Getting water out of my rain barrel

[MacsNMore]

Seems like a 12 volt bilge pump would serve you well. As noted earlier, a sealed 12v battery and/or solar panel can provide power. These have max head flow up to @11 feet:

https://smile.amazon.com/Rule-27DA-...01LZ5HQ2W/ref=psdc_3397971_t1_B000O8F6NE?th=1

 

[Winemaker]

Plumb a smaller container to your rain barrel that has a hose to your garden, another to your rain barrel with the spigot in between. Hook a compressor, or tire pump to small container.

1. Open spigot to fill small container, then close spigot. Turn on compressor/tire pump/bicycle pump to pressurize small container, that will push water out of container in to hose at garden.

 

[ITTN]

Connect hose to gutter. https://www.acehardware.com/departm...CXuewIz83bnykQrtw_QaArDSEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[swakyaby]

No useful recommendations, just enjoy the aesthetics of a rainbarrel collecting my rainwater from my patio roof for use on my ornamental plants.

 

[Z3Dreamer]

Connect hose to gutter. https://www.acehardware.com/departm...CXuewIz83bnykQrtw_QaArDSEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

This looks interesting.

 

[Winemaker]

^Wouldn't it have to be raining a lot to use it?

 

[swakyaby]

^Wouldn't it have to be raining a lot to use it?

Not sure if the question is directed at me. The way the rainchain is attached to the patio gutter outflow, it doesn't take much rain to fill the rainbarrel.

 

[Winemaker]

No, I was referring to a hose connection on the downspout. I can see running a hose from a downspout if I capped the downspout and ran the hose to a rain barrel at a lower elevation. But unless it is storming here, the trickle of water from my downspouts to my "southern 40" is minimal.

 

[Sunset]

Connect hose to gutter. https://www.acehardware.com/departm...CXuewIz83bnykQrtw_QaArDSEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

That might be a solution for OP.
OP could attach one of those, with a hose, and move the rain barrel uphill to the garden.
Then run the hose down side of house, along the ground (or an inch underground once sees it works) over to the barrel, up the side of barrel and in.

 

[papaof2]

Sounds as though you don't need a lot of pressure (just enough to get up 5 feet or so) but are you concerned about flow rate? If you're not in a hurry, you can get a 280gph submersible 12 volt pump from
https://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/prodinfo.asp?number=G20108
plus another $5 for 15 additional feet of waterproof cable. Plus shipping.

The pump's output is 1/2" so you'd need an adapter to connect to your garden hose (short piece of hose that will fit the output and proper hose fitting on the other end.

You said "southwest corner" so you might have good sun there. If so, you could run that 12 volt pump from a battery that's kept charged by the sun. Not cheap but cheaper than having an AC outlet placed nearby by an electrician.
30 watt solar panel $60 (Aleko panel, Walmart) adequate to recharge in 3+ hours of sun - if you have less sun look on Ebay for a 100 watt panel ($85 delivered)
20 amp solar charge controller $20 (#300186, banggood.com or similar - EPEver makes good units but at twice the price)
35AH AGM battery ($70, batteryclerk.com, Harbor Freight, others)
On/Off switch for the pump (Advance Auto, AutoZone, Walmart)
some 16 gauge wire (red and black, (Advance Auto, AutoZone, Walmart)
inline 10 amp fuses $6 each - one for solar panel, one for pump (auto parts)
miscellaneous butt connectors for wiring, etc.

You figure out how to mount the solar panel facing south. On the roof is ideal but at least high enough to be out of easy damage reach (careful with the shovel over your ahoulder ;-)

The pump should either be suspended 6 inches or so above the bottom of the barrel to avoid picking up trash OR you could make a floating pump with some waterproof foam (think: floating boat dock) and the pump would always be drawing from the top few inches of the water, regardless of level (this assumes a barrel with a removable lid).

With an open hose, that pump can empty the barrel in about 12 minutes so you might want to lay out soaker or sprinkler hoses instead of hand watering and just run the pump for 2 minutes every hour or until the soil is "wet enough".

I sized the battery for several consecutive days of use without sun and to handle the startup load of the pump.

The solar powered lighting in the equipment shed out back is my design and is in it's 17th month of reliable service.

 

[frances]

I have not tried it, just found it by searching.

