Hello everyone,
We moved into our new house last summer (oh God, that already sounds so long ago). Since then, there has been a lot to do—and there still is. Now, however, the remaining work is increasingly shifting outdoors.
The well has already been drilled. At that spot, I installed a small pit, and the garden shed will be placed on top of it. Now I’ve been thinking about the irrigation system again and realized that it will be difficult to access the pit underground once the garden shed is in place, as I would then be undermining the base slab.
So, I’ve been giving it some thought and reading a lot, but not everything is clear to me yet.
Firstly: before I pour the base slab, I need to run the necessary pipes out of the pit. That means drilling a hole through the pit ring and laying 1 to x PVC pipes (KG pipes) extending 1 to 2 meters (3 to 6.5 feet) beyond the edge of the base slab, so that I can later feed the water line through them when the time comes.
By the way, the garden shed will also house the sub-distribution for the outdoor electrical system. So, I also need to run a cable from the pit through the base slab to the distribution board in the garden shed for the pump. Additionally, I need 2 to 3 PVC pipes from inside where the distribution board is mounted, under the base slab to the outside, for all the electrical wiring on the driveway—such as the gate, lighting, and control cables for the irrigation valves, etc.
Now to the main topic: the automatic irrigation system
In this forum, it seems @rick2018 has good knowledge about this subject. Maybe you could give me some tips as well.
Below is a plan of our property:
Except for the house, none of this has actually been implemented yet. The plants are just planned and may still change. The second terrace on the drawing is currently 10 x 10 meters (33 x 33 feet). It won’t actually be that large; that’s just a placeholder for the approximate future location. However, it definitely won’t be built in the next five years. That brings me to my first point:
1. How do you take that into account now? For example, regarding the second terrace, I would mostly plan the sprinklers as if the terrace will never be built, since it’s still uncertain whether and where exactly it will be placed. What about the trees? If I install the sprinklers now and then plant a tree 1 or 2 meters (3 to 6.5 feet) away next year, there will be shade along the axis behind the tree. In the first few years, this is probably negligible due to the small trunk diameter, but what happens when the trunk gets thicker?
2. What exactly should be irrigated? Lawn, flower beds, and vegetable garden are clear. I’ve read differing opinions about hedges, especially regarding adaptation to watering. What about trees? They should be able to cope on their own, right? Is it really overkill to install irrigation just for the first and maybe the second year?
3. For my large lawn areas, I’m considering Hunter gear-driven rotors. However, these are said to be rather sensitive to wind. Here, it’s usually windy because we’re on a small hill. But once everything around is planted, there shouldn’t be much wind close to the ground, right? @rick2018, why do you prefer rotators like the MP3000 over gear-driven rotors like the I20, for example?
4. My father-in-law took care of the well. I believe a Grundfos SQ2-55 pump is installed “in the hole.” The borehole depth was about 20 meters (66 feet) and the pump hangs at roughly 15 meters (49 feet) depth. The property slopes upwards by almost one meter (3 feet) to the right, so the pump has to push water up about 16 meters (52 feet). The pump is capable of 54 meters (177 feet) total head. So that leaves about 38 meters (125 feet), which corresponds to roughly 3.8 bar (55 psi) and, unfortunately, only about 2 cubic meters per hour (around 880 gallons per hour).
If I understand correctly, I can only operate two gear-driven I20 rotors with the 4.0 nozzle on one zone, since each requires 0.81 m³/h (about 360 gallons/hr) at 2.5 bar (36 psi) with a 11.9-meter (39 feet) radius (planning uses 10.5 meters). That will mean a lot of zones. Alternatively, I could try to return the pump to the well driller (as it wasn’t used before) and get one with 4 m³/h (about 1760 gallons/hr) or more. The question is whether that would make my well wear out faster (clogging?).
5. Let’s say I keep the existing pump and end up with 30 zones. How would that work in practice? Would each lawn irrigation zone run for 30 minutes? And every 3 days? That would cause problems with my planned robotic mower that will almost always be running over the large area. In the end, I won’t have time to enjoy the yard because either the mower is running or the sprinklers are on.
6. It is recommended to start the design in a corner of the property. So, for example, I start at the top right and place the first sprinkler in front of the hedge. The thing is: the hedge is currently very narrow, but will become 1 to 2 meters (3 to 6.5 feet) wide over time.
7. The sprinklers extend during operation and retract afterwards. How durable are these if someone steps on them? It looks like I will eventually have a “carpet” of pop-up sprinklers. The children should, of course, still be able to play freely.
That’s enough for now. Have a nice rest of the Sunday!
We moved into our new house last summer (oh God, that already sounds so long ago). Since then, there has been a lot to do—and there still is. Now, however, the remaining work is increasingly shifting outdoors.
The well has already been drilled. At that spot, I installed a small pit, and the garden shed will be placed on top of it. Now I’ve been thinking about the irrigation system again and realized that it will be difficult to access the pit underground once the garden shed is in place, as I would then be undermining the base slab.
