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Design help, planning stages. MP Rotators + Backflow Installed! Pics!

Ocelaris

New Member

Posts: 7

1

Monday, May 13th 2013, 10:01pm

Design help, planning stages. MP Rotators + Backflow Installed! Pics!

Hi, I was hoping someone could give me their opinion of my proposed setup for my house. I have about 3500 square feet to cover in the front, and I've done all the math, and I have 11gpm to work with at 80 psi static. I did the math following irrigation tutorials, and I have about 14 PSI left over with my setup. But my city feed is only 3/4" copper, so I'm limited in GPM, so I liked the MP Rotator idea of slower GPM, that way I can squeeze my lawn and shrubs into 2 zones. The main yard are is MP 2000 rotators with the smaller areas using MP1000s and side yard 5x15' and 5x30' respectively. The other side of the yard may come later, but is MP2000s also. Zone 1 is in blue, Zone 2 is green, and zone 3 is purple. The Red X is the backflow preventers, and the blue box is the valves.

I'm looking for all sorts of advice, but mostly I'd like to know how to run the pipe the best way to use as little tubing/trenching as possible.







Scott76

Active Member

Posts: 46

Location: Kansas City

2

Wednesday, May 15th 2013, 12:54am

Is there a reason to only use 2 zones? Usually when setting up a system I like to keep the grass and shrubs on separate zones. Generally speaking you have different run times for what you are watering. If you have plants and grass on the same zone you can end up over watering one area or under watering another. The biggest thing with the MP Rotators is to place them on PRS (pressure regulating stem) heads. The heads are able to flow more water at a higher pressure than the charts the manufacture provides. If you put 75 PSI on a head it will flow more water, enough to make the zone not work, than at 40 PSI like the chart maxes out at.

On the saving pipe issue. Try to make as many long straight runs as you can. In you picture you basically show three rows in the front yard. Run those lengthwise and run a single connection line down the middle from your valve. If you figure 400 feet of pipe, add an additional 50+ feet for bad cuts and extra turns you don't plan on. It's never fun to be almost done and have to run to the store because you are 5 feet short on pipe.

If it was me, I would put the shrubs on one zone, the main grass on a second, and the side yard on a third.

Ocelaris

New Member

Posts: 7

3

Wednesday, May 15th 2013, 7:22am

Sorry, I "said" 2 zones in my post, but drew 3, like you said. The side yard may or may not get irrigation this year depending on money and time... I was kind of discounting the side yard in my mind currently... What's really happening is that I'm going to plant grass on the entire thing now, and eventually will turn the "shrub" zone into a perennial garden. As you can see in the picture below, the side yard and driveway are covered in overgrown bushes, basically the only thing to stay on that side yard is that white dogwood. But to get the water over there I have to run out the garage, through the ceiling of the garage, and then back outside, and add another backflow, which may/may not be feasible. So I said 2, knowing I will get the front lawn and shrub zones done at least.

I plan on using the PRS40 spray bodies, 40PSI regulated bodies, and drain valves at the lowest points on the lines, as there is a bit of a slop to the yard. I'll redraw that zones lines, because I may stub out for another shrub zone on the west side of the yard (not pictured below).



Scott76

Active Member

Posts: 46

Location: Kansas City

4

Wednesday, May 15th 2013, 2:59pm

With the PRS heads pressure will not be an issue. Is your 11 GPM after you leave some extra flow for the house? If not, figure on using only 9 GPM to allow for extra flow. Build your design with the flow in mind and run heads until you run out of flow. You will probably get 9 to 12 heads based on spray area. (A 90 uses less water than a 180).

If you post a basic drawing with just dimensions I will try to explain a layout using the flow chart provided by Hunter.

Ocelaris

New Member

Posts: 7

5

Wednesday, May 15th 2013, 8:43pm

Thanks, this is the layout of the property, each square is 5' x 5'.The line about 7 feet back is the "property line" technically, but there is no sidewalk, and we maintain it all the way up to the curb.

I think I will have to break the front lawn section up into 2 zones, and then have a shrub and then a seperate side yard, for a total of 4 zones.

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