Irrigation System Installation 

Laying pipe always seems easier in the dark, especially when working around a thick bush.

When I bought our house 2 years ago, the irrigation alone was a huge selling point. 😂 Welcome to a much easier life!

It’s going to look amazing! About 3 weeks ago I did this same for my new dental office. I ran 1250 ft of poly pipe and put in 49 sprinklers. Once you turn them on and can watch all your hard work running it’s a pretty incredible feeling! Props to you my friend!

As a professional utility locator, thank you for telling people to call 811.

Great job my friend. I commend you for doing it yourself. I reside in Northern VA. Got my irrigation system installed Aug 2019, in the middle of a super hot and dry Summer. What helped my lawn heal was watering each zone for 10 minutes per day, for 10 ten days in a row. By the time I over seeded the following month, the lawn had only a few areas that indicated where the pipe was trenched. By the middle of October after the new grass had been mowed for the third time, my lawn was as good as new. No need to worry, it’s worth the hard work you have put in...

Brings back memories of almost 3 years ago this July. Installed 350 feet of 2” PVC with 11 heads right down the middle of my corner lot. Pump water off of the lake in my backyard. I went with the sod cutter prior to trenching. Also, had to trench 75’ to the lake to get power to the irrigation pumps. Oh the treasures I found from construction 10 years prior. Best feeling seeing the water fly for the first time. Have mine set up with a Kasa smart plug and contactor that turns the pump on and all 11 heads, 17k sqft at once. Toughest DIY project I ever did.

Awesome, I did my system by hand, 23 heads...was a labor of love...so happy to have it done now though....you see that the lines where you trenched will get weeds but also the grasss will be the greenest on the trenches..Gonna be great when its all done

Nice lawn and I feel your pain digging up your lawn! I did the same late last summer because like you, I was tired of getting up at 4am to position sprinklers. Then I got a timer to attach to my outdoor water spigot, to alleviate some of the early morning risings. But I said to heck with all that and wanted a full automatic irrigation system, sprinkler heads, back flow preventer, control box (Hydrawise by Hunter) , yada, yada yada! But I opted for Blu-lock, no glue just push together fittings. Good Job!

I just installed a system myself about 2 weeks ago. I rented a vibratory plow and pulled the pipe through. It still requires digging to install the T’s between the pipes along with the heads. I felt your excitement! I’ve got my seed down and I’m loving it!

Dang dude. Props to you for taking on so much of this yourself. Will be extra rewarding in the end. Good job!

The trick to going under the sidewalk is to do it with a garden hose on a pvc pipe. It softens the dirt and bores a hole as you work it with a little patience.

That’s the dream right there. In ground irrigation is the one thing I wish I put in prior to my sod when I built the house.

Man, I'm jealous! That is going to be nice. No more dragging the hose around the yard. Nice job.

I’ve done 3 full installs and a bunch of renovations. Put a system in my current house last spring, about 800ft of pipe. Should have asked for help, it was a physical beat down. Well worth it, I love to sit out after a good mow and watch it run. With the app based controller, I’m able to adjust it from my deployed location in the Middle East.

“I’m no good at laying pipe”. That’s what she said...... That made me laugh out loud! 😂😂😂😂 Great video!

Good work man. I did the same exact install but with Orbit rotors and Rainird RVAN’s. Trenched everything as well. Now, I can control all 5 zones off of my phone. So much work but so rewarding. Now, it’s the greenest lawn on the block while everyone else’s is burnt to a crisp.

I am going to be completely reseeding my lawn probably next spring so it sounds like now is a great time to set up irrigation. Thanks for this video!!

You’ll be thankful to have the system. I just had to raise 34 sprinklers to maintain good coverage. 👍🏻👍🏻🇺🇸

I felt your pain, it was tuff seeing a beautiful lawn ruffed up! To avoid that I hired a company during the dormant grass season, that was 5/6 years ago, the only regret was not getting one sooner. I feel this sprinkler and replacing all the windows were the best improvements we have made while living here.

That’s awesome. Game changer for the grass for sure. Man, I want to do that to my yard. Maybe next season.

