Installing a Drip Irrigation System in 5 Easy Steps
Drip Irrigation systems are a great way to water plants. Whether you’re watering shrubs, trees, flowers, an entire flowerbed, or hanging and potted plants, the convenience of an automatic drip irrigation system is hard to resist. Follow this guide to installing a drip irrigation system in 5 easy steps.
Step 1 – Choose Water Source and Irrigation Parts
A drip irrigation system is not very effective without a water source. The first thing you need to do is identify your water supply. The two most common ways to provide water to your drip irrigation system is via a hose faucet or by replacing a sprinkler head with a drip irrigation manifold. Either of the two will work just fine.
You will need:
Distribution tubing
Drip tube/line
End Caps
Drip Emitters
Micro Sprinklers (optional)
Drip Stakes (optional but recommended)
What You Need When Using a Hose Faucet
A drip irrigation system connected to a hose faucet is nothing to be ashamed of. The only downfall to doing it this way is that you occupy a hose faucet that is normally reserved for a garden hose, and if you want it to turn on automatically you have to get a hose faucet watering timer; but that’s not a big deal at all. So, you will need:
An Anti-Siphon or Backflow Device
Filter
Pressure Regulator
Hose Faucet Drip Adapter
Automatic Hose Faucet Watering Timer (optional)
When Replacing a Sprinkler Head with a Drip Manifold
One of the most common ways of installing a drip irrigation system is to replace a sprinkler head that is connected to an Automatic Sprinkler System with a Drip Irrigation Manifold. This route is very easy (if the automatic sprinkler system is already installed) because all you do is screw off the Sprinkler Head and screw on the Drip Irrigation Manifold. There are a few different types of manifolds to choose from.
Adjustable Flow
Full Flow (recommended for when you are replacing bubblers and/or sprinkler heads)
Shrub Adapter – Great for use with Micro Sprinklers
Once you have figured out your water source and have acquired all the necessary Orbit irrigation parts, switch the designated sprinkler head out for the drip manifold, or if you are using a hose faucet, attach the hose faucet drip adapter and the anti-siphon device to the hose water faucet.
Step 2
Take your drip line and punch holes where you plant to place drip emitters or water drippers. The best way to do this is lay the line out across all the plants and areas as if it were already underground and in place. Sometimes the tubing is hard to keep straight; leaving it out in the sun for a few hours should help it keep from recoiling.
You should only have up to 15 holes in a single line of drip tube. If you need more than 15 holes, you will need another drip line. Depending on your drip manifold, you are probably going to be safe having up to 4 decent sized drip lines.
Step 3
Insert Barbed coupling into the holes. Eventually, you should either be attaching micro sprinklers or more drip line to these barbed couplings. But don’t do that yet. Only insert the barbed couplings. Your drip tubing is now referred to as distribution line
Step 4
Remove any end caps in the distribution line and completely flush the entire system. Do this by either turning on your automatic sprinkler system or the hose faucet. Once the system is flushed, replace end caps.
Step 5
Attach micro sprinklers, emitters, and any other special dripper attachments to the emitters that have been inserted into the punched holes.
When using drip irrigation to water plants that in pots or buckets use drip stakes to keep the distribution line in place. You may also use drip risers for use with taller plants.
Turn on the water once more and test to make sure everything is working as it should. Use a water pressure tester to make sure it is between 15 and 35 PSI for optimal performance.
