23
September
2006
One thing that a lot of people do not think about in advance is protecting the wires for your automatic sprinkler system valves. When installing and running a sprinkler system, you are obviously dealing with a lot of water. Also, by putting valve boxes underground with wires to the valves, there is a good chance that at some point during the year that valve box could get very wet or even be flooded. If you do not protect the wires that are running your automatic valves, you will get a short and blow a fuse, and then your sprinklers will not run because the timer has stopped.
When installing your valves and attaching wiring to your controller, you will want to use some form of grease cap. A grease cap allows you to take the bare wire connection that you have made, and “bury” it inside the grease cap, and then secure it. This makes a waterproof seal around any bare wires so they are not exposed, and still allows you to take the wires out again without having to cut them if you needed to. After having grease on the wires it will be messy, but you can do it.
Whenever making wire connections in an area that may be exposed to water, always remember to use a grease cap for the connection to avoid a short.
Handy Tools, Tips and Tricks 
No Comments »
20
September
2006
A backflow preventor valve assembly is a pretty common part of any sprinkler job. If you are watering your lawn with the same water that you drink or use for other purposes you want one of these, and in most cases the law requires it. This valve is to ensure that any chemicals that are on your lawn do not flow back into the common water system from your sprinkler system, so really it’s an elaborate one way valve.
This valve in usually installed as the first part of your sprinkler system and is where all the water that feeds the system will come from. The pictured backflow preventor is called a Pressure Vacuum breaker. It is commonly used so that your valve is visible and accessable above ground. With this type of backflow preventor, you always want to make sure it is installed at least 6″ above the highest sprinkler head in your system so no gravity feed can passively go back into the system.
There are a number of different backflow preventor styles, some of which include the Reduced Pressure, Atmospheric and the Double Check. All of these will usually require yearly inspection by your city or local government.
Valves No Comments »
15
September
2006
Line drains are relatively inexpensive parts, but they can save you a ton of time an money if you live in a cold weather area, and pay for themselves many times over. If you live in an area where the ground freezes down to the depth your buried your sprinkler line or more, you want to pay attention to this post.
Line drains are threaded “plugs” that have a pressure sensitive valve in them. I always try to “T” them into your sprinkler line at the low points of each section. When the line has pressure on it, the valvel closes and no water comes out. When the pressure releases then the valve opens and water can drain out of these low points.
Even though you probably blow out your sprinkler system in the winter, this helps in case any water remains in your system. If you happen to get an unexpected cold spell or have exposed areas during even a short cold spell where the water in your sprinkler liine coulud freeze solid it could cause a lot of damage, maybe not in materials but you need to find the break, dig it up, fix it and bury it again. The line drains allow the system to drain itself after each cycle so the pipe is not filled with water that can freeze solid and break.
Tip:
When installing them have some sand handy to bury the line drain with. It keeps a chuck of dirt or clay from blocking the valve and stopping the draining.
The downsides are pretty minimal to using this, but there are a few couple minor ones:
- You need to buy the drains (a little extra cost but not much) and go through the extra work of installing them, but again if you are in a cold weather area it is well worth it in the long run.
- It drains all of the water out of your line each time into the drain points. This still stays in your lawn, but might pool and waste a little water where you don’t want/need it.
- I like my system to be quiet, especially when it turns on in the middle of the night or anytime my neighbors are sleeping. When all the water drains out each time the heads tend to make more noise when the water pressure pushes out all of the air. This isn’t a big deal, but it is a little noisier than normal for a little longer time.
Overall, if you live in a cold area the line drains are always a good idea.
Line Drains [King Innovation]
Tips and Tricks, Winterization No Comments »
13
September
2006
The Hunter PGP is by far my most favorite adjustable rotary sprinkler head for residential sprinkler systems. This gear driven sprinkler runs very quietly and smoothly. It comes with either 12 standard or 7 low angle nozzles to get different spray patterns, and is very easy to adjust the radius, from about 5 degrees to a full 360 degrees.
Each head comes with a small key that makes it very easy to adjust the degree of rotation and to adjust the distance to some degree, depending on the nozel you are using.