Excellent video! You can use water or air to bore under sidewalks and driveways, water is a little messy but works great!

It’s always interesting seeing how others install systems. The way we do it at my company is poly pipe not PVC and for the back flow we just have it plumbed from the utility room, or we take the spigot and extend the copper and run the back flow off that stub and put the spigot off the back flow of the copper was plumbed correctly. Enjoyed your video tho! Good work!

To b honest that wasn’t as bad as I thought it’d b. That’s actually the best case scenario. But it ain’t my yards so..... good luck with restoring.

😩😩😩 I couldn’t bring myself to do this .. Speedy recovery 🙌🙏💪

15:15 I laid a rainwater drain pipe under the sidewalk by using a piece of (75mm) pvc pipe and a water hose on full blast inside the pvc pipe pushed up to its leading edge. The water acted like a drill against the dirt. All the mud washed out back along the pipe. I just pushed the pipe and twisted it little by little until it was under the sidewalk. My friend's idea but I can vouch for it, it worked a treat.

I'd say the labor is probably the hardest part to all of this. Congrats in the system!

NOICE!!! Pro tip: When connecting funny pipe, heat up the end with a small blow torch to soften it up. Will connect much easier with much less effort.

Happy for you. Love the comedic drop-ins

I did my own 2 years ago. I used 150psi poly pipe. Its way better than working with pvc. Especially if you have lots of clay in your soil. I rototilled my lawn and leveled it before I installed it. Seeing you tearing up that great lawn is hard to watch! Welcome to the good life! Ha

Congratulations Justin , definitely like Christmas , Lawn will heel up it always does .

You'll love it! Good luck! You're life will be easier from this point on with watering the grass.

Sweet! Turned out awesome! Going to do mine soon too!

Wow Justin that is a lot of work to do by yourself (and some helper). But I'm proud of you for finishing the job.

Y’all laid a lot of pipe. 😂 at least it’s all done now! Ready to see the comeback!

My Rachio just arrived in mail today and will be installing it tomorrow. I have the same Hunter PGP rotors and will be swapping a few of them this weekend with I-20 six inch risers. I cut my TTTF at 4 inches. In some areas of my lawn, the 4 inch PGP's can't really get over the top of my grass and it throws the spray off.

The music score during the "ripping up" of the lawn was so awesome😂😂 Super cool bro..... 🎶

Wait till next year when you put the first stake through a line or a head breaks... the best part of a sprinkler system is digging something up each year.

Laying pipe” is the easy part. Just need rhythm, Fast or slow or combo. Either way get the job done. 🤣 Reminds me of last year on my 7,500sf reno of the front/side. Had my local sprinkler company that I work with on my jobs trench the bare soil, then had my bro (IU grad) help lay the pipe and connect heads. Then test and backfill. Graded and seeded. It was a nice Saturday!!

☀️ Upping your game!! Maybe one day I’ll get one. 😀

That looks real nice! Very educational video. I’ll have to recruit you if I ever need to install one. Thanks.

Awesome video man! I did ours about 5 years ago and never regretted it. I added a pneumatic fitting at our valve box so I could attach my air compressor to it and blow all the water out at the beginning of winter. Worked pretty well and was super easy to do. It was such a gratifying project.

I love this channel! I love the humor and I enjoy the excellent content!

Looks great! Your beautiful lawn will bounce back in no time!

Never used PVC with funny pipe before. We always used poly pipe up here. I have put in whole systems myself. It definitely is a process.

Only recommendation I’ll give is using marlex on spray heads . It helps with stability and avoid heads tilting.

I’m no good at laying pipe 🤣 story of my like brother! Love the video, super glad you did this video I’m getting ready for the same thing, only I don’t have nice grass yet in the back

Waiting to see your water coverage area video!!

Thank you for showing us this. It's helping me make future decisions .

Very cool! Will be interested to see your choice of controllers.

Bloomington! My old home. I found using a power washer needle nozzle to cut a trench best. Slices thru dirt. Throws mud but it washes in fast. Small hole.

Best use of a baking pan that I have ever seen!!!

