I’ve been doing irrigation for 30 years now and one thing I can’t stand is fixing a leak and it’s the bottom pipe. When that happens you usually have to cut the top pipes to the bottom pipe and agter you fix that one you have to go back and fix the top ones. Lay the pipes side by side as it makes it much easier.
Have you ever heard of companies that actually mark the location of the pipes?? It seems like most companies do not bother with thar. Extremely important to know where the pipes are located. it's so ridiculous that so many 0:01 companies don't bury a wire or mark them on a map or something. Anything.
Do not use a chainsaw on roots unless you enjoy buying new chains for chainsaws. Instead, use a recip (sawzall) with a long wood-tooth blade. You'll get way more uses out of the blade and they're way cheaper/easier to replace.
Nice video. Try putting the spoils on tarps. It's a lot cleaner and easier than scratching the spoils out of the grass. I flush my lines out before I put the heads on. I put the nozzles in all the heads on my tailgate. It's a lot easier. And you only have to get on your knees once
My purpose was to help others go about things in a quicker more efficient manner. Something that I've learned over 40 years. I think people would appreciate that. Learning from someone who's been on that square hundreds of times. Thank you
Awesome informational video! I had called my city and representative treated me that is was absurd to ask city employee to mark of gas, plumbing or electric. You provided the 811 and representative there very helpful and grateful I called vs digging and hoping.
In Michigan we have a hotline MISS-DIG they plant flags and post a ticket on their website. Anytime you see flags you can look online by address and it explains what it's for, and the date range of the project.
Definitely better safe than sorry but generally the city's gas lines etc are way deeper than we're digging for irrigation. I couldn't imagine having to contact the city every time before digging outside someone's house..
During the pandemic, I almost applied for a sprinkler company because they were hiring installers. I watched this video, wich was new back then, and of course I didn't apply. Brutal work.
Good video but the trenching by hand cracks me up. Here in SW Colorado with hard, dry, sun baked clay soil, you need to rent a trencher to get anything done. For hand digging valve box locations, I use a 5 gal bucket with a spout to drip water onto the area constantly for a few days prior to digging. That softens it up enough for the shovel.
WOW. This is how it was done 20+ years ago. Been using flex for a number of years now. Rent a small machine to push the flex tube in the ground. No need to dig, except for the heads and fittings.
I've been installing sprinklers sine 1994. After we connect all our zones, we start filling up trenches before we test the system. If you have a leak, it can be easily fixed. I've only had one leak in all those years. If you properly join the pipes, fittings and heads you should have no problems.
Just a suggestion, but wouldnt it be better to put the wiring next to or right on the main line for the sprinklers, that way if you run into any problems you can identify which is the mainline and which are zone lines? Also i wish i was in Texas that dirt looks nice to dig ! Im from NewJersey lots of mountains and very rough compacted dirt, sometimes we remove boulders out of the ground, hand-digging here is super rough! We also use poly pipe for zone lines and Pvc for main line only.
Put your wires under pipe. So that someone cuts a pipe before they cut a wire in the future. Cut just a wire and you probably wont know it then will be hard to find.
This is a good video, if h/o tries to use this advise I can see future repair work for service techs. That's why I love videos like this, it creates a lot of work :)
I agree did you see them install that fitting pointing straight up! Haha no mention of gallons per minute to calculate how many heads to use on one zone either!!!
This install was one of the worst ones I've seen on youtube. There is a guy above in the comments who actually tried telling me this was a fine install and this is exactly how to do it.
@@michaeldavis3188 I have installed irrigation lines and heads before. And it isn't always a piece of cake, especially when done near tree roots, extremely hard/ bad soil, etc. But just because an installation is "difficult" doesn't erase the fact that several (not all) of the pipes in this video definitely seemed too shallow and more susceptible to damage (shovels, aerators, etc). Lateral pipes (from valves to sprinkler heads) s/b a minimum of 8"-10" deep. Mainlines (from pressured water source to the valves) s/b deeper.
Expected solvent welded plumbing to be 1/4 turned and held together for 30 secs before proceeding to next task. Expected pressure/leak test before covering with dirt.
Have you ever heard of companies that actually mark the location of the pipes?? It seems like most companies do not bother with thar. Extremely important to know where the pipes are located. it's so ridiculous that so many 0:01 companies don't bury a wire or mark them on a map or something. Anything.
First of all, before you start a sprinkler system you must have knowledge of some basic things. 1. Determine what your water pressure is (take a measurement at a spigot, different times of the day) 2. You need to know the meter size; 5/8 will flow 15 gallons per minute, 3/4 inch will safely flow 22 GPM 3. Make sure you have an independent electric outlet for your controller; if you have a controller on a GFCI, it when the circuit trips your program is saved on battery until the battery runs out but your system shuts off due to no power 4. Also, this video makes no mention of a cross connect to your main water line, you will need a backflow prevention device; in Texas we use a double check valve. I like to use the 1 inch double check valve. 5. Zone your stations according to pressure, meter size and distance from water meter for best results.
