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I was tired of having to water my garden beds by hand (or of my plants dying because I'd forgotten), so I decided to install a sprinkler system in my front garden to save the hassle. I’ve installed some irrigation systems before, but this was an easy project and perfect for a beginner with no prior knowledge.
Step 1
Measure your garden and make a rough sketch of the area of the garden that you’re designing your sprinkler system for. Keeping your sketch to a scale makes it the next step easier and make sure you include the location of your tap. *My tap is the other side of my deck, but I'd run a couple of lengths of poly tube to this side of my garden before the deck was put in.
Step 2
Roughly plan out where you’re planning on laying your pipe and where your sprinklers will be placed. I put my sprinkler system in a narrow garden bed, so I ran my pipe down one side of my garden bed and used a combination of quarter circle (90 degree) and half circle (180 degree) sprinkler heads - marked in pink on my sketch. The sprinkler heads I used (Pope Micro jets) cover a 1.5 metre radius, so I placed them about 1.5 metres apart to get even coverage. The radius and coverage details of sprinkler heads range by type, but the details are usually located on the back of the product packaging.
Step 3
I'm only putting in a small watering system, so will be using 13mm poly tube and fittings for this project. This isn’t an essential step, but poly tube tends to keep its coiled shape once it is unrolled, which can make it a bit harder to work with. This is easily fixed by unrolling the length you need, placing something heavy (ie a brick) on each end and leaving it in the sun for 15-20 minutes - just to soften up a little bit.
Step 4
To install your poly tube, dig a 15-20 cm deep trench, where you plan to run your line, and lay your poly tube in trench. Weed mat pins are a handy way to keep your poly tube in place.
Step 5
Now putting it all together. You can cut your poly tube to size using scissors or a sharp knife. Connecting poly tube is easy – slide a 13mm ratchet clamp over the end of the pipe and then push the barb of the 13mm connection fitting into the poly pipe.
Step 6
The connector is held in place by a single 13mm ratchet clamp, which you can now slide back over the connection fitting and close, making sure the clamp is closed at the end of the pipe (and after the barb of the connection fitting). The clamps prevent your fittings from blowing off under pressure, so make sure they're put on tightly.
Step 7
Connect your watering system to the tap using the tap adaptor, followed by the inline filter and an elbow at the bottom of the connection (to prevent your poly tube from kinking). Your connection from the tap should look something like this?
Step 8
To install the sprinklers, firstly screw the micro sprays screw directly into the top of your rigid risers. You can do this by hand, but a Pope Punch Spanner (https://www.bunnings.com.au/pope-punch-spanner_p3121358?region_id=116177&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_viWBhD8ARIsA...) makes it a bit easier and can be used to put holes in your poly tube, for your riser stakes, as well. Next, pierce a hole in the top of the poly pipe (where you’d like to install your sprinkler) and screw the riser directly into your poly tube. Repeat this for all of your sprinklers, remembering to make sure you’ve got good coverage between your sprinklers.
Step 9
Sometimes your watering system will form a loop (and will not require an end cap), but if it does, place an end cap at the end of the line. If you don’t have an end cap, simply fold the poly tube over at the end two times and tape it in place.
Step 10
Next, turn on your tap and check your water system for leaks and coverage and, once you’re happy, cover over your pipe with dirt and you’re done!
Afternoon @Gerdener_Yoshi
I like the steps you have gone through trying to sort the issue. I do think the best option is to split the two feeds and time them differently for the water pressure you have.
How wide is the concrete path you are tring to get a new feed line under? I have used a conduit and a hose (with no nozzel) to clear a path before. Push the conduit in a round 5cm under the concrete amd then insert hose with the water turned on high, push hose all the way in and then slowly force the conduit further under as you go. The water should hopefully eat away at the soil allowing the conduit to go further. Once you have reached the other side (its an idea to put tape around the conduit for the distance you want to travel) remove hose, then run your new black pipe down inside it. Then slide the conduit out over the poly pipe leaving it in place.
You can hopefully then have two feeds from your tap that you can time seperatly so teh water pressure stays consistant. Id also make sure the new pipe is debris free Tho confident with your steps you would be able to tell me much more then I know (I dont actually have a sytem, tho have bought parts for one )
Dave
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