Where to buy - large water butt

[FVmouse]

Hi All,

I’m wanting to set up a gravity fed irrigation system for pot plants on a terrace. I need a large water butt, a method of attaching irrigation pipes to said water butt and a battery powered timer. All as cheaply as possible.

I don’t want this system attached to mains electric or water in any way and I’m able to site the butt at a height much greater than the plants so gravity is on my side. It will be in use when I am away from the island so want a nice big butt ....

Where should I check out apart from Ideal and Saavedra ?

Many thanks

[FVmouse]

Thanks for the reply. I’ve lost track of when FEAGA is this year but suspect I won’t be around. I don’t recall any stalls like that in the past but might be wrong ...

I’d like to buy a butt ASAP so that I know which attachment is required before heading back to the U.K. The rest will either be bought on the island or back in the U.K. and brought out on my next trip. 

Cheers.

[Can the Man]

In Ireland very often Lidl have these water butts and also the timers and distribution manifolds to connect hoses to. Don’t know if Lidl in PdR ever had them but might be worth looking into.

[Archer]

You could buy a water storage container (as most properties have on the roof) from somewhere like Foncal. Or, use one of those round blue drums that you see around everywhere. They must be used for bulk supply of grain or fertiliser. Ask at the goat farm.

As for the automation. I have both standalone and pumped systems. The battery timers are available at Ideal. Gardena.

Buy all the tubing and drippers from Antigua Ferreteria or any local Ferreteria. They have 4l/h and 8l/h. This allows you to give more water to some larger plants or trees. You need 2 tools. 1 to make the holes in the tubing for the drippers, and 1 to punch the large holes to connect 12mm tubing to the larges diameter pipes. Do not drill, as the swarf will block your drippers. I filter my water to avoid any foreign bodies entering the system.

My 'standalone' system has run continuously for over 2 years - whilst I'm here and in my absence. From experience, you do not need a lot of pressure. Best kept low, below 1 bar, or the joints will pop in the sun. Dip the end of the pipe in boiling water before you put the tee's or stopends in, then they are formed to shape and stay put even on the hottest of sunshine!

If you need any advice about connections, PM me and I'll send some photos of my setup.

[FVmouse]

Thanks Archer. PM sent.