Hello everyone,
I have planned the garden irrigation system for our outdoor area and would like to ask for your feedback:
1. A 6,600-liter (1,743-gallon) cistern that will be used for irrigation.
2. The cistern is currently filled with rainwater. In the first expansion phase, it will also be filled with fresh water from the outdoor faucet, and next year a well will be drilled to fill the cistern. Of course, the cistern should only be refilled when it is empty and only with as much water as the irrigation requires. The rainwater should not be wasted.
3. For the pump, the Divertron 1200 will be used (4.8 bar (70 psi) and 5,700 liters per hour (1,505 gallons per hour)).
4. Unlike the initial plan, I want to use the Rain Bird R-VAN rotary sprinklers. The minimum radius is 2.4 meters (8 feet), whereas with Hunter I would have to use the MP800-H model, since the MP1000 starts at 2.8 meters (9 feet). I don’t need the extra reach of the Hunter, and the Rain Bird have lower flow rates, so I can save water. In any case, the sprinklers will be installed with MPR nozzles and pressure regulation.
5. Controller: Hunter Pro-HC or Rain Bird ESP-TM2 with Wi-Fi module.
6. Rain sensor and soil moisture sensor.
7. Outdoor water outlet is planned at the garden corner (not shown in the plan).
8. A drainage valve would be useful.
Questions:
i. Can I connect the Gardena rain sensor to the Hunter or Rain Bird controller?
ii. Where is the best place to install the drainage valve?
iii. I read that rotors should not be connected in series. Why is that?
iv. I am planning to dig a deep trench of 80 cm (31 inches) for the main line with 32 mm (1.25 inches) piping and connect the individual sprinklers from there. Good idea or not? The pump should provide enough pressure.
v. Should the pressure regulator for drip irrigation be installed directly at the manifold or only where necessary?
vi. In general, what do you think about the position of the sprinklers? A larger play structure with a sandbox will be added at the lower left.
vii. At the narrow section at the top, I planned strip sprinklers or would rotors be better?
viii. I divided the left area into 3 rectangles and aligned the sprinklers accordingly. Maybe it makes more sense to position 5 sprinklers on the left instead. That would be more than the triangle arrangement.
ix. Some sprinklers do not receive overlapping coverage. I can’t assess how critical this is. Ideally, there should be double coverage.
I have planned the garden irrigation system for our outdoor area and would like to ask for your feedback:
1. A 6,600-liter (1,743-gallon) cistern that will be used for irrigation.
2. The cistern is currently filled with rainwater. In the first expansion phase, it will also be filled with fresh water from the outdoor faucet, and next year a well will be drilled to fill the cistern. Of course, the cistern should only be refilled when it is empty and only with as much water as the irrigation requires. The rainwater should not be wasted.
3. For the pump, the Divertron 1200 will be used (4.8 bar (70 psi) and 5,700 liters per hour (1,505 gallons per hour)).
4. Unlike the initial plan, I want to use the Rain Bird R-VAN rotary sprinklers. The minimum radius is 2.4 meters (8 feet), whereas with Hunter I would have to use the MP800-H model, since the MP1000 starts at 2.8 meters (9 feet). I don’t need the extra reach of the Hunter, and the Rain Bird have lower flow rates, so I can save water. In any case, the sprinklers will be installed with MPR nozzles and pressure regulation.
5. Controller: Hunter Pro-HC or Rain Bird ESP-TM2 with Wi-Fi module.
6. Rain sensor and soil moisture sensor.
7. Outdoor water outlet is planned at the garden corner (not shown in the plan).
8. A drainage valve would be useful.
Questions:
i. Can I connect the Gardena rain sensor to the Hunter or Rain Bird controller?
ii. Where is the best place to install the drainage valve?
iii. I read that rotors should not be connected in series. Why is that?
iv. I am planning to dig a deep trench of 80 cm (31 inches) for the main line with 32 mm (1.25 inches) piping and connect the individual sprinklers from there. Good idea or not? The pump should provide enough pressure.
v. Should the pressure regulator for drip irrigation be installed directly at the manifold or only where necessary?
vi. In general, what do you think about the position of the sprinklers? A larger play structure with a sandbox will be added at the lower left.
vii. At the narrow section at the top, I planned strip sprinklers or would rotors be better?
viii. I divided the left area into 3 rectangles and aligned the sprinklers accordingly. Maybe it makes more sense to position 5 sprinklers on the left instead. That would be more than the triangle arrangement.
ix. Some sprinklers do not receive overlapping coverage. I can’t assess how critical this is. Ideally, there should be double coverage.
