Tag Archives: irrigation system

Aug 3 2012

Silly you. You thought ½” tubing measured ½”.


Half inch tubing is literally the backbone of many drip irrigation systems. It is by far the most popular size used.  The only problem is half inch tubing isn’t half inch.  It’s close! Closer than ‘hand grenade’ close. More like ‘electric razor’ close.

 

Piping has specific dimensions. Steel, iron, copper, pvc all have set standards set by ASTM International.  This means that the steel pipe you buy in Maine will fit the fittings you buy in Nebraska and connect to the existing pipe in Alaska.

Plastic tubing? No, no real standards.  The size can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer or even within the same manufacturer.  The term ½” is known as the nominal size, or the industry trade description of the product. As they say in the diet commercials, your results may vary. A lot, actually.

Irrigation 1/2-inch polyethylene tubing is available in different configurations:

1/2-inch – .570″ ID x .670″ OD     1/2-inch – .580″ ID x .700″ OD
1/2-inch – .600″ ID x .700″ OD    1/2-inch – .620″ ID x .710″ OD

Why do you care?  Honestly, the sizes are so close they won’t have much effect on water flow, especially the two biggest. You care because fittings don’t always fit. It’s easy to buy a ½” fitting that won’t fit a ½” tube.

It is important when building a drip system to check the internal diameter of the tubing against the size of the fittings you need. While always buying the same brand of tubing and fittings help it is not a guarantee of fit. The two fittings in the picture are from the same company.  They are not interchangeable. If you put the .520” in a .600 ID tube and clamp down tight enough it should hold. You can’t put the .600” in a .520” tube without deforming the tube.

Before you buy your system take a moment and verify dimensions. Look at the barb fittings  and you see the specs are given for each piece. All you need to do is match them to your tubing.

Fortunately, ½” tubing seems to be the only product with this problem. The ¼”, ¾” and 1” are all consistent in sizing.

Jul 27 2012

The Traveling Sprinklers! Weren’t they a rock group in the 80’s?


 Let’s face it. There are times when an underground sprinkler system just isn’t practical.  If you’re a school with a football field, baseball field, soccer field and track the cost to install a system can be prohibitive. You also lose use of the facility during installation and have to wait for the turf to re-grow.

Have a ranch and you just need to water some areas every now and then? Want to keep the dust down on the horse pens?  Multiple areas with crops on the farm and no irrigation? Neighborhood park dying from the heat?

Traveling sprinklers handle all of these with a song in their heart. Coverage ranges from a low of 54’ x 165’ to a huge 145’ x 595’ with gallons per minute from 3 to 95. That is some serious watering.

Most have hydraulic propulsion so all you add is water. One has a built in drive motor with rechargeable battery. None have MP3 players.

ABI IRRIGATION MICRO 505 The big boy first. The with a Honda 5.5 horse booster pump. This thing can put out 95 gpm and cover an area 131’ wide. With a hose length of 560’ that is some serious acreage on each pull. It handles supply pressure ranges of 35 to 96 psi.

Don’t have that much pressure? Check out the ABI IRRIGATION MICRO 25. It will give you 42’ wide with only 30psi with a hose length of 165’. That’s not bad at all.

What? You don’t even have 30psi to work with? That’s no step for a stepper. Look at the KIFCO E110 ELECTRIC. It has an electric drive motor with rechargeable battery so your supply pressure requirement is smaller. At only 23psi you get coverage 85’ wide with a 280’ hose and around 30 hours per charge. Great for low or fluctuating pressure water supplies.

Each of these can handle terrain that is slightly unlevel or rough, as you would have on a farm or ranch. But what if you have a nice, smooth area that doesn’t need the all terrain capabilities? Maybe a nice, smooth football field?

Now comes the Underhill T-400-Tracker. This thing puts out up to 85’ x 400’ of coverage on 85psi and 9 to 15gpm. Another advantage is it only weighs 58 pounds, compared to the 120 to 800 pounds of its big brothers. Running goal post to goal post helps keep the weight down.

Finally we have the Buckner traveling sprinklers, the Rain Coach and Storm Cruiser. The Storm Cruiser is the Rain Coach with a cruiser shaped protective cover. These give you a coverage of up to 145’ x 450’ using a supply pressure of 55 to 75psi. It only weighs 56 pounds, making it easy to handle.Unlike the Tracker, it doesn’t keep its weight down by running the football field. It’s more of a hot-rod.

