FPT). If not, it will be a little more involved but nothing too extreme.
Here's a link to a short from a great homesteading channel (not affiliated with us, just good info) that shows how to install a hose bib into a container with no pre-existing connection point (the full video is also available, this is the short so you can get an idea): czcams.com/users/shortsXEjuQVo6HDA
Excellent. You've got my business. Tired of hand watering.
Thank you! If any questions come up when planning your system, you're welcome to reach out to us, we're always happy to help (and I probably like talking about irrigation a little too much lol, so don't hesitate).
Your videos are the BEST! Question: what are the pros & cons or best uses for 1/4” drip line vs. 1/4” drip tape. Thanks!
First, a sincere thank you! This was the first thing I did coming in for the day -- what a way to start the week!
In the video the drip tape we used was actually 5/8" -- a little larger diameter than what we'd usually use in a bed this size (we would usually use 1/4" drip line as you noted), but drip tape can work at the very low pressures we expected to have here.
1/4" Drip line pros and cons: It's flexible, you can snake it through a bed or area to get additional coverage (tape has to be perfectly straight). It also tends to be lower cost overall since it, and the fittings, use much less material. At 25 PSI, 1/4" drip line is also compatible with common drip emitters like button drippers. Cons: It's limited in length allowed. Depending on the spacing or flow, 1/4" drip line should be no longer than 10' to 15' in length. I use a lot of 1/4" drip line in my home garden since I have smaller beds.
5/8" Drip tape pros and cons: Drip tape can handle very long rows, even into hundreds of feet in many cases. It can also work at very low pressure, even almost 0 PSI so long as there is flow available. Drip tape is also easy to install and transport, it's very light weight. Cons: it has to be in perfectly straight lines. It can turn 90° with an elbow fitting, but can't gently curve or sweep through a bed. It has VERY thin walls -- even the thicket tape is only 15 Mil (15 thousandths of an inch thick). This means it's pretty easy to accidentally damage -- the weed eater is drip tape's worst enemy lol.
I hope this helps, thank you again! :)
@@dripdepot Thank you!! This is helpful!! I really appreciate the time you took to explain this clearly. I’ll be applying this info to my design then placing an order.
Thank you for the great video, this is very helpful. Could you please clarify how the drip system can operate with a 5-feet pressure, which is 2.2 PSI? In other videos available on your channel, you mention that drip systems require 15 PSI at least. Thank you very much.
You bet! So, most drip emitters are at 15 to 25 PSI (depending on the emitter) -- optimal in this case mostly means dripping at the stated flow rate. For example, a 0.5 GPH button dripper that is optimal at 25 PSI (very common) will be closest to that 0.5 GPH flow rate at 25 PSI.
Many (but not all!) emitters will work at lower pressure, they just won't put out the stated flow rate at lower pressures -- depending on available flow, they can be very close however, and they can still be consistent across the entire system. As a quick example, at lower pressure they might put out 0.35 GPH instead of 0.5 (just example numbers, but probably not too far off). That might just mean a slightly longer run time is needed versus a system that has them all flowing at 0.5 GPH.
There are also some emitters like the cleanable ones we used in the video that are designed to operate at very low pressures -- the cleanable drippers we used can great at near 0 PSI so long as there is flow -- the drip tape in the video is also great at handling lower pressure, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was putting out very close to the stated amount even though 10 to 15 PSI is optimal for drip tape.
Some emitters will not work at that low of PSI, just as you touched on -- in systems with this low of pressure it's best to avoid pressure compensating emitters and CNL (Check Non-Leak) emitters, as those often have a minimum PSI needed to operate. Likewise, a system with this low of pressure leaves out a lot of spray or sprinkler type emitters (typically not a problem however, as drippers can get the job done in most garden type applications).
Coild you use a soaker hose or one of these small hoses with a lot od holes to water a larger area? Im guessing the pressure isnt quite enough to do a ton of holes.
You've got the exact right of it :)
Soaker hoses typically aren't uniform across their length -- a very short piece might be ok, but anything much longer will see the early part of the hose put out more water than the later parts of the hose. I do think this would be exacerbated by use in a gravity system, the first portions of the hose might use up all available pressure leaving nothing for the later lengths of the hose.
Thank you for the information, can I just bury the pipe.
You sure can! Poly tubing is best when buried about 6" to 12" in a location no vehicles are crossing -- just like with PVC, give it a trench of soft crumbly soil and lie in and it can be safely buried.
Love the system in the video. Seems like none of the links in the description work for the parts 😟
Yep! We just updated our site (its last update was almost a decade ago, it was time!) so all of our links on our videos are currently broken -- well, maybe not all, as we've been working to update them, but I believe we started with our articles so may not have gotten to many videos yet.
We will get them all updated though!
