Anyone install their own sprinkler system?

[s_wilwerding]

I've got a pretty small yard, and I figure I can get away with two zones, one for the front yard and one for the backyard, with about 8-10 sprinker heads in each zone.

I've been reading up about it, and it doesn't sound too bad, and materials are relatively inexpensive. I'm thinking that instead of plumbing it in, I'll just have the pipes connect to the outside faucet (it will be all manual, but with two zones, who cares?).

So, anyone ever done this? Any suggestions?

[Scott R]

worst project I have ever done, two zones in my backyard. I rented a trencher and it was still back breaking manual labor. It's an amazing amount of work in the end.

On another note, don't use the outside spigot, that's 1/4" copper pipe, you need to tap off the main and use a 1/2" or greater supply to get the pressure you need to run all of the heads. The PO of my home tried this, there was never enough pressure. And valves and copper pipe are extremely cheap.

[TerryBPP]

I concur with Scott. I did a 1 acre lot with 4 zone when I 16 yrs old. I am still scared by the amount of work it took.

[vash]

well, if you dont cheap out and rent the tools it isnt bad. i think hooking up an automatic timer is just about the easiest portion of the project, so i would do it if i were you. there are some tricks...you need to know what kinda water pressure you are dealing with. you NEED to make sure at least two heads overlap with the spray or you will get brown spots. all of the sprinkler head companies have great websites with a DIY portion.

now if you plan on hand digging...forget about it. you will lose the will to live. from my feeble memory, 8-10 heads is pushing it if your pressure is lame.

[Joeaksa]

Have done several and with the trencher its not that bad. Course I used to do roofing as a kid so hard work is the norm.

Do several circuits. One high flow for the sprinkler heads, and one or two for the drips.

Make sure you make a map of where the tubing runs and give it to the new owner when you sell the house.

[red-beard]

Code in most areas requires a backflow preventer. If your yard will freeze in the winter, you want an air-port to blow the system out. The systems work best when you have lots of pressure. I was going re-do mine myself after the pool, but the estimate was $1200, for 2 zones, plus repair/reconnection of the front yard. He had to run the main line all the way around the house. I paid $100 extra, and he installed 2 hosebibs in the far corners of my yard.

[tabs]

Take Pictures of the pipe exposed in the trenchs...that way you will have a record of what U did.

Agree with tapping off the main water line...if U have high H20 pressure, U may have to install a pressure regulator. Put in a Cutoff valve in front of every Sprinkler Valve Manifold. Put a main water line to the back of the house and put in a Low Voltage Electrical Line for Automatic Sprinkler Valves in with it ( it would be bettter if you put it thorugh the Grey Electrical pipe so that you can't accidentally cut it with a shovel someday). Also plan for an extra Hose Bibs. What is called for is that the spray pattern for each Sprinkler head reachs the center of the head of the one next to it. Then there is the myriad of Sprinkler Spray pattern nozzles. Low angel, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 etc etc etc... All main H2O should be schedule 40 (heavy Duty) and secondarys schedule 125, they should all be Primered and then Hot Blue Glued. Toro and Rainbird makes good components. Another thing is to come off the Main House H20 line with the same size pipe I think usually 1" to a 1" Sprinkelr valve and on the outflow side step it immediatly down to 3/4" pipe to boost the H2O pressure. Also Grass areas should be on their own line and not shared with shrubs.

I did most of the Irrigation system at my house in CA. I had 13 Stations with 360 heads, and 3 extra Hose Bibs all backed with a Proffessional 18 station Iritrol digital timer.

Here in LV I have 3 auto valves for a Drip System with 2 extra Hose Bibs.

BTW my system in CA was working nearly perfectly after 13 years. Mostly I had to clean out and adjust a few Sprinkler heads every year.

