OT: Gravity feed drip irrigation

[talon4x4]

Anyone have experience with anything like this?? I'm looking to run a small irrigation system fed by my 55gal rain barrel. I'm want to run 30-40 .5gal/hr drip emitters over approximately 55ft. Approximately 40ft of the system will contain emitters, the other 15ft is for getting from one garden to the next. Inside my rain barrel I have hooked up a pump that was once used on my pond. The pump is flowing 60gph thru a 50ft 1/2" garden hose.

So, for the irrigation system would I be better of sticking with 1/2" tubing or should I use 1/4" tubing?? I have found conflicting info on the internet. And the biggest question of all, will this work with the distance and # of emitters I'm looking to use?? I'm hoping it will because there are plenty of gravity fed drip irrigation kits out there to buy. Some with more length and more emitters than I want to use.

Any thoughts or suggestions are greatly appreciated!!

Sean

 

[Conesus_Kid]

Can you make the line with emitters into a loop? I would think that using a straight line would cause the emitters closest to the water source to have good flow where the ones farthest away wouldn't have any due to differences in pressure.

 

[talon4x4]

Can you make the line with emitters into a loop? I would think that using a straight line would cause the emitters closest to the water source to have good flow where the ones farthest away wouldn't have any due to differences in pressure.

That's a good question but I don't see why not. I could just add a T near the water source. Creating a loop would probably add an extra 35' to the total length of the system. The setups I looked at online all just have a "terminator" at the end and do not loop back. Unfortunately, I don't know enough about this to know which way is better.

Thanks for the idea!

 

[jfl14609]

Definitely use 1/4 in tube the problem your going to have is that depending on how much water is in the bucket will be what dictates the rate it drips. Fyi most of the emitters have regulators that will keep them flowing evenly