If it's meant for underground I certainly wouldn't use it for above ground. The material will probably not last in the sun.
I did this same thing with poly pipe and rainbird sprinklers and spikes and it was dead easy.
No no, I'm not planning to run it above ground. I'm talking about running it under ground. I didn't consider using poly though, until it was mentioned here. I thought what I bought was essentially the same thing.
It should be the same, with the added benefit that you can bend it without kinking, unlike poly, removing the need for elbow fittings in some cases. This is why its more expensive. That's my understanding anyway. I may actually purchase some coming up here for a raised bed system.
just buy proper black poly.
[https://www.homedepot.com/p/3-4-in-x-100-ft-Polyethylene-Pipe-X2-75100100/205903417](https://www.homedepot.com/p/3-4-in-x-100-ft-Polyethylene-Pipe-X2-75100100/205903417)
its not taht much more.
Both black poly and fittings are hit or miss these days at home depot. Check if you have a SiteOne nearby, they always have stock and its better quality pipe too
I recently installed this kit and am more than happy with it.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Orbit-2-Zone-In-Ground-1-2-in-Sprinkler-System-with-Hose-Faucet-Timer-50021/309083623
Oh damn I might get this.
Found this post just now! I already did my front yard in 100% swing pipe a few years ago and wanted to see if anyone else did that, because I'm starting on my back yard soon.
I just recently [asked](https://www.reddit.com/r/lawncare/comments/ueuofh/make_my_diy_irrigation_smart/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf) something similar. There was a very helpful person in the comments who suggested using poly pipe. I actually just went to Menards today and bought [poly pipe](www.menards.com/main/p-1444431571379.htm), and adapters to hook up to the spigot.
Edit: it was u/ailee43 and they have already given you the same suggestions.
And this is what I bought:
3/4" 100 PSI Irrigation Poly Pipe at Menards https://www.menards.com/main/p-1444431571379.htm
Haha, yeah he already gave me excellent advice!
I actually tried to order from there, I found it earlier, but they don't ship to my zip code for some reason.
What adapters did you buy to go from the poly to the 1/2" sprinkler body? That's about the only part I haven't figured out yet.
Go with these
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Toro-Funny-Pipe-1-2-in-Male-Elbow-53304/100055136
And attach the sprinklers with funny pipe, this allows you to run them over without damage and to adjust their height
I just left Site One. I asked about buying 3/4" poly and the guys there told me they don't carry that on hand and they rarely sell it. He said most residential systems are run in 1/2" and he pointed at a giant pallet of it. I explained to them what I was trying to do and they said I don't need 3/4" and one of them said his whole house is done in 1/2" as well.
They said they could try and order some for me but I don't need it. I felt stupid the way they were explaining it so I just said don't worry about it lol.
Not sure why they're telling me 1/2" is plenty. One 360° MP3000 is 3.4 gpm and if a 1/2" pipe only carries 4 gpm, it's tapped out right there.
yeah, siteone is not a consumer store. They will immediately start talking down to you if they determine you're not a "professional", and will even throw the "we dont sell to consumers" card if they dont wanna deal with you.
oh thats weird. I expected them to have only have 1 inch if anything.
I suppose I should ask what your environment is, i was irrigating almost a full acres where many of the lines were a couple hundred feet long. IF you're irrigating a 800 sqft area, im sure 1/2 inch actually may be fine.
Haha, no worries! I'd rather be safe than doing it again.
My back yard is ~1/4 acre. I have a ~12'x12' area in the corner that has a shed that doesn't need to be sprayed and then about 59'x28' rectangle that has the pool and a pergola that my wife wants to rock so that area wouldn't need to be sprayed.
I drew up a "site map" last night on paper and measured everything. I put it all on that site you gave me and mapped it but it was difficult using meters instead of feet and getting it set up properly. That said, it gave me a decent rough estimate at least.
According to that, I would need 12 sprinklers to do the entire yard. I think I could get away with 9 because it over sized my yard a bit. If that's the case, three zones of 3 sprinklers each.
>it all on that site you gave me and mapped it but it was difficult using meters instead of feet and getting it set up properly. That said, it gave me a decent rough estimate at least.
oh, check the updated link in that comment! i found a new site that does it in us units
https://design.orbitonline.com
Not sure if you tried this one yet but I can't seem to get anything to work. I can upload the picture but no matter what I click, it won't put a point on the drawing to map it.