Look for the Sprinkler Warehouse sponsored Storm Cruiser at the next Traveling Sprinkler International Showdown!

There are more traveling sprinklers than I could show today. Start your browsing at Traveling Sprinklers and you’ll find what you need.

Jul 9 2012

Why didn’t the soil sensor want to party with the rain and rain/freeze sensors? BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL WET! Hahahaha…get it? All wet? Huh? Never mind….


I could have said “because he was well grounded and they were stuck up!” Would that have been any better? No?  Ok. I’ll stop.

Today’s controllers can do a number of things: multiple programs and start times, rain delays, soak cycles and more. They do it routinely, day in and day out, like nice little robots. But what happens if the conditions change? What if you don’t need more water? Tropical storm comes through and drops six inches of rain and your system is still running? What if your grandma is showing her favorite ice hockey moves on your frozen driveway? Need more ice?

Sensors are the answer. A sensor will turn your system off when there has been enough rain, or a freeze hits or if your soil just doesn’t need the water. This saves money on your water bill and, in the case of freezing, can prevent that lawsuit from when Grandma misses the goal and the puck flies across the ice into your neighbor’s window.

The simplest is the rain sensor. Easy to set, almost maintenance free. The rain sensor connects to your controller, either in a direct wire or wireless connection, and stops irrigation after a certain amount of rain has fallen. You mount it in an open area, such as the eaves of your house. You determine the amount of rain that causes the shut down, usually from 1/8” to 1”. To set the sensor you simply turn the top to the proper setting. That’s it. Rain comes down, sensor gets wet. When it gets wet enough it stops irrigation. Some rain sensors suspend irrigation immediately during rain events without need for rainfall accumulation. It rains, they stop.

Rain/freeze sensor. A rain/freeze sensor handles rain just like the standard rain sensor, either on accumulation or immediately upon rainfall. They add the advantage of shutting irrigation down before the water sprays and icicles and ice patches form on your yard and drive. The most common sensors stop activity when the temperature reaches about 37 degrees. Some models let you choose the shut off temperature, ranging from 35 to 45 degrees. The irrigation remains off until the temperature warms to above the freeze cut off settings. The rain/freeze sensor looks pretty much like a standard rain sensor.

The moisture sensor is a different kind of creature. The moisture sensor is buried in the ground, not up high. It doesn’t care if it rains or freezes. All it cares about is keeping the correct amount of water in the soil. If the soil has sufficient moisture it interrupts the irrigation cycle. Too much water in the soil can be just as harmful as too little. The moisture sensor aims for the proper range of moisture.  When the soil gets too dry it turns the cycle back on. With a direct read on soil moisture you don’t worry about wasting water through unnecessary irrigation.

With the proper sensors you can save water and money by watering only when needed. You also decrease liability by preventing icicles  and hazardous ice patches on the drive and walk.  The only downside is that Grandma might be upset you took her ice rink away.

Jul 5 2012

The sprinkler rotor keeps moving and the spray head won’t budge. Which one is right?


Congratulations. You just bought a football team. Now you have a football field to water. You decide to use pop up spray heads with a 15’ radius. You can get a very efficient pattern of coverage with only 147 spray heads. Of course, you’ll constantly repair them as the players will stomp them into the ground. If, after a tackle, a player comes up with a spray nozzle in his nose I extend my sympathies to you.

How about planting a flower garden? Oh, about 6’ wide x 20’ long. Now I’ll use a rotor to irrigate it. For highest efficiency I’ll plant the rotor about 20’ past the end of the garden, spraying back in. I’ll also set it’s rotation to the standard minimum 40o angle, which means it also waters an extra 21’ of yard at the end of its arc. Hope that doesn’t hit your sidewalk.

People get confused about which type of sprinkler to use. On the one hand rotors put out a lot of water and move all around. Must be good, right?

Spray heads have a fixed radius, usually 15’ or less, and just serenely apply this efficient fan of water. No wasted movement, no back and forth agitation. Must be good, right?

The decision on which to use is simple. Answer these questions and the answer falls into place.

1. Is your distance less than 25’? If so, go with popup spray heads. The most popular rotors can’t get any closer than 22’, usually 25’ plus.