In the meantime, happy to link to anything needed, just say the word :)
For now, here's the link to the two gravity kits (in the video we used some emitters from both -- the dirty gravity kit uses coupling valves as emitters and the clean kit uses the cleanable drippers for the emitters):
www.dripdepot.com/gravity-feed-drip-irrigation-kit-for-clean-water
www.dripdepot.com/gravity-feed-drip-irrigation-kit-for-dirty-water
Great video! The only comment I would have is, for the button emitter system, it might have looked cleaner if you ran the header row along the length of the bed and minimized the length of each 1/4" line. I'm assuming this is a judgment call where you could go either way? Edit: Oh yes, and one other thought. A 45-degree elbow would have helped keep the head assembly install looking cleaner at the wall. But I don't see a 45 in the Perma-Loc fittings. I guess you could add a 45-degree garden hose elbow right off the spigot.
I think you're right on both counts -- to some degree it is a judgement call, and it would likely give it a nice clean aesthetic. You are also correct to have the length of the 1/4" line in mind -- we were well within spec at the lengths we used, but it's absolutely something to consider as 1/4" tubing, relatively, has a much shorter maximum recommended run length than others (around 30', and even less when there's more flow going through it).
I'm sounding like a broken record, but you are again correct on the 45° Perma-Loc Elbow :) Currently there is not one, but for some applications it would definitely come in handy and aesthetics definitely do matter, particularly for residential garden spaces. Great info you shared Steve, and right all around, thank you truly!
@@dripdepot Thanks for your reply and the additional info! I really like your kits because they work well, and they are affordably priced. I am recommending them to people I know!
Hi! This is the best gravity fed irrigation system informational video out there! I have already watched it 4 times! I am about to get my rain barrel fed system hooked up for this season and I have a few questions. I have 2 a U-shaped garden beds facing each other that, at their longest and widest sides, are 10x12. My rain barrels are located about 25 ft away from the start of my garden beds. I was going to use 1/2 inch main line that then links to 1/2 inch drip line with holes every 12 inches, and snake it around my U-shaped beds but I am wondering if there will be enough pressure from my rain barrels to supply these lines? Each bed will probably use about 30-35 ft of drip line. Should I switch to drip tape in this case and figure out how to do it in straight lines? Or possibly drip line that is smaller in diameter?
Happy to help Ellie!
All good questions, and you're definitely on the right track with your thinking and considering drip tape or smaller diameter drip line. Likely one of those will be a better choice than the 1/2" drip line (1/2" drip line is pressure compensating, so requires a minimum PSI to be met).
Do you know the approximate elevation difference between your barrel and the beds? With that I can determine how much pressure you''ll be working with which can help inform some compatible emitter choices :)
There is currently about a 2 ft height difference between my beds and my rain barrels, but I could raise it another foot
@@elliethams1541 Perfect Ellie, if you can manage 3', you'll have 1.3 PSI -- that's actually not too bad for a gravity system and is enough to create sufficient flow to feed some emitters.
Do you already have any of your 1/2" tubing? If so, you can connect it to the barrel and run it out to the furthest bet -- then, turn the tap on the barrel on and time how long it takes to fill a bucket from the end of the tubing. Then plug the numbers into the flow rate calculator to see how many gallons per hour of water flow you're getting from the barrel: www.dripdepot.com/irrigation-calculators
That will tell you how many lines of drip line (or how many emitters) you can feed at once :)
Ellie, for this application you'll likely want to either go with drip tape or with 1/2" tubing that you punch your own emitters into -- the reason is, most 1/2" drip line (the kind with preinstalled emitters) are pressure compensating, meaning they have a minimum PSI that needs to be met that generally isn't met in gravity systems (12 PSI is common).
By punching in your own emitters, you can use very very low pressure drippers that can work at near 0 PSI: www.dripdepot.com/cleanable-dripper-flow-rate-half-gph
Drip tape, like the drippers linked above, can work at very very low pressure -- one advantage drip tape might have, is that it's available in much lower flow rates (down to 0.17 GPH for some types). This means each emitter eats up less of the available flow -- that may not be a concern though depending on the results of the flow rate test.
You're welcome to send follow-up questions this way, happy to help!
Do you have any suggestions on how to increase pressure after flow has been achieved by gradually reducing pipe ID? The increase in velocity of water in the smaller diameter piping might give an artifical kind of increase to PSI.
In general, you don't want to reduce pipe size unless doing so for cost reasons -- for example, if the system starts on a 1" mainline but the flow isn't enough to necessitate 1" throughout the system, there's no harm in reducing to 3/4" to save on material costs.
In general, when reducing pipe size, a smaller diameter pipe will require more pressure in order to maintain the same flow rate as it was in the larger diameter pipe. The smaller diameter pipe offers more resistance to the water which causes a higher pressure drop across the pipe. Velocity, as you noted, does increase when diameter reduces, but the general rule for velocity in an irrigation system is: stay under 5 feet per second except when flushing the line.
That last part likely won't be a huge concern for you unless you've reduced pipe and have a high flow rate.
With all that said, if the pipe diameter can handle the flow without too much friction loss or velocity over 5' per second, there's no harm in reducing to save material costs. In a gravity system, unless elevated very high, every PSI counts so you'll want to make sure not to reduce in a way that causes too much pressure loss.
