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My Dream Irrigation Design - need a bit of advice

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Frankiebee

New Member

Posts: 5

1

Tuesday, June 21st 2011, 4:41pm

My Dream Irrigation Design - need a bit of advice

I have a medium size lawn and would like an irrigation system unlike any residential system known. I would like a "golf course style" system that uses the full available city water pressure (GPM and flow rate) to water my yard in the shortest amount of time with the least amount of zones (one zone for yard, one lateral drip zone for planters would be most desirable). I understand that pipe sizes and water meter will be larger and a bit more expensive.



Lot description: Pie-slice shape on a residential circle drive, about 180ft x 160ft x 60ft. There is a 2700sq ft house in the middle of the pie-slice. (picture attached) Located in NW Arkansas, Razorback Country.



I am mechanically inclined and very computer literate, just want to know if I am going off the deep end???



I welcome your comments or suggestion, i.e. "that's the most ridiculous..." "why did I not think of this..." etc.
Frankiebee has attached the following file:

grey

Advanced Member

Posts: 90

Location: Eastern WA

2

Tuesday, June 21st 2011, 5:52pm

I would suggest some reading at irrigationtutorials.com . He explains it very well. Take your time to learn this subject to make it right.
In short you want to find out your static pressure (at the outside bib for example), your flow rate, sizes of your water supply line, water meter. After some calculations you would get a value of dynamic pressure available for sprinklers. That pressure would determine maximum spacing of your sprinkler heads and what type of sprinklers to use, i.e. spray heads or rotors covering areas.

I know I didn't give straight answer but that what you need.
By the way I am designing my own sprinkler system as well.

PS: I am not a professional designer.

PSS: measure your property and irrigated area with tape measure. Don't guess.

Wet_Boots

Supreme Member

Posts: 4,102

Location: Metro NYC

3

Tuesday, June 21st 2011, 6:47pm

I've done systems like that, with mammoth overkill capabilities, and in my opinion, they are more praiseworthy in concept than in reality.

Frankiebee

New Member

Posts: 5

4

Wednesday, June 22nd 2011, 6:56am

Quoted from "Wet_Boots"

I've done systems like that, with mammoth overkill capabilities, and in my opinion, they are more praiseworthy in concept than in reality.
Thanks. About how much more (A guesstamate in percentage) did it cost over a "run of the mill" system?

wsommariva

Supreme Member

Posts: 332

Location: Northern New Jersey

5

Wednesday, June 22nd 2011, 9:34am

I just completed my own install although small. Big learning curve and I made a few mistakes that needed adjustments.

But not difficult. Go to the site recommended above. PSI and GPM will tell you what you need to install. I used flexible PE and that makes it much easier than PVC. You may need a city permit.

Very satisfyong job once completed. But as Wetboots said what looks good on paper may not translkate to the actual job. So expect adjustmnets.

Good luck.

Wet_Boots

Supreme Member

Posts: 4,102

Location: Metro NYC

6

Wednesday, June 22nd 2011, 10:04am

Quoted from "Frankiebee"

Quoted from "Wet_Boots"

I've done systems like that, with mammoth overkill capabilities, and in my opinion, they are more praiseworthy in concept than in reality.
Thanks. About how much more (A guesstamate in percentage) did it cost over a "run of the mill" system?
It will mostly depend on your city water supplier. Big Water takes a separate tap and a larger meter. Some of that expense may come back if the separate meter allows for paying lower sewerage (sometimes, sewerage fees come as a multiple of the meter reading)

I would look at the possibility of installing a system of MP Rotators, which will cover a large area per zone, and will fit the landscape better than conventional rotors.

Frankiebee

New Member

Posts: 5

7

Wednesday, June 22nd 2011, 2:14pm

Thanks Wetboots for the idea to look for better/best heads. At the Hunter website for those MP sprayers you mentioned I found the Mack-daddy head "The I-90" capable of throwing water out to a 90ft radius and made for "commercial" applications. Wonder if my neighbor two yards over would mind me watering his yard??? ;)

Our city water will take off the sewage charge on the bill for a meter installed for irrigation only, so a small savings there. My whole plan will hinge on the largest meter the city will allow me to install and from there what the actual PSI and GMP is from that meter -- I have no idea yet what they offer, I plan on contacting them before I start the actual preliminary plan.

I did a "standard" sprinkler system at a house I once owned in JAX Fla. It was easy and you all are right... the paper plan changes quickly when you have a gas powered trench digging machine fired up. :thumbup:

Thanks again, keep some of those ideas flowing.

Wet_Boots

Supreme Member

Posts: 4,102

Location: Metro NYC

8

Wednesday, June 22nd 2011, 8:03pm

A large meter also needs a large connection with the main in the street, and maybe there is a steep price to pay to get it. Up north, with deeper mains and freeze concerns, a separate tap and meter for sprinklers is well over a thousand dollars.

Frankiebee

New Member

Posts: 5

9

Sunday, June 26th 2011, 11:37am

Quoted from "grey"


Grey said... "In short you want to find out your static pressure (at the outside bib for example), your flow rate, sizes of your water supply line, water meter. After some calculations you would get a value of dynamic pressure available for sprinklers. That pressure would determine maximum spacing of your sprinkler heads and what type of sprinklers to use, i.e. spray heads or rotors covering areas."

Yeah, done that, got very miserable results for what I "want" because my static pressure at the hose bib is regulated by the pressure valve supplying the whole house. That pressure has to remain below 50 psi or else I get water hammer at the farthest faucet (poor plumbing design by the builder X( ). One would think that 50psi is a good starting point but I only get 5.5 gpm (avg of three 5-gallon bucket tests) from the hose-bib closest to the water meter.
I have just finished the yard measurements and the next step will be to have a separate meter installed (largest supply line diameter that the city will allow for residential -- don't know, will find out). Then I can do the measurements using as much pressure as the city will give and as much gpm that the meter will pass.
I am stuck on building a system with the least amount of zones as possible... I am a stubborn man.

Wet_Boots

Supreme Member

Posts: 4,102

Location: Metro NYC

10

Sunday, June 26th 2011, 8:14pm

Why not find out the actual street pressure before you go nuts with taps and meters? Many sprinkler systems run without the supply fed through a reducing valve, as they are tapped upstream of a PRV. You may already have all the supply you really need.
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