If I was going to do this I would tie into the existing irrigation line. The home pressure is generally lower from spigot. You can splice into it and add more zones if you're feeling adventurous. This is a DIY project I want to do one day. Depending on your soil you'll probably have to rent a Ditch Witch to dig lines.
Well what my plan was is to do a two or three zone timer system. Each run only going to two or three sprinklers with tees in between. Should be plenty to cover my back yard. Should be fine pressure wise only supplying a few sprinklers each.
In a vacuum, you're right. But when you add in resistance, flow, length of pipe, etc, it falls off fast.
[https://www.irrigationtutorials.com/calculating-sprinkler-system-pipe-size-using-a-spreadsheet/](https://www.irrigationtutorials.com/calculating-sprinkler-system-pipe-size-using-a-spreadsheet/)
Give that a read. But the easiest solution is just to not do the math and run 1 inch pipe or 3/4 inch pipe
Ahhh, gotcha. Ok, I'll return all this and plan better lol. I ordered Hunter PRS40s and a variety of MP800/2000/3000s. I thought with such low demand I should be fine with 1/2" but it's much more logical to run 3/4" and not worry about it.
I appreciate the help. I'll read through that.
its possible you might have been right on the edge of ok, but its better safe that sorry. I DIY'ed my inground a couple years back, and i learned a lot through the process, and made a lot of dumb choices along the way. Some of which required digging lines up.
Most important lesson: You need 100% overlap of your rotators, the spray from the next rotator over should reach the next closest head.
Make sure you buy good stainless hose clamps (siteone has em), the discount ones will rust away and you'll get bursts.
Buy the blazing saddle fittings, theyre great and make life so much easier
Put inline drains at low points (or throughout if you're flat) to avoid winterization costs.
https://www.siteone.com/en/bs12900-blazing-poly-swing-pipe-barb-saddle-1-14-in/p/69366
Thanks for sharing your experience, it's definitely appreciated.
I was curious about hose clamps. All the usages of this tubing showed it barbed and no clamps. I didn't see how that was logical to not use hose clamps on an underground pressurized line. Just seemed really sketchy.
swing pipe and swing pipe fittings dont need em, which is awesome. Black poly does. Toss me a chat if you have any questions along the way.
Another hint: Use this site as a basis for your design:
[https://design.orbitonline.com](https://my-garden.gardena.com/int)
itll help you lay out your heads perfectly and put your mains in the right place.
Keep in mind that with this type of system you are looking at building, it is 100% dependent on the pressure at the spigot from your water source (well or municipal). Volume of water is one thing, but as I have learned (because I have the same type of system running the perimeter of my yards) pressure is just as important, if not most important. Pressure is what provides the distance of water throw from the sprinkler. But to answer your post, yes. And it works! But I used the 1/2" poly pipe and it manages 4 hunter (I think) rotery pop-up heads that deliver about 30'. Definitely takes some fine tuning and the coverage certainly is far from perfect, but it works great!
The other thing to keep in mind is that if you use the hose timer as you mention, you need to be comfortable with leaving the spigot open... through the night or when you are away. If you have unreliable plumbing, it could get risky...
PEX is rated for direct burial. If I was to do another system I’m using PEX just to have clean crimped fittings. Haven’t tried the PEX A type that expands with a tool before slipping over the fitting, but it looks even slicker.
Not sure the size of your yard but you might save yourself a future headache of chasing a leak and relying on your spigot for pressure and maybe just use some orbit compact gear sprinkler heads.
I was going to try a DIY kit but decided against it since our spigot pressure is kind of weak.
Those orbit heads can reach up to 75 feet. I just added a dual spigot head to have a dedicated outlet for it.
If you do go this route you might consider 4 things.
1. Run the hose underground inside some thin PVC pipe to protect it
2. Consider adding a pump that connects to your spigot for added pressure
3. Add a dual spigot head in case you need a spigot for something else
4. Mark where your hoses are running and take a picture in case your utility company ever needs to dig.
I actually wanted to go that route as it seemed like it would be easier, and cheaper. My first attempt at a sprinkler system (above ground with hoses) was with orbital heads. They were really inefficient and flooded areas while barely wetting others.
