# Sprinkler system



## godawgs16 (Sep 27, 2021)

What's a good sprinkler system that I don't need to get professionally installed? I don't want to pay 2k for one.


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## Majahops (Sep 26, 2021)

Here's the thing the sprinklers are the easy part. The hard part is the plumbing and trenching. If you want it to be underground, you need to trench. If you want it to be highest quality, you gotta start from your water main (which in my case is in the basement but in some cases will be in the yard). You need a back flow preventer. You need valves. You need a controller. I'm in the process of building mine right now. It takes a super long time, and lots of planning, especially if you have kids and a super full time job, so you only have spurts of 40 mins or so to work on it at a time.


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## godawgs16 (Sep 27, 2021)

Yeah that's what I'm afraid of. Just don't have the time. So basically if I want it done right I need to have someone come out and install it.


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## pgm (10 mo ago)

I spent around $800 setting up an above ground hose system last year running off a spigot. 600' of hoses, 9 gear drive sprinklers and using 4 Orbit B-hyve hose controllers with bluetooth and wifi for app timer capabilities. It took many hours to figure out and fine tune it. It functioned and I was able to regrow grass in late August 90° heat.

However, that said, the downsides were in water volume capabilities and convenience. Any hoses that couldn't be run along next to the house or through flower beds had to be shifted every few days to avoid killing the grass or use caution when mowing. Bigger problem was that in order to put out 1" of water confirmed with tuna can testing, the 4 zones had to run a combined 20 hours per week with my plumbing and water pressure restriction. My city wants all lawn irrigation done between midnight and 5am ideally to secure a lower off-peak rate. I needed to use that entire time 4 days a week. 
Soaking the grass that early before sunrise seems like an invitation for fungus.

So yes a cheap solution is functional but may have limitations you won't like. I'm currently in the process of getting quotes from some professional installers to design and install a quality system off the main. No, its not going to be cheap but I think it will be a good long term investment and worth it to leverage their decades of design experience on this one, for me.


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## Grizzly Adam (May 5, 2017)

If you are skilled, you can do it. I am doing a system right now. I used the Rainbird design service and had them make a couple revisions to fix stuff I didn't like, I sourced parts between Home Depot, Menards, Amazon, orbitonline.com and Rainbird.com to keep prices down. There is a 30% coupon for rainbird.com and a 10% coupon for Orbitonline. I am renting a ditch witch for the trenching. I am experienced at plumbing, electrical work, and running a shovel. If you are skilled, you can do it. If you aren't, either go to Youtube University and learn-- or pay to have it done.


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## WeedPatch (Sep 25, 2019)

Have been interested in putting in a system as well. Was hoping to be in the 2k range for about 1/3 acre but came back at 5,500. Thinking about doing the rainbird design service as well but Grad school, 3 kids and work doesn't leave too much spare time at the moment.


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## Utk03analyst (Jun 8, 2019)

As some one who went the DIY route I would do it again. Spent around $1,500 on a 10K lawn. I have 13 zones. I would have spent north of $5K easily in my area the scariest part was tapping into my main pex line. The toughest part was boring under the sidewalk three times along and handling Nashville rock.

You can always go one zone at a time. I did PVC for my mainline and then went with 3/4 poly mainly because I didn't have a truck. But with poly I would slice the turf roll it back or set it off to the side dig roll it out and cover. Since you don't have any joints until you get to a connector you don't have to worry about leaks. But I suck at using hot lava PVC glue I always get leaks so I stick with the clear and wait it out.


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## Grizzly Adam (May 5, 2017)

I have been chipping away at it piece by piece. I did all the indoor plumbing first and set up the backflow preventer even though it was still too cold to install it out side. I set up and installed my timer. When it was warm enough out I ran the pipe and wires outside, dug holes for the valve boxes and for the plumbing coming from inside the house and through the rock bed. I sat in my recliner while I assembled the valves to the manifolds and the sprinklers to the swing pipes.

There is a lot that can be done in short spurts. If you can dedicate a weekend to doing that actual trenching you shouldn't have a ton of issues.

Mind you, I did spend over 1 year doing my planning!


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