If you have a vegetable plot in your garden, you must have realised that irrigation by the garden hose is both time-consuming and uneconomical, as often more water is wasted than it needs to soak the soil under the plants. On the other hand, a plumbed irrigation system is a permanent solution which is also aesthetically pleasing, or in this case invisible. While sprinklers can still fulfill the basic lawn watering, a drip irrigation is irreplaceable for watering veggies, herbs and flowerbeds.
The system design
The first question which pops up is how deep you need to bury the water line, plumbers lake stevens WA is ready for help. Unless you want to drain the system each autumn to prevent freezing, you need to bury it below the frost line, which is roughly 42 inches deep for the continental part of the Europe and the American northeast. If you live in a country like Australia though, where below zero temperatures are unlikely, you don’t have to go that deep. If you have obstacles such as walls and other structures between the house and the garden you need to figure out how to take the line under those.
The garden elevation and draining
Before you get into technical specifics, you need to figure out the low point in the system, or where it would all drain. if our garden is downhill from the house, the gravity will take care of draining naturally. However, if the land slopes to the centre of the garden, you better install a drain valve at that location. From there you can water the downhill side. An additional tap at on the uphill side allows you to water that section as well. A third tap at the far end of the line can be used for letting the system drain completely, for example, for maintenance.
The earthworks
As in any landscape-related project, digging the trench will be the most difficult part. However, for less than a $100 you can rent a trench digger and open a ditch 4 inches wide by 1 foot deep. Once you dig the required length, you need to make sure the trench bottom is properly sloped, so there are no unwanted low points that may hold water. You can do this by using a long piece of rigid plastic pipe and a level. If you need to adjust the grade, just add or take away small amounts of dirt you’ve excavated.
Maintenance made easier
Next, you need to make tap connection boxes. These are simple bottomless wooden boxes with drop-in lids that sit flush with the top of the box. These boxes also make for perfect access points for maintenance. Garden plumbing systems are prone to tree root intrusions, which cause drain blockage over time. This problem is especially common in countries like Australia, where suburbs often include thick vegetation. Leaves and other plant debris can also pass through the stormwater grate and cause drain clogs. With this on mind, any sign of slow drainage is best checked by professionals. These specialists for blocked drains in Canberra, for example, use CCTV cameras for identifying the cause of the clog in underground drains.
Putting the system together
In order to install each box in the ground, you need to dig a hole a few inches deeper than the box itself and fill the bottom with a layer of gravel for drainage. Unroll the irrigation line and lay it alongside the trench to see the exact length of the each run. Before you cut the line at the connections, make sure you leave a few inches extra for adjustments. Start assembling the system at the house. The line here needs to go from a horizontal to a vertical run to reach the main tap on the house. To make this bend, you should use a 90-degree fitting, as well as 1-inch braided flexible line for the vertical section. Proceed to your first connection box making sure the line is resting on the bottom of the trench along its whole length. Here, you’ll need T-fittings to separate a tap and a drain valve, as well as to continue to other irrigation lines.
Residential properties in temperate areas with hot summers often use unnecessary amounts of water to keep their gardens green and fruitful. A proper plumbed irrigation system will ensure that you keep your soil moist without wasting the valuable resource.