- Drip Irrigation -
Basic Components

TIMERS Timers are used to automate your system so that you can water while you're away at work, sleeping or even out of town. They also insure that watering will be done on a regular basis. On clay soil or a hill side, short cycles repeated frequently work best. This prevents runoff, erosion and wasted water. Timers help prevent the too-dry, too- wet cycles that stress plants and retard their growth. They also allow for watering at optimum times such as early morning or late evening.
We carry wind-up timers, battery operated timers and electronic (multi-valve) timers. Wind-up timers allow you to run water for a certain period and will turn off automatically. They're great for people who forget to turn off their water, but they won't turn on automatically when you're on vacation. Battery operated timers are simple to install and allow you to program when and how long your system will run. Most of these can even be set for multiple start times per day. Electronic timers are the most reliable, but can be overkill for systems with fewer than three zones. All timers should be protected from freezing during the winter.

FILTERS A filter protects your drip system by screening out particles of sediment that can clog tubing and emitters. We highly recommend filters and will only warranty a system that uses an appropriate filter. Y filters, Tee filters and In-Line filters are the basic filters recommended for most home drip systems. Filters are placed at the faucet or just after the timer.

PRESSURE REGULATORS Generally there should be a pressure regulator on any drip system since typical household pressure can range from 50 to 100 PSI. An exception would be if you were using pressure compensating emitters and the pressure coming into the system was less than 50 PSI, in which case the pressure regulator could be left off.
Most of our products operate best between 20 and 40 pounds of pressure, so a good "default" pressure regulator would be 30 PSI.
Sprayers and mini sprinklers are most affected by changes in pressure. See the sections on adjustable sprayers, sprayers and sprinklers for specific recommendations. We offer pressure gauges and pressure regulators to deal with specific situations.

MAINLINE TUBING 1/2" Polyethylene tubing is the most common mainline tubing for home drip systems. It carries a maximum flow of around 240 GPH. For systems with higher water requirements 3/4" poly tubing (up to about 480 GPH) or 1"+ Flat tube can be used. Use a hole punch to make holes in the mainline for emitters or transfer barbs, or cut the tubing with scissors or pruning shears to attach fittings.

FITTINGS Fittings are used on the mainline tubing to shape it and to make connections. The most common fittings are female hose beginnings, ends, elbows, T's and couplers. Fittings can be compression, barbed or Easy Loc. Compression fittings hold well up to 70 PSI and are inexpensive, but can be difficult to install and remove. Barbed fittings require the use of clamps to hold them in place and are used with Flatube, poly tube above 3/4" and Aquapore. Easy Loc fittings are easiest to use and are suitable for most home applications. 1/4" micro-fittings attach micro-tubing to the mainline and can also be used to branch off along a 1/4" run.

EMITTERS (DRIPPERS) AND SPRAYERS Emitters or Sprayers are the pieces that actually distribute the water from your tubing to your plants. We carry a wide range of emitters, sprayers, mini-sprinklers and misters. Personal preference and plant water needs determine which to choose. Emitters or spray heads can be inserted directly into the mainline or can be attached to 1/4" micro tubing for placement away from the mainline.
Drip vs. Spray
Drippers are the best choice for low pressure situations, individual plants or for plants that won't tolerate water on the foliage. Sprayers are good for evenly wetting larger areas and for increasing humidity around moisture-loving plants. Sprayers are also useful in areas where you want to minimize the amount of tubing visible in your plantings or where it's too difficult to lay emitter tubing or soaker dripline. Sprayers and mini-sprinklers tend to put out much more water than drippers, but are still water saving compared to traditional sprinkler systems.