I have the same issue. I have read that using apple cider vinegar or ammonia as a spray may be an easy solution. Does anyone know the permanence of the solution? I need to spray this on my outdoor irrigation lines (1/2″ black poly tubing that delivers water to my 1/3 acre property). Although it does not rain in my area for the entire summer , when the dogs do their biting of the tubes, I have read elsewhere this needs to be applied weekly. Given that I have hundreds of feet of this tubing, I am seeking a solution that I can spray on once for the summer. I am also in Northern CA where it does not rain from June 1 to October 1 so washing away is not an issue but the poly tubing does bake all day in strong sun.

Since you're using anti-siphon valves, I assume you don't have a backflow prevention device between your valve manifold and your main supply line. The anti-siphon feature of your valves is intended to prevent possibly contaminated water from being sucked back into the main line. This method of backflow control is now generally viewed with disfavor, and may not comply with applicable codes. If the valve is not positioned at the mandated height above the sprinkler or drip line, the anti-siphon feature is defeated. On the bright side, a simple $10 backflow preventer is usually all that is required for a soaker hose or drip line, and when you open the valve, the water will flow. You will also need an inexpensive pressure regulator. Putting this together may be a bit tricky, and you will need to bear in mind the incompatibility of hose threads and pipe threads as you select the requisite components.

I haven't read much about the eb/flow systems using the 5 gal buckets but I've heard that there can be headachs getting into the individual buckets to check pH and EC depending on the particular system. I've done some reading about a bucket set up (and they use net pots) that is essentially a drip system. Not terribly $$ but to automate it there is alittle cost involved. Let me see if I can post the link. The main inovation they are promoting is the drain design that helps keep root intrusion out of the drains. http://www.alabamahydroponics.com/GH/plans/hydropots.htm For such a system one would need a big resivuar with pump, piping to feed the drippers to the buckets (drippers can be as simple as a hole in the PVC over each bucket,) the drain system from the buckets back to the resivuar, a way to adjust the hight of the buckets and the fall of the drain system, and of course the buckets themselves. This type of system is pretty scallable and you have your choice of media, I've even heard of people using cypress or other wood mulch as media in these systems. Most seem to run the pumps all the time which helps avoid pump burn out apparently. This system also lends itself well to hooking up a variety of methods within the same system. Say have bato buckets for your tomatoes and a trough running for your squash and perhaps a tower for your strawberries etc. So long as the pump can handle the flow, your resivuar is large enough and you choose plants and nutrients that are happy together then you should be all set. These systems also lend well to float valves that can automatically top up the water in the resivuar as well as automatic dosing of nutrient if you splurge on a controler that can handle those functions. The trick would be to get your system balanced enough that a week absence won't allow the pH to swing too much. This should be doable if you choose your nutrient and media carefully to work well with your water supply and the plants you are growing. Good luck Here is a link that might be useful: Hydor Forum

@formulaross20 is correct, changing irrigation types does not change the backflow prevention requirements. You have an AVB which is code in many states for backflow. If you were to go to a centralized backflow, a PVB or RPZ would typically be sufficient. Both options are more expensive than the AVB zone valve and this is why most installers use them when they can. Stick with what you have or if you want to hide the valves, put in a PVB, and use an inline jar type valve. What I used in my yard: PVB:https://www.sprinklerwarehouse.com/pvb-assembly-fe765-100 Inline Valve: https://www.sprinklerwarehouse.com/irritrol-sprinkler-irrigation-valve-2500tf