Garden Plumbing Question - Wet Play - Pumps / Pipes / Systems Etc

[solutions]

Accumulators are large expsnsion vessels basicly a bit like capacitors for the water/pressure world. They are used with a pump to increase pressure. The pump forces water in to the accumulater under pressure which it can then release when a draw off is opened. As I understand it you can get greater pressure from an accumulater than the pump that charges it could achieve on its own. The pump also only runs to charge the accumulater. I hope this is relatively clear and is of some help. I am a little confused as to why you need a pump it would seem to me that what you are trying to achieve could be done from the mains if as you say it is a small garden. Unless of course you have poor mains pressure.

 

[Reg Man]

Good description of accumulators, but for the proposed application?

 

[marksman]

Thanks solutions, that make sense, although I would of though a pump to handle the pressure of pumping into such system would just be usable on its own?

You are correct, water pressure here is not great by any means.
Having said that I will test it out, I have a mains pipe coming off the inbound mains we have ran in the concrete so ill at least have the most pressure it has to offer available.

Ill see what happens with that but am fully expecting it to need some pump based help.

Regards,

Aidan

 

[solutions]

Good description of accumulators, but for the proposed application?

Your right I dont think it makes sense in this application. I was just trying to think of ways around using bigger more expensive pumps and having a way that would not require the pumps to run continuously. However given one of the primary objectives is to keep cost down swapping big pumps for accumulater doesnt really work as they are equally expensive.
I would expect mains pressure to be at least 1 bar and possibly higher as a static pressure which for once would actually be useable, as if you are only going to fire short slugs of water then you will always have use of the full 1 bar where as if it was constantly running it might drop off due to restrictions caused by pipe size over its length to outlet if constantly flowing.

 

[stevetheplumber]

i would also checkout with the childminding side whether a home built system would be considered safe i know friends had to radically change there gardens before being allowed to let children use it

 

[Reg Man]

i would also checkout with the childminding side whether a home built system would be considered safe i know friends had to radically change there gardens before being allowed to let children use it

Didn't think of this, Probably need a life guard too LOL. I would be Phoning your local water company first, to check approval with them first. I think this is a lovely idea though.

 

[marksman]

Thanks all.

We are redoing the whole garden at the moment, concreting it all.
I don't think they mind too much as long as you dont have a pond etc.

If i can get away with mains pressure it will be a lot easier, if I have to use pumps etc ill get it electrically signed off first.

Just 12v solenoids I don't think can do too much damage, they will be housed in the shed anyway.

Regards,

Aidan

 

[marksman]

Good Morning Chaps,

Sadly after some testing this isn't going to work with mains pressure.

It shoots out reasonably far from a washing machine 3/4" pipe but once you add some pipe and a solenoid there is just no pressure there, it just comes out the end as a fairly weak stream.

Tap > House > speedfit adapter > 15mm speedfit > solenoid > 15mm speedfit

So I think im going to need some slightly different solenoids and a decent multi stage pump, pref adjustable and self cutoff adjustable pressure system.

So, thoughts gentlemen?

Regards,

Aidan