2. Wide open area? More than 25’ each direction? Rotors would work.

3. In a planter? Spray head

4. Following the curve of a walkway? Spray head

5. Narrow strip between houses? Spray head

6. Open area now, as in question #2, but you intend to put in planters later? Spray head

7. Football/baseball/soccer field? Rotors

8. Around your deck and pool in back yard? Spray head

The differences

Rotors are designed for open areas. They spray a large volume of area in a back and forth motion, either full or partial circle. Typical distances for residential are 22’ to 50’. There are some that will go down to 15’ but these aren’t normally used in good efficient designs. They are usually used to fix a problem somewhere or to help compensate for a bad design.

Spray heads are usually used on pop up bodies. They spray a consistent amount of water over a fixed area. They are available in various radii and patterns, along with adjustable pattern spray heads. This makes them very adaptable to any situation. In the eight questions above, notice that only two indicate rotors. Also that #2 and #7 are essentially the same thing, so only one situation fits rotors. After that, it’s spray heads.

Or drip. But there is already an article on that.

Jun 29 2012

The Fourth of July and what I can’t do.


Well, I tried and couldn’t do it. Couldn’t figure out how to tie the Fourth of July into irrigation systems.

You’d think this would be easy. I’ve tied in zombies, Corvettes, the Bellagio and the Nile river into some aspect of irrigation: stream rotors, insecticides, nozzles and water barrels.

These have, admittedly, been a stretch at times.  Big stretch.  Can’t do it this time.

Instead, the staff at Sprinkler Warehouse hopes that you and yours have an enjoyable holiday. This is the day that started our country. On July 4th, 1776 the Second Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, one of the most important documents in history. It’s the reason we are here. It’s a great day to enjoy and celebrate our freedoms.

Be careful with the fireworks. From experience I’ll tell you that you don’t want to hold bottle rockets in your hand, firecrackers going off in an open palm DO hurt, you don’t want to bend down to see if the rocket fuse is really lit, if you drop your sparkler don’t try and catch it by the wrong end and the best way to enjoy fireworks is to sit back and let someone else do the work.

Y’all have a good holiday.

Jun 28 2012

Pipe Dreams? Or PVC Pipe dreams? There is a difference.


If you don’t know the difference we can’t help you here. This is not that kind of a blog. If you have nightmares about figuring out which pipe to use for your irrigation then we can help.

PVC stands for polyvinyl chloride. PVC is easier to say. PVC pipe accounts for about two thirds of the water distribution market, including drinking, irrigation and waste. So far the material has been found to be inert, meaning it doesn’t absorb or release harmful chemicals. Unless you burn it. Don’t sniff burning PVC.  It’s no fun, painful and the smoke can be hazardous.

The most common question we get is a two-parter: what size pipe should I use and what kind: Schedule 40 or Class 200? Knowing the differences can help you create an efficient system.

Remember the old “a picture is worth a thousand words” quote? I’ll give you a picture now and you can decide if you want to skip the other 476 words.

Let’s talk about Schedule 40 pipe first. It is the simplest. Schedule XX designates the wall thickness at a certain size. For example, a 1” pipe in schedule 40 has a wall thickness of .133”; schedule 80 has a wall thickness of .179”. Higher schedule = thicker wall.

You will care about this later. It does get more interesting, hopefully.

“Class” pipe is different and the original definitions go back to steam boilers. We’ll skip ahead. Class 200 pipe, the most common class pipe used in irrigation, is rated for 200 pounds per square inch pressure (psi) and has a wall thickness of .063” for a 1” pipe. Notice that is a lot thinner than schedule 40. This is about to become very important. Schedule 40, in comparison, is rated for 450 psi. This is not as important.

The average irrigation system is designed for about 30 to 50 psi. Plenty of safety factor built in. It is not, however, as much as you think. A poorly designed system can experience water hammer and a 60psi line can experience frequent surges of pressure up to about 170 psi. Still within safety range.

Now we can get into the “why do we care” part.  Everything in irrigation ties into gallons per minute. Your spray head puts out a certain number of gallons per minute (gpm). Your design revolves around it. If you have 13 gpm you can put six 2 gpm heads on that zone. Or four 2gpm and four 1 gpm. (Never design to the absolute max gpm.)

Look at the cross section of ¾” and 1” pipe both in schedule 40 and class 200. Check the comparative flows in the picture above. This difference in flow can make a big difference in how you design your zones. There are friction loss/flow charts available to help you.

So what do you choose? The rule of thumb is to use schedule 40 for the main line. Run it from the water meter, through the backflow and to the valves. Then use class 200 for the laterals, or after the valves.

