When you were told drip irrigation is low maint, you were sold a bill of goods. It is efficient, but hardly low maint. Usually unless you can see the emitters, the first sign of a problem is a dead or dying plant.

All Wet

I agree low maintenance my A#$

So now what. Do I rip it all out and hard pipe with bubblers? Is this the way to go?

any suggestions would be appreciated.

John
Riverside, Ca

Hi,

I can't deny that a drip system has to be checked periodically, but the water savings are well worth it. In my own system, I have begun to use the drip bubblers that are adjustable from 0 to 6 gallons. While I haven't had a problem with one yet, all you have to do is to unscrew the top, let it flush out, and reinstall. The adjustable feature was a plant life-saver last year in our (usual) summertime drought.

These bubblers are on a stake, are available in 180 or 360 degree models and put out little streams of water instead of a spray. I get them at a local irrigation supply firm. I've been lucky enough so far to get them at a contractor's price (a 25 pc bag for $13.00). I don't think DIG has this kind of bubbler, and anyway, my local Home Depot has sharply reduced the shelf-space (and selection) of DIG products. SHame on them.

Be sure that your filter is of sufficient capacity (I use a DIG model from Home Depot) and that it is cleaned frequently. My water supply is city water and haven't really had a buildup of crud in the filter. When making new connections or splices, take xtra caution that nothing touches the dirt when working and that the line is flushed before adding drippers/sprayers/bubblers.

Residential drip systems are and can be very efficient if installed properly and with the proper products. It sounds like if the the large tubing is not staying connected then you might be running to high of a pressure. Remember these systems are considered drip because of low volume/low pressure. The components I generally use are either a punch-in emitter or a micro-spray type system. Both systems are used on 500+ acre pecan farms with no significant problems. On residential the only maintenance is to check/clean you filter atleast once a year and a walk through to make sure your drip line is dripping correctly or your micros are spraying corrected. Ideally this should be done 3 times a year. We sell these systems to contractors on a daily basis and they are having great success with them.

I am not sure which system I have or what it's called. He has installed Hard pipe through out the backyard. from several locations it transitions from pvc to large diameter flexible plastic pipe. From these pipes small diameter pipes are punched into ending with a stake like sprayer. First problems where that the sprayers on the ends were clogging. Then after that was solved with a inline filter, every couple of weeks the Large diameter plastic pipe would seperate from the PVC pipe causing a flood.

I am so frustrated with this system. I could care less about the cost of water at this point I have lost at least $800 to $1,000 in palms. Not including plants.

Check the pressure on the large black tubing. It can easily be fixed by installing a pressure regulator made for drip systems. In a pinch, you can use a hose clamp on the fitting that continues to bust off. A 1/2" clamp should do the job since you probably have 16mm tubing. If wanted to be safe you could just get a 3/4" clamp as long as it can be tighten down far enough. If the black hose seperates from more than a couple of different places then you probably will need to install the pressure regulator. Drip systems generally are designed to operate somewhere around 30 psi.

Hope this helps...Let me know what you end up doing.

Emitters clogging and pipes separating in first year of use? Sounds like crappy installation.

Every drip system should have filters and pressure regulator, NO EXCEPTIONS. And unless the emitters have been designed to be buried, they need to be above the surface to avoid clogging from the dirt.

There's never a reason to not include a VERY FIN filter (150 or finer mesh), especially when you're on city water. There is still 'stuff' in city water you just don't know about. The first time I cleaned my filter, I found a sliver of wood about the size of a tip of a tooth pick (1/4" long).

The pressure regulator is needed because this stuff is designed for 50psi MAX. And even if you live in an area where water pressure is low (say 30-40psi), I'd think you'd still want the regulator to protect against pressure spikes.

But if you've got everything installed right, I've found a drip irrigation to be low maintenance. The only maintenance issues I've had so far are micro-sprayers (spinners) rust and quit spinning, and the hassle of winterizing.

I have to agree w/ the others saying that drip-irrigation is a low-maintenance system but only if it is installed correctly using quality products. I'm in the middle of the desert and drip systems are apart of nearly every landscape.

Many irrigation contractors are even installing sub-surface irrigation for lawns where the emitters are buried and they still don't have too many problems w/ emitters clogging. A good filter is a must. If you get the system installed correctly, I think you will be pleased with the results.

If your installer won't return your calls, take him to court!

I have a Mister Landscape system and have been very pleased with it. I do have a question though. Do I need to do anything with the system in Florida. Vary rarely freezes in Jacksonville and when it does maybe for 2-3 hours. I know there is still a little water in my tubes when I cut off the system. Do I need to be concerned?