Watering is an integral part of caring for the garden, because in the summer, natural precipitation for plants (not even the most hygrophilous like beans or grains) is not enough. Each gardener organizes it, using the available opportunities. If there is a pond or well next to it, then there is no need to carry buckets of water to irrigate the garden, it is enough to purchase a surface pump.
Principle of operation of a surface water pump for irrigation
This equipment is a construction consisting of:
- water intake hose (metal tube);
- the actual pump;
- a rubber hose;
- watering gun or sprinkler.
It can be used to draw water from a depth not exceeding 10 m, that is, a surface pump is suitable for watering a garden from a quiet river, shallow well, pond, lake or basin.
Their main drawbacks include their noisiness. This sound can be reduced by hiding the unit in the back room or by putting it on a rubber mat. As the main advantage note the ease of operation. After all, to start watering, you only need:
- Lower the water inlet hose into the reservoir;
- put on the pump on a flat, dry surface (for example, asphalt);
- connect the watering hose;
- enable.
Another positive point in the operation of such pumps is the ability to frequently turn off and turn on the head, without fear of burning the engine.
What are the surface pumps for irrigation?
The surface pump on the internal device can be:
- Vortex. The movement of water occurs with the help of blades fixed on the axis, which rotates due to the electric motor. It differs by a small depth of suction (up to 4 m). Can only be used for water without impurities.
- Centrifugal (self-priming). In structure, it is very similar to the vortex, only it has an air valve, due to which the water is pushed to the surface after filling the compartments in the pump. Has a large suction depth (up to 10 m), less sensitive to the presence of impurities in the water.
Based on these pump characteristics, the vortex is recommended for use in pools and shallow wells, and centrifugal for natural water sources.
How to choose a surface pump for irrigation?
The choice of this equipment for watering the garden should be based on the following parameters:
- Depth of suction. It depends primarily on the pond from which you plan to take water, and the second - on the size of the garden. In this issue, we should focus on the ratio "1 m vertically = 8 m horizontally". Based on it, it's easy to calculate how deeply you need to lower the hose.
- Height of water supply or head. It should not be less than the distance from the pump location to the edge of the area that will need to be watered.
- Performance. This is how many liters
can drive through a pump. For standard irrigation, this figure should not be less than 1 m3 per hour. - Engine power. For irrigation of a large area, a more powerful apparatus follows, otherwise irrigation will take a long time.
- Length of the pipeline. To do this, it is necessary to add the necessary length of water intake hose and hose for irrigation.
Among the equipment for irrigation, surface pumps of such manufacturers as Al-co, Awelco, Grundfos, Wilo and Gileks have proved themselves well.
Despite the fact that often in the operating instructions to such an apparatus it is stated that the housing is moisture resistant, with constant use of the unit it is worthwhile to build a shelter for it (canopy or shed). This will save you from the need to carry it during the rain.