[EdT82SC]

It's a lot of work, but good exercise. 8-10 heads on a zone is iffy depending on water pressure. With my water pressure I could only do 7. So I ended up with 2 zones for the back lawn with 5 heads each, and a third zone doing drip for the vegetable beds and fruit trees. When I get around to it I want to do two more drip zones in the front yard which is all shrubs and flowers. Drip is really easy too. No digging required.

red-beard, all the sprinkler companies make valves with the backflow preventer built in for only a few dollars more per valve. Also put your valves above the highest point in your system, or you will have a lot of water pouring out of them when the valve shuts off.

[Scott R]

Originally posted by EdT82SC
It's a lot of work, but good exercise. 8-10 heads on a zone is iffy depending on water pressure. With my water pressure I could only do 7. So I ended up with 2 zones for the back lawn with 5 heads each, and a third zone doing drip for the vegetable beds and fruit trees. When I get around to it I want to do two more drip zones in the front yard which is all shrubs and flowers. Drip is really easy too. No digging required.

red-beard, all the sprinkler companies make valves with the backflow preventer built in for only a few dollars more per valve. Also put your valves above the highest point in your system, or you will have a lot of water pouring out of them when the valve shuts off.

Does that mean I could get of the damn vacuum breaker I have on the side of the house? That sucker needs to be rebuilt every summer. If they are installing that in the valve now, I'll switch.

[rsrfan]

Piece of cake. I have done several. Take the advice presented and RENT the right tools. Home Depot or any quality nursery will help you plan your system if you bring in a sketch of the yard with measurements. Also VERY important - use schedule 40 PVC pipe. The previous owner of my Vegas house used electrical conduit and I am forever chasing leaks/splits.

JP

[Hugh R]

Using PVC use the purple solvent primer first. Buy the PVC cutter, like a pair of shears, but a good one, not the cheap one. Use two 90 degree threaded fittings between the end of the pipe and each head as a swivel so they don't snap off, they will swivel instead. Its pipe>slip/thread 90>two thread to thread 90s>sprinkler head.

[Scott R]

Originally posted by Hugh R
Using PVC use the purple solvent primer first. Buy the PVC cutter, like a pair of shears, but a good one, not the cheap one. Use two 90 degree threaded fittings between the end of the pipe and each head as a swivel so they don't snap off, they will swivel instead. Its pipe>slip/thread 90>two thread to thread 90s>sprinkler head.

Our soil is to expansive to use PVC here, you can do it for the valves, but after that it's the black flexi stuff.

[stomachmonkey]

Was going to do my own, 4 zones.

Soil around here is full of boulders so digging even with equip is a *****.


Got a quote that was only a couple hundred beyond doing it myself.

I let the pro do it.

[VaSteve]

Originally posted by stomachmonkey
Was going to do my own, 4 zones.

Soil around here is full of boulders so digging even with equip is a *****.


Got a quote that was only a couple hundred beyond doing it myself.

I let the pro do it.

Word. I have 7 zones (1/3 acre). At $4K it was worth it for a pro. Now I need a head moved. Depending on the cost, I might try that myself.

[TechnoViking]

Best $1500 I ever spent was having a guy come out and do this.

[Matt Meyer]

I dug trenches for my back yard at my 1st house by hand. Took along time but was not that bad. 2 zones. Rent a trencher, Digging trenches is by far the worst part.

Originally posted by Scott R
Does that mean I could get of the damn vacuum breaker I have on the side of the house? That sucker needs to be rebuilt every summer. If they are installing that in the valve now, I'll switch.

You should think about that.

You can get them on the valve but they MUST be installed 12" above the highest sprinkler. So instead of having one vacuum breaker sticking up you would have however many valves. Vacuum breakers should last more than a year but at your failure rate you are looking at rebuilding every valve instead of one vacuum breaker.

If you decided to install a backflow preventer of a type other than a vacuum breaker, such as a double check (might need to get a reduced pressure double check) then annual testing is required.

[Joeaksa]

Originally posted by Scott R
Our soil is to expansive to use PVC here, you can do it for the valves, but after that it's the black flexi stuff.

Same here, used the black stuff with a blue stripe on mine. Still good after 6 years...