Hello Terri,
Sorry for my delay, I've withdrawn quite a lot from most sites due to demands on
what little free time I have available nowadays.
FIRST-OFF... DON'T use a saw of any kind on your water lines.
BUY a good pvc pipe-cutter... usually for UNDER $20 bucks
You'll save more time than you could possibly imagine, with no worries
of cut pvc particles getting into your system and messing up your water nipples.
TRUST ME:: This is the voice of experience speaking. LOL.
BUT::: In answer to your situation... Allow gravity to assist you whenever possible.
That being said.. you need to (if you can) elevate your water barrel to as near even,
or slightly above your water lines in your top row cages... From your schematic,
it appears you'll not be able to go completely with a gravity fed system and that
you'll need assistance with the use of a submersible pump (this is an excellent
pump considering the volume of water and the ''lift/assistance" you'll need::
http://www.pondliner.com/p-1545-pondmas ... -pump.aspx
I run these pumps 24/7 year-round... You'll need to pre-cut your pipe to the lengths
you'll need for assembly first. It's a simple matter of laying out one tier, then use
an elbow to drop to the next level...
making sure all cages on one level are
connected.. Use a "Sharpie" pen to line up your fittings. When you can, buy
an extra pump to keep on hand... JUST in case of an emergency,
You'll have to figure out which way is the most practical for your set-up as far as
turning the corner on the same level of cages. All of this sounds 1000% more
complicated than it really is. Be patient... a touch hard-headed... and you'll do great.
Once all of your delivery system is figured out... you'll need to address your return
system as well. Again, it's not difficult... only time consuming. But once completed
you'll never regret your decision. I've got a dirt floor in the rabbitry... so going
across doorways wasn't an issue with me. I just elbowed down, crossed the opening
and elbowed back up to the proper level, keeping the piped tucked up close to the
bottom of the door jamb.
Everyone will tell you the watering system MUST be on the outside of the cages.
NOT..
Will you have issues with rabbits gnawing on the pipe...YES... rarely you will. I've had
3 (three) in the last NINE years. with several thousand animals ran through my
production herd. Trade that problem off with having to mount water lines on the
outside BACKS of the cages and I'm sure you can see the amount of trouble you'll
have.
It's a good idea to buy fittings and pipe so that you'll have extras on all of it..
""You never know"" when they'll come in handy. Keep an eye on your pvc cement.
It'll dry out over time... and when you NEED it... it's dried out... and on a
SUNDAY afternoon or evening when all the stores are closed... Grrrrr.
The great thing about this system is the fact that 'water' (no matter the distance)
will flow to an equal elevation to the highest point in your water barrel. So, ""lift""
is only the difference between those two points.
Question: What are the floor sizes of your cages.?? Height... isn't a concern.
Best of Luck,
Terri