/r/Irrigation
This is a place for professionals and non-professionals alike to discuss irrigation. Ask a question, ask for help, show off your work (no advertising), or show us what some idiot did. Just keep it cordial. Check out the user and post flair, and think about adding it to your post.
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The Irrigation Reddit
Irrigation - the artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall. Additionally, irrigation also has a few other uses in crop production, which include protecting plants against frost, suppressing weed growth in grain fields and preventing soil consolidation. In contrast, agriculture that relies only on direct rainfall is referred to as rain-fed or dryland farming.
Irrigation systems are also used for dust suppression, disposal of sewage, and in mining. Irrigation is often studied together with drainage, which is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from a given area.
Irrigation has been a central feature of agriculture for over 5000 years, and was the basis of the economy and society of numerous societies, ranging from Asia to Arizona.
Wikipedia: Irrigation
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/r/Irrigation
Leak just started surfacing. Dug it up and found a crack in the tee where the pipe is coming in at an angle. Any suggestions on how to repair this with the angled pipe?
anyone know what this error is. basically wont let my client set the start time.
I have one zone for my backyard. I noticed low pressure from two of the sprinkler heads and changed them. They now work great. However, when I changed the 2 heads, one of the middle sprinklers completely diminished in pressure and it was not an issue before. What am I missing?
I'm looking for some insight from people who know more than me. I'm helping shut down my building's irrigation system (landscaping company was supposed to but didn't), and I've found three shutoff valves. Only took a minute to figure out that the one located under the cap with an "I" is what supplies the above ground backflow, but I have no idea what the other two do (under caps labeled "D"). Any ideas? All three are the same cross handle type valve. Irrigation is relatively new territory for me so I am trying to learn whatever I can!
I've got a relatively large bed that I'd like to convert over to drip irrigation (mainly for weed control). The area is going to be planted in various ground covers, but the large maple in the center also has a root zone over the whole area (and well beyond). I was thinking about a network / grid / spiral of 1/2" inline drippers throughout the area. There are a couple of 1/2" risers nearby that are connected to an existing drip zone with lots of free gpm. We get very little natural rainfall from May to October.
Area is currently watered with rotors, but I'm planning on moving those around to just hit the grass areas.
Looking for opinions or suggestions of better approaches.
I'm DIYing a system after getting a few professional quotes. I'll have a plumber install a second water meter and RPZ, but I'll do the laterals and wiring afterwards. The only part tripping me up is the vocabularly that's similar but not identical across hardware brands.
Can someone please explain the difference between a BODY, a SPRAYER, a NOZZLE, and a HEAD?
As far as I can tell the body is in the ground, the nozzle pops-up a set distance, and you have the option of a mister/sprayer/rotating head of some type at the tip. I watched half a dozen videos and it seems like I'm confusing the nozzle options with the pop-up part, since some products have everything already contained, and some nozzles or pop-ups seem interchangeable.
Would someone spell this out for me please and point out where things are interchangeable? Thank you!
Edit: spelling.
I'd love advice from experts here about how to properly configure my Rachio as well as use my Netafim dripline setup.
- I live in Zone 9b in the SF Bay Area.
- My yard has many large climbing roses, lots of shrubs, and some fruit trees (apple, citrus, etc.)
- I have 0.9 gph Netafim with 12" spaced emitters throughout. Line spacing is 12" apart.
- Soil available water: 0.17
First question: How long to run Netafim driplines for each watering session?
I've had problems for a few years now with plants looking unhealthy and drying in the summer, indicating underwatering. However, I'm watering a lot, I think - my water bill is quite high. I supplemented with extra emitters here and there, for the roses, which helped a bit, but it's nowhere near what it should be.
Second question: How should I set up my Rachio properly for the Netafim?
For this dripline, it appears to come to 1.44 in/hr. However that means running the system far less than I think is recommended. (See First question.)
Attached below are my roses in spring in a good year, before the heat hits and they start wilting :-(
This was another job I did., See the 1/2" Elec. Conduit. That's right...sprinkler wire in the pipe, never to be chopped up. (well...probably not.)
I live in the Phoenix area, and in most areas of my backyard the gravel (1/2" granite) is a good 5" deep. I am getting ready to put in a drip system and was wondering if there is any harm in just burying the main 1/2" tubing under the gravel. Or am I better off just putting it in the ground?
