On Aug 3, 9:57 am, "Kroma" wrote:
"WaltA" wrote in message

...

Not a problem I think,
There is a little pressure, a few (decreasing) feet of head, enough to
cause the water to leak out gradually. You dont want it all to be gone
in a day do you ?

Not a problem - the overflow is from the TOP of the waterbutt so only excess
water once the butt is filled (and during rainfall) will journey towards the
flower bed).

Unless there is some other sort of water input to it this means that
your system will only water the poor unfortunate plants in this dry
border when it is raining (the only time when it isn't needed). And if
there is washing water, dishwater you will have smells.

NB for my money all new houses should be built with a rainwater
catchment system capable of holding at least 4m^3. It is ludicrous
using drinking grade water for flushing toilets and watering the
garden.

When it's not raining, the butt will happily sit full. When it rains, the
butt will fill or the overflow will spring into action (if butt is already
full).

So what purpose do you think that the water butt is serving if it is
never actually used as a reservoir to provide water during the dry
spells? A cheap pump, a timer and a modest 12 v battery and you can do
it fairly easily.

Regards,
Martin Brown

On Fri, 03 Aug 2007 02:46:18 -0700, Martin Brown wrote:
this means that
your system will only water the poor unfortunate plants in this dry
border when it is raining (the only time when it isn't needed).

Kromer said "as it is shielded by part of my roof."

NB for my money all new houses should be built with a rainwater
catchment system capable of holding at least 4m^3. It is ludicrous
using drinking grade water for flushing toilets and watering the
garden.

Agreed ! 100%

On Fri, 3 Aug 2007 09:57:12 +0100, "Kroma"
wrote:

"WaltA" wrote in message
...


Not a problem I think,
There is a little pressure, a few (decreasing) feet of head, enough to
cause the water to leak out gradually. You dont want it all to be gone
in a day do you ?

Not a problem - the overflow is from the TOP of the waterbutt so only excess
water once the butt is filled (and during rainfall) will journey towards the
flower bed).

When it's not raining, the butt will happily sit full. When it rains, the
butt will fill or the overflow will spring into action (if butt is already
full).

Ah yes, I see, I was misunderstanding you as well !

So, what I'm thinking now is that a hosepipe isnt going to carry much
water very fast
(unless it's an industrial sized one !

So back to an aqueduct and a length of guttering over, or at the back
of the bed perhaps? Holes along the length of it and it can also
overflow along its length in a really heavy downpour.
Perhaps some notches cut out along the edge of the gutter to cause it
to overflow in many places rather than all in one spot,

Added just before posting : - Actually, maybe dont drill holes in it,
just use overflow notches perhaps,
bit of critical levelling would be needed to distribute the water
evenly during light showers, but shouldnt be a problem in heavy rain

On Aug 3, 9:57 am, "Kroma" wrote:

When it's not raining, the butt will happily sit full. When it rains, the
butt will fill or the overflow will spring into action (if butt is already
full).

Kroma

If you loop the hose inside for a few inches, whenever the level
reaches the top of the loop it will dispense at least that amountof
water (plus any extra rainwater). This means that you'll get
intermittent burst of decent amounts of water rather than just a
trickle now and then. I guess it all depends what you want.

"Kroma" wrote:

I have a very dry flower bed along the front of my house as it is shielded
by part of my roof.
I'm planning to put a water butt at the corner of the house and run a hose
from it as an overflow. I am hoping to 'drill' some holes along the length
of the hose and lay this along the aforementioned dry flower bed. Would
this then irrigate my flower bed as I hope (as long as the water butt is
full).

Any tips or ideas gratefully received.

Assuming you actually want to do this, here's my serious reply:
because there really wouldn't be enough pressure to drive water any
distance through a small-bore hose, you might do better to think in
terms of a perforated trough or aqueduct to distribute the overflow from
the water butt. I'd suggest using plastic roof guttering, with end-stops
at both ends and holes drilled in it at regular intervals. It would need
to slope away from the butt, so that gravity sent water to the farthest
end. The precise degree of slope and the size and number of holes would
have to be determined by experiment. The trough should be set on/in a
few inches of gravel --rather than sitting directly on the earth-- to
keep the holes free, and it should have a removable cover to keep leaves
and other debris out. Not a tight cover; you want air in the system.

All that would be visible, of course, and may be thought unsightly, so
it could be placed behind a line of ornamental bricks or natural stone,
or maybe plastic edging if that wasn't set too far down into the earth.

HTH

"brian mitchell" wrote in message
...
"Kroma" wrote:

I have a very dry flower bed along the front of my house as it is
shielded
by part of my roof.
I'm planning to put a water butt at the corner of the house and run a
hose
from it as an overflow. I am hoping to 'drill' some holes along the
length
of the hose and lay this along the aforementioned dry flower bed. Would
this then irrigate my flower bed as I hope (as long as the water butt is
full).

Any tips or ideas gratefully received.

Assuming you actually want to do this, here's my serious reply:
because there really wouldn't be enough pressure to drive water any
distance through a small-bore hose, you might do better to think in
terms of a perforated trough or aqueduct to distribute the overflow from
the water butt. I'd suggest using plastic roof guttering, with end-stops
at both ends and holes drilled in it at regular intervals. It would need
to slope away from the butt, so that gravity sent water to the farthest
end. The precise degree of slope and the size and number of holes would
have to be determined by experiment. The trough should be set on/in a
few inches of gravel --rather than sitting directly on the earth-- to
keep the holes free, and it should have a removable cover to keep leaves
and other debris out. Not a tight cover; you want air in the system.

