Questions tagged [irrigation]

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14 votes
1 answer
4k views

What are these funnel-looking green things in my yard?

There are 5 or 6 of these funnels on stakes in my back yard from the previous owner. Are they insect bait/poison stations? Repellent stations for chipmunks? (not working in that case!)
autonomy's user avatar
  • 345
12 votes
2 answers
3k views

How can this older-style irrigation tee be replaced?

This reducer tee had a right-angle piece break off inside of it for a feeder line. I tried cutting the black broken piece inside of the reducer section without success. I'm used to schedule-40 PVC, ...
user3.1415927's user avatar
10 votes
5 answers
63k views

How do I easily separate unglued PVC pipe from joints?

I've been retrofitting an existing PVC irrigation system around my house. Part of that work requires that I work in shallow holes adding T joints and elbows in places where there were none before. In ...
rheone's user avatar
  • 253
8 votes
13 answers
34k views

Drilling "misting" pin holes in PVC

I built raised gardens this year and added cheap DIY PVC irrigation. I used a 1/16" drill bit and drilled several holes in 1/2" PVC pipe. The 1/16" drill bit was the smallest I had but the holes ...
mwolfe02's user avatar
  • 441
8 votes
3 answers
1k views

What is this part near the entry point to my irrigation system

Here is the overall view of the valve access box: The valve is turned off because the pipe directly after the valve has come loose from the valve. I'd like to repair this, but I'm not sure what the ...
Matt's user avatar
  • 183
8 votes
2 answers
37k views

How can I get low water pressure in sprinkler system fixed?

I have a new house that is still under warranty. Compared to at least two of my neighbors whose houses were built by the same builder and have very similar sprinkler systems, my sprinklers put out ...
Shawn Furyan's user avatar
7 votes
7 answers
45k views

How can I stop a barbed coupler from leaking?

This seems to be a common issue (drip line barbed couplers leaking) and I can't find any answers about this online. I'm wondering how others have fixed leaks in the fittings that are supposed to just ...
Aaron Blenkush's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
2k views

Charging Irrigation System, Can I Do This Myself?

Every spring some company comes out and "charges" our sprinkler system. Can someone explain what this is and whether or not this is something I can do? It basically seems like they come out, turn on ...
allnightgrocery's user avatar
4 votes
4 answers
14k views

Do i need a backflow preventer for drip irrigation system

A gardener just installed a drip irrigation system in my backyard. He didn't installed the back-flow preventer. When I asked him why, he told me for drip irrigation you don't need the back-flow ...
David's user avatar
  • 295
4 votes
4 answers
1k views

Can anyone give a valid argument against running sprinkler wire in 1/2" pvc water line? [closed]

Most sprinkler systems directly bury the wire next to the water line. So, this is a big upgrade from that. The main purpose is to protect the wire from being cut if someone digs there. Why not use 1/...
ramblin_wreck1's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
4k views

Can I route an irrigation main through my basement?

I received estimates on getting an irrigation system installed in my back yard. The majority of the cost is for digging down to the house's line in the front of the house (4 feet deep), splitting the ...
John's user avatar
  • 838
4 votes
2 answers
19k views

What is causing the last two heads in a sprinkler/irrigation system to have no water pressure?

Zone 2 of my irrigation system has 6 pop-up sprinkler heads but the last two do not pop up, nor is there any water coming from them at all. They are completely dry, even in the flex lines they are ...
PJS1987's user avatar
  • 495
4 votes
1 answer
4k views

Should a backflow preventer be installed upstream of a hose bib or just the irrigation branch?

I am getting ready to install a Zurn 34-720A Wilkins Pressure Vacuum backflow preventer on my DIY irrigation system. The main water supply is the pipe coming out from under the storage shed. It tees ...
Nathaniel Holt's user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
20k views

What is the easiest way to cut a 2 inch groove in concrete?

I have a 5 foot wide concrete side-walk running next to my house. I want to cut a 2 inch groove from the wall to the yard in order to run a PVC irrigation pipe from the faucet on the wall to the trees....
Guy's user avatar
  • 2,063
3 votes
1 answer
367 views

Irrigation well under pressure, why is that?

I am located in Florida. I have an irrigation well and when I open the valve for the pipe that is on the top of the well, the water is under pressure. Pump is mounted on the side and is a surface ...
Alexus's user avatar
  • 179
3 votes
3 answers
5k views

How can I fix pooling water due to my fence?