“This is without a doubt going to be the greatest day of my life. WHAT!” 😂

An excellent video! I think that it is essential installing the pipe showing its information, I mean letters up; that way, you can see the kind of pipe used and how many psi can tolerate the system. Thank you.

Very very god video. I am planing to do this on my house but before doing my lawn. I feel sorry for the damage on your beautiful lawn.

Make sure you get the wifi rainbird then you can set it and forget it or turn it on whenever you want. I upgraded mine last year and its awsome!! Have fun!!

Congratz bro! Working on the same project now. Seriously so excited!

Justin: this is not a how to video Also justin: heres the step by step guide of how I installed an irrigation system

It's exciting to see how easy it is to plan this out. I've been wanting to try an install on my lawn and been dreading it, but this helps. Obviously the labor is still not exciting, but I knew that was going to suck anyway.

That looks like a lot of work! I’ll continue with the hose & sprinkler for now.

I can't believe you did this in late spring, almost summer. you're a WILD MAN!

So glad to have been able to see that process. Nicely done, and thanks for uploading. Heartwarming when you were walking around with your beautiful baby. I was smiling like crazy. What a little sweetheart :):)

"If life were all about laying pipe . . . " you could have stopped right there and a nation of men would have instantly liked and subscribed. Beyond that, your admission that you, personally aren't very good at it was both stunning and brave. The fact that you have a truly beautiful lawn in spite of your admitted manly deficiency is inspiring, as is your courage to persevere anyway, knowing the holes in your game. In all seriousness, your lawn looks awesome and it hurt to watch it get torn up, but the tips and laughs I got from watching you do it made it all worthwhile for me. Great video. I'll be subscribing. Thanks!

They have Timers for that JS! :) I don't get up anymore I just use my timer and set it for how long and what time, Plus it rains so much here anyways! I did want one but I don't wanna mess my lawn up Lol, God bless you for doing it

6:37 good info right here. I never knew of this option that would save the grass.

It’s soo great i watch it to many times, also can you please show us your controller in a video. I would be really happy. Thank you

Congrats on an awesome accomplishment brother, nicely done.

Thank you for showing me that this is not a project I'm going to DIY.

Nice work!

I'm jealous I need one installed

This was awesome. Thanks for sharing.

Excellent work man! 👊😎

Great video and congrats on your system..... we just did ours at the end of last year and had to winterize it..... could not wait to use it this year almost like buying a new car...... you should work on your pipe laying skills!! It can come in handy!!

Im not that confident! Much respect to anyone who is willing to tackle this DIY!

Oh I want to do this this so bad!! Nice work! You can tell how hard it was by your lack of innuendo jokes 😂

Very informative video! I've been thinking about doing one myself for a year now but my biggest hesitation is the trenching. I'd prefer to use a vibrating plow blade trencher, you make reference to it at 7:08 but the area I live is very rocky (middle TN) so I'm not sure how those things perform with that. 2 questions: did you encounter any big obstacles (rocks) during your trench digging with that big trencher you used and if so, did that trencher just plowed through it? And, question 2 is: I have a skinnier strip of lawn between the road and the sidewalk (3 feet), it runs for about 50 feet from end to end (corner lot), to save on digging and adding additional zones I was considering just placing those heads so it would water that strip section and reach over the sidewalk across the other side. I think you have a similar approach, couldn't tell very well from the video, but do you find too much water being wasted by watering the sidewalk and would you have done anything different on that setup?

Awesome work. Game changer!!!

Lol been there done that with the hauling of the pipe... got some weird looks when I was driving home but what can you do when they are that long haha

I really enjoyed the quiet talking and explosive transition music from Spain.

When I had my system put in they had a machine that would pull the pipe under the ground and only made a slight scarring where they pulled the piping. They was done in like 4 hours. The machine you are using is really brutal on the lawn. I have 9 zones and 36 heads.

Brilliant! 🤩

Too late for your project so this suggestion is for those still learning through you. When marking out project consider landscape lighting. Can easily drop wire into trench before you backfill.

