New 3 zone drip system

[mggray87]

mY yard was torn apart.. concrete and all.. completely dirt. Starting fresh. im familiar with sprinkler systems... 3 zone valves pvc under ground with sprinkler heads....

My plan is to do 3 zone Drip system.

Can someone explain the setup. 3 Valves anti backflush valves then pressure reducer to filter then to PVC underground under new concrete and stubbed out where I want the line.. then attach the drip tube or black poly hose to the PVC where it stubs out?? so every valve has reducer and filter to PVC underground correct...

 

[WorthFlorida]

Please state if your on city water, well water for your domestic drinking water, or your own well for irrigation only. Is this drip system for lawn or garden or both lawn and garden. What size drip tubing are you planning to use?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[mggray87]

Please state if your on city water, well water for your domestic drinking water, or your own well for irrigation only. Is this drip system for lawn or garden or both lawn and garden. What size drip tubing are you planning to use?

City water

 

[mggray87]

City water

Also. This drip is for backyard. Plants only. Backyard is getting artificial grass.

Front yard already has 3 zones. Sprinklers for grass and one valve is drip for plants that was already there when moved in. Size. I have no idea. I can go any size since this is from scratch.

 

[WorthFlorida]

The drip irrigation systems that are sold at Home Depot or Lowes are

more than adequate. There are usually brochures at the irrigation isle on how to set it up. The only hard part is how you want to connect to your water source and a timer and valve to turn the water on and off. It would be a check valve is needed or an anti backflow device. Since this is only for your backyard garden you can go with one zone and no regulator to reduce water pressure would not be needed. I used drip system that I tapped off a sprinkler head. The outlet tube was so small that I plenty flow without too much pressure blowing things apart.

From HD site:

 

[Magna111]

http://www.netafimusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/2016-Landscape-and-Turf-Catalog_Web.pdf

The HD setup is going to be insufficient if you're trying to water more than a dozen or so plants. It's difficult to say what you're going to need without seeing what you have and what you're trying to water. Around here you would have a single backflow device protecting the entire system, so it would just be a matter of taping the main line and adding your new zone valves for the drip. After the valve you'll need a pressure reducer and filter, then run your feed pipe to the landscape bed. Depending how much water you need out there will determine the size of the pipe feeding the bed and how many feeds you might need for each zone to balance the drip. As with most things, if you want it done right hire a pro. Done incorrectly, there is the potential to waste water, kill plants by over or under watering, or contaminating your home or neighborhood's drinking water.

 

[mggray87]

Is it better to start fresh at main irrigation line and branch to 3 zones and get a /blackflow and reducer and filter on each valve and run reduced pressure underground and stub up where I want. Or should I do basic 3 zone basic sprinkler setup run lines underground and then stub up and use the rainbird Drip conversion sprinkler heads that reduce the water there at the end. would it really matter??

 

[Magna111]

To have each zone individually backflow protected would be a little costly and unnesesary. One approved backflow preventer for the whole system is enough. After the backflow, I would install 3 individual electronically controlled irrigation valves. Immediately after the valve we instal pressure reducer/filter combo units and feeds to the drip beds. We've never used the drip conversion heads so I can't speak to that.

 

[WorthFlorida]

You have not provided how many square feet or the length and width of the area you want to irrigate. Until then and what you provided earlier three zones is maybe over kill. One big difference between drip and regular spray heads is drip irrigation takes much longer to put the the needed amount of water. Even with very low flow spray heads RainBird states that watering durations may need to be extended.

Here is an document that covers just about everything for a residential irrigation system including drip. If you cannot get it figured out from this tool then you need to hire someone.
https://www.hunterindustries.com/sites/default/files/design_guide_Residential_System_LIT-226-US.pdf

 

[mggray87]

im sorry not sure yet as its not designed yet but planting is going to be basically all fence line so like.70 feet across back and probably 30-40 feet on left and right side. I was going to do 1 zone per fence length.. and before it tore it up I had 1gph basically each plant. and ran it for about 30-45 min I believe I don't remember...