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Retrofit Drip Irrigation Issues

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jwilson

Starting Member

Posts: 1

1

Sunday, April 8th 2012, 8:09pm

Retrofit Drip Irrigation Issues

I'm trying to retrofit my sprinkler system with a drip irrigation setup. I would like to do targeted watering of specific plants on our patio without spraying water everywhere. The existing system had 1/2 inch risers with the sprayer heads on top. I purchased a number of parts from Sprinkler Warehouse including retrofit pressure regulators for each riser, emitter manifolds, RainBird emitters, tubing, etc. Everything appears to be working but I've run into a couple of issues and need suggestions for getting them corrected.

  1. The drip system is set up on the existing sprinkler timer. I let the drip zone run for 1 minute but the emitters are still dripping over 8 hours later. I usually have to take one of the heads off to release the pressure from the system to get the emitters to stop dripping. This doesn't seem normal. ?( How do I get better control of the on/off timing of the drip system?
  2. It seems like the drip system is prone to clogging. Are there any filters that could be used with the 1/2 inch risers that will help prevent clogging? Are there products available to help prevent clogging (soil, bugs, etc.) on the drip emitter end of the system?
Thanks in advance for your help and suggestions.

mrfixit

Moderator

Posts: 1,510

Location: USA

2

Sunday, April 8th 2012, 9:50pm

The valve isn't shutting off all the way. That's why it continues to run. Low flow is probably the reason. That's why it shuts off when you remove an emitter.
If the valve has a flow control turn it down as far as you can. Don't turn it down too far or it wont function.
If you can't get it to work you'll need a low flow valve. I'm not going to recommend one. Someone else might have a favorite valve for drip. I don't.
Here's my favorite drip emitter for pots. I've never had a complaint from a home owner. Plus they put out enough water to shut off the valve.
Full Circle
Half Circle
There's also a full circle spray which is cool and a flood bubbler.

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