We actually made a video on sizing your lines recently that I'll link below -- it's on the technical side of irrigation (which I love!) so don't hesitate to ask any questions that come up there or here :). Here is the link just in case: czcams.com/video/f81BHQnXi0Y/video.html
we should also consider te price of water deposits: an IBC deposit of 1m3 costs about 250€ (2. hand cheaper), 10 barrels of 100 l 187€ in garden shop: so the cheapest deposit is a frame pool containing up to 6m3 (cubicmeters) for 119€ from aldi or internet - just it has to stay on ground (near the 2m ridge above the lower garden beds), so if we need to pump up its water into an elevated irrigation deposit on the rooftop we'll do it by solar pumps (programmable). some materials heat up more by sunshine than others, always needs shadow cover (trees, ivy, reflectors...)in summer. & pallet isolation from below against rooftop's heat.
Wolfgang, are you needing the IBC tote specifically for its volume? If not, you may be able to grab a rain barrel for a good deal less than the IBC -- the volume would be smaller (about 0.18 cubic m3) but does allow you to collect rain water for at least some of the filling of it. The one we used in the video was about 107€ and came with a screen that goes on the top to filter the water it collects.
And good call accounting for the heat and UV exposure -- having a reasonably shaded area will not only extend the life of the materials but also prevent unwanted thermal expansion/contraction from causing issues.
@@dripdepot the most dangerous exposal in heat waves of more than 40ºc = 100++ºF are our heads that must be put in water buckets in the shadow every half an hour for not suffering insolation or even worse...
@@dripdepot the higher deposits will be smaller on rooftop for not causing collapse of the of the cabins/huts under whose roof we put containers for storing rain to be pumped up in just the amounts needed for drip watering, or from the pool near the 2m slope to the garden beds below evtl. through other irrigation deposits for losing its chloride. i'll put a grid mesh over the barrels against leaves/insects drowning & inside a foam filter sheet over the metal mesh from the conectors outlets . always have worms (tubifex?) & water fleas & algae inside.
@@dripdepot transportation by motorbike limits the size of containers, folded pools or deposits get on a hanger.
i'll installate gravitational fed rain water drip system although i have already rainbird /toro automatic drip system w/ 5 solenoid valves fed by tap water for the reason of possible water restrictions due to drought & as a back up using rain water too.
Hello Wolfgang! Definitely makes sense -- we're under drought conditions as well and face similar restrictions at times so collecting rainwater has become almost a must if we want to ensure we have irrigation water at all times. This year we got a reasonable amount of precipitation so hopefully it's not as dire this season.
@@dripdepot evtl. james fry, yt has a solution called revolutionary gardening: seems to consist of a contained wicking bed w/ bacterias (subtilis & so on?) below removed by a water pump saving 90% or more of watering (because it won't get lost in a closed system)
Very interesting! Thank you for sharing Wolfgang -- I think we've only barely begun to scratch the surface in fully understanding the growing of plants, in the coming years we'll make a lot of discoveries like this.
@@dripdepot leaves grow stimulated by raindrops that fell deep from the sky getting negative charge by their friction w/ air tansmitting their negative charge onto the leaves upon impact stimulating them. (measurable by teslameter?)
@@dripdepot i also got components for electroculture according to ing. lakhovsky, but no time for its installation (N/S magnetized wirings below beds & either side of fruit trees) until fall/winter...
Ordering mine for my faucet. But if my well power goes out I hope I can use this method. I got 7 55 gal containers linked together from roof rain water. I am about 160 feet away from garden but elevated about 60 feet up. I hope I can transition this, I assume all I need to do is take the pressure regulators off, right?
With an elevation of 60' you're in a really good position for a successful gravity setup, coming in at about 26 PSI -- you have the right of it, this likely means you'd just need to remove the pressure regulators -- if you're using a 25 PSI regulator you'd only be a hair above it. If you're using a 15 PSI or lower regulator (for drip tape or similar) you may still want to include it -- at that point I'd probably math out the friction loss to see where you're at after the 160' run from the barrels to the garden.
Basically, if you need to fall back to the barrels, you're in a really good spot :)
The information is very good. The speed of the information is a bit much so I had to do many reruns to easily understand.
Thank you Wayne, and noted on the speed!
There's another trick you can do -- at the bottom right hand side of the player there's a cogwheel -- if you click there it will open up some options, one of them is to slow down playback speed. If you set it to 0.75 it will slow down but still sound normal (if you slow it down to 0.5 it will sound like I imbibed too much, but at 0.75 it's slower but sounds reasonably normal) :)
question if i have well water that has alot of orange sediment would it be better for me to put the filter on before the timer? so it doesnt clog the timer?
Most filters are not rated for constant pressure so have to come after the timer by default -- in most cases this will be ok, however, as timer valves typically have large enough channels that they can pass debris without getting clogged.