Why schedule 40 when it allows fewer gallons per minute? Because the thick wall makes it tougher, harder to break. Your main is under constant pressure; the laterals are under pressure only when they are active and it is an open-end system. Before real pressure can build in your laterals the water is shooting out the sprays, keeping pressure down. Schedule 40 is more resistant to shovels (its sworn enemy), tent stakes, car tires, kids, dogs and other puncture/crack pressures.

There are exceptions to everything. There are situations where an entire system should be done in class 200 pipes. Same for schedule 40.  Now that you know the difference you can make a more informed decision and start dreaming about better things, like a 1973 Norton Commando.

Jun 26 2012

Backflow = upchuck? Eeeewww…


Most people know they need a backflow for their irrigation system. They just don’t know why. I’m going to work this backwards. First I’ll show what can happen if a backflow is missing or broken. Then I’ll tell you how they work and why you want one for your system.

From the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources: “One of the most highly publicized cases of a backflow incident occurred in 1969 at Holy Cross University. The football season was canceled due to a large outbreak of infectious hepatitis among the team members. It was determined that backflow through an unprotected lawn sprinkler system at the practice football field caused the epidemic. Children carrying the hepatitis virus routinely played in puddles around the sprinkler heads. Fire fighting demands in the vicinity caused negative pressures at the sprinkler heads backsiphoning the contaminated water into the drinking water supply to the field.

One of the most famous cases of backflow occurred in California. A laborer had been using an aspirator attached to a garden hose to spray a driveway with weed-killer containing arsenic. At sometime during his work, the water pressure reversed. The man then disconnected the hose and unwittingly drank from the hose bib. Arsenic in the waterline killed him.”

Thirsty yet? Try this from the Environmental Protection Agency: “In 1991, an atmospheric vacuum breaker valve intended to protect a cross-connection between an irrigation system and the potable supply malfunctioned, allowing backflow of irrigation water into the public water system. The water system, located in Michigan, was contaminated with nematodes, rust, and debris.

In 1981, chlordane and heptachlor were backsiphoned through a garden hose submerged in a termite exterminator’s tank truck in Pennsylvania. An undisclosed number of illnesses occurred, and 75 apartment units were affected.”

THE BASICS If you lose water pressure to your house, for whatever reason, the water in the house will flow out to the main line. Because pressure is now reversed, going from house to main line, it creates a siphon effect and will pull anything in the sprinkler system and in the puddles around the sprinkler system with it. If your garden hose was on at the same time it becomes a siphon hose. Now all the fertilizer, insecticide, animal waste and many other things you don’t want are pulled into the drinking water.

GARDEN HOSE Notice the two involving garden hoses? How many of us drink from a garden hose when working outside on a hot summer day? Ever use that same hose to put out pesticides or fertilizer? Have a backflow preventer on the hose bib? Cheap, cheap protection.

I think it is important at this time to note that our very talented graphics department has absolutely nothing to do with the illustrations in this article. I stole their work and added my own touches.  I get the blame.

IRRIGATION SYSTEM Same principal. Have another bad drawing. A backflow works by shutting down the irrigation water line when you lose water pressure. The simplest works just like a stopper in your bathtub: a plug falls down, blocks the line. They get far more complicated, depending on application.

Don’t listen to your neighbor, me, anyone else on what type of backflow you should get. Ask your city or county or your water provider. In my area a pressure vacuum breaker is plenty. Two miles away a new jurisdiction starts and they insist on double-checks. Always verify local code requirements first.

To find out the different types of backflows look at the backflow section on sprinklerwarehouse.com. To learn more about how they work check out backflows in Sprinkler School.

And stop drinking from your garden hose until it’s protected. Lemonade sounds better anyway.

Jun 22 2012

Can’t afford a trip to the Bellagio? Stream rotors + your music + your lawn chair = you’re there!


The fountains at the Bellagio, Las Vegas, are world famous. They are designed to take you away from stress and trouble with their combination of dancing water, music and light. They are not, however, designed to keep you from gambling.

Each performance is a unique interpretation of a classic piece of music.  Their definition of classic covers a broad spectrum: Mozart, Glenn Miller, the Beatles and more. I hope they are working on Hank Williams. That might take a while. His work is pretty complicated.

If you can’t make it to the Bellagio, bring the fountains to you. Get stream rotors for your yard. You will enjoy the relaxing show and you will water your yard at the same time. Having a beautiful yard helps you relax even more. You benefit in many ways.