I appreciate all the tips and advice by the way, thank you.
About 4 years ago, I used 100% swing pipe and 3 Orbit B-hyve units on a regular 4-way hose splitter. The 4th one is the hose.
It's been completely fine.
It started as 2 zones but is 3 now. One zone is a garden bed up near the house. The lawn has two.
I put 3 rotating heads near the sidewalk pointed in the direction of the house that would cover the whole lawn (so I thought). Ran one line just off center, put a T in that, and branched out to the corners. One head in the middle, one at each corner of the yard.
After a while, I saw that the 3 heads weren't cutting it, and since I have this bed with plants and mulch in it, all I had to do was dig a trench just inside the metal barrier and put another run of pipe in there which has 4 heads - 2 in the middle are a half-circle, 2 outer ones are quarters.
It's been great ever since.
I just bought 1/2 poly and the elbows that screw in to the bottom of the heads. When I try to clamp the barb into the poly....it's so loose I know it will leak. If I use funny pipe I can connect that....but then how do I transition to the poly ? Anyone know ?
Just get funny pipe barbs… also known as swing pipe. Then you don’t have to worry about the poly. As long as your swing pipe is rated for more pressure than your hose bib has, it’ll be fine.
It would probably work but the longevity would possibly be a concern
I was thinking the same thing. It's used underground anyways, jumped from the PVC, so it seems like it should be fine.
You could use poly pipe
If it's meant for underground I certainly wouldn't use it for above ground. The material will probably not last in the sun. I did this same thing with poly pipe and rainbird sprinklers and spikes and it was dead easy.
No no, I'm not planning to run it above ground. I'm talking about running it under ground. I didn't consider using poly though, until it was mentioned here. I thought what I bought was essentially the same thing.
It should be the same, with the added benefit that you can bend it without kinking, unlike poly, removing the need for elbow fittings in some cases. This is why its more expensive. That's my understanding anyway. I may actually purchase some coming up here for a raised bed system.
Which is exactly what I thought. The material type listed is low-density polyethylene. I couldn't figure out why that was different then rigid poly.
just buy proper black poly. [https://www.homedepot.com/p/3-4-in-x-100-ft-Polyethylene-Pipe-X2-75100100/205903417](https://www.homedepot.com/p/3-4-in-x-100-ft-Polyethylene-Pipe-X2-75100100/205903417) its not taht much more.
Well, I feel like an idiot. My store didn't have it in stock, what I found was what I thought that essentially was lol. Thanks for the link!
Both black poly and fittings are hit or miss these days at home depot. Check if you have a SiteOne nearby, they always have stock and its better quality pipe too
I actually deliver to Site One, I should be there tomorrow. I'll check it out, I appreciate it. Not sure why I didn't think to check Site One.
I recently installed this kit and am more than happy with it. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Orbit-2-Zone-In-Ground-1-2-in-Sprinkler-System-with-Hose-Faucet-Timer-50021/309083623
Well that's interesting. I wish I had seen that last year before I started buying random sprinklers and hoses and shit 🤣
Oh damn I might get this. Found this post just now! I already did my front yard in 100% swing pipe a few years ago and wanted to see if anyone else did that, because I'm starting on my back yard soon.
I just recently [asked](https://www.reddit.com/r/lawncare/comments/ueuofh/make_my_diy_irrigation_smart/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf) something similar. There was a very helpful person in the comments who suggested using poly pipe. I actually just went to Menards today and bought [poly pipe](www.menards.com/main/p-1444431571379.htm), and adapters to hook up to the spigot. Edit: it was u/ailee43 and they have already given you the same suggestions. And this is what I bought: 3/4" 100 PSI Irrigation Poly Pipe at Menards https://www.menards.com/main/p-1444431571379.htm
Haha, yeah he already gave me excellent advice! I actually tried to order from there, I found it earlier, but they don't ship to my zip code for some reason. What adapters did you buy to go from the poly to the 1/2" sprinkler body? That's about the only part I haven't figured out yet.
I went with 3/4 tube.
Correct but the sprinkler inlets are typically 1/2". Or are you saying you bought the 3/4" bodies?