When setting head and making adjustments, you can just rotate it by hand forward to the next stop and then back to the previous stop to make quicker adjustments. Many heads do not have this feature, and although you do not need to adjust them very often, it sure is more convenient then waiting for it to rotate back and forth on it’s own and getting things wet that you don’t want to (like your kids or something) in the process.
It has a very nice seal with a rubber top so dirt always gets pushed out when the head comes down. The oldest system I have installed is almost 8 years ago and I used the Hunter PGP’s. To my knowledge none have ever gotten clogged or quite working in any of the home systems I have done.
I have been very pleased with this rotor and would recommend it to anyone.
Buy Hunter PGP [Sprinkler.com]
More Information [Hunter]
Sprinkler Heads No Comments »
11
September
2006
Tunneling under sidewalks and similar obstructions can be an big obstacle, even for experienced irrigation installers. The first time I was faced with this task, I did not have the the Sidewalk Sleever, but I wish I did. There are alternative ways to get this job done, but I would suggest that if you have to tunnel under something more than once to consider getting one of these tools, because if you’re anything like me after the first time you are going to wish you had it!
The Sidewalk Sleever is used for 1 or 2 inch PVC pipe, and tools go from 60″ to 96″ long for the 1″ diameter pipe, and 60″ only for the 2″ diameter pipe.
To use, you measure your PVC pipe as directed with the tool so that it fits between the “boring” end and the “stop” end. You will need to dig a hole on either side of the sidewalk or obstruction so that you can tunnel the Sidewalk Sleever through level. You then insert the tool through your PVC pipe and line it up to go under your obstruction. You can then use a sledge hammer to pound your PVC pipe right under the sidewalk, and once you are through just remove the tool from inside the pipe and you are set.
You’ll want to be carefull to have the tool level when you start to avoid it going to deep on the other end, or aiming up too high and taking a chance at cracking your sidewalk from beneath.
The makers of the Sidewalk Sleever boast that most tunneling jobs can be done in 60 seconds. The method I have used involved a lot of water, and lot of time and a lot of work, so I have to say that this tool looks like it’s worth it!
Sidewalk Sleever Site [SidewalkSleever.com]
Handy Tools, Tunneling, Tips and Tricks 2 Comments »
11
September
2006
The Fertile Earth SmartFeeder is an excellent accessory to your automatic sprinkler system. It is a device that can be placed inline with your pressurized sprinkler system and will inject the right amount of fertilizer throught the water.
It’s recommended that this be placed in a system after a check valve approved by the building codes in your area to prevent any contamination into the main water system.
You can place the SmartFeeder automatic fertilizer in an underground in a valve box before your valve manifold so that it will feed all the zones. The liquid fertilizer is in a bottle that goes in the valve box as well, so whenever you need to refill the fertilizer bottle, you can just unhook the bottle and small hose that feeds the fertilizer, refill it and replace it in the valve box.
The fertilizer that is recommended for the SmartFeeder is called Liquid Life and is also made by Fertile Earth, and is safe for use around kids and pets. This is an important feature of the system, as when using this method of fertilization you don’t always have control over kids or pets being in the yard when the sprinklers are running or have recently ran a cycle.
Fertile Earth also makes a liquid pest control formula that works with the SmartFeeder system as well, which allows you to use the same device to help control insects in your yard.
There are a number of inline fertilization systems on the market for your home irrigation, but this is one of the more simple and easy to install versions I have seen.
SmartFeeder [Fertile Earth]
Fertilization No Comments »
10
September
2006
PVC (poly vinyl chloride) pipe is commonly used for residential irrigation systems in the more southern states of the US where the climate is generally warmer. In the northern states where the ground freezes solid and moves, this pipe would crack and break. In the northern colder states, a flexible poly pipe would be more appropriate.
Commonly a schedule 40 PVC pipe is used, is white in color and usually comes in 20 or 40 foot lengths. Usually I would use the 1″ diameter pipe, but occasionally the 3/4″ PVC pipe might be more appropriate for your spinkler system, depending on the flow and pressure you have or need.
