Introduction: Zero Cost Watering System

After event, you may ended up with some items (posters, PVC pipes, string, mineral water bottles, etc) that taking place to keep, and yet it's a waste if throw them away.

Let's practicing reuse the items for some useful projects, like the one I'm going to share with you, a simple and easy to build watering system that almost zero cost.

Tools required:

  • pen knife
  • super glue
  • scissor
  • hot water

Materials:

  • PVC pipe
  • stopper
  • mineral water bottles
  • cable ties/string
  • few pillars (wood or bamboo)

Step 1: Remove PVC Pipes From Vertical Banners

Remove the PVC pipes from the vertical banners. For my project, I need 5. I find the perfect number is 6 afterwards. So I removed the PVC pipes from 3 banners. The PVC pipe basically located on top and bottom of the banner, as you can see from the picture.

You may ask why not just buy a PVC pipe with 18 or 20 inches long. That's perfect with the project, but one of my purpose is to reuse the material I have.

Step 2: Cut 4 Connectors From Water Pipe

Cut 4 pieces out of the existing water pipe (rubber type), each one is about 2 inches. This will become a connector between 2 PVC pipes. I have longer water pipe, cut 8 inches from it still good.

Step 3: Connect PVC Pipes to the Connectors

Connect each of the PVC pipe with the rubber connector. Use hot water to soften the rubber connector before you push in the PVC pipe to the connector.

It's not easy, so I do it patiently. And be careful with the hot water.

Step 4: Connect for a Long PVC Pipe

When I finish all of the PVC pipes with the rubber connectors, I have like a 15 inches long PVC pipe.

Step 5: Make Some Holes to the Pipe

Take the pen knife and start drill some holes on the long PVC pipe.

It's my decision how far I want the holes close to each other. If I want, I can measure the distance between the holes. But I just simple guess the distance and drill. No big deal. But the direction for the water to come out from the PVC pipe is important. But I didn't measure that too, just try to make sure it's a straight line on the same direction. Good thing about rubber connector is, I can adjust the direction at later time. For now, just make sure a straight line.

By the way, since the connector is rubber type and soft, I believed if you want, you can make a circle, or different shape which suit your garden, you can run through the pipe surrounding your back yard or small garden, to cover each of your plant too.

Step 6: Glue the Stopper

From the vertical banner I have, it came with a plastic stopper. I just reuse it, put glue to it, so that it will not easily come out when supplying the water. I only need it for one side.

Step 7: Arrange the PVC Pipe for the Pillars

Take 3 or 4 pillars, (made of wood, bamboo or anything, up to you), arrange them at certain distance, that can hold the long PVC pipe. And arrange them on the top of the plant for the watering. For my project, I just arrange the pillars in a straight line.

On the first day, I actually want to reuse more, so I use scissor to cut 3 empty mineral water bottles, to use it as a "string". I took the string made from mineral water bottles, tied the string to the pillars and the fence at my back yard. I found kind of hard to tighten with the "string" I have reused.

Step 8: Tied the PVC Pipe to the Pillars

Take the long PVC pipe and lay it to each of the pillars. For this round I use cable ties to tighten it. You can use any type of string, or reuse from empty mineral water bottles. The purpose is to hold and tighten the PVC pipe.

When the job is done, it look like the last 2 pictures.

Step 9: Supply the Water....

At the other end of the PVC pipe, it is without the stopper, it's for the water to go in. What I need to do, just plug the water pipe to it. Supply the water and that's it, a simple and zero cost watering system!

So now, every time I lazy to open up the door to enter my back yard to water the plant, I just supply the water!

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