Garden Irrigation

[LLCoolDL]

Hi Everyone,

I am landscaping my garden so have had diggers in etc. and so I am installing underground irrigation. I am using MDPE 20mm to connect direct from mains around garden to various soaker and micro irrigation systems.

I have some concerns though!

I have ordered dual check valves (20mm MDPE) but am not sure at what pressure they work?! Any ideas?!

I also am unable to find an appropriate pressure reduction valve that will fit the system and am now confused as to where to connect it before or after the no return valve? Need 20mm otherwise I need to buy a host of adaptors!


At present the plan was as follows:

From mains to on/off valve followed by timer. From timer to pressure reduction then to tpiece... one way to front garden, the other to back garden.

For the front, install the two way check valve then to drip irrigation system for hanging baskets etc.

For the back... to another t-piece one will be a tap for the BBQ / drinks area, used for rinsing glasses etc. (non-return tap!) The other to a soaker hose (around 40 metres worth!)


Question... Would I be better running the system high pressure until I reach the irtrigation system sections and then reduce the pressure?

Please help!!!!

 

[Agile]

Its easy to buy a pressure reducing valve to give about 0.5 Bar on your system.

The double check valve should be just inside the property where the pipe leaves together with an isolating valve.

Dont have metal bits outside incase they freeze and crack.

I hope your system is suplied by a meter and you have calculated the extra cost of the water.

Tony

 

[Boilerman2]

Personally I would have fitted a Rainwater harvesting system to collect water for irrigation which could have been delivered via a pump set

expect£££££££££ water bills!! and a fine if you are not connected via a meter!!

 

[LLCoolDL]

Why is it when you ask specific questions everyone tells you they would do soemthing different. Not for a technical reason, just cos they would do it that way!

The water is on a timer, 5 mins every 4 hours... Not exactly a lot of water and yes it is on a meter!

 

[Nige F]

Why is it when you ask specific questions everyone tells you they would do soemthing different. Not for a technical reason, just cos they would do it that way!

The water is on a timer, 5 mins every 4 hours... Not exactly a lot of water and yes it is on a meter!

cuz they`re heating engineers

 

[Agile]

Do you have a rain detector to stop the irregation when its raining?

I find that watering in the evening is most effective as it gives the plants the next 12 hours to adsorb the water before the next day when it could be hot and watering just evaporates.

Tony

 

[Boilerman2]

I love OP's that don't like answers we are just trying to help and offer suggestions that you may not have thought of but as you clearly know it all.............

 

[Agile]

If an OP needs to answer a question then its unlikely that he knows everything about the topic.

We give wider advice because thats often useful and can give people other possibilities to explore.

The water Regs advice is particularly usedful to prevent a non complient installations.

Tony

 

[spudkey]

Check valves will not comply with water regulations if outlets below 150mm above ground level

 

[muggles]

Mains-fed garden irrigation systems are a veritable minefield from a regulatory point of view, enter at your peril...

 

[LLCoolDL]

Spudulike got that covered thanks.

Mugle can you expand?

Tony thanks, I will only turn it on in dry moths and the system is running underground straight to the roots.

Others... I appreciate yor points, I was in a grump when I posted!

I had thought about rain water collection but the installation cost is simply too high and I will only use the system during the driest months.

 

[Agile]

Its not my field but it would not surprise me if watering directly to the roots might be depriving plants from dissolved material which they would otherwise obtain from ground water.

After looking on he web it seems that many systems do add nutrients to the root watering systems.

Tony