watering systems

[I'm doing this now!]

Good evening folks. I have a quandary with regards to watering my plot and green houses. I've been searching the web for pumps and such. I have 3 IBC's currently full and plumbed into each other with 25mm rigid pipe. These tanks are filled from a 1250 litre tank off my chicken roof. I have a pump to transfer that collected water but I am looking into methods of using the IBC water with a separate pump / wand system. I could simply add a length of hose pipe to the 25mm rigid pipe and let it drain via gravity into a hose or watering can BUT I'm thinking along the lines of possibly adding a pump to the rigid pipe and then the garden hose with a wand. Hopefully that makes sense? Ultimately I want a wand / pump system that will stop pumping if the wand is not in use. Does such a thing exist or can anyone point me in the right direction/ Thanks in advance.
I have used my current pump directly into the green houses but at 50l per minute its a bit too powerful. No rose or spray head attached as it would be like a jet washer.

[Andraste]

Replying to bump your question. Hopefully a wise grape will have some advice/experience on rigging up a water delivery system for your IBCs 👍

[I'm doing this now!]

Thanks Andraste, Hopefully........

[Nicos]

No idea, but I’m interested in hearing the responses!

[Andraste]

I'm rattling my grey cells to see if I can think of grapes who might have some insight for you.

I think DGV and Vince G have irrigation set-ups in their respective greenhouse/polytunnels I think. Snoop Puss has an irrigation system too but if I'm remembering correctly a well is her water source rather than an IBC.

Anyway, I've very cheekily mentioned them to bring your post to their attention - they're all lovely grapes who always reply if they have advice (so if they don't reply it will be because they can't help ).

[I'm doing this now!]

Thanks again Andraste. I just happened to be on Amazon looking at systems but i'm none the wiser. Simplest route for me is gravity but when you lift the outlet the pressure drops so that is a last resort for me. Just spent the morning removing moss from a lawn. never seen so much of the stuff. I'll pose another Q re that.

[Vince G]

My system is 2 small solar powered pumps that each draw water from their own 200L waterbutt and feed it into the polytunnel via a half inch pipe that I branch off to the foot of each plant with a dripper on the end. The systems come from Irrigatia and I have 2 Sol-C24 kits.

Pros: They come on every 3 hours during the day and deliver just about enough water, but I water as well. I find each waterbutt lasts long enough for a 10-14 day holiday if I can't get anyone to water. Support and advice from Irrigatia is good and I have had a couple of replacement pumps and replacement batteries off them over the years and not always been charged for them.

Cons: the pipes are quite narrow and drippers can block towards the end of the season despite the filter in the waterbutt on the end of the "in" pipe. Pumps can vibrate themselves loose and need tightening up now and again

[Snoop Puss]

Like Andraste says, we have a solar pump (powered by two 120 W solar panels) that feeds water from a well into seeper hose that runs under mulch along my beds (outdoors, not in a greenhouse or pots). Works an absolute treat for my purposes but it isn't automatic. I open and close taps to different lengths of pipe and switch the solar pump on and off.

It is possible to get gravity fed seeper/weeper hose, but in this case your supply has to be about a metre above the beds. Are you able to raise your water supply? If you could do that, it might work very well and simply. Just put the wand back at the same height or higher than the supply and the water would stop. Maybe a different wand might regulate the amount of water to suit you better. I'm guessing you've thought of these solutions, though.

Vince G, your system sounds very good.

[I'm doing this now!]

Well, I did more googlin' today and i'm none the wiser but i'm thinking of a 12v battery system similar to campervan systems "on demand"and that's as far as my head will allow me to take in . got the inspiration from a youtube channel called Gardens for life.
I Have rigid 1" blue pipe and flat pipe which I have basterdised with some elbows and I've managed to do some watering with it via gravity from 1 IBC. I have also found a new flexible X hose in the shed and I'm going to see if that can be connected but it appears to have normal hose pipe connections. We'll see tomorrow. This warm spell is keeping me on my toes with the greenhouses and i've also noticed that the B and Q "verve"compost has lots of fungi in it. I took some images today but have been unable to upload them.
Thanks for the replies so far especially the last couple as these give me more food for thought.

[rary]

Would an external pond pump connected to a electric timer be any good

[I'm doing this now!]

Potentially Rary, I have made no definitive choice yet but I did like the 12v system i saw yesterday. I put a pump in my amazon cart and its gone up in price in the last 24 hours. I have been side tracked today with baby sitting and a new chicken fence arrival . I normally wake up around 530-6am but today I was rudely woken by my son at 730 as the delivery driver was banging at the front door and then whilst dealing with the delivery my grandson arrived. Fortunately i had some help moving these massive 8 feet x 9 feet panels. Blooming heavy and extremely awkward.

[I'm doing this now!]

Trial run of "X" hose (one of the expanding hose jobbies) with 3 x full IBC pressure, 1 foot above hose end and gravity fed, through 1" rigid and flat pipe leading to a Heath Robinson gaffer tape reducer to normal garden hose push fit connection produced................................. ...............a dribble.
Hey ho worth a try I suppose?? The IBC pressure is not enough to expand the hose even when laid on the ground. I'm better off with just the rigid / flat piping as this produced a very good manageable flow and I was able to water the large greenhouse. Definitely a powered system needed me thinks.

[rary]

I have been side tracked today with baby sitting and a new chicken fence.

When I was on babysitting duty I placed them in a play pen, surely using chicken wire fence is a bit extreme

whilst dealing with the delivery my grandson arrived.

and if he has just arrived use a pram or carrycot

[JoaoLeaftide]

I had the same dribble problem with gravity from IBCs. The head pressure is just not enough for anything expandable. Ended up going with a cheap 12v caravan pump off eBay and it made all the difference, pulls from the IBC and gives decent pressure through normal hose fittings. Runs off a leisure battery that lasts ages since you only use it for a few minutes at a time.

[I'm doing this now!]

Rary, Yep the new chicken wire would be a bit extreme its called protek 656 and looks like a prison. Looks a lot better than Hera panels which to be fair have served us well. Got the quotes back for the roof material. £1.5k all that for 5 chickens and 2 ducks. we are nuts.
Joao, can you give me some pump details please? Also would the pump be useable with these X hoses??