Stream rotors are different from standard rotors in that, instead of blasting a great deal of water out of one nozzle, they produce multiple streams of water of lower volume. These streams come out at different angles, some high, some low, ensuring even coverage. If you have sloped land the slow, even coverage minimizes the chance of water runoff. Blasting gallons of water every minute at sloped land just encourages runoff, as the soil cannot absorb the water as fast as it is applied.

In traditional stream rotors the Toro 340 is the answer. Designed to replace impact or gear driven rotors with a ¾” inlet it covers from 15 to 30 feet. It also has 9 easily set patterns to cover most any area. Great coverage, great application.

Don’t have a commercial application? Looking for the Bellagio effect at your home? No problem. In the last few years a number of manufactures have developed stream rotors that fit standard pop-up spray assemblies. The stream nozzles simply swap out with the standard spray nozzles and you are in business. Rain Bird and Hunter have every situation covered.

Not sure why you want to get rid of your old nozzles? Two good reasons come to mind. First, the stream nozzles cover up to 30 feet, where spray nozzles stop around 15 to 17 feet. This means that in many systems you can have the same coverage while eliminating a number of heads, saving water. Second, stream nozzles are not as sensitive to breezes as spray nozzles. The droplets are bigger and heavier; they go where they should when standard sprays are being blown away. Wait, I’ll add a third, no charge.  A zone with stream rotors can use 30% to 40% less water for the same coverage. Less water = less money.

The reason for their efficiency lies in their pattern. Small streams, slow application and constant, even movement add up to  more consistent, usable irrigation.Take a look at the spray pattern below.

Notice how closely it matches the Bellagio fountain pattern? Quality knows quality.

So turn on the stream nozzles, add music, sit back and enjoy the show. You can charge your neighbors admission if you wish. After all, look at the money you saved them by bringing the Bellagio to them.

Jul 2 2010

How to Install a Sprinkler System?


You want to know how to DIY Irrigation System? How to install a Sprinkler system on your own?
A well designed, properly installed lawn sprinkler system makes it easy to water your home landscape and adds value to your property. On the other hand, a poorly designed, improperly installed system is inefficient, wastes water, can damage brick, siding, and fencing, and can be a maintenance nightmare. Here are some of the things you need to know to do it right.

First and foremost, the system needs to be designed properly:
For a DIY sprinkler system project, it is very important to start with a good design. It is nearly impossible to get good results if the system isn’t designed right from the beginning. You need to know how much water pressure and flow you have available. There is no rule of thumb. If you have a large water meter and a small property, you may be able to divide your property up into three or four zones and have adequate flow and pressure to make the system work. On the other hand, with a large lot and a small well, you might need 15 or 20 zones.

If you are on a well, do your “Home Work”
As there can be issues with the pump cycling on and off, water quality, etc. Zones that are sized too small or large can damage your pump. You may also need a sand separator or filter installed to prevent valves and sprinkler heads from becoming fouled. Visit www.IrrigationRepair.com for detailed info on using pumps with your irrigation / lawn sprinkler system.

If you are on a city water meter, first check your local codes about the use of a backflow device to protect the drinking water.
Most cities require some type of backflow prevention device and the requirements vary. Many areas allow a double check valve assembly (DCA), which in some places may be installed below ground in a box, while others will only allow a pressure vacuum breaker (PVB), which must be installed above ground and protected from freezing. Other areas only allow a reduced pressure principle device (RPZ), which also must be installed above ground. In some cases, atmospheric vacuum breakers (AVB) may be used, but these must be installed on each zone after the valve, with no additional valves downstream and may not be subject to continuous pressure. If the proper backflow prevention device is not used, there is a risk of contamination to the public drinking water supply. In

some cases you will be required to get a permit, have your system inspected, and have the backflow device tested for proper operation. Many cities and some states also now require that a rain sensor be installed on new systems. This device shuts the system off automatically when it rains.

A rain shut off device will pay for itself very quickly in saved water.

Next, you need to know the static water pressure in your water main.
You can measure this by connecting a pressure gauge to a hose adapter and attaching it to a hose bib on the outside of your house. Make sure no water is being used inside the house and then turn on the faucet. The gauge will read the current pressure inside the city water main. You might want to take several readings as the pressure can vary throughout the day. In many cities the pressure varies throughout the city depending on the time of day and the demand for water.