Where it doesn't readily freeze or is temporary cold spell. What to do? Shut off valve to system, open ASVs. BTW this height of the valve is code in some states. It all about backflow, and sometimes doesn't make sense.
This manifold is an example of what happens when a customer cheaps out and you still need to run the zones. Two new 3/4" RB ASVs to go along with the still functioning Irritrol valves and the old "I'd never use an orbit valve as a professional" one. And the main line should be 1", not 3/4" ...amatuers.
Notice:
The risers are SCH 80 3/4 " M THR. Are leaks possible? Sure, just enough pipe tape and threading in, not usually a problem.
The spacing of the valve bodies for easy future replacement. They can be rotated without cutting parts out.
Check out the 3" drain pipe pieces under the manifold tees for support. Not many people do really good backfill and this prevents improper settling. You can also use cut pieces of 1" PVC for the same purpose.
Theres a leak somewhere underneath the dirt near a pop up sprinkler , do you think I could fix this myself? Thanks!
I know a lot of you can’t come because you’re in blowouts up to your ears, but curious if anyone else is here.
So far, it's gone pretty well, albeit very slow. We've got 6-8" of snow, so blowing out systems has been pretty entertaining.
Ok so master valves on large systems are clearly a good thing. Now, what type/brand do folks recommend?
Hey there!
I have a fairly recently built house with an instant gas hot water system. We currently have no hot water at all and our water pressure is still the same on either cold or hot. This problem started a day after getting garden reticulation installed in our front and back garden and I was wandering if this could have something to do with the no hot water issue? Or is it just coincidence?
Our other gas appliances are working fine, we’ve checked the fuse box, and the switches at the water heater box are all on.
Thanks in advance for any advice or ideas!
Anyone know if there is a code for anti siphon valve height in a single family residence irrigation system for either San Diego or California or both? Any help is appreciated.
Hi All,
My home is 3 years old. Last month my water bill was showing we (myself and 3 kids) used 17,900 gallons of water. Our norm is 3,000 a month. This month I am noticing the same thing, went to the meter and saw the leak indicator was spinning away. Tried all the normal go to's, toilets, checked the property, foundation, etc. Nothing, no sign that 40,000 or so gallons of water had been leaking onto my property the past two months. Had a plumber come out Saturday, he couldn't find anything. Had leak detection come out right after, and say he found what he thinks is the leak isolated underground about two feet but needed to come back Monday with the right equipment. I went out to shut the water off for tonight and found another little green cap labeled landscaping. I turned that off and wouldn't you know it, the leak indicator stopped moving. However, about 30 seconds later it starts spinning again. So I turn the main water off too, no change, still spinning. I turned my main water back on then then for experiment sake, turned the landscaping lever again I found and the leak indicator went wild. So I flipped it off again and then, triangle stopped. Only to come back on again 30 seconds later. Its slower, but what gives? Any ideas at all? On Saturday when this all first started, I was able to get the leak indicator to stop by shutting off the main meter, now it still spins even when off :(
I just started working at a new place recently, usually I'm in the downtown area and not having to think about irrigation but this new place has some land they have ran lines through.
I had a irrigation guy come out who's serviced the place in the past but he couldn't get the water shut off. I found a backflow device under the shed where the timer and zone controller is. I've tried closing the valves on it but still had water when I tested the zones. There is a shut off before and after the backflow.
I'm at a loss as this isn't my specialty nor do I have much knowledge about irrigation. Any tips to to help me find this shot off would be amazing.
Thank you!
I have a 5 acre lot and about 4 acres is pasture in an L shape. Prior owners had horses, but I don't plan on animals or farming. One of the 2 acre sections is orchard grass. I'm seeding rye and fescue for more of a lawn on the other 2 acres.
We have an irrigation district and get 48 hours of water a week and have a community ditch pump and 3 inch main line with risers.
I've been using irripod lines (10 pods at 5 gpm @ 40' radius) but don't want to have to move them twice each week. I'm considering installing an underground system.
or would it be better to run two lines down the center and risk dry spots on the sides where the radius doesn't meet?
I was planning on 3/4 inch impact sprinklers but don't see any that have a 6 inch pop-up so I can mow over them. Any suggestions on other sprinkler heads?
Would poly line with saddle valves or 2 inch pvc with T connectors be better?
Should I just live with the irripod?
Thank you for your input!