1. Not large but acceptable
2. OK
3. I’m not personally familiar with it. Volume is sufficient for your application, and pressure is adequate
4. OK
5. + 6. Use Hunter Hydrawise and skip the soil moisture sensor. Actually, you can also omit the rain sensor. Hydrawise accesses local weather stations...
7. OK
8. Why? Install a compressed air connection in the valve box and connect a compressor.
i. No, but see points 5 and 6
ii. See point 8
iii. Doesn’t matter with sufficient pressure and pressure-regulating housings
iv. Possible if the distances are short. Otherwise, use a distribution line on both sides. The only difference is the required pipe length
v. For long distances to drip irrigation, place it only at the transition (higher pressure in the main line). For short lines, it can also be done at the manifold
vi. Looks fine
vii. Correct application for strip sprinklers
viii+ix. You mainly have double irrigation in the shaded areas of the trees. Make sure you cover everything evenly.
2. OK
3. I’m not personally familiar with it. Volume is sufficient for your application, and pressure is adequate
4. OK
5. + 6. Use Hunter Hydrawise and skip the soil moisture sensor. Actually, you can also omit the rain sensor. Hydrawise accesses local weather stations...
7. OK
8. Why? Install a compressed air connection in the valve box and connect a compressor.
i. No, but see points 5 and 6
ii. See point 8
iii. Doesn’t matter with sufficient pressure and pressure-regulating housings
iv. Possible if the distances are short. Otherwise, use a distribution line on both sides. The only difference is the required pipe length
v. For long distances to drip irrigation, place it only at the transition (higher pressure in the main line). For short lines, it can also be done at the manifold
vi. Looks fine
vii. Correct application for strip sprinklers
viii+ix. You mainly have double irrigation in the shaded areas of the trees. Make sure you cover everything evenly.
Thank you very much for your reply! The planning seems to be reasonable. I hope you can help me with the following points as well.
1. Unfortunately, the cistern could not be made larger, and since it will be refilled additionally by the well, it should be sufficient. I won’t need more than 5m³ (177 cubic feet) weekly, which is enough for one irrigation session, although the trees and possibly hedges will require more water... That can’t be changed now.
3. OK, and “sufficient” sounds a bit tight. What would you recommend?
5. Yes, the Hunter Pro-HC is currently my favorite. I have a weather station with rain sensor, sunlight, wind, etc. Is there a KNX module for the irrigation system so I can send local data to the controller via the BUS, and also adjust the system if needed?
8. That would mean I need to get a compressor. That might make sense and could be an alternative. With that valve, I would never have to worry about when frost sets in. The pipes would always be empty.
iv. Which stretches do you mean? The branch from the main line to the sprinkler? What do you mean by short? Would you then lay the pipe in a loop?
v. Can I run a main line for the drip irrigation and then install a pressure reducer? Because in the planning software, it only recognizes the drip irrigation as such if I connect it directly from the manifold and not in a loop. I’m not sure if the tool can’t handle that or if it’s not advisable.
I made a new version, and the irrigation should be more balanced now. Only at the bottom left I have a 5-spray setup. I can adjust the angle of one sprinkler and then have only 4 sprays, but in that case, one sprinkler would only water one time. The problem is that there will also be a play tower with 2 x 2.5m (6.5 x 8.2 ft) there. I don’t know how good it is if it’s being regularly sprayed with water. I’m considering adding 3 extra small sprinklers (left, bottom, right) so I don’t water the play tower.
x. How can I best solve the issue at the bottom left?
xi. Is there a way to temporarily deactivate sprinklers?
