# Tapping the Main?



## ChappyEight (May 9, 2018)

I'm working through designing a system for my home using the IrrigationTutorials site. Seems pretty straight forward so far except for one part. The part where I'm supposed to tap into the water main seem a bit much for me to tackle on my own. Could anyone point me to a video or story with pics on how this is done for a home without a basement?

Further, should I call a plumber, an irrigation company, or both to quote that work? I feel quite confident about installing everything on the other side of the backflow preventer. But, upstream of that scares me a bit.

Thanks in advance for the advice.

(P.S. I'm just outside Indianapolis if that helps re: depths. Our frost line is at 32".)


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## erdons (Apr 3, 2018)

You can always tap into a water hose spigot, less risk this way. Remove your current hose bib, add a tee and then you can add back your spigot and a threaded nipple to the bottom of your tee with a shut off valve then start your sprinkler lines from there.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

What irrigation companies do is the find the water line from the meter to the house. They close the water flow at the meter and add a T underground. Yes 6ft deep.

I would say to continue to design your layout and valve box location, then call for quotes a for them to do your design.


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

I would definitely get a plumber to do it and see if you would be better off getting a second meter just for irrigation. I know everywhere is different but where I live they charge you for sewer based on what you use with the house meter which would get prohibitively expensive with irrigation. Also, my irrigation meter is a 1" main while the house is 1/2" which would allow more flow and better GPM which would make you system much more flexible. You will also need to add a Backflow preventer device for the irrigation.


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## unclebucks06 (Apr 25, 2018)

erdons said:


> You can always tap into a water hose spigot, less risk this way. Remove your current hose bib, add a tee and then you can add back your spigot and a threaded nipple to the bottom of your tee with a shut off valve then start your sprinkler lines from there.


No


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## Wlodyd (Aug 27, 2018)

Here's a quick video I watched like a week ago thinking the same thing for my home install I want to start next year. Doesn't tell you explicitly how to do it, just gives you the sense of what you're taking on. I would recommend tapping the main and adding the deduct meter, it'll save you a lot of money in sewer charges in the long run.


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## dfw_pilot (Jan 28, 2017)

You can dramatically lower your water bills if you T off prior to the meter. :twisted:

My system was installed by the irrigation contractor, so give one a call if you don't like the plumber's quote.


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## Ballistic (Mar 19, 2018)

dfw_pilot said:


> You can dramatically lower your water bills if you T off prior to the meter. :twisted:
> 
> My system was installed by the irrigation contractor, so give one a call if you don't like the plumber's quote.


That sounds like a fun task to do :twisted: little harder than a jumper at your power meter..

On topic.. Definitely tap the main, I always like a valve right after i tap the main so if i need to turn the main feed for the sprinklers off and not loose house water. Redoing almost all of my yard this year i don't know how many times i had to run and shut the main off for the sprinklers. (I have a bunch of hose bibbs off the sprinkler supply line).

Do you know what kind of martial they used from the meter to the house. PVC/Pex/Galv/Copper etc


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## dfw_pilot (Jan 28, 2017)

Another thing to think about if you haven't already is to make some hose connections off the main irrigation line.

Ware put some in here.

I had one put in here.

The irrigation contractors did it for me.


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## NanserbE (Jun 29, 2018)

It's really not as hard or scary as it might seem. The hardest part is simply finding where to dig at.

If you have a crawlspace, see if you can find where it comes in and then measure from a corner of your foundation for reference. If your house is newerish, it'll likely be PEX pipe inside. In my state the line from the meter is black 1" poly pipe and it transitions to PEX 3ft outside the foundation.

Sharkbite fittings are really nice for teeing these things off. You can buy the wrapping material for burial that prevents corrosion. All you have to do is find the line, cut out about an 1.5" section, put in the tee, and run the line to your backflow preventer.


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## ChappyEight (May 9, 2018)

I very much appreciate you all taking the time to respond. I'm still working through the IrrigationTutorials website with the hopes of installing next summer. This is very helpful.

Thanks,
Chappy


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## SW315 (Sep 10, 2018)

Nice to see another Hoosier on here.


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