How can one accurately quote without a static pressure reading?? If , based on his numbers all the heads are quarter circle, then 10 heads x .81 gpm = 8.1 gpm flow. That alone is just outside the industry standards for flow in a 3/4" sch. 40 pipe. How likely is it that they would all be quarter circle?? If they are all half circle then 10 heads x 1.52 gpm = 15.2 gpm flow which is way out of line. Pressure loss per 100 ft. is around 18psi at that flow. Knowing the static pressure is important for that reason alone. Forget it if you add any full circles to the mix. There are other variables that affect how much water can be run but we do not have that info because we can't see the site. Based on what info you have given, I do not see this zone as operating very well. We generally do not run more than 8 gpm on a 3/4 pvc line and the conditions have to be right. High flow rates in a small diameter pipe bring along other problems such as water hammer noise.

Hi tdscpa, Thanks for your suggestions. I had checked out the rainbird and other websites but I did not see explanations on having the manifold at the water faucet with the lateral lines going 25 feet underground verses having the main line going 25 feet under ground with the manifold in the irrigation area. But see my comments below. Hi homr, Thanks for taking the time to key in all that information. Especially explaining the pressure loss problems. But it looks like my whole plan will have to be revised due to what I learned. See my comments below. REVISED PLAN: Thanks to all who contributed to this thread. I really appreciate it. I talked to a city tech and he gave me a link to city ordinances which deal with irrigation systems. From what I read, it appears that the backflow preventer (BP) has to be installed in the main line prior to any branching. This means the BP will have to be installed near the front corner of our property where the main line first enters our property. This will require longer runs from the BP to the irrigation areas in the front and back yards. I'll have to check with a licensed plumber with experience in irrigation systems confirm whether the BP has to be installed before any branching. But it looks like I have even bigger problems if the BP has to be installed at the front corner of our property: 1. If the BP has to be installed at the front corner of our property, the main line will have to go across our concrete driveway and entry sidewalk to get to our front yard. IÂm reluctant to cut our concrete driveway and entry sidewalk to do this. 2. The path from the BP at the front corner to the back yard is all concrete. That side of the house has concrete from the house to the hollow tile perimeter wall. A DIFFERENT QUESTION: Any licensed plumbers reading this? Is there a universal code that says all main lines have to be buried in the ground? Or is it "generally" permissible to run a main line above ground? (Like attached to our hollow tile perimeter wall above the concrete sidewalk?) Assuming I can get the main line from the BP at the front corner to the back yard, I will have to run the line around the house (buried under ground) to get it to the front yard without having to do item-1. (The other side of the house does not have concrete.) Sorry for the long post. I guess there is no such thing as a simple drip irrigation system if it is to be done right, Sky

No, the aquifier is not that weak. It is the fact that they just do not install a big pump as part of a standard package from what I am finding out. My well will actually produce 20gpm no problem. It is a standard submersible pump in a 4" casing. The pump is already set with 40/60PSI cutoffs, however, the best combination of pressure/gpm is at the 47psi/10GPM which keeps the pump running. If I try to get 55psi out of the system I think I will only be getting about 6GPM out of it and when watering 1acre of grass I think it is unreasonable to try and water it with that flow rate. I would rather design the system for the correct flow than to have to redo it at a later point. On a happy note: I called my well guy and spoke to one of the owners yesterday. He said they can install a 1.5hp pump and new well tank for about $1200. That is giving my some credit for my existing system. I could also get what he called a constant velocity system. I guess it maintains a constant 70PSI and will pump an easy 20GPM but they want $1700 to install that system.

Chandra, everything looks so nice. Some problems you may have is due mainly to excess pressure. If you are reading 140 PSI on your gauge you have hooked in to the line ahead of your regulator. Where I live the regulator is supposed to be just down stream of your meter. Here the main line pressure is 150 PSI. I have mine regulated down to about 40 to 45 pounds, (my son across the highway runs 150 pounds on his outside faucet to get greater flow to water the garden and fill the pool). In my opinion that is a mistake because it is too easy to burst hoses. I would like to adjust my pressure up to about 65 pounds but don't want the added risk of blowing a line in the house. The gauge not coming back to zero may because some gauges have a release button on them to let pressure bleed back to zero, although I have never seen one on a water pressure gauge. I would advise you go get a water pressure gauge if you don't have one. They cost between $5.00 and $10.00 at Lowe's of Home Depot. I used an Air pressure gauge for years but I like the water pressure gauge better. The threads are not the same on a water hose and a pipe. The water hose has a 3/4" 11.5 threads per inch water hose thread on it. All 3/4" plumbing will have a 3/4" 14 threads per inch pipe thread. I have many hose threads attached to pipe threads, but I doubt you can make it work because of the high pressure you are running. You can try to put an extra washer in the fitting and see if it will seal. (all hose fittings seal against a washer, all pipe threads seal because the threads are cut on a taper). Some very high pressure applications use a special thread, but nothing like that is used in a home. If you don't get the threads to seal, you can buy adapters. The plastic adapter cost about $1.50 each, the brass adapters cost about $3.50 each. If it would help you I could go out to the shop and take a picture of each. I have to keep them here because I have to drive 50 miles to get the plastic ones, the brass adapters can be bought about anywhere. If I can help in any way just let me know, just be careful about running too much pressure, you may damage some of your equipment. Larry