1. Unfortunately, the cistern could not be made larger, and since it will be refilled additionally by the well, it should be sufficient. I won’t need more than 5m³ (177 cubic feet) weekly, which is enough for one irrigation session, although the trees and possibly hedges will require more water... That can’t be changed now.
3. OK, and “sufficient” sounds a bit tight. What would you recommend?
5. Yes, the Hunter Pro-HC is currently my favorite. I have a weather station with rain sensor, sunlight, wind, etc. Is there a KNX module for the irrigation system so I can send local data to the controller via the BUS, and also adjust the system if needed?
8. That would mean I need to get a compressor. That might make sense and could be an alternative. With that valve, I would never have to worry about when frost sets in. The pipes would always be empty.
iv. Which stretches do you mean? The branch from the main line to the sprinkler? What do you mean by short? Would you then lay the pipe in a loop?
v. Can I run a main line for the drip irrigation and then install a pressure reducer? Because in the planning software, it only recognizes the drip irrigation as such if I connect it directly from the manifold and not in a loop. I’m not sure if the tool can’t handle that or if it’s not advisable.
I made a new version, and the irrigation should be more balanced now. Only at the bottom left I have a 5-spray setup. I can adjust the angle of one sprinkler and then have only 4 sprays, but in that case, one sprinkler would only water one time. The problem is that there will also be a play tower with 2 x 2.5m (6.5 x 8.2 ft) there. I don’t know how good it is if it’s being regularly sprayed with water. I’m considering adding 3 extra small sprinklers (left, bottom, right) so I don’t water the play tower.
x. How can I best solve the issue at the bottom left?
xi. Is there a way to temporarily deactivate sprinklers?
3. It was not meant negatively. I would rather aim for around 6-8 bar and 6 m³/h (7.9–10.6 yd³/h). Affordable options are, for example, tip pumps. But your pump is really okay.
5. What kind of KNX system do you have? For Gira, for example, there are modules available. With an actuator and a power supply, you could control everything via KNX. You would get the weather data from your KNX weather station.
8. Get yourself an air compressor. It can always be useful in the house. Just install an air hose connection in the distribution box, and you’re done.
iv. From the main distribution line to the sprinkler. If you have sprinklers on both sides, the distribution line is usually laid on both sides as well (with a cross connection). The sprinkler connection is usually about 1 meter (3 ft) long. No, do not create a loop.
v. This is usually done exactly like that. Distribution line up to the bed or hedge, then a pressure reducer and drip irrigation. This way, you can run the long sections of the distribution line at high pressure. For short distances, as mentioned, this is also possible at the distribution box. With your pump, you can basically run the drip irrigation directly. XFS dripline can handle over 4 bar (58 psi)...
x. You always need to cover the play tower. You will probably want grass there as well, and with wind it will get wet anyway. Plan so that it can be reached from all sides. Alternatively, add additional sprinklers at the tower that spray in other directions.
xi. With a valve before the sprinkler, you can deactivate it. Some sprinklers also have screw caps instead of a sprinkler head. They still activate when starting up, though.
You provided almost no measurements or distances, so it is not entirely possible to assess clearly.
5. What kind of KNX system do you have? For Gira, for example, there are modules available. With an actuator and a power supply, you could control everything via KNX. You would get the weather data from your KNX weather station.
8. Get yourself an air compressor. It can always be useful in the house. Just install an air hose connection in the distribution box, and you’re done.
iv. From the main distribution line to the sprinkler. If you have sprinklers on both sides, the distribution line is usually laid on both sides as well (with a cross connection). The sprinkler connection is usually about 1 meter (3 ft) long. No, do not create a loop.
v. This is usually done exactly like that. Distribution line up to the bed or hedge, then a pressure reducer and drip irrigation. This way, you can run the long sections of the distribution line at high pressure. For short distances, as mentioned, this is also possible at the distribution box. With your pump, you can basically run the drip irrigation directly. XFS dripline can handle over 4 bar (58 psi)...
x. You always need to cover the play tower. You will probably want grass there as well, and with wind it will get wet anyway. Plan so that it can be reached from all sides. Alternatively, add additional sprinklers at the tower that spray in other directions.
xi. With a valve before the sprinkler, you can deactivate it. Some sprinklers also have screw caps instead of a sprinkler head. They still activate when starting up, though.
