A barrel watering pump makes humidification of any garden less time consuming, as everything happens automatically. No more dragging water and watering the garden or the garden manually. This provides the gardener with more comfortable conditions for the maintenance of the summer cottage, which free time can be spent on a wonderful pastime with the family.
Consider how to choose a device and what models are. We present an overview of the devices by the main parameters and characteristics.
Important Features of a Garden Keg Pump
The pump comes complete with a hose, a filter to purify water or remove various impurities and dirt, with a fluid pressure regulator and a float. All these essential elements, with the exception of the float (there are some models that go without it), greatly simplify the process of watering the garden. If any component is missing, then the summer resident needs to either manually control the level and pressure of the water, or purchase the missing parts, depending on the model, independently.
The water filter traps large particles of debris or dirt, so the irrigation water becomes purified. The hoses that come with the keg pump can be of different lengths. This is important to consider when buying. The weight of the device is insignificant not more than 4 kg, so it can easily be moved from place to place.
Where to get water for irrigation?
When buying a barrel pump for irrigation, the question of where to get water is also an acute question. The most common option is the accumulated liquid in a barrel or basin, which can be placed around the entire perimeter of the site. They can even collect rainwater.
You can also take fluid from wells or wells, if any, in the summer cottage. But this water, although it has settled down, is however cold enough, which may not be suitable for some plants. Therefore, many gardeners pre-collect it in barrels, defend it, let it warm up, and only then water the garden. All this is done using a pump.
If there is a pond near a summer cottage or a river flows, you can take water from there. But for this it is important that the pump is equipped with a durable and necessary hose length. In addition, the filter must be powerful, as various impurities and dirt are present in the river water.
Varieties of pumps
There are several types of barrel pumps that are available for use in the garden. This can be a manual device, which does not require an electric power source, or an electric device for watering a large area plot.
Varieties of hand pumps:
- membrane;
- gateways;
- piston;
- bellows.
These species differ in principle of action and can be used both for supplying water for irrigation and for treating plants with fertilizer solutions. Using the handle, which is located in the upper part, the pump is driven.
Hand pumps have their advantages. First of all, it concerns the low price, as well as reliability and long service life. They are suitable for watering a small summer cottage or greenhouse. Devices are inserted into any container of small size (up to 200 l). Hand pumps are also safe, no noise during operation and easy to maintain.
Varieties of electric pumps:
- slide and centrifugal (used for pumping large amounts of water);
- screw (can be used for pumping thick and viscous liquids);
- pneumatic (for water and oil).
Depending on the model, electric pumps may differ in power. They have such advantages over manual counterparts as high performance, no noise, reliable design, automatic operation. But we must constantly monitor the filter so that it does not clog with dirt and impurities.
Types of Barrel Pumps
There are several types of pumps for pumping water from a barrel, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Types of devices for irrigation from a barrel:
- Barrel submersible pump. It sinks directly into a container of water, from where it is pumped out. Most often they are used to extract fluid from wells or boreholes, therefore they are characterized by high power. The advantage is silent operation, as the unit is completely immersed in water.
- Drainage apparatus. Practically not used on a summer cottage, as it is designed for pumping feces or water from flooded areas. But you can configure it for watering the garden, while you need to choose the weakest and cheapest option.
- Surface device. Such a device is installed directly on the barrel, it pumps water out of it with a hose. It is not used when extracting water from a well, since the maximum height to which water can rise, even with a powerful surface pump, is only 9 m.
What to look for when choosing?
When choosing a keg pump, the following criteria should be considered:
- feature of water and its origin,
- barrel size (diameter, depth and height),
- to what height should the liquid rise, the power of the apparatus depends on this,
- the size of the plot that needs watering.
Important indicators of the pump for pumping water:
- Productivity (that is, the amount of water pumped over a certain period of time) - the indicator depends on the size of the site that will be watered.
- Watering time for the site (depends on the previous indicator, which can be calculated independently, it is also indicated in the instructions for the device).
- Fluid pressure - it is important to understand how high the pump can lift water. This should be taken into account when buying (for example, the Karcher barrel pump lifts the liquid 11 m up and pumps 3800 liters per hour, which is excellent for a small area).
- Hose length - is determined by the distance from the barrel to the desired watering location (as a rule, it is taken with a significant margin).
Overview of reputed drum pump manufacturers
Since this device is bought with the hope that it will last at least several years, it is worthwhile to purchase a high-quality unit with good characteristics and from trusted manufacturers. A cheap model can often break.
The most popular companies that represent pumps on the Russian market and are of high quality products are Karcher, Alco, Gardena and Pedrollo (Italy). They are not only responsible for the quality of their products, but also guarantee service during the warranty period. The cost of the barrel pumps of these manufacturers varies from 4 to 6 thousand rubles. Their productivity is up to 3600 liters of liquid per hour, and the height of the water rise is up to 14 m.
Budget models, costing from 1,5 thousand rubles, are presented by firms: "Dzhileks", "Kid" and "Trickle" (Belarus). These are pumps that guarantee good operation of the device, but at a more affordable price.