Spray Heads and Rotor Heads:
The design pressure is the pressure required at the sprinkler nozzle for it to perform properly.
Spray heads work best at about 25-30 psi, while rotors work better at 40-50 psi. It is important that there be sufficient flow and pressure to the nozzles so that they provide proper coverage. Otherwise there will be dry spots in the lawn. It is also important to match the precipitation rates of the nozzles. Most spray heads already have matched precipitation rates for the various nozzles within a manufacturer’s product line, but with rotors, it is important that the proper nozzles be selected.

(Each rotor you buy from  www.SprinklerWarehouse.com will come with a full set of standard nozzles). If you use the same size nozzle for different rotors that are watering a quarter circle, a half circle, and a full circle, then some areas will be overwatered, while others under watered. The full circle rotor is covering four times the area of the quarter circle, so it needs to have a nozzle that is putting out four times as much water. It is also important to group plants that have similar watering requirements together in a zone and water them at the same time.

To get the proper size zone, one must know the flow capacity of the meter.
For example, a typical one inch meter can provide a flow of about 25 gallons per minute with a pressure loss of 4.0 psi. Take the static pressure and allow some safety margin (many recommend 10%). So for a static pressure of 50 psi, you might consider a working pressure of 45 psi, then calculate the friction loss through the supply line from the city water main (usually a copper line), the meter itself, the backflow prevention device, the pipelines, the valves, pressure regulators (if used), and finally arrive at the design pressure. If there is not sufficient pressure, then a person might need to make the zones smaller or increase the flow and pressure by having a larger meter installed. Needless to say, there are a lot of factors to consider when designing a system. This issue is important so let’s go into it with a little more detail to help you out.

You will need to base your design on the gallon per minute (gpm) flow and the pressure you have available. The available flow will dictate the max gpm size of your zones our sections, and the available pressure will dictate the size of pipe and the types of sprinkler heads you will be able to use (sprays or rotors).

There are 3 rules you must follow when determining your flow and working
pressure:
1. Do not go beyond 75% of the maximum safe capacity for the water meter.
2. Do not exceed 10% of the static water pressure as a pressure drop through the water meter.
3. Do not go beyond velocities of 5 to 6 feet per second in the service line which feeds the water meter from the city main.

To calculate the exact maximum flow through your water meter you should refer to Chapter 10 in the book Simplified Irrigation Design or you can determine available pressure and flow from the flowing link at www.SprinklerWarehouse.com’s Sprinkler School

There are entire books written on the subject of hydraulics and proper design. Even if you decide you want to install your system yourself, consider reading one of the books offered at www.SprinklerWarehouse.com Book Store

Buy the best parts you can afford.

Do not skimp. Professional grade materials last longer and require less maintenance. Especially do not buy the cheap do-it-yourself sprinkler timers they sell at the big box stores. You will be using your controller regularly, so buy a sturdy, easy-to-program controller like the pros use. You won’t regret it.www.SprinklerWarehouse.com sells nothing but professional grade sprinkler parts and supplies. We ship extremely fast and we offer you the lowest prices on the web…. We want you business and we plan to earn it!

Call to get the utilities located and marked.
With a proper design in hand and several boxes full of parts, you are now ready to install. But wait, first call to get the utilities located. In most states, you must call before you dig. In many areas you can call 8-1-1 and have most of the utilities located free of charge. You must usually call at least two working days before you can commence digging. Gas, water, and sewer lines are usually not located past your property line, so you may need to locate these yourself. Be careful, although breaking a water line can be a big nuisance, cutting a gas line with a shovel or trencher can be deadly. Also, avoid placing pipelines near trees. Not only will tree roots cause problems in the future, cutting a trench too close to a tree can cause the tree to eventually die.

Trenching:
Let us assume that you are using PVC pipe. The shorter pipe lines can be hand dug with a trenching shovel. For longer lines, you might need to rent a trencher. Be sure to follow the instructions to the letter. Think of a trencher like a large chainsaw that cuts through the earth. Stay clear of the moving teeth, as they can cause serious bodily injury.

We recommend trenching by hand placing the sod (grass) on one side of the trench and the dirt on the other so when it comes time to bury the trench you will be able to put all the dirt back and then puzzle piece the grass back and make it hard to notice you trenched the yard. See our section on trenching at the following link IrrigationRepaire – How to Dig Treches

Piping:
In some areas, the pipe is installed deep enough that it won’t freeze. This is primarily done in southern states. In northern states, the pipe is generally installed with blow out connections so that the air can be removed before winter sets in. In any case, place the pipe at the depth recommended for your area.