I have used one of these
Don’t waste your money

I have a rain barrel too
I would get a small pump from Northern Tool or Harbor Freight (however many GPM you want to afford) and use that. Plug it in with your 15 foot cord and store the cord when not in use. The pumps are weather resistant.

 

[Dimsumkid]

I have 7 rain barrels in use. One of my setups is close to yours as I have more water in the back of the house and I balance it by sending it to the front. I run spare hose to the front, this rain barrel is only 1-2 feet elevated. It runs down hill to ground level around AC unit, double cellar door, back uphill along the house to the front bushes. At the end of the hose I have a shut off valve, where I fill up a 5 gal pail to water the front. Flow is reduced, but I get much more water transfer w/o having to walk back and forth. In your situation, I would just run hose around the wood, then end it as close to your garden and to the lowest elevation point. Any elevation of the rain barrel helps too. I don't have any pumps, all my barrels are high enough to get a 5 gal bucket or watering can under the spigot except one.

 

[imnontrad]

How about changing the spigot on the bottom to one that is threaded to match a garden hose? No pump needed and should cost less than $5.

 

[JoeWras]

I raised mine significantly, such that the outlet is about 3 ft higher than the area I water.

I still found the flow to be useless for any kind of spray. And the inherent debris in the barrel is a great way to clog soakers.

So, I just use a pair of 3 gallon watering cans and transport by hand. It is good exercise. But I know OP doesn't want that solution. I understand.

I've heard of good success stories with pumps, and ultimately that's probably the solution needed for the OP.

 

[Firedin2010]

Is it not possible to raise the water barrel up then use gravity?

 

[68bucks]

I think I would just use a drum pump. The screw right into the bung on a typical drum and there are models for about any flow rate you could want. You can get hand operated or electric.

 

[partition1]

We are looking to do a rain barrel on a smaller scale and found this...I imagine it would scale up as well.

https://hoz-tech.com/blog/how-to-make-a-rain-barrel-from-a-5-gallon-bucket/?v=7516fd43adaa

 

[68bucks]

We are looking to do a rain barrel on a smaller scale and found this...I imagine it would scale up as well.

https://hoz-tech.com/blog/how-to-make-a-rain-barrel-from-a-5-gallon-bucket/?v=7516fd43adaa

The piece they call a threaded union is actually a bulkhead fitting. You can buy all those parts a US Plastics. Don't know if it would be cheaper or not.

 

[ERD50]

We are looking to do a rain barrel on a smaller scale and found this...I imagine it would scale up as well.

https://hoz-tech.com/blog/how-to-make-a-rain-barrel-from-a-5-gallon-bucket/?v=7516fd43adaa

The piece they call a threaded union is actually a bulkhead fitting. You can buy all those parts a US Plastics. Don't know if it would be cheaper or not.

Really bad article. Yep, that's not a threaded union and this is really bad advice:

If your threaded union did not come with seals, apply PVC cement to front and to make sure the water does not leak.

-ERD50

 

[JoeWras]

I know the OP wants more power assist. But for others still on the fence about a gravity lift, here's my simple stand I made 15 years ago. This small 20" lift makes an enormous difference in the utility of the barrel. I can even run soaker hoses from it, but prefer to just fill my 3 gallon cans. I have two, so one fills while I empty the other.

 

[ERD50]

I know the OP wants more power assist. But for others still on the fence about a gravity lift, here's my simple stand I made 15 years ago. This small 20" lift makes an enormous difference in the utility of the barrel. ...

Every foot of elevation increases the water pressure by 0.433 psi.

-ERD50

 

[yakers]

Our raised platform for water tank

 

[68bucks]

Every foot of elevation increases the water pressure by 0.433 psi.

-ERD50

At the spigot.

 

[ERD50]

Originally Posted by ERD50 View Post
Every foot of elevation increases the water pressure by 0.433 psi.

-ERD50

At the spigot.

No, not at the barrel spigot. Pressure there is determined by the height of water above the spigot, the same 0.433 PSI/foot, not the elevation of the barrel.

If you raise the barrel 10 feet, and leave the hose end at the same point, the pressure at the hose end will be 4.33PSI higher than it was before you raised the barrel.

The pressure at the barrel's spigot did not change.

-ERD50

 

[JoeWras]

To further this physics discussion...

It is interesting to see just how much pressure I have with a full barrel vs a low barrel. It is a 3' difference. A full barrel has enough to shoot some spray heads. A half barrel will just dribble them.