Green Solar Powered Water Barrel

A Green way of using rainwater with the convenience of city water. The attached solar regenerated pump enables you to water plants with pressure, even when the water in the barrels falls low enough that it barely passes the level of the faucet. The sun-warmed water also aids in the growing of plants as it does not shock them. The twin 85 gallon barrels are raised onto a very sturdy 4x4 box assembly from recycled wood, held together with new carriage bolts because the total weight of all the water when full is approx 1700lbs. This frame is resting on eight 2 inch thick 18 inch square cement pads to prevent sinking. The barrels are raised to increase the head pressure and decrease the work load on the pump.
Vote for me if you think my idea is worth passing on to show people being green doesn't have to mean sacrificing quality or convenience . Thank you for taking the time to look at my instructable!

Step 1: Water supplied from mother nature

link barrel to downspout. ensure top of barrel remains below level of water entry. I found the Watersaver attachment for the 3x4 downspout pipe works perfectly. In order to enable adequate water flow to the barrel I adapted the Watersaver attachment by drilling out the side and adding a flange for a 1inch PVC fitting. I sealed this by using a rubber gasket and additionally using a silicone sealer. Ensure there is a downward slope between the downspout and the barrel entry.

Comments

[Csinger1120]

Thanks for the idea very creative. Quick questions for you: would like to insulate it for winter but ignorant on that?

[The Lightning Stalker]

If you look around, you can find an all plastic pump that won't rust out from the rainwater. It's important that it's a jet pump so you get enough pressure to run the attachments. Or you can get a submersible and put it in the bottom of one of the barrels. That will give you huge pressures though so you'll need a regulator. Either way, never start the pump with the attachment(s) turned off or you will get cavitation which wears out the impeller(s). If you hear a louder "swooshing" sound, turn if off right away. That means it's cavitating and you don't have enough flow on the output for that size pump.

[damoelld]

I've found that a Diaphragm pump such as this one works great, it puts out 35 psi at a constant rate, is very quiet, unlike a jet pump and is very small, unlike a jet pump that would be capable of 3.3 GPM (12.5 lpm). This model of pump has an internal pressure switch and bypass to prevent water surging and hammer (pulsation) when the hose or attachment(s) are turned on or off. I have saved my pump from the rainwater by mounting it inside a waterproof battery box. Originally I thought of using a submersible or fountain pump, but the extra connections would have to be mounted internal to the barrel (aka more hassel) and I did not need to have the capability of emptying the barrel in a matter of minutes.

[Csinger1120]

Question for you: Could I also install a hand pump that may generate enough pressure. On top of the barrel, similar to old water table pump to fill horse troffs? What is your take or suggestions on that?

[The Lightning Stalker]

I'm not attacking your pump or your instructable or anything. I'm just trying to help out people who don't know anything about the pipe and the pump and the ppppp... If all someone can afford is a used jet pump, then it works good enough.

[damoelld]

no worries, didn't mean to make it sound like I was mad. I appreciate all comments.....even the ones that contradict my opinions, gets me to thinking in a less linear fashion, and sometimes another solution to the same problem. This is after all a forum, and not a podium :)

[jerhpk]

I'm looking for a part-time pump for a smaller application. What is the flow rate on the pump you have? I'm not planning on running the pump for more than 30 minutes at a time, and maybe once a week. (The planned height of this project is about 8 feet, maximum. It does not need to be high pressure at this location, but it does need to spray slightly. Yes, I realize this is contradictory.) I do appreciate this instructable; I find I reference it frequently for a variety of projects. as a question, do you have the "sight level indicator" going into a hole in the top of the barrel, or just tucked under the lid? And is the top of the tube higher than the "overflow" holes?

[damoelld]

Sorry for the delay, was away.
The tube is tucked up under the lid. This prevents the crawlies from getting into it yet allows the outside pressure from the water column to equalize.
Cheers

[kwazai]

NC made it legal a few years back to use this kind of water for flushing (free sewage treatment-normally payed for).

recommendations (I'm in the process too-for a hydroponic graden setup)-

a copper dish scrubber in the supply line to remove phosphorous (grows algae).
a p-trap to keep mosquitos out

most neighborhoods have 'covenants' anymore- this is about ideal size to fit in a 'shed' of sorts (fenced in?)

[damoelld]

Yard is fenced in. Mosquito meshing built into barrel lid breathing vents.
Cheers.

[kwazai]

Excellent

[gfwhell]

In order to keep water free of bacteria, (Stagnating). bubble air through it, better still, ionize the air first, This is called Ozonated air. check out ALIBABA for cheap ozonators or make your own with an ignition coil and a bundle of Fluorescent tubes used as electrodes. you will need a pump to mix the ozone with the water,so a solar cell, battery and inverter will probably be required, do what I did Scour the USPatent office for information on water sterilization and apply your brain to someones invention, your welcome to copy whats there provided you dont try selling it. Of course you could make a filter and force the collected water through it, if you make it properly the water will soon contain no bacteria after passing through the filter, a couple of layers of ordinary surgical lint should surfice. you could sterilize the first gallon or two with a spoonfull of hydrogen peroxide. the filter gets more efficient at trapping bacteria the more water that is passed through it. GF

[damoelld]

I like the idea of ozone for purifying the water if it was for consumption. My plants like the stinky water after it's been sitting in the tanks, and it's at the right temperature to minimize shock. All of the additional comments lead me to believe that someone wants to see an instructable on a water purifier system supplied from rain and powered from the sun + for human consumption. Mine is simply for the garden.
Cheers,

[vov35]

Here's a thought on saving some power:
1) make a T on the pump's output, and attach a small diameter vertical tube around a foot tall; allowing the remainder of the water to flow through the straight portion of the T and function like normal

2) To the vertical tube, attach an endcap with a hole in it to equalize air pressure.

