# Adding to Current System-Questions



## stogie1020 (Sep 10, 2019)

Hi all, looking for some advice on the system I inherited when I purchased the house.

I currently have a BHyve controlling three valves. Two valves are for the lawn sprinklers (zone 2 and 3 on the BHyve) and the third valve (zone 1) is for ALL of the drip irrigation both front and back. The issue I am having is that some of the emitters on the drip zone in the back of the house are not getting enough pressure, possibly because they are 5-6 feet higher and the absolute farthest from the single valve feeding them.

Here is a Google Maps picture of the house. Controller is the yellow star and the valves are marked with blue diamonds.



Lime green lines are PVC running form valve 1 to the box containing valves 2 and 3. Orange is funny pipe that feed ALL the drip emitters.

I would like to tap into the PVC line just prior to the valve box for valves 2 and 3 and with a T fitting, add another valve (would be #4) in the back to handle the back drip.

Here is a pic of the valve box containing valves 2 and 3 (lawn sprinklers)



Interestingly, the red wire is single strand, not a grouping of 5 or 7 colored wires. This confuses me because here is what I have at the controller:



I need to find the spot where the red wire splices into the 5-wire irrigation line, but why would the installer not run the 5-wire line all the way to the valves? Total distance is between 70-140 feet, depending on the route (I don't know exactly where they buried the wire in the lawn area).

The front yard valve appears to have the 18/5 running to it (red wire is zone 1 at the controller)



My questions are:

1. Why would someone use this single wire (and how is this set up for two valves?)?
2. I assume I will need to run a new wire for the new valve, should I run 18/5 and re-wire the two existing valves or stick with this single wire setup (I mean, I gotta run new wire anyway, right?)?


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

1) Cost. They single wire looks like just standard electrical wire.
2) if you are going to run a new wire, I would run more than one. Either multiple individual (spares) or the 8 in one.

But before you start digging and adding a new valve, I think you should check that filter by that valve and check the flow knob on top of the valve. Drip system use very low flow, so the system might work as it was installed. The filter could be plugged or the flow controller on the valve should be opened if a nozzle was changed to a higher throughput one.

Lastly, are you sure of the pipe path? It seems odd to go underneath the driveway when you can go thru the left side of the house.


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## stogie1020 (Sep 10, 2019)

g-man said:


> 1) Cost. They single wire looks like just standard electrical wire.
> 2) if you are going to run a new wire, I would run more than one. Either multiple individual (spares) or the 8 in one.
> 
> But before you start digging and adding a new valve, I think you should check that filter by that valve and check the flow knob on top of the valve. Drip system use very low flow, so the system might work as it was installed. The filter could be plugged or the flow controller on the valve should be opened if a nozzle was changed to a higher throughput one.
> ...


Thanks G-Man. I figured it was a matter of cost, but with two valves there, it seemed silly to run two basic electrical wires all that way rather than a 18/5.

I am totally unfamiliar with the valve style in the drip valve. I assume the circled portion (in pic below)is the filter and flow valve? Is there a how-to or instruction sheet for usage/maintenance of this type of filter that I can reference?

If not, do I just turn the knob with the red arrow to increase/decrease flow? How do I open it to check the filter?



And to answer your question/speculation regarding the path of the PVC and funny pipe, it does, in fact, run in a conduit under the driveway. I have had to repair the funny pipe where it emerges from the conduit there enough times to know exactly where it is underground. It makes no sense to me why they ran the lines there (other than to get irrigation to the two plants on that side of the driveway). What's really notable, though, is that the control wires for the backyard valves run in PVC conduit (most of the way)along the left side of the house!

With my back to the garage looking down the driveway, here is a funny pipe repair I was working on showing both lines running on the side of the driveway (right side in above view picture) after emerging from the conduit under the driveway. They run like this the entire length of the house to the backyard.


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## stogie1020 (Sep 10, 2019)

OK, just did some quick youtube research, looks like I can unscrew the entire filter and clean out the screen.

Also, I just realized you were talking about the flow valve on the actual valve, not the blow-out on top of the filter. I will check the flow valve too.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

:thumbup:


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## stogie1020 (Sep 10, 2019)

I hate how stupid this forum makes me feel!


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## stogie1020 (Sep 10, 2019)

Thanks to g-man, I do not think I need a new valve. The flow knob was not open all the way. I opened it and put a 1 gallon per hour emitter on one of the problem lines, and it put out 32oz in 15 minutes, spot on.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Great. I'm glad it worked out without extra $$$.


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