There are constant pressure filters you could look into if you experience trouble with the timer, but they tend to be pipe threaded so you'd end up needing adapters at both sides just to get it connected -- I suspect your timer will pass the debris without trouble though, timers and similar valves are crafted knowing they'll usually be upstream of the filter :)
can you use this along with using the regular drip irrigation system to. Meaning use both at the same time and alternate between the two.
Yes, you may use this system alongside a normal drip system and interchange them when necessary. Just remove the head assembly and reattach!
The Millennial Gardener has a video on what he did to join the two systems so that you don’t have to remove the head. You should check his you tube channel out.
This is really helpful! Do you know of a way to do this if we can’t elevate the barrels enough to use gravity? Our barrel(s) may be a few feet off the ground where the beds will be, but the beds are 17” tall and spaced kind of far apart so I’m not sure gravity would be enough to pressurize the water to travel that far. I’m thinking something like a pump inside the rain barrel?
Thank you for the great question Camila!
A pump is often used in these circumstances, but we do have folks who use only the height of the barrel itself to generate pressure. Usually these are smaller systems with the beds near the container, so I think your concern about the spacing is a good one. If it's not too much trouble, you could test it to see how things run with just gravity before deciding to grab a pump or not -- it may end up working great without one, and if it doesn't, a pump can usually be added later without much hassle :)
Hi@@dripdepot , is there a video or link about how to install and use a pump?
@@rebeccazhang8942 Very soon Rebecca! We have recorded our pump video but it still has to go through editing. Hopefully we get it up in time it can be helpful to you :)
It should be up later in the Spring or possibly early Summer.
Looking at the video again "how high would I need to have the raised barrel elevated in order for the water pressure (system to work in a raised bed that is 4 by 8 feet). I have 4 of them and want room to expand. Should I be using both options (rain barrel and reg drip system) . Also if I am planning on using multiple rain barrels will this work if they are elevated the same height or should the height be different...
Hello Linda! Thank you for your comment :)
The height required will vary by the emitters used -- some emitters require more pressure (and thus more elevation) than others. In gravity systems with low elevation, we generally recommend using emitters that can operate at very low pressure like the ones we used in the video. The emitters in the video (Toro Cleanable Dripper, Drip Tape and 1/4" Coupling Valve) can all work at extremely low pressure, basically so long as there is flow available.
Going with multiple rain barrels can also work and helps ensure there is available flow.
Hello. I don’t see the link for the filter at section 1:43 of the video. When I click on the link to order the kit, not all items are listed from the video.
Heya Kimi! It's up in the description labeled "Inline Hose Filter" :)
Just in case, here's another link directly to that filter: www.dripdepot.com/search?q=1255
Where did you get your rain barrel? I ha e one that looks identical. I bought mine at Sam's wholesale and it has leaked like a sieve since day 2. It now has a leak in the very bottom. Maybe you can do a video of how to caulk a leaky rainbarrel where I cannot reach.
I believe we got ours from Lowe's, but it could very well be the same manufacturer, no doubt they provide it to multiple retailers.
And that's a great video idea, I'm going to add that to our list, it would make a perfect follow-up to this one.
Where did yours initially leak at, the spigot/tap area? Some thread seal tape or similar may help there if you hadn't already applied some.
The leak at the bottom is a rough one for sure, the bottom of those tanks should be pretty stout. Possibly freeze damage if you live somewhere it drops below freezing? Potentially heat if it's on concrete in direct sunlight.
Just wanted to toss out some potential ideas so your next one doesn't experience the same trouble :)
I have a real question. I recently put in the system last year and I have to be really careful when I turn it on because if I turn it on when the bird see it they will start attacking it.... I seriously cannot be the only one this happens to. I think these birds are robins. And they have violently dug up and packed at the Ground of any plant I have watered with drip irrigation. My best solution is to try to turn it on at like 11 PM at nights. And then the other thing I'm going to try this year as I'm going to try to bury most of the system under mulch even if it's only 1 inch of a pretty thick mulch.
If that doesn't work the other idea I have is buying a bunch of tomato cages I guess or something similar and trying to put netting in protection over all my plants.
I have never encountered such violent birds in my entire life. They go crazy at the ground pecking away. I think it's because two years ago I killed my entire yard and they were able to eat a lot of worms. And that is no longer the case.
At my house it's the raccoons that like mess with my drip system and plants. The way I solved them messing with my drip system may help you with the robins -- for the drip system, I simply provided them with easier water sources: a bird bath and a fountain. I probably only needed one of those, but it did the trick. Spreading some bird seed (or getting a nice compost pile going with lots of worms) would give them an easier source of food -- not only easier, but preferred. Unless there are predators around the food, they'll always go for the easier and preferred food source.
Very good question, thank you!
Could this style of setup be set up for indoor grows?
You bet -- I wouldn't say it's quite common, but we do see gravity style setups for indoor grows fairly regularly. The biggest challenge is in the logistics of elevating a water source far enough to get adequate pressure -- this depends on the size of the grow to some degree, as you don't need as much pressure (and thus as much elevation) for a smaller system as you would for a larger.