So, I’ve been giving it some thought and reading a lot, but not everything is clear to me yet.
Firstly: before I pour the base slab, I need to run the necessary pipes out of the pit. That means drilling a hole through the pit ring and laying 1 to x PVC pipes (KG pipes) extending 1 to 2 meters (3 to 6.5 feet) beyond the edge of the base slab, so that I can later feed the water line through them when the time comes.
By the way, the garden shed will also house the sub-distribution for the outdoor electrical system. So, I also need to run a cable from the pit through the base slab to the distribution board in the garden shed for the pump. Additionally, I need 2 to 3 PVC pipes from inside where the distribution board is mounted, under the base slab to the outside, for all the electrical wiring on the driveway—such as the gate, lighting, and control cables for the irrigation valves, etc.
Now to the main topic: the automatic irrigation system
In this forum, it seems @rick2018 has good knowledge about this subject. Maybe you could give me some tips as well.
Below is a plan of our property:
Except for the house, none of this has actually been implemented yet. The plants are just planned and may still change. The second terrace on the drawing is currently 10 x 10 meters (33 x 33 feet). It won’t actually be that large; that’s just a placeholder for the approximate future location. However, it definitely won’t be built in the next five years. That brings me to my first point:
1. How do you take that into account now? For example, regarding the second terrace, I would mostly plan the sprinklers as if the terrace will never be built, since it’s still uncertain whether and where exactly it will be placed. What about the trees? If I install the sprinklers now and then plant a tree 1 or 2 meters (3 to 6.5 feet) away next year, there will be shade along the axis behind the tree. In the first few years, this is probably negligible due to the small trunk diameter, but what happens when the trunk gets thicker?
2. What exactly should be irrigated? Lawn, flower beds, and vegetable garden are clear. I’ve read differing opinions about hedges, especially regarding adaptation to watering. What about trees? They should be able to cope on their own, right? Is it really overkill to install irrigation just for the first and maybe the second year?
3. For my large lawn areas, I’m considering Hunter gear-driven rotors. However, these are said to be rather sensitive to wind. Here, it’s usually windy because we’re on a small hill. But once everything around is planted, there shouldn’t be much wind close to the ground, right? @rick2018, why do you prefer rotators like the MP3000 over gear-driven rotors like the I20, for example?
4. My father-in-law took care of the well. I believe a Grundfos SQ2-55 pump is installed “in the hole.” The borehole depth was about 20 meters (66 feet) and the pump hangs at roughly 15 meters (49 feet) depth. The property slopes upwards by almost one meter (3 feet) to the right, so the pump has to push water up about 16 meters (52 feet). The pump is capable of 54 meters (177 feet) total head. So that leaves about 38 meters (125 feet), which corresponds to roughly 3.8 bar (55 psi) and, unfortunately, only about 2 cubic meters per hour (around 880 gallons per hour).
If I understand correctly, I can only operate two gear-driven I20 rotors with the 4.0 nozzle on one zone, since each requires 0.81 m³/h (about 360 gallons/hr) at 2.5 bar (36 psi) with a 11.9-meter (39 feet) radius (planning uses 10.5 meters). That will mean a lot of zones. Alternatively, I could try to return the pump to the well driller (as it wasn’t used before) and get one with 4 m³/h (about 1760 gallons/hr) or more. The question is whether that would make my well wear out faster (clogging?).
5. Let’s say I keep the existing pump and end up with 30 zones. How would that work in practice? Would each lawn irrigation zone run for 30 minutes? And every 3 days? That would cause problems with my planned robotic mower that will almost always be running over the large area. In the end, I won’t have time to enjoy the yard because either the mower is running or the sprinklers are on.
6. It is recommended to start the design in a corner of the property. So, for example, I start at the top right and place the first sprinkler in front of the hedge. The thing is: the hedge is currently very narrow, but will become 1 to 2 meters (3 to 6.5 feet) wide over time.
7. The sprinklers extend during operation and retract afterwards. How durable are these if someone steps on them? It looks like I will eventually have a “carpet” of pop-up sprinklers. The children should, of course, still be able to play freely.
That’s enough for now. Have a nice rest of the Sunday!
You wanted to branch off twice. It is important to use as few 90° angles as possible.
You can also install the pre-filter somewhere completely different.
Use PE (polyethylene). The fittings come in various options, for example, a fitting directly on the filter or a short piece of HD pipe in between.
You can also install the pre-filter somewhere completely different.
Use PE (polyethylene). The fittings come in various options, for example, a fitting directly on the filter or a short piece of HD pipe in between.
Then we must have misunderstood:
Press fitting -> metal cone fitting -> 90° elbow -> T-piece -> filter -> PE fitting -> PE pipe
The T-piece is only to install the valve on the middle outlet.
I would make the 90° elbow and the T-piece in metal because the valve (which I already have) is also metal.
