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Anyone diy a sprinkler system?

Back in the olden days I ran PVC SCH 40. IMHO: PEX-A would be my choice now (shit can freeze and bounce right back). PEX-B would also work but it MIGHT have issues with freezing.

I had irrigation on 3/4 acre with some cool ass sprinkler layout (Torro). Had like 10 zones. I would go with some type of IOT controller now.
I also had a seperate non-utility meter for my own. Don't forget to protect your PVB from freezing! :stirthepot::stirthepot::stirthepot::stirthepot:
 
I ran mine with poly pipe about 20 years ago, it’s still fine. I have 6 zones. 3-4 heads per zone. Other than the diaphragm valves it’s been great. Those diaphragms last about a season. There has to be better valves.
 
There are probably fancier ways to do it now, but I am a simple person.
Just put your yard down on graph paper, and circle out the diameter of what type of head you want.
Stub out some areas for future landscapes.
 
If your main concern is watering planter beds, drip irrigation off of a hose bib will be fine. If you want to keep grass green, you'll need to tap the water line and use sprays and/or rotors.

Tie into the water line right outside the meter box. Install a ball valve then a 1" x 1/2" thread tee with a plug to winterize the system. Set your backflow wherever you want after the tee. Nashville has recently changed their requirements to say a backflow has to be out in the middle of the yard close to the tap, with copper risers. We used to hide them behind foundation plantings. May not be an issue where you live or because you're DIY. We do new construction, so we get inspected.

Use Rainbird controller (ESP-ME w/ wi-fi) and Rainbird valves (DVF100), but look for K Rain heads. Their rotors are easier to adjust and their heads cost ~30% less than Rainbird. Sprinklerwarehouse.com has everything you'll need, and their prices are close to what I pay wholesale locally.

Multi-strand wire is a pain in the dick. The only time we use it is when a controller is inside and the GC installed an undersized conduit. We use 16 ga. direct burial. Bury some extra wires along with the mainline in the direction you may want to expand, and cap off a tee at your last valve on that line.

I'd advise against valve manifolds. They're hard to service, and wire is cheaper than pipe. Put the valve closer to where the water is going to come out.
 
I did a 6 head system in my backyard.

1" feed from the main line.
single zone controllled with a tp link casa smart wall switch and 24v transformer from old 4 zone controller.

Rent the little trencher its a super easy job.
 
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Back when I sent off for a design in 19 they wanted a layout of the property, water pressure and flow. They send you a decent detail of where and how to set the sprinklers and valves.

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Orbit had a online deal to do that, it was easy enough.

I found mine, I lied about the water meter connection just to make it easier.
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Found the fucker! Kinda close to the house, gotta get parts,pvc and see how much a trencher is for a day.
 
Use pexA! Yes it's more $ but way more forgiving!

I've been wanting to diy too. Following. Also I get adds for the Otto? Targeted sprayer thing all the time.
 
When I sent in my info I thought the water line was 1” pvc but it’s 3/4”. The plans use 1 1/4 pvc and a 1 1/4” back flow preventer is $500+ where a 1” is $100+
 
If you're tying into the water supply before it goes into the house, make sure to include a pressure regulator. My preference is to have the valves on a manifold or two (one in front, one in back). Also add a master valve (same solenoid valves used for the zones) just down stream from the backflow preventer. This way the system is only under pressure when it's on. If you have a leak, it'll be leaking for a few hours on the days you water, instead of 24/7.
 
4Eyedturd said:
When I sent in my info I thought the water line was 1” pvc but it’s 3/4”. The plans use 1 1/4 pvc and a 1 1/4” back flow preventer is $500+ where a 1” is $100+
Click to expand...
Use a 3/4" backflow and a 1" main, valves, and laterals. Having all your fittings the same size makes life easier. Class 200 pipe is just fine, and saves $ and labor over Sch 40.
 
landscraper said:
If your main concern is watering planter beds, drip irrigation off of a hose bib will be fine. If you want to keep grass green, you'll need to tap the water line and use sprays and/or rotors.

Tie into the water line right outside the meter box. Install a ball valve then a 1" x 1/2" thread tee with a plug to winterize the system. Set your backflow wherever you want after the tee. Nashville has recently changed their requirements to say a backflow has to be out in the middle of the yard close to the tap, with copper risers. We used to hide them behind foundation plantings. May not be an issue where you live or because you're DIY. We do new construction, so we get inspected.

