Payday schrieb:
@f-pNo: Did you also purchase the Gardena pipeline system? How satisfied are you with the system? Our system is still in the living room because we first need to fill up the ground and don’t know the final height yet.
We had it running last year in late summer.
However, not primarily as intended – we connected it to the outdoor water tap, but to our water pump from the cistern instead.
So far, we have only watered using a hose – no sprinkler yet. Up to that point, we are very satisfied.
During early spring, we expanded the system a bit (just last weekend the last section of irrigation pipe was installed). We plan to create an “alternative” water supply to the water tap with a second connection box in case the 10m² (108 sq ft) cistern runs empty. I still need to figure out how to avoid backflow/filling the cistern. I’m thinking of adding a simple shut-off mechanism in between.
We also have lawn sprinklers now – I assume those will work fine.
Two tips – for the same reason.
Before you refill everything (especially pay attention to the connections/fittings), test your pipeline. We had to dig up the connection points again because the connections didn’t hold. A neighbor then advised me that you need to push the pipeline into the fitting very firmly (about 4-5cm (2-2 inches)) for it to fit properly. Otherwise, you make the connection and wonder why water is happily spraying out of the fittings.
We do not have an automatic irrigation system (timer control) nor “perforated” hoses. We’re not fans of those.
PS: Be prepared for heavy digging work with a spade, shovel, and possibly a pickaxe.
Thanks for creating this separate thread.
By now, we have installed most of the system, and it actually works. The slight slope isn’t easy to manage, but you can mostly straighten out the bends from the coiled pipe.
Connecting the parts is really simple—you just have to fully push them together. I handle the drainage through the inspection chamber of our infiltration system and two end caps. I will simply remove these in autumn, and that’s it. This way, the system doesn’t need to be refilled every time. Unfortunately, I ended up ordering some parts “wrong,” but oh well.
By now, we have installed most of the system, and it actually works. The slight slope isn’t easy to manage, but you can mostly straighten out the bends from the coiled pipe.
Connecting the parts is really simple—you just have to fully push them together. I handle the drainage through the inspection chamber of our infiltration system and two end caps. I will simply remove these in autumn, and that’s it. This way, the system doesn’t need to be refilled every time. Unfortunately, I ended up ordering some parts “wrong,” but oh well.
Unfortunately, the items from the green-orange manufacturer do not last long... I now have to replace quite a few parts after 3 years...
What you can do wrong when assembling is beyond me... it’s just like with any other system, simply push the water pipe over/into the seal and that’s it...
What you can do wrong when assembling is beyond me... it’s just like with any other system, simply push the water pipe over/into the seal and that’s it...
What exactly broke for you? As long as the pipes are intact, these parts can be replaced quite easily. I've heard that the flow restrictors in particular tend to cause problems because the metal sheet that seals the unit is made of the cheapest material and rusts through quickly. I would simply file a complaint annually since replacement comes with a new warranty ^^ or I’ll remove that metal sheet and have it laser-cut in stainless steel.
I find it shameful how companies risk their entire reputation just to make a few cents more profit. How can you develop and sell products that are designed to fail after 3 to 4 years?! If the pop-up sprinkler breaks in 4 years, I definitely won’t buy a new device from Gardena again. These companies used to stand for quality and durability, but today everything is just disposable. It would be less unacceptable if safety didn’t depend on it. Three weeks of vacation and the tap runner keeps running constantly: garden ruined (worst case: house foundations washed away) and a huge water bill. All because of a 5-cent part...
In my company, we don’t install such junk, and our machines are designed to last much longer. I always wonder how these companies get away with it... The entire Gardena issue has already cost me about €300 (around US$320). I would gladly have paid €500 (about US$535) if the product was guaranteed to last 10 years. But that doesn’t exist, because the others build the same junk.
I find it shameful how companies risk their entire reputation just to make a few cents more profit. How can you develop and sell products that are designed to fail after 3 to 4 years?! If the pop-up sprinkler breaks in 4 years, I definitely won’t buy a new device from Gardena again. These companies used to stand for quality and durability, but today everything is just disposable. It would be less unacceptable if safety didn’t depend on it. Three weeks of vacation and the tap runner keeps running constantly: garden ruined (worst case: house foundations washed away) and a huge water bill. All because of a 5-cent part...