3) Drive two screws into the vertical pipe at a reasonable height. Connect these to an inverting circuit, like used in: http://www.instructables.com/id/Laser-Trip-Mine/
You should use much larger resistances and a power mosfet.

4) the mosfet throws a relay to turn on a pump. This will only happen when the water level is below the screws you set.

The goal here is that the pump turns off if you're not releasing pressure from the hose; allowing you to use a watering handle for the end of your line. Depending on your pump you may also need to install a check valve, to allow the hose to stay pressurised with the pump off. The height of the screws installed in the vertical tube will be directly proportional to the water pressure that will be maintained in the line.

... If I actually made the system and had photots, I think it would be instructable worthy, however, I don't have a rain water system to experiment, and will instead suggest that you try it out with yours.

[damoelld]

I do like the rube goldberg approach :) I however, use the pressure switch that is part of the pump. When the pressure drops, the pump turns on.

[vov35]

I hadn't read to the point when you mentioned that your pump had an automatic shutoff, but it's still worth considering in my humble opinion. :p

[hhart]

Absolutely awesome. I'm definitely doing this and thank you for putting this up!

[T3h_Muffinator]

This is really neat!  The pump was a great idea! 

Do you think the water's drinkable?  If not, maybe adding a purifier might help with that.  (I understand that this is just for watering plants, etc., but the prospect of a rainwater purifier is tempting)

Awesome work!
-muffin

[swilus]

If you add a sediment filter and uv this water would be perfectly fine to drink. Rain water is naturally soft. If you are really nervous about drinking, add an under sink reverse osmosis system: http://jandjpumps.com or any hardware store!

[toogers]

i'd use quite a few filters on this, it was, after all, sitting in a storm drain.

[damoelld]

Only from the roof of the house, no storm drains on this one. No contaminants other than those included in the rainwater and the granules from the shingles. :P

[kyuubiunl]

BETTER filter, not more.

[DavidM45]

great project! I have found that valves on a plastic line are so much better with a support like a 2x4.

[jerhpk]

FYI: Lee Valley has a downspout adapter for sale for under $20. It has two garden hose fittings on it, to hook two rain barrels up simultaneously. Biggest reason I'm considering it (the adapter) is that it is something that does not need to be removed to shut off water flow to the rain barrels. (Local codes state that rain barrels are ok on homes as long as they are emptied and disconnected during the winter months. "Winter months" is an unspecified length of time in the code as of last time I checked, but I assume it to be when the temperature is low enough to warrant frost warnings, or similar. Codes have no such restrictions on "Non residential or non commercial" buildings, such as workshops or garages.) .

[Boyd Carl]

Good idea! What is Make & model of water filter? What is good source(s)?

[damoelld]

Hi Boyd, located an alternate place to buy the filter that should be available to everyone. Home Depot DripMaster 3/4 In. Mpt X Mpt Y-filter; Clm Model:: 61062 $20.99 hope this helps

[Boyd Carl]

Does the water saver attachment have a strainer to keep leaves, etc.
from getting into barrel?

[damoelld]

no it doesn't, however it would be to easy to insert a piece of mesh in front of the pvc outlet.

[pickford78]

You can find cheap 50 cent filters that go into the gutter to filter leaves out.

[LancePenney]

Do you have a charge controller between the solar panel and battery? Or maybe the panel has a charge controller built in? Excellent project by the way.

[damoelld]

the panel has a built in charge controller and thank you!

[Entropy512]

Are you sure, or is it just the "panel not large enough to damage battery with overcharging" approach?

Most people have used 5 watt panels with car batteries without any charge controller.  (I do for maintaining my rarely driven convertible's battery.)

[pbhound]

you could put a small colored float in the tube to make it easier to read from a distance.

[damoelld]

good idea, just have to add that to my ever growing 'honey-do' list :)

[TangerineB]

Ok, jumping in here late in the game - and I'm just beginning to learn how to garden (and build things!).  Wondering if there is any use for my old garden hose that split at the end when we didn't get all the water out over winter. I'm looking at longterm plans for rainwater collection and underground watering - it's just going to take a while during our remodel. Should I keep the hose or toss it?

[bunglesmate]

 I hope I'm not stating the obvious but can't you just reterminate the end of the hose. It'll be a little shorter obviously but should be good. Or use a set of adapters to create a short extension for the long length left after the split.

[SinAmos]

I've been wanting to do something like this for a while.  I have my tank, but I have yet to get the run-off adapters.   Thanks for the inspiration.

[depotdevoid]

Awesome project!  I've added this to my ever growing list of things to do around the house!

[rayzentz]

I like this. However, where I live, it is illegal to collect rainwater. How stupid is that?

[WilderLust]

most places that say it is illegal mean open containers... if you have a closed tank then they are ok. i live in one such place... it is illegal to have a rainwater collection but if you have a closed system it is ok. it is cold in winter here so i have a couple of 1000Gal tanks under ground which allow me to water all my fruit trees, flowers, greenhouse plants with only rain water with exception of rare extra long rainless summer months. i have old hoses underground watering the trees at the roots to minimize evaporation too... it is very efficient.