I am going to be re sodding my front lawn and i figured it would also be a good time for a sprinkler system. My only problem is that I dont know where to hook up to the water supply at. Right now I have an outdoor faucet in the place that I would like to put all the manifolds and valves at that I would like to hook up to. Can this be accomplished? How? Also, how do i run the valve lines from the outside to the garage, I would need to go through the ceiling in the basement but what do I do to go from outside to inside? Is there something waterproof to feed the lines through the bricks?
You need a water supply and an electrical supply where ever you are going to terminate the piping. Normally set up in a basement near the water meter. You will need to probably "tee" off of your cold supply line to feed the control box. Your zones will come off of this. The electrical will be needed to run the timers and the valves for each of the zones. Hope this helps.
You won't know if you can do something if you don't try.
You don't want to use an outside faucet...the running water when the system is on will drive you nuts.
You need to tie into your meter with a backflow preventer...this is the hardest part (assuming you rent a trencher for your lines)...the parts are cheap...valves are about $15...I used six.
PVC is really cheap...joining the lines is actually kinda' fun.
Setting up the valve box is a little time consuming but no prob.
I did the whole thing myself and you know where the heads/lines are to modify later...take some pictures after you get your trenches dug for future reference.
Hometime has a video you can order or you might find it at your library.
Posts: 158 | Location: Fort Worth, TX | Registered: Feb 26, 2004
I went to Lowes and they had a pamphlet with Rainbird instructions. You can also go online at Rainbird.com. Best of all you can get this for free. All the directions are there. Print out the graph paper, Draw your yard, house, shrubbery, etc to scale, fax it to them and they send you a DETAILED drawing with everything you need. Save me TONS of time. The average person might think the drawing they receive back is "overkill" but in hot climates like mine, No such thing.
There's more than one way to skin this cat. There are rules to follow and those that can be "violated" with minimal consequences.
You can either have all your valves in one location or run a trunk line through your yard and locate the valves in individual boxes along the way. I opted for the latter so I didn't have to punch under my driveway. It also dramatically shortened the pipe required overall.
You can have a separate meter installed for your sprinkler system or tap off an outside faucet or other convenient location. A separate meter will mean no sewer charges for the sprinkler system usage but significantly higher upfront costs. Tapping off a faucet may mean lower GPM avaliability so one less head per zone.
You didn't mention your location. Is freezing a factor? That must enter into your design plan.
On my home in FL, I ran from a 3/4" outside faucet through a backflow preventer to a "main valve". The main valve was controlled by the "pump start" on my timer. That energized the trunk line which was 1". This then wrapped both directions around the house with to individual valve boxes for each zone. Hint: Don't go smaller than 3/4" on your feeder lines. The cost savings is minimal and it limits future flexibility should you need to make changes.
This design allowed greater flexibility for future changes as the trunk line was always somewhere close. I ran several extra wires in the trench for spares/future expansion. (Put the wires UNDER the piping for protection.) The controllers were located in the garage. The wiring to the controllers left the main trench at a convenient location and ran to the garage (in conduit).
I broke enough "rules" to give a pro nightmares but, end result, water in-water out.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mike in Indiana,
you must,you will, if you don't i will really be pi]]ed off. install a backflow preventer dig up your meter, and cut in a tee. install a 3/4 backflow preventer. it is supposed to be installed by a plumber.if you get caught, it will be a fine. if you do install it your self put a valve before it. and DO NOT USE PIPE DOPE ON THE THREADS use teflon tape instead. put gravel under it.and put a plastic yard box on top of it. if the box is to tall, cut it. come off of that and run a 1 1/4 line all the way around your house. tee off of the main branch.and install a zone valve in a yard box. place your heads where you want them. that is zone 1... continue down the line z-2 z3 z4 run your wires from the zones to the garage. drill a hole in the wall. you will want to sleeve the wires, as they come out of the ground. with a peice of pvc pipe. so that you won't fuc\ it up with the weed wacker.install your timer on the wall in the garage, next to a plug. your yard boxs, lay a 2x4 across the grass.and set the boxs at that height.looseing one is a pain on the connections of the wires. use wire nuts and put 100% silicon over the conections i opted for a simple system with out pumps. you won't need a pump i like to use only 1 1/4 and 1 inch pipping i reduce right at the head. a larger pipe gives more volume. and that is what you want. the pipe sizing is based on a 1/4 acre yard. your yard will require, whatever it requires but don't be running a bunch of 3/4 run 1 inch to everything. the timmer will turn 1on 1 a zone at a time. not the whole thing. 1 -2 -3- 4 - 5- thirty minutes each have fun
This message has been edited. Last edited by: frodo,
Posts: 1306 | Location: i i live in southern mississippi | Registered: Jun 01, 2008
Everything else has been said, but I just want to make sure I stress HAVE A DRAWING. It is invaluable when you go to repair it several years down the road and have a drawing to refer to. I am in the process of looking for my zone 5 valve. I found the zone 6 box about 2 - 3" below my sod. It also helps to write down measurements from reference points to where your valves are located incase the box is ever eaten by the ground or not kept visible and grass grows over it. Good luck and have fun. OH, one last thing rent a ditch witch - they're worth every penny. Especially if you have any clay in your soil.
"Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell 'em, 'Certainly I can!' Then get busy and find out how to do it." -Theodore Roosevelt
Personally, if it were me, I would go with the gang boxes in the basement with electric included from near your meter...
BUT, after the solenoids, and before you go out to the yard, I would again, (providing you live in a cold climate and you have frost freeze that can be from 2-3 feet down), then I would install a T before it goes out of the wall and have a spigot on the "T" so that you can drain each leg of your system...
I live in Ohio, and know of a person who has a large yard, and he goes around and uses pressurized air, (after he takes off the caps), to drain his system every year before winter, so his lines dont bust under ground...
Oh, for going through the basement wall, I would use hydraulic cement which you can mix up and trowel into the wall and it will seal against any moisture from entering into your house. Use it on the outside and inside.
so you guys, would rather have your controlers in one wad , at the garage. instead of buried? ok... but thats a LOT of extra piping, thats like 300 400 ft extra depending on yard size of course. i perfer 1 main line, all the way around the yard. simple, done, -----------------------------7d825c
Posts: 1306 | Location: i i live in southern mississippi | Registered: Jun 01, 2008
frodo, there's certainly pros and cons to each layout. The cost of extra pipe vs. extra wire and valve boxes is a factor. Replacing or repairing an inline valve underground is no picnic, especially if you have fire ants in the area. They loved valve pits and impulse head boxes.
The climate is also. In a freezing area I would absolutely try to locate everything I could in a basement and slope it so everything could be drained inside when winterizing. Servicing is simplified and the longevity of the valves should be much better. Also, no buried wires to cut or get damaged by lightning.
Topography and lawn layout are also factors that help determine the practicality of each type of system. In our case, the lawn was so "stretched out", a trunk was the only thing that made sense.