The question is whether I can simply screw the filter into the metal T-piece.
The intermediate pieces with union nuts were only intended to make it easier to remove the filter if needed.
Having an HD pipe section in between still takes up too much space, I think. And places the filter elsewhere. That actually makes sense because I then distribute to the individual valve boxes.
You mention a pre-filter. That suggests there is another filter afterwards. Actually, there should only be one, right? Do I need an additional filter?
Press fitting -> metal cone fitting -> 90° elbow -> T-piece -> filter -> PE fitting -> PE pipe
The T-piece is only to install the valve on the middle outlet.
I would make the 90° elbow and the T-piece in metal because the valve (which I already have) is also metal.
The question is whether I can simply screw the filter into the metal T-piece.
The intermediate pieces with union nuts were only intended to make it easier to remove the filter if needed.
Having an HD pipe section in between still takes up too much space, I think. And places the filter elsewhere. That actually makes sense because I then distribute to the individual valve boxes.
You mention a pre-filter. That suggests there is another filter afterwards. Actually, there should only be one, right? Do I need an additional filter?
So. The paving work is now completed, and just before the deadline, we decided to go with "rounded corners" for aesthetic reasons.
It looks neat, but it is now quite problematic for irrigation.
What is the best way to handle this?
I should mention that several wells are in our neighborhood, and I know that one of them supplies water with a high iron content. So far, my well does not, but that might change (the pump hasn’t been used much yet). For that reason, I want to avoid watering the paved areas, house, garden shed, etc., as much as possible.
I am currently adjusting the plan:
I hope the drawing is clear enough. At the bottom is the road, at the top the house and garage. The driveway is in the middle, the path to the front door is on the right, and on the left is the path to the wood shelter that is yet to be built.
Area 1: Here I will include the flower bed at the upper two corners in the irrigation, which is not a big issue. (The flower bed is the strip around the driveway to the path, 50cm (20 inches) wide.) Unfortunately, the two lower corners do not overlap. With the two MP2000 sprinklers, I could increase the radius (currently 4.2m (14 feet)), but then the spray would reach the paved area at the top on both sides.
Area 2: This is very difficult. The curve at the top has a radius of just under about 1.9m (6 feet). I have no idea how to best water this area. There is currently a gap of about 50cm (20 inches).
It looks neat, but it is now quite problematic for irrigation.
What is the best way to handle this?
I should mention that several wells are in our neighborhood, and I know that one of them supplies water with a high iron content. So far, my well does not, but that might change (the pump hasn’t been used much yet). For that reason, I want to avoid watering the paved areas, house, garden shed, etc., as much as possible.
I am currently adjusting the plan:
I hope the drawing is clear enough. At the bottom is the road, at the top the house and garage. The driveway is in the middle, the path to the front door is on the right, and on the left is the path to the wood shelter that is yet to be built.
Area 1: Here I will include the flower bed at the upper two corners in the irrigation, which is not a big issue. (The flower bed is the strip around the driveway to the path, 50cm (20 inches) wide.) Unfortunately, the two lower corners do not overlap. With the two MP2000 sprinklers, I could increase the radius (currently 4.2m (14 feet)), but then the spray would reach the paved area at the top on both sides.
Area 2: This is very difficult. The curve at the top has a radius of just under about 1.9m (6 feet). I have no idea how to best water this area. There is currently a gap of about 50cm (20 inches).
If you want a precise boundary, you need several small sprinklers arranged along the edge. The water demand balances out in the overall area, but the amount of materials required increases.
Placing a sprinkler in the middle of the area and trying to cover the radius evenly usually does not work.
Placing a sprinkler in the middle of the area and trying to cover the radius evenly usually does not work.
So far, I have only planned the MP1000, MP2000, MP3000, and MP strips, as well as an MP Corner.
For the curve with a 1.9m (6.2 feet) radius, none of these really fit. Hunter also offers the MP800SR, which has a throw distance and thus a radius of 1.8m to 3.5m (5.9 to 11.5 feet). That would fit perfectly to water the curve. However, it has a precipitation rate of around 20mm/h (0.8 inches/hour), which is about twice as much as the other sprinklers in the circle. But that probably isn’t too critical, right?
By the way, there is also a slope of about 10-15% in that area. How does that actually affect irrigation? I haven’t seen any information on that yet. Wouldn’t the throw distance decrease because of it, or not?
For the curve with a 1.9m (6.2 feet) radius, none of these really fit. Hunter also offers the MP800SR, which has a throw distance and thus a radius of 1.8m to 3.5m (5.9 to 11.5 feet). That would fit perfectly to water the curve. However, it has a precipitation rate of around 20mm/h (0.8 inches/hour), which is about twice as much as the other sprinklers in the circle. But that probably isn’t too critical, right?
By the way, there is also a slope of about 10-15% in that area. How does that actually affect irrigation? I haven’t seen any information on that yet. Wouldn’t the throw distance decrease because of it, or not?
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