Garden Irrigation Tubing

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Paul1977

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#272714 11-Jul-2020 09:24

We are have our concrete done next week, and it just occurred to me it would make sense to get some irrigation pipe/tube under the paths from the outdoor tap locations to the garden.

I’ll need to rush out this weekend to get it, can anyone advise what I should be getting?

I just want whatever I need to run under the concrete paths and poke out the other side, so I can tee on whatever else I need later on.

Is there a specific size I should be getting?

Thanks

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#2521018 11-Jul-2020 10:15

I would suggest using 3/4"-19mm tubing. I would also suggest running more than one tube for redundancy and just in case the original tube fails.

I have plumbed our whole section up to a four way Holman controller. Works well, but the sprinklers at the far ends of the longer runs have reduced output.

I used 1/2"-13mm tube, but would use 3/4" 19mm tube if doing it again. The alternative would be to use a ring type system, ie run another tube to the far end to feed the sprinklers from both ends of the system.

edge

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#2521022 11-Jul-2020 10:17

Are you talking about supplying an open-ended irrigation system - i.e. directly feeding a set of sprinklers or drip tubes - or are you talking about extending the pressurised water feed to another tap closer to the garden? Are you on council mains, and by any chance do you have any idea what pressure they guarantee at your place, or do you, for instance, have an on-demand pump providing outside water from a tank? You'd be surprised how much pressure can vary from circumstance to circumstance!

"It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of what he was never reasoned into."
— most commonly attributed to Jonathan Swift, author/theologian

tdgeek

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#2521023 11-Jul-2020 10:19

We have 5 underground tubings, one feeds a tap at the back of our 1/4 property, the other four each feed 4 popups. This is 20mm external tubing

We also have above ground tubing that have the tall thin spray thingies that run around our gardens, this is 13mm as in like this https://www.mitre10.co.nz/shop/neta-drip-irrigation-starter-kit-13mm-black/p/248629

So,assuming you are looking at popups, 20mm.

Hope that helps

Froglotion

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#2521026 11-Jul-2020 10:31

Just put some 40mm waste pipe (or similar) under all the paths, tape the ends up. Then you can feed whatever you want to through it later.

tdgeek

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#2521028 11-Jul-2020 10:35

Thats an excellent idea.

For the OP, if you can foresee needing multiple tubing, as in my example above of what we have, allow for that. One of our outdoor taps feeds 5 tubes in one place that then spread out.

Bung

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#2521032 11-Jul-2020 10:48

Do domestic irrigation systems need any form of non return valve?

Paul1977

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#2521034 11-Jul-2020 11:12

Thanks for the replies. I’m just talking about open ended un-pressurised stuff. Not sure if pressure, but is council mains with a 500kpa reducing valve.

Putting in waste pipe to feed stuff later is a good idea, but I’ve left my run a bit late for that.

I think 19-20mm tubing will be a good way to go, and as suggested I’ll put in extra for redundancy as suggested.

Thanks again.

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Froglotion

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#2521035 11-Jul-2020 11:13

I can't comment on older houses, but i'm pretty sure new ones have 3in1 valves installed which covers that. I ran all my irrigation off the main to my house where it was 32mm feed. So it's separate from house and required a non return valve installed. I tried (temporary) to run my lawn sprinklers off a house tap and they wouldn't even pop up. So the ideal way is to not running irrigation off your house IMO.

Froglotion

208 posts

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#2521036 11-Jul-2020 11:18

You can buy waste pipe from plumbing shops / bunnings probably just like any other pipe you're going to have to buy. Not sure how its too late?

Paul1977

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#2521037 11-Jul-2020 11:18

Is this stuff suitable for going under a concrete path?

https://www.mitre10.co.nz/shop/neta-lo-pol-irrigation-tube-19mm-x-25m-black/p/277043

EDIT: Fixed link

Jase2985

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#2521042 11-Jul-2020 11:28

honestly this late in the piece just put conduit under the path and worry about putting the irrigation tubing under it later. once you decide on the system you want to use

the conduit will also protect it and make it easier to replace in the future should you need to.

Paul1977

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#2521045 11-Jul-2020 11:34

Froglotion:
You can buy waste pipe from plumbing shops / bunnings probably just like any other pipe you're going to have to buy. Not sure how its too late?

Possibly not toO late then, but more of a rush & expense as I’d need to get the appropriate lengths and elbows etc. I think the 19mm irrigation tubing will be sufficient as long as it’s suitable.

Cheers.

tdgeek

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#2521046 11-Jul-2020 11:34

Froglotion:

I can't comment on older houses, but i'm pretty sure new ones have 3in1 valves installed which covers that. I ran all my irrigation off the main to my house where it was 32mm feed. So it's separate from house and required a non return valve installed. I tried (temporary) to run my lawn sprinklers off a house tap and they wouldn't even pop up. So the ideal way is to not running irrigation off your house IMO.

What effect does a non return valve have for home irrigation? My popups don't pop up, they just leak, although once they popped up. I hold one up, and once that kicked in after a few seconds the other 3 on the line popped up, I assumed it was an air pocket issue

edge

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#2521048 11-Jul-2020 11:57

Just a word of caution with the irrigation tubing for open-ended systems: it is generally relatively thin walled compared with LDPE or MDPE piping used for various pressurised water transport systems. This makes it a bit more susceptible to squashing etc when buried (depending obviously on type of fill used). If using that, I would tend to take the advice of others above and potentially use a conduit of some sort - as noted, it also make it easier to fix if something happens under the concrete!

"It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of what he was never reasoned into."
— most commonly attributed to Jonathan Swift, author/theologian

decibel

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#2521066 11-Jul-2020 12:37

Paul1977:

Is this stuff suitable for going under a concrete path?

https://www.mitre10.co.nz/shop/neta-lo-pol-irrigation-tube-19mm-x-25m-black/p/277043

EDIT: Fixed link

This stuff is good for the end of the system, but under the path you should either use a large pipe as a duct (as others have suggested above) or thicker-walled pipe and then these fittings - https://www.hansenproducts.co.nz/tech/poly/instal.htm

You can use the Hansen fittings to join together the thin-wall pipe to the thick-wall pipe.

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