Regardless of a noob installing the irrigation, maybe there’s a product defect. Always check to make sure everything holds. Not sure how burying your pipe immediately is efficient or cost effective. Either way you will have to fill the trench. Why not just wait to fill the trench after you check to make sure theirs no leaks? 🤷🏽♂️
Been doing it a long time ... if it happens you re dig that area... its never very hard unless you dont know what you are doing and mess up big time.. And if its a brake or a "defective"part .. which again ivenever had happen ... you dig up ... a foot section and fix the brake? Just like a service call ... itsa lot easier to back fill as you go.. if you arent a tech i understand why you dont understand LOL
Some tips: Place threaded fittings sideways, not upright. This makes maintenance easier in the future, and lessens the likelihood of breaks. Do not use side inlets. If you ever need to replace the actual pop up bodies, repairs are going to take a lot of digging, and a lot of unnecessary work
...and twist the cemented joint 45-90 degrees to its final position after insertion to ensure even distribution of the glue. Some plumbing inspectors will look for how the glue follows the edge of the fitting on potable water piping as an indicator of a properly assembled joint..
@@cdel46 no one inspects irrigation pipe like that.. especially a plumber... The real problem here is sch40 with Cristy's hot blue. Could've saved money and had an even more efficient system as far as pressure losses and a quicker install had they went with CL200 and regular clear solvent.
@@noeeon9910 I agree with the CL200 for all around install. Sch 40 has over 800 PSI, most homes have less than 80 psi. I never use pipe cleaner, I just apply Cristy's PVC cement, it seals faster and even with water on pipes.
@@diyhomeprojects7317 yeah it does seal faster and is made for repairs where residual water may be an issue. But be careful using the Christy's with cl200 that solvent weld is strong and will eat through the pipe at the joint if you use it in excess.
I am replacing all my old Rain Bird sprinklers with the newer Rain Bird Rotary sprinklers, Much more efficient, and look sharp. Important to note the length of water throw. Looking forward to seeing the final results.
And as a tech I could tell you all systems installed at 6-8" in the ground where safe. The freeze did nothing to irrigation... Pools on the other hand....
I have old copper piping ran for my wiring encase. Is it possible to run the wire through the soldered pipes. I'm thinking the issue would be the 90 degree turns. Any suggestions or should I just bury it? How deep?
I have almost 2 ac of land and in desperate need of a sprinkler system but i have no idea where to start. This gave me some useful information.. thanks
Rain Bird will design a sprinkler system for you for free. All you need to do is provide them with the dimensions of the yard(s) that you want to irrigate. Go to their website for more information.
The Technician in the video was marking running lines with green paint. Green paint is 811 color code for sewer. They need to stick with pink paint or white paint. Be sure to verify with your local 811 laws.
I agree; my wife and I installed a 5 station system in our 2nd home in S. Texas. We rented a trencher from Home Depot and finished the 50 x 90 lot in 4 hours. Day 2, we cleared the trenches, dug trenches where machine could not trench and laid out the pipes, fittings, and heads for each zone. Day 3; installed the backflow prevention device at the cross connect to the main line and started fitting all the stations. Also installed the electrical wire Day 4. Finished the last zone and heads; started back filling trenches Day 5; installed Rachio Controller and considered the job complete. Total cost with rental and materials including controller was $1,500. Saved about $2,000 on labor.
Make sure you mark the location of the pipes underground. Because otherwise, it's a headache later on. Most companies do not mark d***, and that's insane. And stupid. Literally no one thought to do this, Or bury a cable with the pipe.
I am Brazilian and I work with this system here, I want to go to the USA, the violence in my country is scary, I would like to live in a safe country. Can I work when I get there?
The Biden administration seems to be letting anyone, and everyone enter the U.S. through the southern border right now. And when you get here, you can live in California or New York and buy/sell drugs for a living.
Can I put 3 sprinkler heads branching off the same flex pipe? The flex pipe run will be approximately 50 ft and there will only be 4 total heads in that zone.
Take into account the amount of water pressure you have. If it’s high enough, usually around 60-80psi you should be ok. Also take into account what size nozzle you will be using to maximize coverage.
Flex pipe is used for a maximum run of 24 inches. Although running it longer is possible you don’t want to do it. If you need to add more heads at a future time you want the flow of the larger pipe. Running a long distance of flex pipe also increases the friction loss significantly. You can say the math works but professionals don’t do it because it causes maintenance issues in the future and it’s just wrong.
Before the hordes flooded in, most systems were properly designed and installed. By Americans. Now most systems are crap. Especially the slave wage companies installing for builders. The people have no pride in this country and therefore no pride in their work.
If you are saying that pvc will be 4 or 5" under a fire pit, I'm not sure i understand you correctly but if that is the case I would not recommend you try that. the pipe could get hot and melt.
