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.
Mycraft schrieb:
Don’t take this personally, but it sounds like you’ve never connected a garden hose before. It always needs to be screwed on tightly, pushed all the way in, etc. Hi @Mycraft
I’m not taking it personally. Honestly, when I asked my neighbor, I also thought I might be "too clueless to put something like this together." When he told me he faced the same problem at first, that was reassuring.
As I said, I had pushed it in up to the (apparent) stop and then closed the connector. Following his advice, I applied more force and pushed it further, and suddenly it moved another 1 cm (0.4 inches). Most of the pipe runs inside a conduit pipe (for extra protection against general gardening work). Our pipe was already completely underground (except for the planned sections where a disconnect was intended), then it was cut open and the T-pieces or connectors were inserted.
This is just a note for anyone assembling this for the first time, so they don’t spend forever (like I did) looking for possible errors but instead check this point first in case of problems.
Mycraft schrieb:
If you had installed a water spigot right away, you wouldn’t need an extra hose. Then the water would only come out when you attach a hose and start watering.However, that wouldn’t work if the cistern is empty and I want to operate the irrigation system using a faucet instead. That outlet was not originally planned—it was only intended as an additional supply point. But now we have an even more convenient solution than we initially expected.
f-pNo schrieb:
Most of the cable is routed through an empty conduit (additional protection against general garden work).Very good idea. I have had to repair it twice already.
f-pNo schrieb:
Following his advice, I pushed further with more force and suddenly it moved another 1 cm (0.4 inches).The first resistance is the rubber seal, which you obviously have to push past. Otherwise, the pipe can be pulled out of the connector without any effort, even if it was closed.
Mycraft schrieb:
Very good idea. I already had to do repairs twice. Only on the last section (8–10 m (26–33 ft)), which we installed just this year, did I not use a conduit. Unfortunately, I only realized this after everything had been backfilled. Well – it’s just supposed to have grass over it anyway.
Mycraft schrieb:
The first resistance is the rubber, which of course you have to push over. Otherwise, the pipe can be pulled out of the connector easily even if it has been closed.I can also pull it out without much effort, even if the connector is closed. That has happened to me 2 or 3 times in the past.
The general recommendation, as usual, is to bury at a depth of 80 cm (31 inches) for frost protection. However, at least where water outlets or similar fixtures are located, the pipes need to be installed a bit shallower, since the outlets should slightly protrude from the ground (outlet approximately 20 cm (8 inches) deep).
For the first section, we had the conduit installed by our civil contractor. A narrow-bucket excavator was used to dig the trench, lay the conduit, and then backfill. In my opinion, the depth reached about 60–70 cm (24–28 inches). We needed the contractor’s help here because the conduit had to cross a 3 m (10 feet) embankment afterward. First, however, it had to be routed under the L-shaped retaining wall blocks (so first dig – conduit – backfill – then place L-shaped blocks on top).
In the upper area, the contractor also extended the trench up to the first target point and laid the conduit.
I completed the second section (upper terrain) myself using a spade, shovel, pickaxe, and crowbar. In this part, I was standing roughly knee-deep in the trench.
The third section was also done by me recently, using the same tools, at a depth of about 50 cm (20 inches).
Since we are in a region where winter tends to arrive sporadically, this should be sufficient. My main concern was more about accidentally hitting the line while working with a spade later on.
For the first section, we had the conduit installed by our civil contractor. A narrow-bucket excavator was used to dig the trench, lay the conduit, and then backfill. In my opinion, the depth reached about 60–70 cm (24–28 inches). We needed the contractor’s help here because the conduit had to cross a 3 m (10 feet) embankment afterward. First, however, it had to be routed under the L-shaped retaining wall blocks (so first dig – conduit – backfill – then place L-shaped blocks on top).
In the upper area, the contractor also extended the trench up to the first target point and laid the conduit.
I completed the second section (upper terrain) myself using a spade, shovel, pickaxe, and crowbar. In this part, I was standing roughly knee-deep in the trench.
The third section was also done by me recently, using the same tools, at a depth of about 50 cm (20 inches).
Since we are in a region where winter tends to arrive sporadically, this should be sufficient. My main concern was more about accidentally hitting the line while working with a spade later on.
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