Use Rainbird controller (ESP-ME w/ wi-fi) and Rainbird valves (DVF100), but look for K Rain heads. Their rotors are easier to adjust and their heads cost ~30% less than Rainbird. Sprinklerwarehouse.com has everything you'll need, and their prices are close to what I pay wholesale locally.

Multi-strand wire is a pain in the dick. The only time we use it is when a controller is inside and the GC installed an undersized conduit. We use 16 ga. direct burial. Bury some extra wires along with the mainline in the direction you may want to expand, and cap off a tee at your last valve on that line.

I'd advise against valve manifolds. They're hard to service, and wire is cheaper than pipe. Put the valve closer to where the water is going to come out.
Click to expand...

Any advantages to the ESP-ME over the ESP-TM2 besides the fact you can add modules later?
 
welndmn said:
There are probably fancier ways to do it now, but I am a simple person.
Just put your yard down on graph paper, and circle out the diameter of what type of head you want.
Stub out some areas for future landscapes.
Click to expand...
This is what I did when I put my sprinkler system in 16 years ago at my old house. Made a copy of my plat, drew in my yard to scale as best I could. Located sprinkler heads then drew zones/piping. My neighbor and I did both our houses on the same weekend so we split the cost of trencher. We helped each other so it wasn't as much of a headache. I used sch 40 pvc, rainbird heads, and iirc I ended up with 5 zones. I was on city water back then. Now, I live in the middle of a hayfield. If it can't survive on rain then tough shit.

edit: One thing I will add is put in a larger than you think you need valve box. Spend the time making your valve manifold so that you can add to it later/and or change valves easily if one goes bad.
 
I’ve done several. Last house had a 14 zone system with three buried valve boxes and controller in the basement. Current house has 3 zones off of hose bibs with cheap controllers. When I was a kid and into teenage years, I helped install many systems for our family handyman business. We always used pvc from the main to the valve boxes and then switched to black poly after the valve. Worked well. Try not to bury your lines too deep. Have worked on systems that, after landscaping, the lines ended up 3 feet deep. As you can imagine, this is a huge pain in the ass.
 
Curbkrawler said:
One thing I will add is put in a larger than you think you need valve box. Spend the time making your valve manifold so that you can add to it later/and or change valves easily if one goes bad.
Click to expand...
I like these Orbit manifolds, the mating piece seals with in O-ring, so you have a union at each joint. Makes servicing or altering much easier down the road than just having pipe thread everywhere, plus the valves are spaced tighter together so you don't need as big of a box.

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pcorssmit said:
I like these Orbit manifolds, the mating piece seals with in O-ring, so you have a union at each joint. Makes servicing or altering much easier down the road than just having pipe thread everywhere, plus the valves are spaced tighter together so you don't need as big of a box.

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Click to expand...
That wouldn't be bad...
But Unions are your friend.. Yeah they cost; but it makes life so much eaiser if you need to repair. :smokin::smokin::smokin:
 
The manifold I posted above gives you a union at each joint. The mating part looks like this (the collar spins, and there is an o-ring):

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Here's an example installation. I did not used them on the outlet of the valves. My system black poly pipe downstream of the valves.

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pcorssmit said:
The manifold I posted above gives you a union at each joint. The mating part looks like this (the collar spins, and there is an o-ring):

1727358557561.png


Here's an example installation. I did not used them on the outlet of the valves. My system black poly pipe downstream of the valves.

1727358502672.png
Click to expand...
That is fucking sweet! :smokin::smokin::smokin:
 
Holy hell, trying to look at K Rain sprinklers and I feel like an old fuck with a computer. Rotors,sprays,nozzles,RPS50,RPS75,SuperPro,NPSprays,K-sprays,rotary nozzles, KV Nozzles. How many different styles of a sprinkler can you make and not dumb it down just a hair for dummies.

Edit: I found a catalog finally.
 
Borrowed buddies old ass trencher and after fixing the pull start it beats running a shovel.
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Got 7 valves plumbed and wired and I feel like an old bitch that’s had a desk job. Gotta run wires into the garage, mount controller and do a zone at a time.
 
I use a Netro controller with wifi for my system. I love it, although the app is not very intuitive.
 
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