5 or 7 inches of dirt between a fire and pvc isn't a good mix you. Unless you are burning little tiny fires for very short amounts of time then you might would be ok but I wouldn't try it. :)
Yes, in fact I would recommend placing your lines 1 inch below the fire pit. The heat from the fire will warm the water and provide nice, geothermal heated water. In fact, you could even run the lines right through the flames.
Okay good tips here, and a very good install. But theres a few things I'd advise not to do... 1) dont use blue glue on installs, use clear. 2) dont use swing joints they come in predetermined sizes. Use swing riser pipe and barbed els makes install fast and repairs easy. 3) dont kill your employees by making them hand dig a whole install.
Hand digging ain’t that bad especially considering the fact they only installed the system in the front yard, however using a shovel to make trenches is not a good idea it’s better to use a talacho
What do you mean "swing riser pipe"? I've used flexible swing on my yard and don't like the flex. I prefer rigid pvc because the head stays aligned even when soil shifts or settles.
@@josiahutah3712 swing riser pipe is the actually pipe used in swing joints. They come in 100' rolls and are reasonably priced. You connect them to barbed els. Now, in my experience if the ground settles or shifts I'd prefer to dig up a head a little and just adjust and tighten the dirt around it rather than to dig the head up to repair a broken nipple or T.
@@isaiahvaldez9147 blue glue is STRONG and great for Large PVC Repairs because it settles quickly and will still adhere if the pipe or fitting isn't completely dry. When repairing with Blue Glue make sure you wipe all the excess off the fittings or pipe, over time the excess blue glue will compromise the PVC and make it brittle causing it to leak. One of the most common reasons for leaks is excess blue glue at the fitting. Imagine a whole install like that....... Use clear, the pipe is clean and it's easy to work with. Doesn't settle as quickly so you can swiftly correct a mistake.
Sprinkler Warehouse sells 16 and 18 gauge direct-burial wire that is designed to be buried in a trench underground without the need for conduit. The individual electrical conducting wires are encased in a solid thermoplastic sheath that seals out moisture and protects the conductors within.
4 pipes in one trench? Sheesh, what a pain for repairs. I didn’t realize they still used such archaic installation methods these days! How about a vibratory plow?
@@noeeon9910 Vibratory plows are for 90% of all jobs. Using a pro sneak 360 is so much easier than digging trenches. Also PVC doesn't need to be used unless the project is massive. Even using PVC, you can pull it with the pro sneak 360.
@@ThroughMyEyesASMR I install a 10 zone system in 2 hours in an area no greater than 2,600 sqft with a ditch witch. It's the most efficient way in new construction. Vibratory plows are not an option.
@@treyvorcamara9530 you dont go by number of heads. You go by gallons per minute. You need to be able to use pressure loss charts to design the system. While keeping velocity about 5 feet per second through pipes. Look up pressure loss through city service line for particular gpm, and loss through water meter, and valves (which is roughly 5psi or less)and length of pipe at said gpm and fittings and pressure to push up the " last head" which is usually about 20 psi. And backflow device. Add all this up and should be at least 10 percent below available static pressure . If you shouldn't push more than 12 psi per zone then that's 3 -15 foot full circles (if not low volume nozzles) or 6 half circle heads etc. Not the number of heads.
@@treyvorcamara9530 Where did you get that ? Depends on static water pressure and size of meter. Dont go by number of heads. Figure out available pressure. Or......go trial and error if you want like so many do....uuugh
If you have a water meter that measures 3/4 inch you can safe flow 22 gallons per minute. Do the math depending on head arc. Full circle is 3 GPM, half circle is 1.5 gpm and Quarter circle is .75 pgm. Place flags 12 feet apart and do a layout and the math on total GPM. Do not exceed 22 gallons with 3/4 meter (call you city to find out). Use 1 inch pipe out of the valves since gpm flow allow 22 gpm, then reduce to 3/4 once you determine flow to be under 15 gpm. NEVER use 1/2 pipe, not worth buying fittings and pipe for 3 sizes. Stick to 1 inch and 3/4 for pipes and fittings. Saves a ton of time.
If you use pvc over poly for branch lines its guaranteed service calls for years to come, kind of shitty for your customers really. SCH 200 pvc as well, at least use the sch 40. Also the use of the fucking same color coded wire for the wiring outside of the common is dogshit. I hate going to service systems that were installed poorly like this, makes things that would normally be a simple quick fix take longer.
Lateral lines laying in the same trench on top of each other is never a good idea. Any break in a line, the repair work will be ten times as hard. The pipes are also not deep enough. Good luck if you ever want to aerate this lawn. This install is a shit show.
ive ran my main line underground alongside the side fence and the control cables in a conduit saddled about 4 inches above the ground and above the main line . each station's solenoid is in a box near the fence with a tee from the wiring conduit going down into the ground box one main line 40mm with all tee offs 25mm .this saves a lot of time for maintenance and locating solenoids is a breeze
You must be a pipe puller... Laying lateral line with main and others is EXACTLY how you do it... If your worth your salt as a repair man the shit ain't hard to repair.