Essentially, it's definitely possible, and with a little planning around pressure and flow rate, can be just as good as a system with a pressurized water source (municipal, pumped, etc). :)
@@dripdepot I do have a reservoir already secured to its own table to be raised off the ground, and I tapped into one of the main water line to make a dedicated hose to fill the res. I think I can make this work. Let’s hope lol
@@stephenneal739 Stephen, apologies for the late reply, was out shooting a video all last week (small farm and row crops) -- Since you have the reservoir already elevated, you're off to a better start than many gravity irrigation attempts we see (we see a lot of them with the tank at ground level only relying on the height of the tank for pressure, which of course decreases as the tank empties). With yours being elevated your odds of success increase significantly.
When you're deciding on emitters, avoid pressure compensating emitters (they often need a minimum PSI) and those with a higher operating pressure. Something like these work well in gravity systems: www.dripdepot.com/product/toro-cleanable-dripper -- that one can work at near 0 PSI so long as there is flow.
Drip tape (particularly low flow) also does good in gravity systems (though if this is for indoor good chance you won't be using drip tape). If you lock in on some emitters, I'd be happy to check them out as well :)
@@dripdepot I was just making conversation but I appreciate the reply! If the gravity system doesn’t work like I want it to, I will be able to either add a hydroponics pump to the reservoir, or tap into a water supply line with added pressure regulator/water filter. I’ll get it to work if it’s the last thing I grow! 😂
the amortization of investing in such systems would go slowly for years - or inmediately in case of water restrictions/failure of public water supply!
A failure of the public water supply would definitely make that investment a good one pretty fast!
Thank you so much for this clear in depth video and showing multiple options to fit any garden! I will be placing my order now (:
You're very welcome, thank you as well!
If any installation questions come up when it all arrives, don't hesitate to reach out, happy to help :)
I like how he acts as if I never seen his videos before unlike "welcome to episode... today we will be referencing 14 episodes I forgot to reference in the description" nope! none of that just "welcome, you seen the title so let's walk you through it from start to finish, I can sell you the parts in a pack or you can source it yourself... let's begin the math!"
Thank you for noticing that! I do try to approach each video as complete unto itself -- that does make them a little longer, but I never want to assume someone has watched other videos that have some cross-over with the current topic. I appreciate the feedback!
Hey one question. I accidentally bought a timer that says it needs a minimum of 0,5 bars of water pressure to work. I only tested it with just a bit amount of water in the barrel (enough to cover the hole for the faucet). All I got was a slow drip out of it 😢 Do you think it would work better if the barrel (200 liters) would be completely filled? Or should I get a timer like in the video?
You likely will need one similar to the one in the video -- the reason is that most hose timers require a minimum PSI in order to work. They use water pressure to aid in the opening and closing of the valve via an internal diaphragm -- this helps preserve battery life (using the power of water to help), but does mean that minimum PSI has to be met, or at least very close to it.
0.5 bar would be around 5.1 meters of elevation, which likely isn't practical. The one we used in the video isn't hydraulic, so it doesn't require water pressure to aid in its operation. There are purely mechanical timers out there that can work, but those have to be manually turned on each time -- the one we used in the video (Zero Pressure Timer) is able to be programmed if you're looking for full automation :)
Wow Thanks for sharing. You explained so well and the website seems real user friendly
Thank you for the kind words! I'll let our programmer know you liked the site too, he just released this updated version a couple weeks ago, so he'll be thrilled to hear it. :)
What kind of tubing should I use in places where I want to bury it?
This is a very good question -- one of those types where you'll get a different answer from different people in the industry. To some degree it will depend on where you're burying the line -- if this is upstream of valves/timers, you'll want something rated for constant pressure (PVC, HDPE, PEX, Metal).
If this is for something downstream of timers and valves and it's not under constant pressure, your options are pretty open. Some in the industry would still say PVC or HDPE, but it is acceptable and common to bury LDPE (low-density polyethylene, the type most commonly used in drip irrigation). Just like with PVC or other line types, just give it a bed of soft crumbly soil to rest in. Doing so is likely to extend the lifespan of it by a reasonable degree as well, particularly around landscape maintenance equipment.
It's only anecdotal, but in my home garden I've buried the vast majority of my poly tubing (it crosses my yard where I need to mow) and haven't experience any problems in the three years I've had it sub-surface. Burrowing rodents can cause problems if they're in your area, but they can cause problems in pretty much any line type other than metal.
Everything being made of plastic, how long do you guarantee it won't deteriorate in the Texas summer sun?
UV treated parts are designed to withstand UV exposure -- not all parts are UV treated though (a lot of PVC comes to mind) so it's important to make sure on various parts. Most of the parts often used above surface (poly tubing, button drippers) will be UV treated. Polyethylene in particular is regarded to have good chemical stability.
Even then, a lot of folks bury the parts of the system they can, particularly mainline tubing and, quite often, drip tape. Even UV treated material will break down faster in the sun. It should be a matter of years still, unlike non-UV treated polymers which will become brittle in weeks or months. And you do have it right, in places where sun exposure is higher, life expectancy will do down -- again, it should still be a matter of years (unless it melts! Hello Arizona), but it varies state by state, climate by climate.
