# Any hints for 1st time sprinkler installer....



## NELawn (May 7, 2019)

Thanks to my local site one, Im about to install my 1st irrigation system along the edges of my landscape bedding. I have about 1,500sf and for a few years I had been laying a few hoses in my mulch beds and running impact sprinklers using a battery hose end timer. Taking the hose in and out every year is getting old, and I jumped at the chance to install a system when i learned I could run it with a battery time and not have to hire a plumber and electrician.

So the hose end timer is going to stay, but I am going to lay 1" poly pipe along the edges and use Hunter MP rotator heads. I figure I have 50psi and timing the filling of a 5 gallon bucker gave me about 5gpm. The local Site-One helped me design it and I will be using tee connectors and clamps to avoid having to dig everything too deep.

I was just wondering if anyone has any tips to make the install go smoother?


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## Utk03analyst (Jun 8, 2019)

I did a similar project last summer using 3/4 inch ploy and created 3 zones ran from a four way battery operated timer. My advice is to make sure your output matches the consumption of your heads. For my two rotor zones Hunter PGP's I laid one zone out above ground and tested and then nozzled down and got the distance and performance I wanted.

I didn't do that for my one spray zone and the performance I was expecting I never achieved. But this year I've already made a connection to my main line which provides double the gpm' s of my hose bib.

I'm no expert but the benefit of diy is to test at the expense of materials only. There are a lot of irrigation tutorials online too. And if you're hand digging get a trenching shovel.

Good luck with the project and do share your progress.


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## LLFieldGuy (Mar 26, 2020)

It may seem like over kill but make sure each sprinkler waters the other. You won't have any dry areas and you'll spend less time worrying about it. I agree with Utk03analyst, if you're going to hand dig invest in a good trenching shovel. Heck, even if you rent a trencher to save your back, get a trenching shovel to help clear the soil in the trench. Also, I have never installed irrigation with poly pipe so I have a couple questions. How will poly pipe react to freezing temperatures? How deep is your frost line?


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## Utk03analyst (Jun 8, 2019)

In regards to frost I went about 8 to 10 inches deep but took a piece of flex pipe you use for swing joints and put a male garden hose fitting on one end and a valve and compressor fitting on the others I blew my lines out before the first deep freeze make sure to get pinch rings and small torch to heat the ends of the pipe and then pinch the rings tight over the fittings.


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## NELawn (May 7, 2019)

Thanks for the hints, I finished day one of the project. I probably have a few more days of work to do. Some of the things that tripped me up today. I wish I knew....

1.) Make sure to have extra connectors and tee

The Site One guy sold me just enough, I should have gotten a few spares

2.) Make sure to have some repair connectors, just incase you pinch the pipe

I pinched a long run of pipe trying to get it around an object, for peace of mind I am going to have to add a straight connector now to make sure it doesn't leak, wish I had a few of these just in case

3.) Make sure all the pinch clamps fit before you start the project

I got the wrong size clamps and had to stop to make an emergency trip to Lowes after the Home Depot guy sold me the wrong size clamps

4.) Dig deeper than you need to, by the time you get the pipe in, soil will fill back in and your back to where you started

If we ever get out of this rain cycle I think the next time I work on this will go smoother, but its more work than I expected


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