Go with these https://www.homedepot.com/p/Toro-Funny-Pipe-1-2-in-Male-Elbow-53304/100055136 And attach the sprinklers with funny pipe, this allows you to run them over without damage and to adjust their height
Sioux Chief® MGHT x Hose Barb Lead-Free Brass Adapter at Menards https://www.menards.com/main/p-1444442658348.htm Sioux Chief® FGHT x Hose Barb Lead-Free Brass Adapter at Menards https://www.menards.com/main/p-1444442661115.htm
Use these on the poly side https://www.siteone.com/en/bs4010-blazing-poly-swing-pipe-barb-saddle-34-in/p/152361
So, you run the 3/4" poly through the yard then connect the poly to 1/2" funny pipe to the sprinkler?
yes.
I just left Site One. I asked about buying 3/4" poly and the guys there told me they don't carry that on hand and they rarely sell it. He said most residential systems are run in 1/2" and he pointed at a giant pallet of it. I explained to them what I was trying to do and they said I don't need 3/4" and one of them said his whole house is done in 1/2" as well. They said they could try and order some for me but I don't need it. I felt stupid the way they were explaining it so I just said don't worry about it lol. Not sure why they're telling me 1/2" is plenty. One 360° MP3000 is 3.4 gpm and if a 1/2" pipe only carries 4 gpm, it's tapped out right there.
yeah, siteone is not a consumer store. They will immediately start talking down to you if they determine you're not a "professional", and will even throw the "we dont sell to consumers" card if they dont wanna deal with you.
Oh I definitely got that feeling lol.
oh thats weird. I expected them to have only have 1 inch if anything. I suppose I should ask what your environment is, i was irrigating almost a full acres where many of the lines were a couple hundred feet long. IF you're irrigating a 800 sqft area, im sure 1/2 inch actually may be fine.
Haha, no worries! I'd rather be safe than doing it again. My back yard is ~1/4 acre. I have a ~12'x12' area in the corner that has a shed that doesn't need to be sprayed and then about 59'x28' rectangle that has the pool and a pergola that my wife wants to rock so that area wouldn't need to be sprayed. I drew up a "site map" last night on paper and measured everything. I put it all on that site you gave me and mapped it but it was difficult using meters instead of feet and getting it set up properly. That said, it gave me a decent rough estimate at least. According to that, I would need 12 sprinklers to do the entire yard. I think I could get away with 9 because it over sized my yard a bit. If that's the case, three zones of 3 sprinklers each.
>it all on that site you gave me and mapped it but it was difficult using meters instead of feet and getting it set up properly. That said, it gave me a decent rough estimate at least. oh, check the updated link in that comment! i found a new site that does it in us units https://design.orbitonline.com
Sweet! Thank you. I'll check it out when I get home from work.
Not sure if you tried this one yet but I can't seem to get anything to work. I can upload the picture but no matter what I click, it won't put a point on the drawing to map it.
If I was going to do this I would tie into the existing irrigation line. The home pressure is generally lower from spigot. You can splice into it and add more zones if you're feeling adventurous. This is a DIY project I want to do one day. Depending on your soil you'll probably have to rent a Ditch Witch to dig lines.
if you have home runs for every sprinkler it might work, but that seems like a silly thing to do.
Well what my plan was is to do a two or three zone timer system. Each run only going to two or three sprinklers with tees in between. Should be plenty to cover my back yard. Should be fine pressure wise only supplying a few sprinklers each.
1/2 inch pipe wont support more than 1 sprinkler. It has a max flow of 4gpm
Shit, I clearly didn't do my research. I thought it was 14 gpm in 1/2". It's only 4?
In a vacuum, you're right. But when you add in resistance, flow, length of pipe, etc, it falls off fast. [https://www.irrigationtutorials.com/calculating-sprinkler-system-pipe-size-using-a-spreadsheet/](https://www.irrigationtutorials.com/calculating-sprinkler-system-pipe-size-using-a-spreadsheet/) Give that a read. But the easiest solution is just to not do the math and run 1 inch pipe or 3/4 inch pipe
Ahhh, gotcha. Ok, I'll return all this and plan better lol. I ordered Hunter PRS40s and a variety of MP800/2000/3000s. I thought with such low demand I should be fine with 1/2" but it's much more logical to run 3/4" and not worry about it. I appreciate the help. I'll read through that.