I got my fence installed a few months ago on a down sloping part of my yard. I need to resolve the nagging issue I have of water pooling due to it not being able to get through the fence fast enough. ...
Mike Manusama's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
485 views

Irrigation valve solenoid sputters then closes

When I trigger the valve through the irrigation controller, I get a small water trickle, then nothing. If I quarter turn the solenoid or use the bleed valve, I get a full flow of water. Here's my ...
nutsch's user avatar
  • 141
3 votes
2 answers
933 views

Well pump issues for irrigation system

I bought a house a few years ago and am finally getting around to working on the irrigation system. I have what I believe are two separate wells for outside water - one for the irrigation system and ...
Josh Johnson's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
6k views

running sprinkler wire over ground

I have a question about sprinkler wiring. The sprinkler timer is located on the front wall of my house (this was done by the previous owner) and I should run a wire from there to a sprinkler valve ...
DSKim's user avatar
  • 393
3 votes
1 answer
3k views

What should I do with exposed wires from a yard irrigation manifold?

We just had a new backyard put in by a contractor with 20+ years of experience. Overall, he did a very nice job, but apparently the Rain Bird timer that came with our house is a new model and it gave ...
Jon Sagara's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
290 views

Why did my febco backflow preventer fail?

I'm working as a handyman for a non-profit, and they have an in-ground irrigation system that has been off for a while because "there was a geyser." I successfully determined that the geyser was ...
mHurley's user avatar
  • 508
2 votes
4 answers
2k views

Irrigation PVC pipes broken - how to fix properly?

I have discovered that two of my irrigation system pipes were broken when an internet cable was being installed. They stayed like this for some time, including when the irrigation system was working - ...
Loki Kriasus's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
449 views

Draining irrigation system for the winter

What's the best way to drain an outdoor irrigation system, which includes sprinklers and drip irrigation? I've drained them as well as I could by opening a faucet in the basement (a few feet below ...
Joel Spolsky's user avatar
  • 1,661
2 votes
3 answers
4k views

Why would capping one sprinkler zone cause my toilets to whistle?

Ever since they capped one of the sprinkler zones in an area that no longer needs watering, two of my toilets start whistling when the sprinklers are running and only stop when I flush them. How can ...
Indigo's user avatar
  • 29
2 votes
2 answers
890 views

lawn irrigation valve box filling up with water

I noticed an irrigation control box filling up with water even when the sprinklers and gate valve were off. In order to trace the leak I removed approx 4 inches of dirt to reveal the fittings. I ...
eszed's user avatar
  • 499
2 votes
1 answer
938 views

Can you run too big of a water pipe from the main?

I am putting in new irrigation and supply lines for my remodeled backyard and I've done my homework on water pipe sizing, but I'm left wondering if I'm installing too big of a pipe onto the main. The ...
pennstump's user avatar
  • 223
2 votes
1 answer
177 views

Replumb sillcocks to increase outdoor pressure?

I'm trying to increase pressure to my outside hoses for lawn watering and noticed that the sillcocks are all after my whole house water filter and they are all 1/2". Because of this, when I run ...
Vincent's user avatar
  • 504
2 votes
1 answer
87 views

Access for Shut-Off Valve

I am installing a mainline for a residential lawn irrigation system. I laboriously dug down to the pipe leading to a yard hydrant, three feet deep. I installed a tee, and on the branch from the tee ...
D.Mac's user avatar
  • 53
2 votes
2 answers
1k views

Pop up sprinkler rotation

A couple of my pop up sprinkler head rotate when they rise. One eventually rotated 180 degrees spraying my driveway instead of my landscape. What causes that and more importantly... how do I fix that?
Brad's user avatar
  • 21
2 votes
2 answers
412 views

Is it inadvisable to reuse PVC? (Sch-40 white stuff)

I have some salvaged PVC (Schedule 40) from a run in the irrigation system that I'm rebuilding which is now unused - I'm considering reusing it in the rebuild of the system. Is this foolish? The ...
user3.1415927's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
3k views

What requirements should I look for in an air compressor to clear irrigation lines?

I'm considering purchasing an air compressor to blow out my own sprinklers each winter. (vs paying to have someone else do it) I watched the tech do it last year, and it seemed pretty straightforward. ...
Nathan S.'s user avatar
  • 135
2 votes
2 answers
7k views

How do I run PEX to exterior plumbing?

I am replacing some failed galvanized water pipe indoors. Two of the existing galvanized pipes poke straight through the exterior wall of the house, right above the foundation, and have hose bibs ...
William S.'s user avatar
  • 1,031
2 votes
2 answers
27k views

Should I use Teflon tape or pipe dope when connecting PVC to metal?

I am in the process of repairing PVC pipe, which was broken due to freezing. I'll be connecting the PVC pipe to a metal check valve. Should I use Teflon tape or pipe dope when connecting PVC to metal?...
Chad's user avatar
  • 21
2 votes
1 answer
142 views

My replacement sprinkler valve model does not line up with the PVC pipe

I found that my above ground replacement sprinkler valve is not a perfect match for the existing pvc pipes. The pvc pipes are 1/4” too close together. I dug down along the pvc pipe to expose the pipe ...
Diy didi's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
91 views

What irrigation sytem air coupling is this?