I am installing a 1,000gal rainwater collection system. I will gravity feed my 6 raised-bed garden that is 50' away from the cistern. The slope drop is about 3 feet. I am confused about how many emitters (or drippers or drip tape emitters) I will be able to use with this distance. Please help. Thank you!
There are a couple factors at play here, and with gravity it's a lot of trial and error (but also very rewarding when it's up and running after those trials).
In regards to pressure, you'll have 1.3 PSI from the elevation change and probably a little more from the height of the tank itself (though the height isn't completely reliable as it will drop as the tank empties). This is enough pressure for many emitters, but you'll want to make sure you're not losing too much pressure from friction -- this essentially means sizing your mainline to minimize friction loss. You'll be able to do that (and I can help) once you've decided on what emitters you'd like to use and their quantity -- this gives you your system flow rate which can be ran against different mainline diameters to find one with minimal friction loss.
The other key factor is flow rate, and this is the one that can be challenging to calculate with a gravity system. What you're looking for here is the flow rate of the water source versus the flow demand of the system. For example, if the water source provides 200 GPH but the total emitters (flow demand of the system)are at 300 GPH, some wouldn't receive water and drip as they should.
Do you already have your water tank? If so, it might be worth hooking up a 50' garden hose and doing a flow test from the end of it, that would at least give you a rough starting point.
If you don't have enough flow for the emitters, it can be zoned so that only portions of it operate at once and zoning isn't too involved, but definitely best to know at first.
In this case, I'd recommend getting your system flow rate first -- decide which emitters you'd like to use and how many and you'll be off to a great start. We can also help fill in some of the details once you have the system flow rate :)
Wow, thanks so much for the QUICK reply! The tank is not yet installed (delivery in the next couple weeks). And of course I'll have to wait on RAIN. Unfortunately I missed the 9+ inches of RARE January rain here in Central Texas. I was wondering, should I just use a hose from the tank to traverse the distance down to the garden site and then hook up the 1/2" main line down there. Will that help with "friction" since the diameter of the garden hose will be larger than the 1/2" main tubing? Just pondering at this point. As with so many people on here, the amount of info out there is staggering but I find that each one has some sort of data missing that leaves you wondering "huh?". So I appreciate you succinct and very thorough videos! I will contact you down the road when I am more established (and by then have my emitters figured out). THANKS SO MUCH!!!
@@user-xt3hv5zl3f You're very welcome!
At a glance, I think you're correct that running a hose down to the garden site would cause less pressure loss than 1/2" poly since it's likely to have a larger diameter (3/4" or 1" poly could be a different story, but 1" at least is more than you'd need for a system this size) -- Once the tank arrives and gets full enough for the flow rate test, test it with the hose attached -- that will give you some real world results applicable to your plans.
And you're right about the information out there! It is staggering, and also sometimes missing or incomplete (or assumes we know something we don't yet) -- I do think you're off to a great start here though and I'm a big fan of gravity systems. Yes, they take the most trial and error, but once you get them adjusted where you want them they're very rewarding, particularly if you're going to be using rain water like it sounds like you are.
And 9 inches of rain is quite a lot even for us up here in Oregon! Hopefully the weather cooperates when your tank arrives :)
As you go through the process, you're welcome to reach out at any time, here or on our site -- when your tank arrives and you do the flow rate test, let me know the results and I can provide some feedback.
I followed the video. Where all of my quarter inch coupling valves plug into the half inch mainline are leaking. They are pushed in flush and I used the tool/punch you have too.
We'll be happy to help! The first thing I'd check is the punch -- in the video we used two punches, a green one for the tape fittings and a blue and black one for the 1/4" fittings. The green one makes a hole that's just a little too large for the 1/4" fittings. Normally we wouldn't mix things like that in a video, but we really wanted to illustrate the multiple emitter types that can thrive in a gravity setup.
If you did use the correct punch I'd check to see if a thermal expansion cycle will seal them -- when the tubing gets hot, it expands and will expand over the barb and finish up seating the seal.
If they keep leaking on you, fire us off an email with some photos of the connection point, we'll help get it up and running leak free :)
@@dripdepot Ok well i used the green punch oops. i will replace the mainline when I order the blue punch. So i have gravity fed into a few zones. As of now i operate the flow. When i want to switch zones there is an air in the line issue(or vacuum) and i am forced to do some bleeding. Any suggestions to self fix that so i can have the zones fire off with timers? Thanks for the reply. Good videos!
@@snowhero9 I should have been more clear in the video that we used two punches! I'll note that for next time, as someone new to it may not realize there's small differences in the size of all those punches.
Hmm, an air vent may do the trick for you here -- it could be pretty easy to install depending on your setup. An air vent will allow air to escape when the system is starting and then allow air back in when it shuts down and the lines start draining. What symptoms are you experiencing with the air problems? Like an obstruction in the lines, the tubing moving around and displacing as the air moves? Those types of problems can be fixed with an air vent -- on a smaller gravity system you could use just a little 3/4" air vent, you wouldn't need the large ones.
