1. Ok to bury or trench the main line? 2. Can you bifurcate at the water source to two main lines if going to vastly different areas? 3. If you need a very long main line (ex 300 ft) is their any issue connecting two long main line tubes together? THANKS
Thanks for reaching out! 1. You bet, I'd say it's common to bury the mainline -- just like with PVC, give it a bed of soft crumbly soil to rest on and it can safely be buried. 2. You sure can! You'll still want to account for the total flow rate of the system vs source and similar, but you can definitely Tee or Y off the main to run one in a completely different direction. 3. No issue, perfectly acceptable to connect two long mains together -- at 300' you might be looking at 3/4" (depending on the total flow of the system), but it's no problem to couple multiple lengths together. Even when they're different materials (for example, PVC pipe and poly tubing) it's generally no issue to connect the two together to cover some distance :)
Normally you''ll winterize the system before the first freeze -- winterizing with drip can be pretty easy as well. Most people just uncap or open a a low point in the system and let gravity drain the water and then leave the rest (except the head assembly) out during winter. The materials used are a little flexible, so they'll bend instead of break. We actually tried to cause damage to poly tubing once, by filling it up completely with water and capping both ends. We then stuck it in the freeze for a week and no damage resulted. We were actually trying to cause some damage so we could show it on our winterizing video (highlighting the reasons to winterize), so we were somewhat disappointed that no damage resulted. We still recommend winterizing though :) If you have a system to winterize, or just want to learn more about winterizing drip, we made a short video that goes into more depth on draining that I touched on above: ua-cam.com/video/qOSIav1DiCQ/v-deo.html
13:58 Is it better to terminate the emitter tubing back into the head row of blank poly rather than with a goof plug? Wouldn't that decrease the pressure required as long as the run isn't too long?
In most cases it's best to terminate the run in a cap or plug -- looping it back into the mainline often just uses more material for no benefit. Looping style systems do have benefits on large irrigation systems, but on smaller low pressure drip systems there really is no benefit and can increase costs due to the extra material usage. :)
I have drip line on raised beds and spike emitters on my landscape plants. Beds are too wet and landscape plants are too dry. Water for 20min every morning at 1 bar. The spike emitters only give 2 litres per hour. Should I double up on each plant or change to button emitters?
Do you know the flow rate of the emitters in your drip line? I'm surprised the beds are getting too wet -- most drip line will have that same 2 lph your spike emitter does (though we do sometimes see them with 4 lph which could be the case here). Adding another spike emitter (or even a button dripper) to the plants being watered by the spike emitter can definitely work -- it's one of the tricks we use for thirstier / larger plants. It has the dual benefit of ensuring those plants receive enough water and that they also get water to all sides of the root zone. Button drippers are likely to perform similarly to your spike emitter -- the most commonly used flow rate that we see is 2 lph, so adding one would be very similar to adding another spike emitter. Button drippers are available at higher flow rates if that's the route you wanted to go -- 4 lph is also fairly common. Though not as common, 8 lph button drippers are out there too. Those are likely the easiest solution, but there is one other -- you could zone the system so that the raised beds and the landscape plants are on their own zone -- this allows them to each have their own watering cycle that you can tailor to their needs. A faucet splitter or multi-outlet timer (if you're automating it) makes zoning fairly straight forward.
@@dripdepotThanks for your reply. Yes, flow rate for dripline is 2lph. The beds aren't too wet, just noticeably damper than the landscape area. I run the system for 20min early morning.I will try replacing the spike emitters with 4lph button emitters.
@@listdoludzie It might be worth checking one thing first -- if you haven't already, dig around in the soil a bit around the spike emitter after a watering cycle and check the soil moisture levels. It could be a case where the beds have denser soil, so more moisture is visible on top. If the landscaping area with the spike emitter has faster soil infiltration rates, the moisture might be there but just beneath the surface -- if you've already checked this, then going with 4 lph emitters will likely be the route :)
Due to time constraints, I’m installing this after I have already mulched. Made it harder for myself, lol. Should I move the mulch or can I just put it on top? Will the water be able to reach the plants roots if I lay it on top of the mulch? Thank you!
It's ok (and not uncommon!) to have the drip line on top of the mulch :) The water will still make its way down through the capillary action of the mulch and soil and the majority of the moisture will still get trapped below where you want it by the mulch. Observe the health of the plants and if need be, slightly increase the watering duration, but even that might not be needed.
@@rnguyen2516 Potentially so -- in most cases, rabbits, squirrels and other small mammals will not chew into the lines if they have an easier source of water available, though I have seen them drink at the emitter outlet (though that didn't cause any damage, they were just lapping at the drips that came out). Dogs and raccoons are another story, as they love to play with the lines and can be quite destructive with it -- I've had raccoons grab mine and drag it all over the yard, and since I have a couple fountains on the property, I know it wasn't. because they were thirsty.
@@dripdepotone more question. The tubing you placed around the tree was a lot smaller than the tree’s canopy. You said the roots will find their way to the water? And for the pre-holed tubing, do the holes have to face up to prevent clogging? Or what is the best position to put them in?
The roots will seek out the water and in addition to that, beneath the surface of the soil, the water will spread through the soil's capillary action -- in very loose/sandy soil it might not spread too far and a "spiral" of drip line might serve better, but in loamy soil it will spread about 12" from the point of drip, so ends up providing pretty good coverage with a single loop (unless the tree is very large of course). In denser/clay soils it spreads even further. For the drip line you'll want the emitters facing up :) Facing up helps prevent an emitter suctioning in dirt after system shut down.
Excellent description
wow great video sir I have learned a lot
You're very welcome, thank you as well!
Great summary thanks!
