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Connection questions

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TeaMan

Active Member

Posts: 27

1

Monday, August 22nd 2011, 9:06am

Connection questions

Hello, I'm new to the forum, and have a couple connection questions. I'll have more design questions as I get deeper into my installation later...
1. For barbed fittings, where is it best to place the hose clamp? On the barb, or between the barb and the fitting?
2. For plastic fittings, I heard that teflon tape was not recommended and nothing was needed for a leak free connection. I have some fittings that are fairly loose when I put them together, and I can actually bottom them out in the sprinkler head. What is recommended to put on these connections to keep them from leaking?
Thanks
TeaMan

Central Irrigation

Supreme Member

Posts: 364

Location: Central Minnesota

2

Monday, August 22nd 2011, 5:16pm

A Funny pipe fitting needs no teflon. A PVC or threaded poly fitting does. Clamp anywhere on the barbed fitting. If your mainline is poly, put two clamps on every mainline connection. Any connection after the valve only needs one. Just make sure the clamps are tight.

TeaMan

Active Member

Posts: 27

3

Tuesday, August 23rd 2011, 5:03pm

Thanks Central Irrigation. The funny pipe fittings are actually the ones that are loose fitting. I can bottom most of them out in the sprinklers without much resistance at all. These are the ones I was most worried about. Is it a problem using teflon tape on them? If not, I can definitely do that to tighten them up a bit. Thanks for the advice on the clamps on the main line. I never thought of that. I do have fairly high pressure and flow both, so before the valves that will reduce that, it makes sense to take extra precautions.

Wet_Boots

Supreme Member

Posts: 4,102

Location: Metro NYC

4

Tuesday, August 23rd 2011, 6:47pm

connecting a funny pipe elbow directly to a sprinkler head is a false economy - put a marlex elbow between them

Mitchgo

Supreme Member

Posts: 502

Location: Seattle

5

Tuesday, August 23rd 2011, 7:32pm

No way- Marlex's suck

You only need a marlex in certain situations

If your funny pipe fun is 15-18" and you have dug deeper then the head you can position that sprinkler head anyway you need it..

If 75% of spring start up breaks are stupid marlexs... when rarely the head needs them

Wet_Boots

Supreme Member

Posts: 4,102

Location: Metro NYC

6

Wednesday, August 24th 2011, 9:55am

Quoted from "Mitchgo"

No way- Marlex's suck

You only need a marlex in certain situations

If your funny pipe fun is 15-18" and you have dug deeper then the head you can position that sprinkler head anyway you need it..

If 75% of spring start up breaks are stupid marlexs... when rarely the head needs them
Home Depot marlex elbows don't count. It has to be a quality item. The Spears or Dura or Lasco marlex elbows break only a minute fraction of the times a funny pipe elbow does, when one is threaded directly to a sprinkler head.

Most importantly, the best reason for a sight-unseen recommendation to add the marlex ells is that the "funny pipe elbow" being used here is not necessarily a quality brand-name fitting. Toro and Rainbird use a self-lubricating plastic for their swing elbows. Off brands use cheaper material. The marlex ell makes up for any misfit between head and swing pipe elbow.

This post has been edited 1 times, last edit by "Wet_Boots" (Aug 24th 2011, 10:03am)

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