Laying pipe....Hahahahaha. Great video brother. It was tough to watch through teary eyes though. Lol. That beautiful lawn. Can’t wait to see the rest of the process

Wow amazing job. I enjoyed watching. 😎😎

You're telling me that those idiots took that machine on your beautiful lawn AND trenched through your grass? Nope. I would have used a sod cutter for the trench line and plywood for the tracks. 3 pieces on each turn to count for tail swing. But I love your videos and appreciate them!

Wow This is an „Terminator“ Great ! Greetings from Germany 👍👍

Oh, that hurt my stomach to watch. Great work, brother. 👌🏾👏🏾🤙🏾🌱

awesome - good job!

Awesome video 👏

Good job man

Great video; can't wait to see what you did to repair your lawn. BTW, what type of grass is that? Thx

Thanks for the video!

nicely explained dude. i really enjoyed it. and beautiful place and home to live

Never knew mike the situation was such a lawn connoisseur

You had me at Bloomington, IN.

Hard work!!! Great to watch. You def PITTL

You’re a lucky man!

Awesome! I been looking at putting in a sprinkler system. Just not sure if I want flex hose stuff and the pvc pipe. The pvc pipe looks better in strength tho. Hmmm

Damn that's a nice lawn

I love how “not to videos” that show how to do stuff

If you do the project yourself without a trenching machine it can be done, but it's very labor intensive and takes months. I've put in three systems in three different homes without heavy equipment. I start by installing the vacuums breaker valve and manifold boxes near the house. I temporarily connect spare zones that I can connect hoses to some of the valves in the manifold boxes. That way I could setup three different sets of hoses and sprinklers to irrigate the areas that had not being completed during the construction process. My third sprinkler system that I installed is actually two different 12 zone systems. I have a total of 24 zones. Of the 24 zones, there are 6 zones that are spare zones on different manifolds, that I can hook up hoses for seasonal garden areas for additional irrigation, or future expansion of the sprinkler systems. Each of the two systems has it's own vacuum breaker valve on each side of the house. Each 12 zone system has three manifold valve boxes. Each manifold valve box has four electric valves. One inch pipe feeds the water to the vacuums breaker valves from the water distribution pipes near the water meter in the basement of the house. I have two 12 zone controllers to operate the two systems. My system is probably much larger than most residential sprinkler systems. I installed one zone at a time. I use a large, old kitchen knife to cut sections of the sod and fold them over. I then manually dug out the dirt with very small gardening tools, including a flat wrecking bar to loosen the soil. The soil is temporarily hauled away and stored in a pile that is not laying on the grass. Then the PVC pipes and connectors are installed in the zone trench from the manifold box to the heads. After each zone is completed, the dirt is returned to the trench, a little compost is added to liven up the sod that may have been folded over for several days. The sod is place on top of the thin layer of compost. Occasionally, I would run into rocks that were in the way of my trenches. The rocks would have to be dug out of the ground. The rocks were usually up to 6 inches in diameter, but the largest rock was about 2 feet in diameter. The rocks were removed by digging and prying with my two 6 foot very heavy duty metal wrecking bars. One of my former homes had clay soil, which makes the digging dramatically more difficult. The other homes were loam soil, which makes the digging much easier. I use the thicker PVC in the system, and I connect the heads directly to the 3/4" risers from the 1" PVC pipes. I'm not sure why you would need the flexible pipe to connect the sprinkler heads. I have 3 heads per zone, so I can get a lot of water pressure out of each head. I screw down the set screws in each head to diffuse the water, which reduces the water throw distance, but dramatically improves the water coverage. It took me several months, after workdays and on weekends to complete the sprinkler systems for each home I've lived at over the years. It's a tremendous amount of manual labor to do the job without heavy equipment, or destroying the yard, but it is possible to do. It saved a huge amount of money for my two 12 zone systems, but it consumed a huge amount of my free time to do the installation for each home. The cost for my system was only the parts, plus many hundreds of hours of my free time. If you haven't done so already, you might also do a video about blowing out your sprinkler system with compressed air. Every year, you have to be very careful to throughly blow out your sprinkler system before the weather gets too cold, if you live in a cold climate that gets below 32 degrees for long time periods. Frozen water in system system will destroy your sprinkler system.