Rainwater Harvesting Tank - Drip Irrigation and Pump Problems

Install a rainwater tank to collect water from your roof. In this fourth part of the series I switch over from our well as the source of water to the rainwater harvesting tank -- for the first time. And I run into some plumbing issues with the jet pump and the supply line from the tank. This tank is for harvesting rainwater for our flower and vegetable gardens.

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Some of these links have an affiliate code, if you purchase tools with these links I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you! The tools or equipment seen in this video and have been purchased ourselves.

#rainwatercollection #rainwatertank #rainwaterharvesting

[rhinorampage]

Amazing irrigation system and awesome videos! I will be doing something very similar for my garden. I'm interested in how the system has held up being that this video is three years old. How is the pump performing? As I mentioned I will be running a similar system in my garden, only difference being I wont be using a pressure tank, ill just let the pump run continuously feeding a drip system. My only concern is that the pump's discharge will be "choked down" as the pump is pumping water to a pressure reducer prior to feeding drip lines, in effect reducing flow. Has your pump experienced any negative side effects as a result of this?? Thanks for the info!

[mattevans-koch]

That is a well thought out garden irrigation system. I never relish doing plumbing for the very reason that you experienced getting your system to not leak but I have learned patience and usually manage to get the job done without coming totally unhinged. Thank you for this series on rainwater collection. Take care and stay well.

[benjaminreinhardt]

For stubborn threaded fittings, use both tape and dope. Nice setup.

[MikeDolanFliss]

If you still get to these older video comment threads... the 3/4 buried line - is that IPS well line? And the hose bibs - are those likewise fed with something like 1" IPS, with some long riser for weatherizing? If you've covered this in another video, happy to just get a link! Thanks for your amazing content.

[pressurechangerecord]

For water fittings I use Teflon tape designed for gas fittings; yellow reel in the UK. It’s much thicker and more robust. The blue/white one is just too soft.

[erikhartwig]

keep in mind, that every 2.31 feet you gain a PSI . If the water level in your tank is at 6', there is 2.6 PSI available at the base of the tank. i once had two 300 gallon square tanks set on 1 course of cinder blocks . There was enough pressure in at the bottom of the tanks to get good flow out to my garden without a pump. but i wasn't using emitters or sprinklers, just an open hose.

[stevepailet]

suggestion. since you have to prime the pump. remove the plug that you put the funnel in and replace it with a full ball valve.

[j.g.]

WOW! you are so smart and organized! We really enjoyed your video. This was an old video and we do not know whether you respond to posts - but if you do. Can you tell us how you keep the water in the black tank clean so that no E-coli gets into your crop?

[reggiewageman]

Why did you prime the discharge side of the pump? I thought a pump only needs to be primed on the supply side…which you don’t have a prime port. What am I missing?

[mine]

I would suggest a pressure water tank to reduce pump starts ...pressure tank has a bladder in it

[ed-jfxh]

You could install an ESP32 based level sensor in your well.

[stephenahearn]

Very timely video for me - I am right in the middle of an identical project with a 2000 gallon tank! Thanks for including specs for the pump - any regrets/issues (so far) with this choice of pump/pressure tank hardware?

[baxterboy]

Did you put the Teflon tape on in the right direction the first time around.?

[mathiso]

Just read someone say what I was. Might be too much pressure from the pump for such a short run with no head, even with the 10 psi prv. Around 30 psi is usually good. Either way, good looking system.

[hyfy-trjy]

relying on the pipe compound to seal the fitting without it being properly seated/torqued will eventually lead to the sealant fatiguing from vibration. This would have not been a permanent fix even if it had sealed.