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Easiest/least disruptive way to add a spray head

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hack

Unregistered

1

Tuesday, May 10th 2011, 8:14am

Easiest/least disruptive way to add a spray head

I would appreciate advice on how best to add a new spray head in an existing irrigation system. I want to minimize digging (grass/landscaping disruption). I have no plumbing experience and little knowledge. Would a PVC compression tee be the best option?

I've spent so much time in the plumbing aisles at Home Depot it's become embarrassing, so I'll gladly accept as much detail as you can stand to give regarding the entire mini-project!

hack

Unregistered

2

Tuesday, May 10th 2011, 10:10am

I can't seem to win on this thing. I had already dug up an adjacent spray head, thinking I could tee into its flex tubing to add the new spray head. Then someone advised me that doing so was not a good idea, because the max for flex tubing use is 24" and there would be too much pressure/volume drop. I would have had to run the new flex tubing about 8' so it may well not have worked.

As I was closing that hole up, I noticed that there are two PVC pipes there, touching each other. I guess each one is for its own zone. Now I have no idea how to tell which PVC pipe to tap into because I don't want to cut into the wrong zone. I guess the only way to reliably tell is to dig until I find the tee for a spray head on a known zone.

Like I said, any advice would be most welcome.

Wet_Boots

Supreme Member

Posts: 4,102

Location: Metro NYC

3

Tuesday, May 10th 2011, 1:22pm

Try a tee connection at the flex tubing - you may find it works okay.

hack

Unregistered

4

Tuesday, May 10th 2011, 2:11pm

Did some digging and found an elbow in the PVC close to the desired location of the new spray head. I guess I will be able to tee into that. Don't know what zone it is but it'll have to do whichever zone it is!

I know the common advice when cementing PVC is to twist it 1/4 turn or so after mating the two pieces. What about when installing a tee? Seems you will be able to turn it after installing the one side, but not the second. Or do you prime/cement both ends of the tee and do both simultaneously?

Mitchgo

Supreme Member

Posts: 502

Location: Seattle

5

Tuesday, May 10th 2011, 11:15pm

Like boots said, try the flex tubing ( swing pipe).

Dependent on the zone pressure / available water flow that tubing should be able to handle more then one head and hanadle the 8'.

Yes, it's not good to go far with swing pipe because of the high amount of friction loss... but if the pipe can handle the extra pressure loss and flow. It's not going to kill the system by doing it this way..

I don't ever swing tee more then once, even if the flow is good enough.. It's a hack job

Take off the sprinkler head from the flex tubing, turn on the zone. If other sprays heads are semi- popping up and say.. water is shooting out of the swing pipe at least 10' away. Then your fine..

If you want to go the pvc way

All of these are okay ways to tap into your existing pvc

Although i prefer the telescopic slip fix , Grab a Tee fitting , a 90 and run pvc down to your sprinkler head.. Install a sprinkler 90 with a swing 90 , attach the pipe to your head and your good to go

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