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High pitch squeel from drip irrigation line

9 years ago

HELP Please: My drip irrigation line is producing a loud high pitch sound. I have a 3/4 inch PVC line that has Rainbird XBD-80 8 outlet manifolds located at 7 locations along the run of PVC pipe. Pressure flow at each manifold is controlled by a 30 psi pressure regulator. Of the 8 outlets in each manifold, I am using an average of 5 outlets per manifold. Water flow to the plant is through Rainbird 5 gph pressure compensating modules (emitters). As soon as the system turns on, the squeal noise starts and it is coming from the manifolds. I have tried cleaning the filters in each manifold and have replaced the emitters. Water flow is fine but the sound is driving me bonkers.
Any ideas on how to fix this problem?

Featured Answer

jean001a

9 years ago

Pressure is too high before it gets to the pressure reducer for the drip line.

Comments (8)

Flash48
Original Author
9 years ago
jean001a, you are absolutely spot on with your reply. Thru the process on elimination I ruled out the filters and emitters so the pressure regulator had to be the source of the noise. It is designed for an inlet pressure of 15-60PSI. My line pressure is 80PSI. I have installed a commercial grade basket filter with 40PSI regulator in line right after the anti-syphon valve and the squeal is gone. I tip my favorite garden hat to you for your help.
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I have an orchard. I put in posts and wire to suspend the main line around 2 feet off the ground. There is some buried main line as well, but I don't like having too many buried lines because if they should leak it might take quite some time before you notice, and quite a long time to find the leak location. Burying one relatively short line shouldn't' be a problem, though. You could use garden hose as your main line and move it when you mow. You can connect your system to use the rain barrel at all times. Use your garden hose to manually fill up the rain barrel when needed. Or you could even use a float valve to automatically top off the rain barrel from the hose. Then everything would be zero pressure. I think a hose timer will work OK with zero pressure. So you could have branch A be main line, back-flow preventer, pressure reducer, hose bib A. Branch B would be water barrel, hose bib B. Connect the hose timer to hose bib A when you are home, and hose bib B when you are out. Don't forget to turn on the hose bib before you go on vacation! If you can get your rain barrel 10 feet above your garden, everything will work much better. If you only have one or two feet of pressure, even drip irrigation might not work very well. I believe most drip irrigation is designed to work at 5 psi (hopefully someone will correct me if I am wrong). That is like 11 feet of water pressure, I believe. --McKenzie
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AM, Yes most controllers are not as flexible as you would like. The more money the more flexibility. I am not even aware of a 6 program controller. Someone may know. What was the old one that you used? I just need to gather more information from you to make an informed suggestion. I need to know your flow rate of your water source. Is your system off a outdoor house faucet or the mainline from your house before your house pressure regulator? If a hose faucet, then fill a five-gallon bucket and time how long to fill. Give us the time to fill 5-gallons. Next is the drip ones, how long or how many and what spacing and the type of drip lines or emitters? How many sprinklers and what Brand/type for each zone? What I am looking for is flow rates of drip tape or emitters to calculate the water demand for each zone. This is like a design in reverse which is a water audit. If you don't have all the info give me as much as you can. Finally, what is your water pressure? Buy an inexpensive pressure gauge that fits on your faucet from hardware store. When I can tell what zone uses what amount of what, then you can tell what zones can run simultaneously and the ones that need extra time can be at a later time and duration. You might try buying another Controller and hook three zone to one and 3 zone to another for the 6 programs you need. JMHO Aloha
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Seth, Will the faucet be the permanent connection for the irrigation to the trees? You could probably get away with flexible pipe on grade if there isn't much traffic in the area. Just make sure to secure it to the ground with u hooks so that if you do walk by you don't take yourself out! What kind of trees are they, that would impact how much water you need to get to them...
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One suggestion is to find a sprinkler head you don't need (like a popup sprinkler used for shrubs that are mature enough that they no longer need irragation) or you can install a new 1/2" outlet to your existing system. Then all you need to do is attach a drip head conversion kit. It allows you to run up to eight 1/4" microtubes from the single head and you can regulate the flow/pressure to each tube. You can buy the converter at the big box stores. I've used them for years and have had no problems with pressure. I've included a link to the conversion kit sold on the Drip Store. Here is a link that might be useful: Drip Store Head Conversion Kit
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Sandra Caravanos
3 years ago
Actually I have a question. What if the Drip System is on time and in starts to squeal when the timer turns on the systems and it connected to a simple spigot. How does one stop the squealing.
HU-736394927
3 years ago
I have the same issue/question as Sandra. Any answers out there?
Cee
2 years ago
A slight whining or high-pitched noise coming from the sprinkler valve is a sign of a small leak or slow leak. While this sound is sometimes accompanied by a telltale trickle of water, the leak may appear not in the exterior of the valve but in the valve shutoff. The sound comes from water channeled through a small hole, the way air is channeled through the stops of a whistle. A leak in the sprinkler valve, whether inside the mechanism or on its exterior, means the valve will require replacement. If a sound is present but no water is streaming out of the valve, try tightening the connectors joining the valve with the pipes before servicing. - This is what I read from a Google search. I ended up replacing it after trying the water pressure suggestion above.
Kathy Burrow
last year
last modified: last year
FYI, We went through the whole system after installing it at my daughters house. couldnt figure it out. So after several weeks of trial and error we took the drip line that we had left over at home and hooked the hose up to it and whala! its the drip line itself that squeals, not the valve or back flow. We bought it at Home Depot. its brown in color, 100ft.
Steven Haal
last year
HELP we have high pitched noise coming from inside master bedroom sink faucet every time sprinkler system is active outside...... Any ideas?
nanelle_gw (usda 9/Sunset 14)
last year
Similar problem but more of a tuba-groaning sound. We have had a series of problems recently with our drip irrigation over the last month, and we are awaiting the repair of a leak as well.

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