All that would be visible, of course, and may be thought unsightly, so
it could be placed behind a line of ornamental bricks or natural stone,
or maybe plastic edging if that wasn't set too far down into the earth.

HTH

I feel that the irrigation hoses as at :

http://www.hedging.co.uk/acatalog/In...sories_25.html

and/or

http://www.plasticsbypost.net/mainpa...gationpage.htm

would be more effective, less obtrusive and would serve a better purpose
:-))


Mike
--
The Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association.
'THE' Association if you served in the Electrical Branch of the Royal Navy
Reunion Bournemouth August/September 2007
www.rneba.org.uk
"Navy Days" Portsmouth 25th - 27th July 2008. RN Shipmates will have a
Stand.
and to those contacting me, yes I am the chap organising the massive Royal
Navy Reunion in February on Hayling Island.





attached to a second tap

"Kroma" wrote in message
...
Hello,

I have a very dry flower bed along the front of my house as it is shielded
by part of my roof.
I'm planning to put a water butt at the corner of the house and run a hose
from it as an overflow. I am hoping to 'drill' some holes along the
length of the hose and lay this along the aforementioned dry flower bed.
Would this then irrigate my flower bed as I hope (as long as the water
butt is full).


Yes it will work a treat when the butt is full and it's raining. You don't
need great pressure, gravity will do it's stuff, and if you use a hose of
similar size to normal garden hosepipe, and drill holes of about 3mm, about
every foot along it's length. Get it as level as you can to make sure all
parts get a share. Consider also connecting a tap via a tee piece at the
bottom of the butt you can open to water it in a dry spell.

Bear in mind that in heavy rain, there will be more than this hose can
handle, so you will need to channel the excess somewhere or your garden will
be a bog.

Steve

"shazzbat" wrote in message
...

"Kroma" wrote in message
...
Hello,

I have a very dry flower bed along the front of my house as it is
shielded by part of my roof.
I'm planning to put a water butt at the corner of the house and run a
hose from it as an overflow. I am hoping to 'drill' some holes along the
length of the hose and lay this along the aforementioned dry flower bed.
Would this then irrigate my flower bed as I hope (as long as the water
butt is full).


Yes it will work a treat when the butt is full and it's raining. You don't
need great pressure, gravity will do it's stuff, and if you use a hose of
similar size to normal garden hosepipe, and drill holes of about 3mm,
about every foot along it's length. Get it as level as you can to make
sure all parts get a share. Consider also connecting a tap via a tee piece
at the bottom of the butt you can open to water it in a dry spell.

Bear in mind that in heavy rain, there will be more than this hose can
handle, so you will need to channel the excess somewhere or your garden
will be a bog.


Doh, I meant to add this link to some stuff I've done with various plastic
pipes. All from skips/junk I may add.

http://s163.photobucket.com/albums/t...azzbat3/pipes/

Steve

"shazzbat" wrote in message
...


Bear in mind that in heavy rain, there will be more than this hose can
handle, so you will need to channel the excess somewhere or your garden
will be a bog.


Doh, I meant to add this link to some stuff I've done with various plastic
pipes. All from skips/junk I may add.

http://s163.photobucket.com/albums/t...azzbat3/pipes/

Steve


"I have a very dry flower bed along the front of my house as it is shielded
by part of my roof."

Perhaps you should also bear in mind is that it is a design function of the
roof to keep things drier along side the house.
Take care when diverting the water back under this shetered area.

Regards
Pete
www.thecanalshop.com

"'Mike'" wrote:

I feel that the irrigation hoses as at :
http://www.hedging.co.uk/acatalog/In...sories_25.html
and/or
http://www.plasticsbypost.net/mainpa...gationpage.htm
would be more effective, less obtrusive and would serve a better purpose

Probably so. I like the idea of using recycled tyres. But actually, in
this particular case, I wonder what's wrong with dipping a watering can
--preferably a 'real' galvanised one-- into the water butt at regular
intervals and conveying water to the plants oneself, rather than
mechanising the process? The smells of the water, the earth as it's
replenished, the plants; the sight of the spray, refracted light through
drops on leaves shining like jewels, the freshness of watered foliage;
aren't these elemental sensations a really important part of gardening?
Why turn the garden into a hands-off machine like so much else in life?

"shazzbat" wrote in message
...
butt you can open to water it in a dry spell.

Bear in mind that in heavy rain, there will be more than this hose can
handle, so you will need to channel the excess somewhere or your garden
will be a bog.

Hmm - good point, I have been thinking about the levels of water and I guess
that you are right. In my back garden I have the overflow of a waterbutt
running into my pond and, after heavy rain, the pond is MUCH fuller! This
would be disastrous in the flower bed.

I have now bought a trickle hose of the type suggested by Mike - I saw one
in the local garden centre yesterday (a Hozelok branded one and they'd made
a mistake with the price... 15m of trickle hose was GBP30!!! whereas a pack
consisting of 15m of trickle hose, 15m of regular hose and a collection of
connectors was GBP20). I gave up with the Heath Robinson idea!

I shall connect this to the tap of the water butt and I will insert the rain
diverter at the height of the max level of water in the butt so that
overflow is sorted automatically. I will lose the automatic function of the
drip hose but a turn of the tap will suffice.

I'm assuming that I keep the end of the drip hose closed (a shut off valve
is included) and leave the tap open for a few minutes?

Thanks,

Kroma