There is a pipe connected to irrigation system right after backflow preventer and some sort of pressure control. It has a coupling that was most likely used to winterize the system. What kind of ...
Loki Kriasus's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
220 views

Sanity check on DIY drainage repair

Background: I have zero plumbing experience, hence the sanity check. Everything I describe here is brand new to me. My house is in a hilly area in Silicon Valley. All of the houses in this ...
The111's user avatar
  • 225
2 votes
1 answer
1k views

Proper wiring for irrigation pump

I'm attempting to reconnect an outdoor irrigation pump and I'm unsure which wires should connect to which terminals (labeled L1 and L2) in the pressure switch. The pump is a Myers HJ100S and the power ...
sbooth's user avatar
  • 123
2 votes
1 answer
271 views

How to expand my irrigation system

I would like to add an additional zone to my 4 zone irrigation system. I wondering if I can just add another manifold to my current setup. Below is what it looks like. The problem I think I will run ...
Sam's user avatar
  • 345
2 votes
2 answers
11k views

Can I connect a water hose to an irrigation system?

I am planing to install water lines as you can see in the picture. Right now I I have a water hose that runs along the house, I am referring to the segment that goes along the wall between the patio ...
MiniMe's user avatar
  • 3,392
2 votes
2 answers
3k views

What fails in a centrifugal pump when it runs dry?

A 3/4 HP 10 GPM shallow well pump for irrigation ran dry for a couple hours due to a technical failure where a feeding valve mounted at the pump inlet blew out of its hole. All the water being pumped ...
PJS1987's user avatar
  • 495
2 votes
1 answer
163 views

Can I eliminate irrigation vacuum breaker after installing upstream RPZ?

I have an atmospheric vacuum breaker on the feed from my meter to my lawn irrigation system. I am going to install a water-powered backup sump pump in the basement. (This uses city water pressure ...
jay613's user avatar
  • 34.3k
2 votes
1 answer
339 views

How do you recommend connecting polyethylene tubing to soaker hose?

To build a drip irrigation system for raised beds, I connected a polyethylene tube (carrying water to the plant beds) to soaker hose (used on the beds themselves). The PE tubing is 0.6 inches inside ...
Borillar0821's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
1k views

I know there is a pressure vacuum breaker here, but what is the rest?

First, a labeled picture of the situation: There are three ends, two in the ground and one in the house. How can I figure out which way the water is flowing? There are four labeled valves (and one ...
John Freeman's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
318 views

How can I fix a leaking sprinkler valve?

My sprinkler valve leaks water as soon it shuts off. By checking online and going to Home Depot first I installed new inside parts, that didn't solve the problem. then I was told that I had to replace ...
Juan marquez's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
70 views

Auto on/off 12v DC timer for garden irrigation [closed]

I have 7 raised garden beds with irrigation setup. Irrigation consists of a 100w solar panel going into a 120w max Controller. This charges 2 12v DC batteries connected in parallel. The batteries are ...
Steven A's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
360 views

Backflow prevention fixture on my sprinkler system has started leaking -- is teflon tape the appropriate fix?

The backflow valve on my irrigation system has developed a minor leak at the threads I am pointing to. It's outside and not super fast, so not super urgent, but I would like to get it fixed eventually....
Sidney's user avatar
  • 1,625
2 votes
0 answers
109 views

Swimming pool as water barrel for irrigation

I have a 60 year old concrete swimming pool still in good condition but not used as a pool for 20 years. It is now a nature pool good for fireflies, bats, toads, ducks, etc. The original chain link ...
RazeR's user avatar
  • 41
2 votes
0 answers
231 views

For Drip Irrigation can I add a second backflow preventer after an anti siphon valve?

I'm installing a residential drip irrigation system for my home. I understand the need for backflow prevention and plan on using anti siphon valves. I have one area that is a full story higher than ...
Rudi Halbright's user avatar
2 votes
6 answers
148 views

What type of 1" electric valve can I use in a line with no pressure?

I am looking to attach two 1" valves to a drainage line I have coming from my gutter. I would like the option to select which channel the rainwater flows down, using valves. My hurdle right now ...
drew's user avatar
  • 29
1 vote
5 answers
264 views

Do I need a pump for my sprinkler zones that are minus 70 feet elevation?

I have a water tank on a hill and some lawns to water at the bottom of the hill. The pipe that connects those two is a 2.5" pipe (yes, really) and when I attach a pressure gauge at the bottom of this ...
user227963's user avatar
  • 1,030