Weird automatic watering happenings...

Okay, so I set up a 35 gallon trash barrel with a pond pump and tubing to water my new plants. I haven't put it on a timer yet because I still wanted to work out how long it should take. I ran it for just a few minutes yesterday. Today I go back and 3/4 of the barrel is empty, and the tray at the bottom of my big 24" NJ planter is full of water.

So I filled it up, turned it on again, let it run a minute and then turned it off. The darn thing was still dripping water at a good rate a couple hours later. I'm guessing this is because the pump primed the tubing and because the hose leaving the garbage can is higher than the plants it's acting as some sort of siphon? Any ideas on what to do about this so I don't drown my plants?

It does sound like some kind of siphon effect since you said it took a full day to drain 3/4 of the 35 gallon tank. Even a very small pond pump would have emptied it faster than that. I guess the simpliest way would be raise the irrigation line higher and see if that works.

Jake, you can prevent that siphon effect bu making sure the end of your supply hose is open to air. If it sits in the container that you use for you dispersal system and it has water, it will siphon.

DesertJake,

Here is what to do. About 6 to 8 inches from the top of the 35 gallon can, pop a hole to the tube coming out of the tank. That's what I did to stop the siphon effect. As the pump runs, a stream of water will come out of the hole squirting back into the tank. When the pump stops it lets air into the pipe so the watering stops.

Wish I'd thought of that Bob.

Perfect! Thanks Bob. Such a simple solution that I would have never thought of. :-)

Boy oh Boy.......you know some...uh....stuff, Bob. I have never had a siphon problem before but now I know what to do if I do. Doing it the way you are recirculates the water/fert mix and keeps it mixed up good. You better patent that before Devota steals it from you!

Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy!