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Jul 22, 2015 7:26 PM CST
Name: Sandy B.
Ford River Twp, Michigan UP (Zone 4b)
(Zone 4b-maybe 5a)
Charter ATP Member Bee Lover Butterflies Birds I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Greenhouse Region: United States of America Region: Michigan Enjoys or suffers cold winters
Rick, doesn't that get in the way of mowing? Or is it literally "right around" the house, like right next to the foundation? Or ?
“Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight." ~ Albert Schweitzer
C/F temp conversion
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Jul 22, 2015 7:39 PM CST
Name: Sandi
Austin, Tx (Zone 8b)
Texas Gardening
Forum moderator Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Plant Identifier Master Gardener: Texas
Region: Texas Tropicals Plumerias Ferns Greenhouse Garden Art
Rick, your drip system came up today on the random idea! I have all the stuff to do the drip system. You will be notified soon as a co-conspirator to installing this .....
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Jul 23, 2015 11:37 AM CST
Name: Rick Corey
Everett WA 98204 (Zone 8a)
Sunset Zone 5. Koppen Csb. Eco 2f
Frugal Gardener Garden Procrastinator I helped beta test the first seed swap Plant and/or Seed Trader Seed Starter Region: Pacific Northwest
Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Avid Green Pages Reviewer Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! I helped plan and beta test the plant database.
Sandi, I plead guilty. You can blame me for all of it.

I do that with my cat. When I can't find something around the house, I accuse him of taking it and hiding it.

He MUST be guilty. He never says a word in his own defense.

P.S. I used to use compression fittings on the "spine" of my system so I would not restrict the flow. That's a waste of effort: I never use the whole 480 GPH at once.

Screw-on or "EZ-Loc fittings are mush easier to set up, and INFINITELY easier to remove so you can re-arrange lines.

Easiest of all are lines that diverge using hose threads. You can move those around freely even with pressure on the system (if you have enough valves.

P.P.S. I wish I had more valves in my mainline so I could turn whole zones on and off independently

P.P.P.S. I like having 45 PSI water for washing pots and hand-watering and for blasting grass clippings off the sidewalk.

But I like 30 PSI or even 20 PSI for sprayers and drippers, so I can use 10/32 screw threads and some vinyl 1/4" tubing without having things blow apart. Also, "mini-jet sprayers" turn into misters at 45 PSI and the water blows everywhere and more evaporates before reaching the ground.

At 30 PSI, they spray smaller droplets that are more efficient and go farther than mist.

At 20 PSI, the droplets are bigger and slower ... this approaches the sprayers that shoot "fingers" of water droplets with near zero evaporation. Like an Antelco 10-hole spray cap, or an Antelco "Shrubler".

Before laying down your mainlines, think about which ones need low pressure and/or filtration. Plan the valves and Tee fittings and Y fittings so that you can put pressure regulators where you need them,. and have full pressure where you want it.

I screwed a good Y fitting with two valves onto the "real" spigot built into my house. My plan was to run two lines, on at 45 PSI and the other with a pressure regulator, timer and filter. I haven't gotten around to that yet!

P.P.P.P.S. Truth in advertising: I am a gadget-lover and there is ALWAYS a simpler way to do anything than my favorite way!
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Jul 23, 2015 12:01 PM CST
Name: Cheryl
North of Houston TX (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Greenhouse Plant Identifier Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Plumerias Ponds
Foliage Fan Enjoys or suffers hot summers Tropicals Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Mine are on 3-way timers. $50 at Walmart. I can run my hose system to 3 different zones at 3 different times just like the big guys to with their fancy sprinkler systems. The 4th part on the manifold lets me do hand watering on my own without disturbing or pushing buttons on the timer. All from one spigot!
Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love Truly, Laugh
uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you Smile.
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Jul 23, 2015 12:27 PM CST
Name: Rick Corey
Everett WA 98204 (Zone 8a)
Sunset Zone 5. Koppen Csb. Eco 2f
Frugal Gardener Garden Procrastinator I helped beta test the first seed swap Plant and/or Seed Trader Seed Starter Region: Pacific Northwest
Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Avid Green Pages Reviewer Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! I helped plan and beta test the plant database.
Weedwhacker said:Rick, doesn't that get in the way of mowing? Or is it literally "right around" the house, like right next to the foundation? Or ?


Yes, it does, Sandy. Last weekend I mowed an area that was overgrown and chope4pd a 1/4" feeder in half.

Mostly I try to run it along the edges of beds. I can flip it up ontop of the bed wall while mowing.

They also get in the way of weeding, and can be tripping hazard. I know where they are, and I have to watch carefully where I put my feet anyway, so it doesn't bother me much.

Someone posted an article about a modified spade / edger they made, that let them bury their mainline easily. I can't find that article, thread or post right now. I think that welding was involved.

He or she used the spade-like-tool to cut a slit, and widen it a little. Then, he or she stomped the plastic tubing into the slit, underground, and then stomped the turf back together over it.

Underground Tees could let a stub stick up into the air, maybe lashed to a post or length of rebar. Then you could branch above-ground lines from the stub.

