Replies

1. 
   paperhanger | Jul 12, 2006 03:19am | #1

   go to toro.com or rainbird.com. you can do it yourself. very easy and they design your system.

1. 
   kayaker | Jul 12, 2006 04:41am | #2

   Thanks!

2. 
   BillHartmann | Jul 12, 2006 04:56am | #3

   Look here. Lots of free info.

   http://www.jessstryker.com/

   And for a small fee you can get more details info.

3. 
   tjinfl | Jul 12, 2006 04:30pm | #4

   Kayaker,

   What kind of soil do you have? I'm down here in South Florida so I don't have to worry about burying the pipe below the frost line to prevent freezing.   But up in Michigan - that's a different story! I see a ditch witch in your future. Down here in Florida we can dig sprinkler trenches by hand with no problem - might be a bit more difficult up there.

   Are you going to use a well or city water? It's makes a huge difference in how many heads you can run on a single zone.  I have a well with a 1.5 hp pump and I can run 15-20 heads on a single zone.  But in a previous house on city water, I was lucky to run 6-8 - and I really had to watch the GPM on the heads on each zone.

   You might also look into how much your water costs you.  In my other house on a 1/4 acre, my watering bill was probably $50 - 60 / mo. in the dryest part of the year.

   As for the planning / layout, it's fairly simple once you know what you water pressure is going to be.

   Good Luck.

   Terry

1. 
   dgbldr | Jul 13, 2006 02:53am | #15

   But up in Michigan - that's a different story! I see a ditch witch in your future.

   Nope. Here in Michigan we don't bury the pipe below the frost line. We blow it dry every fall or we use self-draining pipe ends.

   DG/Builder

1. 
   dieselpig | Jul 13, 2006 05:09am | #17

   So you hand dig?  You guys really don't use a vibratory plow like a DitchWitch 255sx or something?  I don't care if the frost line is 3"...... I'd still rather pull the pipe with a machine.View Image

1. 
   dgbldr | Jul 13, 2006 08:30am | #19

   Diesel, we sometimes hand dig but most of the time use power tools.  For residential, nothing as elaborate as a Ditch Witch 255sx.  Just smaller hand-held power soil slitters. Pipe is always flex and no bigger than 1".

   Can't tell you the brands/models used, since I don't do it myself.  But they look like a slightly bigger gas lawn edger. Kinda. I'll have to look next time.

   DG/Builder

4. 
   dieselpig | Jul 12, 2006 04:50pm | #5

   I used to install and service sprinkler systems in a previous life.  There's not a whole lot to them.  The fittings are pretty much dummy proof.  I suggest you use poly pipe instead of PVC though. That's what everyone uses here in MA which is a comparable climate to Michigan.  Rent a Ditchwitch 255sx, get someone to spin the pipe for you while you navigate and you'll be good to go.

   You don't need the pipe to below the frost line.  Just 6 -12" deep.  In cold climates everyone "winterizes" their sprinkler system anyway.... at least they're supposed to.  "Winterizing" is nothing more than hooking up a large air compressor up to the system, immediately downstream of the backflow preventer, and blowing out the individual zones.  (Don't forget to shut the supply off first though!)  Even still... all you really need to do is get the water out of the brass or copper parts of the system.  It's pretty much impossible to burst poly pipe with frozen water and I rarely saw a head or valve break from freezing.  Service calls related to un-winterized systems 99% of the time consisted of replacing a cracked backflow preventer.

   Designing a good system is what seperates the DIY'ers from the Pro's though.  Pretty much like everything else I guess.  What size nozzle to use?  How many heads per zone for your GPM?  Rotary heads here or spray heads?  Minimizing 'main line' runs, locations of valve boxes..... stuff like that. 

   If you have more specific questions later, I can probably answer them for you.  Couple of other things..... I highly recommend you steer clear of products available at the big boxes..... look for Hunter brand sprinkler heads, Irritrol brand valves, Toro or Weathermatic or Hunter controllers and use fittings that are of the Oetiker crimp clamp style.  The saddle fittings always leak....not if, but when.  All of the above products I mentioned are pro-quality industry standards.

   EDIT:  IMO, pay attention to  GPM instead of pressure in designing your system.  Pressure will only determine what size nozzles to use which will then reflect in your run times for the zones.  GPM is the standard used to match # of heads per zone to available water output.

   View Image

   
   

   ---

   Edited 7/12/2006 9:56 am ET by dieselpig

1. 
   bobl | Jul 12, 2006 06:41pm | #6

   http://www.lawnbeltusa.com/interesting thread cause I'm thinking about this too.the above product looks interesting, been thinking about it. 

   bobl          Volo, non valeo

   Baloney detecter

1. 
   ruffmike | Jul 13, 2006 07:30am | #18

   Looks pretty good to me. We have a small yard so this system seems suitable.                            Mike

       Trust in God, but row away from the rocks.