Let me know if the symptoms are different from what I described above, happy to check to help solve the air problem :)
@@dripdepot Sounds great thanks. Obstruction in the line i am guessing. Do you have a video where you installed an air vent? The instructions say "Install the Air Vacuum Relief Valve after the drip zone, along the drip line laterals and at the highest point in the drip system layout." Since after the drip zone is the lowest point that doesn't seem possible with gravity fed ... ?
@@snowhero9 Are you having issues nearer the emitters or the water source (or even both)? If it's down by the emitters, you could install an air vent down there and it would help alleviate things -- basically what it looks like is a Tee, with the "bottom" of the tee having threads. You point that part up so you can thread in an air vent and that gets it elevated. Sometimes a riser might be needed as well, but it doesn't change too much (thread on the riser, then a female adapter on top of the riser then the air vent).
If the problems are by the water source it could be a little more tricky, but not much different -- you'd essentially do the same thing, splice in a threaded tee and thread in the air vent. A little tricker depending on where the water source is and how the tubing comes off of it.
Unfortunately we don''t have a video on installing an air vent yet (added to the list!). I was able to find one, but it's showing how to install it on PVC rather than tubing. The process is close enough I'll link it, it's just magnitudes easier to do it on poly tubing, but you can see how they use the threaded adapter and a piece of pipe as a riser to elevate it: czcams.com/video/t_P0ganNaJQ/video.html
With tubing it's the same, install a tee, threaded riser to raise it up, female adapter for the vent, thread in the vent. For a system of this size, the 3/4" threaded air vent would more than suffice.
I did also find one fantastic video that goes over the physics of air lock and air vents if you were interested in that side of things: czcams.com/video/zdkp9N3qfkI/video.html
How did the water get to that rain barrel?
Hello Marilyn! For the video we just filled it up from hose bib, but that barrel (and others like it) do come with a mesh screen that goes on top of the barrel so that rain water can be filtered a bit as it enters the barrel. Our area of Oregon has pretty dry summers unfortunately, so we weren't able to wait for it to be filled by rainwater :)
Do you have issues with mosquitoes laying larvae in the rain barrel?
That's a really good question as that is definitely a concern. We didn't have issues this season, but the barrel wasn't up for too long before it was put away for the winter. This year will be a better benchmark for insects as it will be out for the season and will be filled by actual rainwater. When we did the video the rainy season here was pretty much done.
ok how do get the rain water to the rain barrel at 5 ft.
If you're collecting rain above the barrel, we've seen folks use a hose (or even more gutter pipe) to direct the rain water into the barrel -- just be sure the water passes through the screen filter that comes with most ran barrels first so it's filtered of larger debris. We've also seen balconies and windows used to collect the rainwater. Most often it's a combination of hose and/or gutter pipe downspouts.
One ingenious method I haven't tried personally, but works well in places with limited roof access, uses "saucers" that act like funnels to direct water into PVC pipe (or tubing) which is then routed to the barrel.
we should also mention main reason for installation of rainwater systems instead of pressurized tap water that has lots of chloride for its desinfection (gets lost in some hours or days outside or in gallons): DESINFECTS SOIL LIFE SUCH AS NITROBACTER ESSENTIAL FOR ECOLOGICAL GARDENING ! even if i feed the deposits by hose from the tap for drought = absence of rain, it s chloride gets lost in some hours by the sun's effect, although IT'S ESSENTIAL COVERING THE IRRIGATION DEPOSITS BY IVY F.E. FOR AVOIDING WATERING POOR IN o2 DUE TO HOT WATER ROBBING OXIGENE TO THE SOIL & PLANTS' ROOTS. you find o2 saturation tables for aquariums that are valid for gardeners too: higher temperature = less o2 ! water exposed to sunshine in summer heats up too much.
Does the screen stop insects from laying eggs in the water?
The screen would help but the mesh isn't tight enough to prevent determined insects. This season will be a better test of this as it will be out for more of the season and will be filled with rainwater since we have it out for the rainy season. The inline hose filter we used in the head assembly is a tight enough mesh that it would likely capture insects that got into the water. I'll update this comment with proposed solutions if we encounter any insect issues this season :)
@@dripdepot yeah I don’t want to be breeding mosquitoes they are bad enough as it is!
You're not kidding there! They love stagnant water, so making sure water moves out and into the barrel fairly regularly should help deter any mosquito hatcheries :)
How much area would a 1000gal tank cover with gravity drip
This could vary quite a bit -- with overhead area coverage emitters (like wobblers or microsprinklers) quite a bit of area could be covered, but only if it could be elevated high enough to generate sufficient pressure.
If you were growing row crops, low flow drip tape could get some good mileage out of a 1000 gallon tank, though even then it depends a bit on elevation as the elevation is where the pressure comes from.