You're very welcome, thank you for commenting too! :)
1. Ok to bury or trench the main line?
2. Can you bifurcate at the water source to two main lines if going to vastly different areas?
3. If you need a very long main line (ex 300 ft) is their any issue connecting two long main line tubes together?
THANKS
Thanks for reaching out!
1. You bet, I'd say it's common to bury the mainline -- just like with PVC, give it a bed of soft crumbly soil to rest on and it can safely be buried.
2. You sure can! You'll still want to account for the total flow rate of the system vs source and similar, but you can definitely Tee or Y off the main to run one in a completely different direction.
3. No issue, perfectly acceptable to connect two long mains together -- at 300' you might be looking at 3/4" (depending on the total flow of the system), but it's no problem to couple multiple lengths together. Even when they're different materials (for example, PVC pipe and poly tubing) it's generally no issue to connect the two together to cover some distance :)
in winter do these tubes burst when the water inside freeze?
Normally you''ll winterize the system before the first freeze -- winterizing with drip can be pretty easy as well. Most people just uncap or open a a low point in the system and let gravity drain the water and then leave the rest (except the head assembly) out during winter. The materials used are a little flexible, so they'll bend instead of break.
We actually tried to cause damage to poly tubing once, by filling it up completely with water and capping both ends. We then stuck it in the freeze for a week and no damage resulted. We were actually trying to cause some damage so we could show it on our winterizing video (highlighting the reasons to winterize), so we were somewhat disappointed that no damage resulted. We still recommend winterizing though :)
If you have a system to winterize, or just want to learn more about winterizing drip, we made a short video that goes into more depth on draining that I touched on above: ua-cam.com/video/qOSIav1DiCQ/v-deo.html
13:58 Is it better to terminate the emitter tubing back into the head row of blank poly rather than with a goof plug? Wouldn't that decrease the pressure required as long as the run isn't too long?
In most cases it's best to terminate the run in a cap or plug -- looping it back into the mainline often just uses more material for no benefit. Looping style systems do have benefits on large irrigation systems, but on smaller low pressure drip systems there really is no benefit and can increase costs due to the extra material usage. :)
@@dripdepot Thank you! I have been puzzling over that for a while.
@@maddymiller2646 You're very welcome, any time! :D
I have drip line on raised beds and spike emitters on my landscape plants. Beds are too wet and landscape plants are too dry. Water for 20min every morning at 1 bar. The spike emitters only give 2 litres per hour. Should I double up on each plant or change to button emitters?
Do you know the flow rate of the emitters in your drip line? I'm surprised the beds are getting too wet -- most drip line will have that same 2 lph your spike emitter does (though we do sometimes see them with 4 lph which could be the case here).
Adding another spike emitter (or even a button dripper) to the plants being watered by the spike emitter can definitely work -- it's one of the tricks we use for thirstier / larger plants. It has the dual benefit of ensuring those plants receive enough water and that they also get water to all sides of the root zone.
Button drippers are likely to perform similarly to your spike emitter -- the most commonly used flow rate that we see is 2 lph, so adding one would be very similar to adding another spike emitter. Button drippers are available at higher flow rates if that's the route you wanted to go -- 4 lph is also fairly common. Though not as common, 8 lph button drippers are out there too.
Those are likely the easiest solution, but there is one other -- you could zone the system so that the raised beds and the landscape plants are on their own zone -- this allows them to each have their own watering cycle that you can tailor to their needs. A faucet splitter or multi-outlet timer (if you're automating it) makes zoning fairly straight forward.
@@dripdepotThanks for your reply. Yes, flow rate for dripline is 2lph. The beds aren't too wet, just noticeably damper than the landscape area. I run the system for 20min early morning.I will try replacing the spike emitters with 4lph button emitters.
@@listdoludzie It might be worth checking one thing first -- if you haven't already, dig around in the soil a bit around the spike emitter after a watering cycle and check the soil moisture levels. It could be a case where the beds have denser soil, so more moisture is visible on top. If the landscaping area with the spike emitter has faster soil infiltration rates, the moisture might be there but just beneath the surface -- if you've already checked this, then going with 4 lph emitters will likely be the route :)
Due to time constraints, I’m installing this after I have already mulched. Made it harder for myself, lol. Should I move the mulch or can I just put it on top? Will the water be able to reach the plants roots if I lay it on top of the mulch? Thank you!
It's ok (and not uncommon!) to have the drip line on top of the mulch :)
The water will still make its way down through the capillary action of the mulch and soil and the majority of the moisture will still get trapped below where you want it by the mulch. Observe the health of the plants and if need be, slightly increase the watering duration, but even that might not be needed.
@@dripdepot thank you so much! We do have rabbits; are rabbits chewing the lines a concern?
@@rnguyen2516 Potentially so -- in most cases, rabbits, squirrels and other small mammals will not chew into the lines if they have an easier source of water available, though I have seen them drink at the emitter outlet (though that didn't cause any damage, they were just lapping at the drips that came out).
Dogs and raccoons are another story, as they love to play with the lines and can be quite destructive with it -- I've had raccoons grab mine and drag it all over the yard, and since I have a couple fountains on the property, I know it wasn't. because they were thirsty.
@@dripdepotone more question. The tubing you placed around the tree was a lot smaller than the tree’s canopy. You said the roots will find their way to the water? And for the pre-holed tubing, do the holes have to face up to prevent clogging? Or what is the best position to put them in?
The roots will seek out the water and in addition to that, beneath the surface of the soil, the water will spread through the soil's capillary action -- in very loose/sandy soil it might not spread too far and a "spiral" of drip line might serve better, but in loamy soil it will spread about 12" from the point of drip, so ends up providing pretty good coverage with a single loop (unless the tree is very large of course). In denser/clay soils it spreads even further.
For the drip line you'll want the emitters facing up :) Facing up helps prevent an emitter suctioning in dirt after system shut down.