Sun, 03 May 2026 09:57:16 +0100 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/ Lussumo Vanilla 1.0.3 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=3008&Focus=39263#Comment_39263 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=3008&Focus=39263#Comment_39263 Tue, 25 Nov 2008 19:46:13 +0000 Shepherd
What I'd really like to do as well, and can't see how to do it, is to have a system where when it rains
1. The greenhouse is watered.
2. Then the butt fills and surplus goes to the pond.

Will be growing tomatoes so don't want to over-water them, so need to ration the water. So what I need is a system that:

1. When it rains the water goes first into the pipes of the ground level root irrigation system.
2. When more than a pre-set volume of water per day has gone into the irrigation system, there is some sort of diverter/valve/switch that sends the water now into the butt.

Ideally all done mechanically - maybe float/tank/syphon sort of arrangement with a count on the number of times the syphon runs per day. (Bit like the way a dishwasher fills.)

Any ideas? ]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=3008&Focus=39265#Comment_39265 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=3008&Focus=39265#Comment_39265 Tue, 25 Nov 2008 20:00:55 +0000 Timber
I am sure it would be fairly easy and although you did mention a mechanical system, this would be cheep, and should be reliable.

Just an idea

Timber]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=3008&Focus=39285#Comment_39285 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=3008&Focus=39285#Comment_39285 Tue, 25 Nov 2008 21:09:53 +0000 joe.e You could feed the cistern from a header tank with an overflow pipe leading to your water butt. The set-up would need two header tanks and the cistern, but it's all simple stuff and readily available.]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=3008&Focus=39316#Comment_39316 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=3008&Focus=39316#Comment_39316 Wed, 26 Nov 2008 09:24:36 +0000 contadino
If you're worried about running dry, maybe you could just over-size the water butts? Maybe just link up more than one in series using a low-level connecter pipe?]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=3008&Focus=39390#Comment_39390 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=3008&Focus=39390#Comment_39390 Wed, 26 Nov 2008 20:09:34 +0000 Ed Davies https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=3008&Focus=39490#Comment_39490 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=3008&Focus=39490#Comment_39490 Thu, 27 Nov 2008 18:18:14 +0000 Shepherd a) That is cheaper than over-sizing the butt
b) There is not a lot of space where it is convenient to put the butt - permanent lay out of road, hedge and outbuilding etc kind of convenient.

The greenhouse is also going to be large - about a 12 meters long lean-to with a long row of tomatoes and cucumbers and a row of short stuff like lettuce in front, so the largest of the standard garden centre water butts may only last for a couple of days. Planning on two with a linking tube due to space restrictions and cost. Where we live - near moorland down in the SW near to the atlantic coast it rains a lot, so it would be rare to go for more than four days without seeing some rain/heavy mist/low flying cloud. I may be pessimistic on how long two butts full would last, as will be laying the irrigation tube round the plants, then putting cardboard/newpaper etc over the top to suppress weeds and keep in moisture. Any case want to preserve what is in the butts as much as possible, so can top up goose pond if it runs low.]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=3008&Focus=39549#Comment_39549 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=3008&Focus=39549#Comment_39549 Fri, 28 Nov 2008 09:05:05 +0000 joe.e http://www.dvfuels.co.uk/category.asp?catID=5 - that way you can relax a bit about running out of water and concentrate on getting the irrigation right. It sounds as though overall volume of water through the year isn't going to be a problem for you.]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=3008&Focus=43929#Comment_43929 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=3008&Focus=43929#Comment_43929 Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:03:56 +0000 dazdread