2. 
   JohnSprung | Jul 12, 2006 09:38pm | #7

   OK, that's one vote for Irritrol brand valves.  I have to replace a Superior Controls valve that's failing after maybe 15+ years, so are there any recommendations other than Irritrol? 

   And while we're at it, what about controller box recommendations?  We have one Lawn Genie and one Hardy, both really cryptic and counterintuitive to use.  I'd need one that can handle seven valves. 

   Thanks -- 

    

    

   -- J.S.

    

   Edited 7/12/2006 3:07 pm ET by JohnSprung

1. 
   dieselpig | Jul 12, 2006 10:07pm | #9

   Geez John, there was one other brand that was pretty popular too but we didn't use them much because they were harder to service.  I can't recall the name right now.... we used to call them 'silver bullets' but I know that's not their real name.  Lemme think a bit.....View Image

2. 
   dieselpig | Jul 12, 2006 10:16pm | #11

   Look at the Hunter Pro-C controllers.  They're super user friendly but can still handle complex programming if you dream up some weird watering schedule.  Another nice thing is that the controller comes with one module in it.  One module will let you wire in up to four zones.  If you need more zones, you can buy another module and now wire in up to 8 zones.  One more and you can handle 12.  Pretty good system and a very reliable unit.  That's what I put in at my house last summer when I did my system.  10 zones, 40 rotary heads and now that the planting beds are going in I'm going to have to add in a few spray zones.  I'm watering just under an acre every morning.View Image

1. 
   JohnSprung | Jul 13, 2006 02:07am | #14

   Thanks for the advice.  I'll look up those controllers and valves.  

    

   -- J.S.

    

3. 
   Lansdown | Jul 12, 2006 09:46pm | #8

   "I used to install and service sprinkler systems in a previous life"Hey you wouldn't happen to be going to Long Island sometime this summer would you ;-)

1. 
   dieselpig | Jul 12, 2006 10:07pm | #10

   I just might be..... but I'm sure not digging any holes while I'm there!  Well.... maybe a few verbal ones but none in the ground anyway.  :)View Image

5. 
   CapnMac | Jul 12, 2006 10:43pm | #12

   135 by 160 lot

   Not the lot size so much as the shape, and what's in that shape.

   The difference in pro v. DIY is in having a slightly better "feel" for how to zone, and what to include in various zones.  Things like planting beds (present & future).  Or whether to use "down the center" versus "around the edge" for laying out the heads.

   The Toro site is pretty helpful in this regard.

   Check with your muni awter supply.  Many cities will bill irrigation water differently than domestic water, if you pay for the second meter.  That's because many cities bill for the sewer system based on the residential water use, so getting the lawn sprinklers off that meter can save you money.

   Even if you do not get a separate meter, do put a master cut off for the irrigation system in between it and the water supply (not having to cut off the house supply to fix a busted spray head is really nice).

   If you are on a well, talk to you well driller about a second, irrigation well.  The irrigation water does not have to have the same quality standards as the drinking water does, and can often be run from a much shallower, lesser-flow well.  (In my county you can hit brackish, but irrigation usable, water at 70-80' vice 180-250' for drinking water.)

   Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
1. 
   dieselpig | Jul 13, 2006 05:05am | #16

   Good point about the seperate meters.  I'm on a well here so I forgot all about that.View Image

1. 
   CapnMac | Jul 13, 2006 08:04pm | #20

   about the seperate meters

   Yeah, well, lessons learned the hard way.

   Same deal on a shallow irrigation well, too.  The second "well shed" makes a neat place to hang the controllers for the irrigation system, too.  Second well can define how big the irrigation zones are, too (but means not necessarily needing a big pressure tank or the like).  At my house I can't, due to a mineral & water rights lease; but on other lots, here in my county, a person can actually use a well for irrigation instead of muni water--that would make the cost just the drilling and the electricity to run the well.  Oh, and labeling everything "Non Potable Water."Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)

6. 
   CVBReno | Jul 12, 2006 11:54pm | #13

   I put in my own 1/2-acre system a few years in Missouri.  I got an expert at the pros' sprinkler supply store (not the Home Depot) to design the system for me, and I hired some guys with one of those vibrating machines to pull the main pipes underground.

   The main difficulty was digging (by hand) the 50+ holes for all the tees, elbows, sprinkler heads, and valve boxes in the hard clay and rock mixture.  It was either as hard as concrete when it was dry, or so wet and sticky it wouldn't come off the shovel when it was wet.  It was a lot of work, but wouldn't be such a big deal if the soil were different.  I saved about $3000 doing it myself.

   Later, I moved in TX where landscaping labor is much cheaper.  No way I would do it myself there.