Rain Barrel drip irrigation in the garden
by
Chris Butler
Will I get enough pressure from an elevated rain barrel to use a 50 foot soaker hose with timer in my garden?
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Most soaker hoses on the market require a defined amount of water pressure to work. The video above shows only how much water flows out of a non-restricted opening. Read the label of the hose you buy. How high is the barrel? How many gallons will it hold? Will the hose travel downhill? The water pressure will decrease as the volume of water in the barrel decreases. Suggestion: get/make a hose that does not restrict the water: not a "sponge" style or drip-valve style. You can make one by punching holes in an old standard hose and sealing the end.
No! Rain barrels catch and store rain water. There is not enough gravity pressure to feed a hose. Your rain barrel would need to be elevated about 10 feet for it to work initially, but would diminish as water level goes down.
Soaker hose needs at least 10 psi to work properly. There is a new soaker hose out designed just for rain barrels. Google "rain barrel soaker hose". BUT they are new, expensive, and do they really work.