# STL's DIY Irrigation Design



## STL (Jul 14, 2018)

Hey guys. I'm new to this forum and thought I'd post my DIY irrigation design for feedback from the knowledgeable folks here.

As a little background, I'm renovating my backyard from primarily fescue and weeds to KBG. I did my side yard last fall with KBG and the front the fall before with TTTF.

The left side of the backyard is full sun and the ~35% in the upper right is shaded by a large red bud (the play set is built around it) and a small-ish maple. I did my best to accommodate the full sun section with zones 1 and 2, the sun/shade section with zone 3, and the shadier part with zone 4.

The system will be fed from my hose bib to Rain Bird valves. Not ideal, but due to various factors, that's the hand I'm dealt. I'll be using 1 inch blu lock laterals. The design is using MP rotators and side strip models just above the play set swing area. Im going with unregulated 6 inch Hunter Pro Spray bodies with check valves. I initially wanted to use the PRS 40s, but I think it'll be pushing it from a pressure loss standpoint. Also, since I don't have high pressure and little elevation change, it seems that regulated bodies won't bring much advantage here.

My house water line is 3/4 in. copper and the hose bib is fed by 1/2 in. copper. Measured at various times of day, I'm getting a little more than 8 gpm from the hose bib with 54-56 static psi. Each square in the design sheet is 2 feet. I kept each zone under 7 gpm to be safe. Zone 2 is the highest at ~6.81.

Excuse the crude drawing and I'll be making slight adjustments here and there, such as minimizing overspray from the 360 in zone 2.

Thanks!


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Welcome to TLF. Are you the same STL in ATY?

One thing that i was thinking about is, how would you desing this if the playset was not there? Since eventually it will go away.


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## STL (Jul 14, 2018)

g-man said:


> Welcome to TLF. Are you the same STL in ATY?
> 
> One thing that i was thinking about is, how would you desing this if the playset was not there? Since eventually it will go away.


Thanks g-man! Yep, that's me.

Good point on the play set. Off the top of my head, if it wasn't there, I'd probably do something like a standard rotor pattern with 9 heads on the right side and maybe stay with MPs for the left...

However, it's not going anywhere anytime soon. I built that sucker to last and fairly recently. My kids are still little so there's many years worth of playing to be had.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

I would try to design it so the heads you won't need are a separate zone and maybe even lay the pipe for the extra head.


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## STL (Jul 14, 2018)

Cool. Thanks again gman! I'll mock it up such that it could be expanded. That said, anything glaring with the concept/head placement as is?


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

It looks pretty good in my opinion. The only minor detail is the 360 on the left side. I would move it a block to the left so you could reduce the radius and avoid watering the mulch. Also the strips dispense at a different rate than the MPs, so I would use the PR30 to limit their flow.


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## STL (Jul 14, 2018)

Nice call on the prs30s for the side strips. After double checking their rates, regulating 30 psi on those will match the rest better.


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## STL (Jul 14, 2018)

This is probably a dumb question, but what do you guys do with the extra sprinkler wire conductors if you're not hooking it up at a valve? Inside next to the controller, I'm just going to not attach it, but curious what's best practice with the one outside in the valve area.


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## STL (Jul 14, 2018)

Also, I'm getting a good amount of low head drainage even though my hunter pro spray have check valves. Anyone know if this is normal or perhaps if I need to do something to the bodies to enable the check valve feature?

You can see it still dribbling out in the pic below.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

There is something wrong since the inner stem is not fully closing down. You can unscrew the top part and take the inners out to check.


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## STL (Jul 14, 2018)

Thanks @g-man! Looks like the blue lock 1/2 mpt fittings are a bit long and pushing up on the stem when fully screwed in. I'll loosen them up, but hopefully that doesn't cause them to leak from the bottom!


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## STL (Jul 14, 2018)

Well, I found the problem. The threads cracked and are pushing up on the base of the stem. Probably from over-torquing the fittings. Sumb!itch


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## Delmarva Keith (May 12, 2018)

STL said:


> This is probably a dumb question, but what do you guys do with the extra sprinkler wire conductors if you're not hooking it up at a valve? Inside next to the controller, I'm just going to not attach it, but curious what's best practice with the one outside in the valve area.


At the valves or manifold boxes, slit the outer jacket of the cable so you can access the common and the conductors you need while allowing all other conductors to run through uncut to the next valve or manifold box. Fewer splices will save headaches down the road. At the last valve or manifold box, cap all the "other" conductors not used in that box and wrap them around the outer jacket of the cable so they're insulated and out of the way.

This method has saved my bacon when a zone needs to be added. Any location on the cable has all conductors running through. Tee into the main, connect another valve to an unused wire in the cable, boom, another zone.


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## STL (Jul 14, 2018)

@Delmarva Keith Gotcha. Thanks for the tip!


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## STL (Jul 14, 2018)

After checking all the heads I put together already, I need to replace six bodies with cracked threads from my overzealous torquing. :evil: Luckily, they weren't all installed yet. I'm just doing to buy the cheaper six inch pro spray bodies without a check valve and swap the internals.

Note to anyone using blu lock fittings, or probably any fittings actually, and pro spray bodies, be careful when your screwing in the fitting and stop at the first bit of resistance!


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## STL (Jul 14, 2018)

So, my install is about 90% done. Just need to bury some trenches and clean it up some.

I'm having an issue though with the MP3000s. They are throwing more like 20'-22'. This isn't an issue with my other zones due to a closer spacing, but it may be an issue for two heads in zone 1, which were designed based on 24' throw. Also, the MP 2000 360 in zone 2 is throwing like 15 feet vs my planned 18-19'.

I have some Hunter Pro spray shut off nozzles that I'm going to use to turn off a few heads for testing to see if it improves, but does anyone have thoughts? Pressure loss? Or am I maybe getting too close to or exceeding my ~8 gpm (by my math, I should be fine)? For those with MP 3000s, what distance are you getting?


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## STL (Jul 14, 2018)

So, after turning off a couple heads, I was able to observe the throw pattern on the heads better. I think it's the edges of the MPs that I was having issues with. They kinda have to "grow" to there full distance and they don't do that until they rotate some first.

By adjusting my edge back to give the each stream more room to reach its full distance, it solved it for the MP 3000s.

Still not sure why the MP2000 360 is throwing short though. It's adjusted all the way out as far as I can tell. May try a 3000 360 and see if the system can handle it.


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## Delmarva Keith (May 12, 2018)

One of these is handy when trying to figure out what's going on.

https://www.sprinklerwarehouse.com/Hunter-Rotor-Pressure-Gauge-ADJ-p/MP-GAUGE.htm?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjZrP47f53AIVRUsNCh06nA0eEAQYAiABEgL1FfD_BwE


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## STL (Jul 14, 2018)

@Delmarva Keith no doubt! Wish I had one on hand and may have to pick one up.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

If your valves have flow controllers, make sure they are open.


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## STL (Jul 14, 2018)

@g-man thanks! I do. They are in the "off" position. I'll have to check and see if if that means flow control off or flow off.


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