In my company, we don’t install such junk, and our machines are designed to last much longer. I always wonder how these companies get away with it... The entire Gardena issue has already cost me about €300 (around US$320). I would gladly have paid €500 (about US$535) if the product was guaranteed to last 10 years. But that doesn’t exist, because the others build the same junk.
Well, with the pipes and fittings, not much can go wrong as long as they are drained in winter; they are very reliable...
For me, it’s the sprinklers...
One turbine sprinkler is broken; it doesn’t fully extend anymore, and when it does, it either doesn’t move or moves slower than the others, often getting stuck. Another one sometimes stays extended but otherwise works fine.
I already replaced the nozzles on the simple pop-up sprinklers last year, and this time 3 out of 4 sprinklers have to be replaced – they keep adjusting themselves, because although the system is easy to set up, it can just as easily turn by itself during normal operation.
Well, whatever still works will stay, and the rest will now be replaced with Hunter models.
I swapped the nozzles to Hunter last year and have been far more satisfied with the results than with the original nozzles.
For me, it’s the sprinklers...
One turbine sprinkler is broken; it doesn’t fully extend anymore, and when it does, it either doesn’t move or moves slower than the others, often getting stuck. Another one sometimes stays extended but otherwise works fine.
I already replaced the nozzles on the simple pop-up sprinklers last year, and this time 3 out of 4 sprinklers have to be replaced – they keep adjusting themselves, because although the system is easy to set up, it can just as easily turn by itself during normal operation.
Well, whatever still works will stay, and the rest will now be replaced with Hunter models.
I swapped the nozzles to Hunter last year and have been far more satisfied with the results than with the original nozzles.
Mycraft schrieb:
I can’t really see what mistakes can be made when connecting the parts... it’s like any other system, just slide the pipe over or into the gasket and that’s it...I agree with you to some extent. On the other hand, my own experience showed that it is possible to make a mistake the first time around.
The first time, I connected everything and sealed the fittings. When I turned on the water, a nice fountain appeared at almost every joint. After asking my neighbor for advice, he basically said: “Yeah, I had that too. I searched for a long time. You have to push the pieces together with more force; the pipe then slides another 1cm (0.4 inches) further in.”
So I did exactly that. And sure enough – it held and was watertight.
By the way:
We irrigate using a rainwater cistern. However, we also installed a second connection point on the other side so that, in case the cistern runs dry, we can irrigate via a hose connected to the tap (faucet). This hose should only be attached when needed – otherwise, the connection point just “rests.”
When we turned on the cistern pump, a little fountain appeared at this connection point. We’ve now solved this by connecting the hose directly and adding another irrigation nozzle. That way, when the nozzle is set to “off,” the water flow is blocked. An additional advantage is that we can use this connection point like a water outlet and water our herb garden and hedge with the hose and nozzle without dragging dozens of meters of hose through the garden.
If we have to irrigate via the tap, I will need to install a backflow preventer between the cistern pump hose and the cistern connection point to avoid filling the cistern with drinking water (it’s already enough that we have to use drinking water for irrigation).
f-pNo schrieb:
I agree with you on one hand. On the other hand, my own experience showed that you can make some mistakes the first time.
The first time, I assembled everything and connected the fittings. When I then put water through, it sprayed out like a small fountain at almost every connection point. After asking my neighbor for advice, he basically told me: "Yeah, that happened to me too. I searched for a long time. You have to push the pipes together with more force so the pipe slides in another 1 cm (0.4 inches)."
Said and done. And look — it held and was watertight.Don’t take this personally, but it sounds like you’ve never connected a garden hose before. It always has to be tightly screwed or pushed in all the way, and so on.
Even regular garden hoses need to be pushed all the way into the coupling, ideally cut straight before hand, and then tightened with the locking nut. Only then is it leak-proof. The same applies to water supply systems. The pipe must always go over or into the rubber seal to ensure a tight fit.
I actually find the Gardena system to be one of the simplest on the market—you really can’t do much wrong, and it’s ready and sealed in no time. There are much worse solutions out there.
Rainwater cistern water and sprinklers only work together to a limited extent. I hope you have a filter installed beforehand, and you will probably need to clean the internal filters in the sprinklers more often.
As for the connection box, everything is correct. It is a connection box, not a water tap outlet. It is always open, so if water is applied to it, it will come out at the top.
If you had installed a proper water spigot (outlet valve) from the start, you wouldn’t need an extra hose. Then water would only flow out when you connect a hose and turn it on.
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