The best bet, at least in regards to growing the most plants, could be to go with low flow drip tape, as it would take the longest to empty the tank and can operate at very low pressure. This of course wouldn't work with things like pasture, but does well with some trees and row crops of almost any kind.
Also how can you tell how much water is in the rain barrel?
I'd have to find the spec sheet again to be 100% sure, but I recall it being a 50 gallon rain barrel. With the amount of rain we're getting now it's no problem to keep it filled with rainwater. :)
i'll pump up the rain water from the barrels below the roof on palets (for minimizing their desnivel) up to the higher deposit on the rooftop (about 6ft) by a programmable solarpump w/ exchangeable rechargeable AA batteries, but i'll use the blumat drop system for saving water. beds below the 7ft slope will also be irrigated by deposits above fed by others below the roof.
Why would you skip the part where you take off the green connector from the timer??? All of a sudden it's gone when you go to put the next piece on. Why would you do that???
The green part at the bottom of the timer? We just unscrewed it so we could put our head assembly parts on, the green connector at the bottom isn't always used. When you remove it, there are hose threads there so you can screw on any normal hose threaded connection (things like garden hoses, head assembly parts, etc). We didn't want to distract from the content of the video too much by going into things like quick connect, just nice, straightforward threading things on like we're used to :)
It looks like the rain barrel needs to be fill up every 3 days with no rain and based on the rain barrel size
That is definitely a reasonable frequency! It can vary a bit depending on the flow rate of the system -- with just a couple beds and low flow emitters (except when we opened the coupling valves all the way) ours was particularly slow :)
Good information but much too fast to help novice installers.
With irrigation a second watch through or two can definitely help (or at least of a couple sections). Irrigation can indeed be a bit complicated -- I'm also happy to help answer any questions you have and help you get started, just say the word :)
SLOW_UP!!!!!
Gene, if it's too fast for you, CZcams has built in an easy fix that I'm happy to share -- at the bottom right of the video you'll see a cog wheel and a red square with white letters that say "HD." If you click that cog wheel you'll see an option labeled "Playback Speed." Clicking there allows you to slow down the speed of the video to 0.75, 0.5 or 0.25 its original speed -- at 0.75 things still sound normal :)
WAIT...who has a rain barrel at a 5 foot level? NOT ME...wast of watching. Mine are at the most 2.5 ft. And do you see the wall he is standing on? Not practical. I have 12 rain barrels off my downspouts elevated on cinder blocks 2 ft high. this will not work. Glad I watched before I bought.
The barrel used in the video is actually still in the exact same spot watering those beds at the vineyard -- lesser elevation can work, but will limit the size of the system (in regards to number of emitters) to some degree (but if the system is small to begin with, that's not necessarily an issue). With less elevation, all you need to do is be sure to use emitters that will continue to work at lower pressure -- in the video, that should pretty much be all the emitters, with the 0 PSI button drippers and coupling valves as a dripper being the lowest pressure options :)
Slow down, otherwise we will refrain from watching !!
Jerome, just like in the other video you mentioned, you can slow down videos by clicking on the cog at the bottom right hand side of the player. At 0.75 speed it will still look and sound normal, just a bit slower for you :)
Looks too complicated
It's definitely not as difficult as it can appear (but I confess, it intimidated me at first as well). Once you've done one, you basically have it down, the most difficult part on a first system is just in getting started -- once started, it snowballs and gets easier. And, there's plenty of folks to help out and answer any and all questions :)
YOU TALK WAY WAY WAY TOO FAST !!!!!! IT IS DIFFICULT TO KEEP UP WITH YOUR LINE OF THOUGHT!!!!!!!
Gene, if it's too fast for you, CZcams has built in an easy fix that I'm happy to share -- at the bottom right of the video you'll see a cog wheel and a red square with white letters that say "HD." If you click that cog wheel you'll see an option labeled "Playback Speed." Clicking there allows you to slow down the speed of the video to 0.75, 0.5 or 0.25 its original speed -- at 0.75 things still sound normal :)
take the nut off the compression fitting, slide the nut on the tubing, then you then push the tubing on the bib, followed by securing the nut.
PLEASE DONOT try to assayable per the video. You have so many leaks, its ridiculous.
Thank you for your comment!
These fittings aren't actually compression fittings -- we get this feedback from those with a plumbing background pretty often because they look somewhat similar to compression fittings they use (though usually metal) :)
These are actually a type of barbed insert fitting. Rather than a compression ring, the ring on these are known as a "locking collar" and "locking nut." The manufacturers of these fittings recommend loosening the collar back towards the fitting, push the tubing on over the barb and then thread the collar down over the tubing. They do warn about removing the ring (unlike with actual compression fittings!).
If you use these and experience any problems, we can help :). I can confirm they should work leak free whether it's for a home garden or a commercial farm.
Thank you again!
I have used the kit exactly as shown in the video. Follow the video and it won't leak. The nuts on those fittings aren't even 100% required, as the barb connection will be leak-free by itself. The nuts just help hold the hose on the fitting in case a clumsy gardener trips over the main line.