ELECTRIC WATER PUMP | Irrigating Garden or Lawn

Pin It for Safe Keeping!

 AN ELECTRIC WATER PUMP is a handy way to Water your Garden or Lawn! Having adequate water and a viable watering system is vital for your garden or lawn especially if you live in a dry or arid location.

Find out how we set up a perfect electric water pump system to sprinkle our garden and lawn.

Electric Water Pump

Please Note: we continue to use this small electric pump year after year. It is set up by the pond each spring and then drain and store in our garage each fall / winter.

#1 Determine Locations

Water Source:

We have a small pond on our property that we use but any type of water source will work just fine:  such as a stream, river, irrigation ditch, pond or lake. It is important to have your pump located close to your water source as your pump will be drawing the water through the uptake siphon and then pumping it out to the sprinkler, irrigation system or ditch. Long distances causes extra stress on the pump if it has to pull the water too far from the original source, so keep it under 20 feet if possible.

Location of Pump: 

Your pump should be conveniently located on fairly level ground close to your water source. Our particular pump can draw water from 25 feet away but it is not designed to pull water vertically for that distance. Our water source is about 5 feet below the pump so it does have to pull uphill a little bit.

Related Post on:  How to Locate the Best Garden Spot

Location of Power Source:

Make sure to have your power source close by but note that our electrical outlet is approximately 125 feet away which is why we use a heavy 10-gauge wire.

#2 Determine Type of Pump

Type of Electric Water Pump:

You will need to determine the type of pump for your particular application.

We had originally bought a gas powered irrigation pump but have since replaced it with a small electric water pump.

The gas powered pump was okay but we found that the gas tank was too small and needed to be refilled often. Plus, the oil needed to be changed frequently, almost daily…..and, it was very noisy! Because of these negatives, we decided to replace this gas model with a small electric pump and have never looked back. Plus, our electric pump was 1/2 the cost of the gas pump!

We purchased our pump from a farm and ranch store~ here is a similar one from Amazon . Also, look at a tool supply company or even a feed store. Our pump cost approximately $200 plus $100 for all the attachments. This may be different for you depending on your area.

The model we bought is a Red Lion Electric Sprinkler Pump This pump can be plugged into any normal outlet.

Wiring or Extension Cord from Power Source or Outlet:

We used a heavy wire with a 3-way ground plug-in on one end and an outlet box on the other end. We made this DIY heavy gauge wire that is rated for outdoor use.

A long heavy gauge extension cord will also work. Just be careful if you are mowing or weed-eating around or over the top of it. Wire Garden Staples are perfect for securing the electrical wire or extension cord into the ground so no one trips over it or cuts it.

We added a receptacle to the end of the wire and attached this to the wooden shed. The pump can be plugged in and unplugged right at the site instead of having to go back to the power source. This is tremendously handy should you need to unplug the pump for any repairs or blockages.

If you look closely, you can see the heavy gauge wire with the receptacle attached to the pump house. The pump electric cord is simply plugged into the receptacle. This is such a tremendous time saver if the pump needs to be unplugged for any reason.

You can also see the square thumb nut on the upper left by the outlet hose, this is where the pump in primed by filling with water. You will prime your pump and then turn it on. It should begin immediately drawing water.

Make sure to look at: Best of Original Homesteading

#3 Accessories

Attachments and Valves for Pump:

There are several attachments that are necessary for your pump. The following should be available at your local Hardware Store.

• UPTAKE HOSE-this is a heavy gauge 2-inch flexible hose which is placed into your water source.
• FOOT VALVE with SCREEN on HOSE END-this protects the pump by screening out sticks, twigs, rocks, algae clumps, debris, etc

• CLAMPS to attach the hose to the intake port on pump  NOTE: quick release attachments are super helpful
• A Short Extension Hose (ours is black, but this is a good one ) which attaches directly to the pump and then to your hoses leading to the sprinklers

Y-attachment:

We added a 2-Way Y-shutoff valve attachment   (you can purchase a plastic model or a longer lasting brass valve) on the end of the 6 foot hose coming from the pump outlet. We then attached 2 garden hoses to this Y-shutoff valve. Depending on the length of your hoses, you will need to determine if you can run 1 or 2 sprinklers at a time.

We were going quite a distance so normally only run a single Rainbird Brass Impact Sprinkler at a time.

Depending on your location, you will need to determine the type of sprinklers that you will need:

Gardena Classic Impulse Sprinkler on Weighted Sled Base

Hi-Rise Lifetime Sprinkler

RELATED POST: Mulching Your Vegetable Garden to Retain Moisture

Photos of our set-up:

#4 Protection for Pump

Wooden Shelter to Protect Pump:

We built a small wooden shelter for our pump to protect it from the direct sunshine. This has worked very well as the pump is bolted to the floor of the shelter. It is protected from falling objects as well as the sun.

We are able to load the pump and shelter into either a wagon, garden cart or wheelbarrow to easily move it to and from the location.

In Conclusion:

This Red Lion Electric Pump has been in use for over 3 years. It is simple to set up, simple to move around and simply to store. It has turned out to be the perfect set up for our irrigation and watering needs and might work well for your needs.

RELATED GARDENING POSTS that you may find of interest:

• ⇒Growing Lettuces and Greens
• ⇒How to Store Carrots in Peat Moss for Winter
• ⇒Beginning Homesteading Skills You Should Know
• ⇒Vegetable Garden Crop Rotation Guide

Please feel free to send any questions or comments.

Pin It for Safe Keeping!