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!
Ok, thanks for the suggestion.
I was just about to prepare the connection at the pump and tested it, but unfortunately had to find that it is leaking. Water is coming out at both outlets of the T-piece. Not at the inlet.
I then unscrewed both parts again and resealed them, this time using more Teflon tape. But it still isn’t tight. Although now only a small amount of water is leaking (fine stream to dripping), that’s still not acceptable.
Now I noticed that maybe the two parts cannot be screwed far enough into the T-piece. Could that be? I thought if it’s 1 inch then everything should be compatible. Or do I just have to use even more Teflon tape?
I was just about to prepare the connection at the pump and tested it, but unfortunately had to find that it is leaking. Water is coming out at both outlets of the T-piece. Not at the inlet.
I then unscrewed both parts again and resealed them, this time using more Teflon tape. But it still isn’t tight. Although now only a small amount of water is leaking (fine stream to dripping), that’s still not acceptable.
Now I noticed that maybe the two parts cannot be screwed far enough into the T-piece. Could that be? I thought if it’s 1 inch then everything should be compatible. Or do I just have to use even more Teflon tape?
@denz. should be compatible. People often underestimate how flat the surface needs to be and how tightly you have to screw it in.
If the plug goes in all the way, you also need to wrap the area of the nut (not just the threaded part) with Teflon tape.
In this case, using a lot of Teflon tape really helps.
If the plug goes in all the way, you also need to wrap the area of the nut (not just the threaded part) with Teflon tape.
In this case, using a lot of Teflon tape really helps.
So far, I have installed 3 out of 4 valve boxes, all 3 water dosing units, and one drip line circuit, and I am currently working on the first sprinkler circuit. Since I had a leak right at the pump outlet, I was worried that I would need to reseal everything on the valve boxes as well. But apparently, I used more PTFE tape there, or the parts themselves seal better. Except for one spot, everything was watertight.
Now I have two questions:
1. Is it possible to operate only 7 sprinklers on a circuit with, for example, 10 sprinklers? To do this, I would need to block off the other 3 somehow. I briefly searched online and saw that there are special caps for this purpose. I don’t have those caps. The sprinkler heads come with a cap when delivered, but that probably won’t hold under pressure, right? Is there maybe a trick to temporarily manage this differently? Like taping the cap on with duct tape or placing a stone on top to prevent the sprinkler from extending?
2. How can I best determine how much water a plant needs? I have now installed the first drip irrigation circuit. It’s about 22 meters (72 feet) for 21 small boxwood shrubs, which are not really trees but small balls right on the ground. I am using Rainbird XF drip tubing with 33cm (13 inches) emitter spacing. It delivers 2.3 liters per hour (l/h) across the 100m (328 feet) loop. Does that mean I’m watering all my 21 boxwoods with a total of 0.5 l/h? How much water does each plant need? About 1 liter per day now in the establishment phase (they were planted only 2 weeks ago), and later 1 liter every 3 days? To provide 1 liter per plant, I would have to run the circuit for 42 hours. Where am I going wrong?
3. How durable are the sprinklers? What can they withstand? A person, yes. I’ve heard that a lawn tractor can also drive over them. But a car, too? Are there any reliable specifications on this?
Best regards
Now I have two questions:
1. Is it possible to operate only 7 sprinklers on a circuit with, for example, 10 sprinklers? To do this, I would need to block off the other 3 somehow. I briefly searched online and saw that there are special caps for this purpose. I don’t have those caps. The sprinkler heads come with a cap when delivered, but that probably won’t hold under pressure, right? Is there maybe a trick to temporarily manage this differently? Like taping the cap on with duct tape or placing a stone on top to prevent the sprinkler from extending?
2. How can I best determine how much water a plant needs? I have now installed the first drip irrigation circuit. It’s about 22 meters (72 feet) for 21 small boxwood shrubs, which are not really trees but small balls right on the ground. I am using Rainbird XF drip tubing with 33cm (13 inches) emitter spacing. It delivers 2.3 liters per hour (l/h) across the 100m (328 feet) loop. Does that mean I’m watering all my 21 boxwoods with a total of 0.5 l/h? How much water does each plant need? About 1 liter per day now in the establishment phase (they were planted only 2 weeks ago), and later 1 liter every 3 days? To provide 1 liter per plant, I would have to run the circuit for 42 hours. Where am I going wrong?
3. How durable are the sprinklers? What can they withstand? A person, yes. I’ve heard that a lawn tractor can also drive over them. But a car, too? Are there any reliable specifications on this?
Best regards
Congratulations on having everything sealed.
1. Water can still leak even if the sprinkler doesn’t rise. So placing something heavy on top won’t work. The covers that come with delivery (for PRS40) are for flushing and have a hole. You can also use them for rough adjustments. I don’t know if there are fully sealed covers from Hunter for this purpose. The sprinklers will definitely pop up eventually. Alternatively, although not very “nice,” you could install a shut-off valve on the sprinkler branch. Or you could just remove a section of hose and put an end cap on it.
2. The specification for drip tubing is per meter. Depending on whether you laid circles or multiple strips, you can “calculate” the water output. Don’t make a big deal out of it. The boxwood will manage easily during the establishment phase (with simple installation) using 30 minutes of watering per day or 1 hour every two days during dry conditions. Overwatering isn’t good either, as the plants won’t develop deep roots. Just check the plants regularly and occasionally dig a hole in the soil to see how deeply the ground is moist.
3. The sprinklers are quite durable. Sometimes the adjustment can shift (although I’ve never experienced that with PRS40 or Rotator sprinklers). The sprinklers are not concreted in place, so they can give slightly under pressure. People and lawn tractors are no problem. Cars are different. If you have traffic areas, the sprinkler should be installed slightly below ground level. This way it won’t be heavily stressed.
1. Water can still leak even if the sprinkler doesn’t rise. So placing something heavy on top won’t work. The covers that come with delivery (for PRS40) are for flushing and have a hole. You can also use them for rough adjustments. I don’t know if there are fully sealed covers from Hunter for this purpose. The sprinklers will definitely pop up eventually. Alternatively, although not very “nice,” you could install a shut-off valve on the sprinkler branch. Or you could just remove a section of hose and put an end cap on it.
2. The specification for drip tubing is per meter. Depending on whether you laid circles or multiple strips, you can “calculate” the water output. Don’t make a big deal out of it. The boxwood will manage easily during the establishment phase (with simple installation) using 30 minutes of watering per day or 1 hour every two days during dry conditions. Overwatering isn’t good either, as the plants won’t develop deep roots. Just check the plants regularly and occasionally dig a hole in the soil to see how deeply the ground is moist.
3. The sprinklers are quite durable. Sometimes the adjustment can shift (although I’ve never experienced that with PRS40 or Rotator sprinklers). The sprinklers are not concreted in place, so they can give slightly under pressure. People and lawn tractors are no problem. Cars are different. If you have traffic areas, the sprinkler should be installed slightly below ground level. This way it won’t be heavily stressed.