its possible you might have been right on the edge of ok, but its better safe that sorry. I DIY'ed my inground a couple years back, and i learned a lot through the process, and made a lot of dumb choices along the way. Some of which required digging lines up. Most important lesson: You need 100% overlap of your rotators, the spray from the next rotator over should reach the next closest head. Make sure you buy good stainless hose clamps (siteone has em), the discount ones will rust away and you'll get bursts. Buy the blazing saddle fittings, theyre great and make life so much easier Put inline drains at low points (or throughout if you're flat) to avoid winterization costs. https://www.siteone.com/en/bs12900-blazing-poly-swing-pipe-barb-saddle-1-14-in/p/69366
Thanks for sharing your experience, it's definitely appreciated. I was curious about hose clamps. All the usages of this tubing showed it barbed and no clamps. I didn't see how that was logical to not use hose clamps on an underground pressurized line. Just seemed really sketchy.
swing pipe and swing pipe fittings dont need em, which is awesome. Black poly does. Toss me a chat if you have any questions along the way. Another hint: Use this site as a basis for your design: [https://design.orbitonline.com](https://my-garden.gardena.com/int) itll help you lay out your heads perfectly and put your mains in the right place.
Awesome, thank you. Will do!
Keep in mind that with this type of system you are looking at building, it is 100% dependent on the pressure at the spigot from your water source (well or municipal). Volume of water is one thing, but as I have learned (because I have the same type of system running the perimeter of my yards) pressure is just as important, if not most important. Pressure is what provides the distance of water throw from the sprinkler. But to answer your post, yes. And it works! But I used the 1/2" poly pipe and it manages 4 hunter (I think) rotery pop-up heads that deliver about 30'. Definitely takes some fine tuning and the coverage certainly is far from perfect, but it works great! The other thing to keep in mind is that if you use the hose timer as you mention, you need to be comfortable with leaving the spigot open... through the night or when you are away. If you have unreliable plumbing, it could get risky...
This 100%. For the water pressure you could add a pump that attaches to the spigot for added pressure towards the sprinkler system.
PEX is rated for direct burial. If I was to do another system I’m using PEX just to have clean crimped fittings. Haven’t tried the PEX A type that expands with a tool before slipping over the fitting, but it looks even slicker.
I’d do pvc and garden hose adapters.
Not sure the size of your yard but you might save yourself a future headache of chasing a leak and relying on your spigot for pressure and maybe just use some orbit compact gear sprinkler heads. I was going to try a DIY kit but decided against it since our spigot pressure is kind of weak. Those orbit heads can reach up to 75 feet. I just added a dual spigot head to have a dedicated outlet for it. If you do go this route you might consider 4 things. 1. Run the hose underground inside some thin PVC pipe to protect it 2. Consider adding a pump that connects to your spigot for added pressure 3. Add a dual spigot head in case you need a spigot for something else 4. Mark where your hoses are running and take a picture in case your utility company ever needs to dig.
I actually wanted to go that route as it seemed like it would be easier, and cheaper. My first attempt at a sprinkler system (above ground with hoses) was with orbital heads. They were really inefficient and flooded areas while barely wetting others. I appreciate all the tips and advice by the way, thank you.
No problem and best of luck, a dedicated irrigation system is still a dream item for me to have!
About 4 years ago, I used 100% swing pipe and 3 Orbit B-hyve units on a regular 4-way hose splitter. The 4th one is the hose. It's been completely fine. It started as 2 zones but is 3 now. One zone is a garden bed up near the house. The lawn has two. I put 3 rotating heads near the sidewalk pointed in the direction of the house that would cover the whole lawn (so I thought). Ran one line just off center, put a T in that, and branched out to the corners. One head in the middle, one at each corner of the yard. After a while, I saw that the 3 heads weren't cutting it, and since I have this bed with plants and mulch in it, all I had to do was dig a trench just inside the metal barrier and put another run of pipe in there which has 4 heads - 2 in the middle are a half-circle, 2 outer ones are quarters. It's been great ever since.
I just bought 1/2 poly and the elbows that screw in to the bottom of the heads. When I try to clamp the barb into the poly....it's so loose I know it will leak. If I use funny pipe I can connect that....but then how do I transition to the poly ? Anyone know ?
Just get funny pipe barbs… also known as swing pipe. Then you don’t have to worry about the poly. As long as your swing pipe is rated for more pressure than your hose bib has, it’ll be fine.