When cementing pipe, be sure to cut the pipe square and clean off any burrs. Be sure to use primer on the fittings and then apply the cement while the primer is still wet. Purple primer is used by many contractors because of its visibility and is required in some areas. When connecting pipes together, be sure to measure carefully and make square connections. Pipe joints that are in a bind will eventually fail.

Valves:
Valves should be installed in a large enough box that they can be easily maintained. Some folks like to see how many valves they can fit in one box. This is a bad idea. Valves will eventually need to be repaired or even cut out and replaced, so leave room to work. If you are using spray heads and have lots of pressure, it is a good idea to install a fixed rate pressure regulator downstream of the zone valve to cut the pressure down. Spray heads typically mist and waste water at pressures higher than 30 psi. If you do this, make sure the regulator is properly sized for the flow delivered, and make sure there are no other valves downstream.

Sprinkler Wiring:
Unless prohibited by local code, you can place the sprinkler cable in the same trench as the pipelines. Wherever the cable comes up out of the ground to go into the house or up to the controller, be sure to place it in a conduit to protect from damage by the weed whacker. For most residential applications, 18 gauge multi-stranded cable is the right product to use. For larger properties, though, a bigger gauge might be needed. Do not use smaller gauge doorbell wire. It is not designed to be buried and will eventually give you trouble. Be sure to use waterproof splices that are filled with silicone where you make your connections to the valves. Other types of splices will fail. In most installations, you will use the white wire as the common. The common wire connects to all valves via one of the two wires leading to each valve. You will need to connect the other valve wire to its own individually color coded wire. At the other end of the cable, you will generally connect the white wire to the common terminal screw and the proper colored wire to each station. If you are using a rain or freeze sensor, you may need to make some changes. Consult your controller and sensor manuals for best results.

Installing Sprinkler Heads:
When you install a sprinkler head, it is best to install it on a flexible swing joint. This way you can place the head at grade. Some people like to use cutoff nipples. These are cheap and easy to use, but when the pipe eventually sinks, it pulls the head down with it. Then the head is below grade. When the nozzle retracts, it sucks in dirt and debris and eventually the nozzle clogs. The other possibility is dirt getting stuck in the seal. Then the head gets stuck in the up position and eventually run over by the lawn mower. Just use a swing joint, install the head at the proper grade, and avoid this problem.

Also when installing heads, place them several inches away from the house, fence, and sidewalk. This makes it easier to avoid overspray. Heads placed against the sidewalk will be damaged by an edger.

Backfilling the Trenches:
When backfilling the trenches, pile the dirt up gently on top of the trench, but don’t tromp it down just yet. Carefully distribute the soil and then you can “water pack” the ditches. Take a piece of pipe and attach to a garden hose. Turn the water on low and poke the pipe down into the bottom of the ditch. Watch as the soil begins to sink down into the ditch. When you start to see water appear, move on to the next spot. Don’t apply so much that the ditch starts to get muddy or water flows out of the ditch. You just want to apply enough that the soil starts to settle in the ditch. Once you have settled what you can without making a mess, put on a pair of rubber boots and “walk the ditches”, being careful not to sink in! If you put too much water on, you might get stuck. Once you have completed this step, you can rake a bit more dirt onto the ditches. If you do this right, you won’t have settling problems later.

Nozzle up the Sprinkler Heads:
Before putting nozzles on the heads, turn on each station to flush any dirt out of the lines. Once you have flushed the lines and are certain each valve is operating properly, install the correct nozzles. Double check to make sure heads are straight and installed at the proper grade. Adjust the arc and throw to make sure only the grass and landscape is being watered. Change nozzle sizes where necessary to avoid watering the house, the fence, or the street. Once your system is complete, call for the system to be inspected, if applicable.

Finally, measure the precipitation rate of each zone and water each zone according to its needs. Remember that the needs of the plants will change throughout the seasons. You can calculate the precipitation rate for each zone by measuring the flow rate through the meter in gallons per minute. Take this number, divide by the square feet in this zone and multiply by 96.3. This will give you the average precipitation rate for this zone in inches per hour.

After your system is installed, maintain it regularly. You can have a beautiful landscape and save water with a well-designed system that is properly installed, operated, and maintained.

Again, I hope this is of some value. As always, please help preserve ourwater resources, and irrigate responsibly. If you need any irrigation help, please leave a comments or visit IrrigationRepair.com