Gravity fed IBC container

[cathlabrunner]

hello, trying to gravity feed my elevated garden with an IBC container

however, do not have enough pressure to push water through the irrigation Spicket

any ideas or thoughts are much appreciated on how to make this work better? pics attached thank you

 

[Tetters]

Welcome to the forums @cathlabrunner

There is one way I learned about when living in the Australian bush, but you will need an electric supply.
If you could make a high up platform to hold a 40 gallon drum, you could pump the water from the IBC to the drum, and gain pressure fuelled by gravity. I know that works.
Our IBC containers are all black, we got them so that we could use them for cooking etc in times of emergency.

 

[DirtMechanic]

A solar powered pump? Might include a battery? This actually could use a smaller thinner line diameter out to a certain distance or like @Tetters said just to refill a high bucket.

 

[YumYum]

For every 2.5 foot of water level above the outlet, you get about 1 psi of pressure.

Convert foot of head to psi - Conversion of Measurement Units

Do a quick conversion: 1 feet of head = 0.43341651888775 pounds/square inch using the online calculator for metric conversions.

www.convertunits.com

That kind of tells you how high up your water tank needs to be (for gravity feed) to get the required pressure to work the emitters, which should be labeled on the emitters.

 

[redback]

Any chance of putting gravel and an overflow pipe in the bottom to create 'wicking beds'?

 

[cathlabrunner]

This site is GREAT! Thanks for all of your help! I think the easiest way is to install a diaphragm pump on a timer. I found this one below:

https://www.amazon.com/Diaphragm-Priming-Gallons-Marine-Demand/dp/B00P8BE6S8/

Now here's my follow up question per dirt mechanic suggestion. What type of solar panel? I know zero about solar panels and hooking them up to 12v devices to power?

My ultimate goal is to have a timer on the diaphragm pump from the IBC container to make it very low maintenance. Appreciate all your help folks!

 

[DirtMechanic]

This site is GREAT! Thanks for all of your help! I think the easiest way is to install a diaphragm pump on a timer. I found this one below:

https://www.amazon.com/Diaphragm-Priming-Gallons-Marine-Demand/dp/B00P8BE6S8/

Now here's my follow up question per dirt mechanic suggestion. What type of solar panel? I know zero about solar panels and hooking them up to 12v devices to power?

My ultimate goal is to have a timer on the diaphragm pump from the IBC container to make it very low maintenance. Appreciate all your help folks!

Calculate the Wattage: Multiply the amperage by the voltage using the formula W = A × V.

You have chosen a 8 amp pump. 8ax12v=96watts panel minimum. Obviously no panel works perfectly all the time. I would x4 the size. it will feed a charging regulator which leads to the battery. The use of an inverter between the battery and pump allows for ac voltage pumping or ac tools in that area as well. Or lights for that matter.


I would strongly suggest you look into the ease of diaphram replacment on the pump as well. I have had those and it is just a little round bob that rotors about the other side of a piece of flat rubber. It makes a bulge into the water flow and pushes the water out causing a suction on the inlet side This friction on the diaphram causes pump failure via melted plastic parts on that design but they are cheap enough to start.

 

[Mr_Yan]

parallel idea on this one.

I had a smaller gravity feed hydroponics setup a few years ago with small diameter drip lines. Air bubbles in the lines caused big problems and would block the flow. The pump solution above will force out any air bubbles. Also is the top of the IBC open to atmosphere? If you have it sealed the draining water will pull a vacuum on the water pig and stop flow.

 

[cathlabrunner]

the IBC container is open w a screen on it