You provided almost no measurements or distances, so it is not entirely possible to assess clearly.
Thanks again for your feedback!!
3. 8 bar is quite impressive. The Tipp cistern pump delivers 6 bar and up to about 5m (16 feet) in height with approximately 5.6m³ (198 cubic feet). That would be just under €500. OK, I need to see what the budget allows, but now I know the right specifications. The current pump is sufficient; for €500 there is still some margin.
5. KNX is KNX—so it is not a manufacturer-specific bus system. I’m currently considering whether I can actually do without the control system. The control only switches the individual solenoid valves based on a timer or weather data, which basically means turning power on or off. Here, I can use a simple switching actuator and conveniently control it however I want.
8. Yep, it will be a compressor after all.
iv. So, basically like an H.
v. What I meant was whether I can run a main line to all the beds and then install a pressure reducer at each bed, or if I need to run separate lines from the manifold to each bed and then install a pressure reducer. I don’t see any reason why option 1 wouldn’t work.
x. Yes, the play tower is currently accessible from all sides. The problem is that it won’t just get a few centimeters of coverage, but fully. Therefore, I’m considering installing additional sprinklers and closing them off if they aren’t needed. I need to check if those from lawyer Bird have screw caps. That would be an alternative. Thanks!
3. 8 bar is quite impressive. The Tipp cistern pump delivers 6 bar and up to about 5m (16 feet) in height with approximately 5.6m³ (198 cubic feet). That would be just under €500. OK, I need to see what the budget allows, but now I know the right specifications. The current pump is sufficient; for €500 there is still some margin.
5. KNX is KNX—so it is not a manufacturer-specific bus system. I’m currently considering whether I can actually do without the control system. The control only switches the individual solenoid valves based on a timer or weather data, which basically means turning power on or off. Here, I can use a simple switching actuator and conveniently control it however I want.
8. Yep, it will be a compressor after all.
iv. So, basically like an H.
v. What I meant was whether I can run a main line to all the beds and then install a pressure reducer at each bed, or if I need to run separate lines from the manifold to each bed and then install a pressure reducer. I don’t see any reason why option 1 wouldn’t work.
x. Yes, the play tower is currently accessible from all sides. The problem is that it won’t just get a few centimeters of coverage, but fully. Therefore, I’m considering installing additional sprinklers and closing them off if they aren’t needed. I need to check if those from lawyer Bird have screw caps. That would be an alternative. Thanks!
5. You meant whether you have a logic controller like, for example, a Gira Homeserver...
Yes, it works with a switching actuator. However, you will also need a transformer.
What is the diameter of the distribution line (the circuits)? How long are the distances? How long are the drip irrigation lines? As mentioned, you probably will not need a pressure reducer with the planned pump if you use XFS.
If you place the pressure reducer at the distributor, you lose a lot of flow due to the reduced pressure. That is why the pressure is usually reduced directly at the drip irrigation or planting bed. For example, I run 12 bar (174 psi) through the main line...
Do I understand correctly that you want to run all drip irrigations in a single circuit? I would not recommend that because of different plants, sunlight exposure, etc. It is better to have one circuit per planting bed.
Yes, it works with a switching actuator. However, you will also need a transformer.
What is the diameter of the distribution line (the circuits)? How long are the distances? How long are the drip irrigation lines? As mentioned, you probably will not need a pressure reducer with the planned pump if you use XFS.
If you place the pressure reducer at the distributor, you lose a lot of flow due to the reduced pressure. That is why the pressure is usually reduced directly at the drip irrigation or planting bed. For example, I run 12 bar (174 psi) through the main line...
Do I understand correctly that you want to run all drip irrigations in a single circuit? I would not recommend that because of different plants, sunlight exposure, etc. It is better to have one circuit per planting bed.