Drip irrigation pressurised by a pump

Question

Does anyone have experience with automated drip irrigation system such as rainbirdr brand that is provided water input from a pump rather than from faucet? I moved to an apartment so I have no option to use an outside hose connection to a faucet. So I was thinking of a large tank with water and a water pump. I still have the full rainbird infrastructure with multiple orbit b-hyve hose timers.

I have seen some pumps that have good flow rate and enough pressure but the flow rate of several gallons per minute is way too much for my tiny system and I expect them to hit automatic stop if the flow rate is too low. Anyone has a suggestion how to approach this project?

Answer 1

Use a pressure limiting valve, so the system doesn’t fly apart. Also makes the system more tolerant of amateur work.

Sample cheap plastic one shown.

Connect directly after the automatic valve. Can get them with different pressure values.

Answer 2

Pretty much any pump and a pressure tank, with a pressure control switch.

The pressure tank stores some water in a bladder inside a tank with air, the air compresses as the water enters, when the pump is shut off by the switch the air pressure maintains pressure on the water, and when the pressure drops sufficiently the switch turns the pump back on.

These are all stock standard items used for well pumps. You might want a much smaller pump than is typical for a house well, such as those used for recreational vehicle plumbing.

Typical pressure tank settings are 20-40 PSI or 30-50 PSI - if you then use a pressure regulator at a value below the lower setpoint {as suggested in another answer) on the output of the system the pressure the irrigation sees will be constant.

Answer 3

I’m doing the exact same thing and doing research. Check out irrigationtutorials.com and they talk about this. Here’s what I’m doing…

• 50 gallon tank (I feed it from a nearby stream with a pool cover pump)
• I got the 1/2 hp Drummond pump at HArbour freight. It might be too powerful for now but it has the right PsI I need (25)
• Then get a filter - they are cheap and get most fine mesh. Get a 3/4” garden hose connector (ght)
• Then you need an inline pressure reducer 25PSI. Get this with 3/4” GHT if you can.
• Then you figure out how to go from the pressure reducer into your system. For me I have 1” main using NPT so I got the adapters

I think you can also put a “T” before the pressure reducer and send a line back to the tank. If that line is less size than the 3/4” it should allow for the more powerful motor to not overwhelm the system.