If you have HARD frosts, maybe you have to keep an ability to drain the system before winter. Rigid PVC is like that: it can shatter when water freezes in it. My winters are mild and the polyethylene lines are flexible enough to laugh at them despite being above-ground.
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Jul 23, 2015 12:34 PM CST
Name: Rick Corey
Everett WA 98204 (Zone 8a)
Sunset Zone 5. Koppen Csb. Eco 2f
Frugal Gardener Garden Procrastinator I helped beta test the first seed swap Plant and/or Seed Trader Seed Starter Region: Pacific Northwest
Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Avid Green Pages Reviewer Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! I helped plan and beta test the plant database.
ShadyGreenThumb said:Mine are on 3-way timers. $50 at Walmart. ... The 4th part on the manifold lets me do hand watering on my own without disturbing or pushing buttons on the timer. All from one spigot!


That sounds like a good deal on the timer. Battery-powered?

Branching right at the original spigot might be the way to go. You have all your valves or timers concentrated in one spot.

I wish I had some manifolds for smaller tubing, like branching four or eight 1/8" tubes off 1/4" or 1/2" tubes. I don't like having multiple barb Tee and Cross fittings on 1/4" line, I assume it restricts the flow a lot.

I've seen 8-way manifolds but they are pricey and have rate limiters, like pressure-compensating drippers, on every line.
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Jul 23, 2015 3:02 PM CST
Name: Cheryl
North of Houston TX (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Greenhouse Plant Identifier Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Plumerias Ponds
Foliage Fan Enjoys or suffers hot summers Tropicals Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Battery-powered. I bet i've changedthe batteries 2 times since I've owned it. But i just happened to have a new one waiting for me to change it out. The Manual button had stopped working for me on my old one for some reason. Shrug. Is almost 10 years old. It's allowed to fall apart, l guess. The new model looks quite different.
Thumb of 2015-07-23/ShadyGreenThumb/7c693e
The set up :

Thumb of 2015-07-23/ShadyGreenThumb/b7e9db
Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love Truly, Laugh
uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you Smile.
Last edited by ShadyGreenThumb Jul 23, 2015 3:08 PM Icon for preview
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Jul 23, 2015 6:15 PM CST
Name: Alice
Flat Rock, NC (Zone 7a)
Birds Overwinters Tender Plants Indoors Region: North Carolina Hydrangeas Hummingbirder Dog Lover
Container Gardener Charter ATP Member Garden Photography Butterflies Tropicals Ponds
How to choose the size of your Bahco pruners
http://www.peachridge.com/prun...

I too want a hose that does not kink or weigh a ton.
Minds are like parachutes; they work better when they are open.
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Jul 23, 2015 6:27 PM CST
Name: Cheryl
North of Houston TX (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Greenhouse Plant Identifier Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Plumerias Ponds
Foliage Fan Enjoys or suffers hot summers Tropicals Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Thank you, Alice! I may have just bought my last pair of pruners! Thumbs up
Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love Truly, Laugh
uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you Smile.
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Jul 23, 2015 7:17 PM CST
Name: Rick Corey
Everett WA 98204 (Zone 8a)
Sunset Zone 5. Koppen Csb. Eco 2f
Frugal Gardener Garden Procrastinator I helped beta test the first seed swap Plant and/or Seed Trader Seed Starter Region: Pacific Northwest
Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Avid Green Pages Reviewer Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! I helped plan and beta test the plant database.
Great setup, Cheryl! Brass?

Do I see some filters or pressure regulators under the insulation?

Ten years is a GREAT lifetime for any consumer product! I'll look for "Orbit".

My usual go-to drip vendor, Dripworks has something similar for $85 plus $40.

http://www.dripworks.com/produ...
http://www.dripworks.com/produ...

I get by with a one-shot windup timer and manual zone valves, but not enough zones (poor planning). I don't go away for vacation very often!
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Jul 23, 2015 7:43 PM CST
Name: Cheryl
North of Houston TX (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Greenhouse Plant Identifier Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Plumerias Ponds
Foliage Fan Enjoys or suffers hot summers Tropicals Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Yes, brass 4-way manifold from Lowe's. I put pipe insulation around the base of the hose that leads to the timer during the last freeze. What you see is a 6" segment of hose that is flexible with a metal spring around it and bendable is all. You can get those at Lowe's, too. But I see with this new timer design, I will have to rework all that since the new one attaches directly to the spigot and the hoses directly to the timer...OR I can attach it to the manifold and have access to 3 more water sources! MORE HOSES!! Hurray! Rolling on the floor laughing Yes, this set up is great while we are away. But mostly I set it to come on at odd hours of the morning when the water pressure is the strongest. I have them on all my faucets for a total of 4 zones. I don't worry much about the lawn and beds getting enough water in our hot Texas summer. But with the "manual" button, I am able to add more water where and whenever needed for as long as I want.
Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love Truly, Laugh
uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you Smile.
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Jul 24, 2015 11:32 AM CST
Name: Rick Corey
Everett WA 98204 (Zone 8a)
Sunset Zone 5. Koppen Csb. Eco 2f
Frugal Gardener Garden Procrastinator I helped beta test the first seed swap Plant and/or Seed Trader Seed Starter Region: Pacific Northwest
Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Avid Green Pages Reviewer Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! I helped plan and beta test the plant database.
Thanks again.

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