When using any threaded pieces to connect the PVC pipe, always be sure to use teflon tape, and when connecting any fittings such as elbows and couplers be sure to use the appropriate glue and primer to avoid leaks.
Pipe No Comments »
6
September
2006
Poly pipe, or polyethelene pipe is a flexible, usually black pipe that is used for underground spinkler line. It’s more popular in the northern areas of the country due to the cold climate.
The poly pipe is more flexible and allows for movement when the ground freezes in the winter months. Regular PVC pipe, even when the system has been blown out, would crack and end up with a lot of leaks in the spring.
Poly pipe is allows also allows for installation without trenching using a pipe puller instead of having to dig trenches in your yard.
Most commonly I use a one inch diameter line with 125 psi, but I might use a slightly smaller line depending on the amount of water flow needed and the pressure available.
Pipe No Comments »
6
September
2006
This is kind of a big tool. Probably one of the bigger ones you will ever use installing sprinklers. This is a vibratory plow, or sometimes called a “pipe puller”. You can usually rent them at different places that rent similar equipment, and common ones are made by Ditch Witch and Toro, among others. The rental places will call them a “Vibratory Plow”, but everyone else I talk to calls them a “pipe puller”. If you think those names are funny, Toro’s machine that the vibratory plow attaches to is called the “Dingo”.
It’s main use is to pull poly pipe through the ground without having to dig a trench. This is very handy if you are installing a sprinkler system in a yard that already has grass, or you just don’t want to dig a big trench with a shovel or a trencher.The way it works is that it appears to go backwards. The blade that you see sticking out is behind the machine. Behind the blade will usually be a short chain with a small device that will connect the to the flexible poly pipe.
This is only for use with flexible poly pipe, not the stiff white PVC pipe.
The little connector often looks like either a small threaded cone that goes inside the poly pipe to hold it on, or is a metal mesh cylinder that the poly pipe goes into. Both get tighter as the pipe pulls.
The vibratory plow will vibrate and go down a foot or two into the ground, pulling the pipe underground behind it. You can go varied distances depending on the pipe your are pulling and the type of ground you are going to. You’ll have to experiment some, but if you go too far the pipe will strech and break, and you’ll end up digging to find it and re-attach or start over.
This works very well becuause it only makes a small cut in the ground, which is much smaller than a trencher or digging with a shovel. If you lose traction the wheels can damage your grass a little too, but still not as much as a trencher would.
If you plan where you need the pipe before hand, and you have an average size yard, you can plan on renting the vibratory plow / pipe puller for just a day.
Handy Tools No Comments »
4
September
2006
This is the Gilmour 996D Pattern Master Pulsating Sprinkler.
Before I installed underground sprinklers in my yard at my current house I used a regular garden hose and a regular pulsating sprinkler. This was fin except that my front and back yard’s are kind of add shaped, and I was having to move the sprinkler quite a bit to get coverage everywhere and not hit the house or outside of my yard.
One day I was at the hardware store and came across this “Pattern Master” sprinkler with an adjustable pattern. This sprinkler is really impressive. Not only can you adjust the pattern of rotation, but you can adjust how far it shoots the water as it goes around!! After using it I would pay twice what I did to buy another.
If you look carefully at the picture, the little red tabs adjust the degree of rotation, much as a normal rotating sprinkler like this would. Now if you look really close above the red tabs at the green piece hooked onto the black mechanism on the sprinkler itself that kind of looks like a gun pointing to the left. The bottom of that “gun” shaped green piece rides on top of a black band that you can manually adjust up and down. There are about 10 places to adjust it, and each adjustment has about 5 settings up and down.
As the sprinkler goes around, the black band pushes the bottom of the “gun” shaped piece up and down, and that in turn obstructs the water more or less to adjust how far the water shoots.
Hopefully I don’t make it sound complicated because it is really easy. If you have an odd-shaped yard this sprinkler is well worth the money it saves in getting a more accurate pattern in watering and the fact that you don’t have to move it so many times to get everywhere in your yard.
Non-Installed Sprinklers No Comments »
