Drip Irrigation System Installation

What is a Drip Irrigation System?

Drip irrigation systems are a somewhat recent innovation in irrigation technology that utilizes a network of piping and emitters run strategically through home landscaping to deliver low-pressure water directly to individual plants through the soil or directly to the root area.  This system acts as a micro irrigation system, using low volumes of water very effectively to keep plants optimally irrigated while conserving water.  Drip irrigation systems are a win-win solution, delivering cost savings and environmental benefit (in terms of water saved), while enabling your landscaping plants and gardens to thrive.  Salt Lake City Sprinkler Repair & Installation Pros has deep experience installing drip irrigation systems, including subsurface irrigation and garden irrigation systems.

What are the Benefits and Advantages of Drip Irrigation?

Drip irrigation systems have been an important innovation in irrigation technology for one major reason: water conservation.  For many landscaping and garden applications, drip irrigation systems have the advantage of extremely high efficiency (as high as 95%) relative to alternative irrigation methods.

In practical terms what this translates to is much higher precision watering: water goes directly to where it is needed and very little is lost to overspray, evaporation, runoff, or even wind, as is common with overhead sprinklers.  Drip irrigation systems are low pressure and low volume, and as such, irrigation is gentle and targeted.  A well designed system will give you excellent control over the precipitation rate and frequency to ensure a close match between irrigation needs and what is provided from your irrigation system.

There are several other related benefits to the water conservation advantage of drip irrigation.  Drip or micro irrigation prevents problems of excessive watering, including fungal growth.  Too much water can spell problems for your plants besides just the water waste.  Too much water can kill a plant, or cause things to grow that are harmful to the plants you want to grow.  Another related benefit is that, due to the precise targeting of the irrigation, the plants you want get the water you need while weeds and unwanted plants that might otherwise thrive on overspray are prevented from growing. 

Components of Drip Irrigation System:

Drip irrigation systems come in many shapes and sizes, and require customization to the specific needs of your landscaping and garden.  As such the appropriate components vary from project to project and are not one-size-fits-all.  For most consumers, navigating the maze of possible options is dizzying.  Hiring a professional drip irrigation installer will ensure that your drip system meets the irrigation needs of your landscaping and garden, while achieving the objective of water conservation.

There are many brands of drip irrigation components, and frequently they are not interoperable.  We work with all of the major lines, including Netafim, K-Rain, Rainbird, Toro and Hunter, and can select the best option for the circumstances and requirements of your project.

Below we outline the primary components of a drip irrigation system:

• 
  
• Pipes & Tubing: The piping is responsible for carrying the water from the source throughout the system.  If you’ve seen brown lines running through mulch, this is what that is.  Typically low density, flexible polyethylene tubing is used, though in some instances PVC pipe is used.  Pipes and tubing can be covered with soil or mulch or other landscape material.
• 
  
• Y Filter: A filter is a critical component of a drip irrigation system due to the small gauge of the tubing and emitters that can easily clog, even with the turbulent flow design of pressure compensating emitters.  The filter will catch any particles traveling in the water lines and prevent a clog. 
• 
  
• Pressure regulator:  Drip irrigation systems are designed for low pressure and the pressure regulator is required to step down pressure from the water source and maintain the proper pressure level of the system of 20-30 PSI. 
• 
  
• End/flush cap: An end cap at the end of the tubing supply line enables the system to be flushed and any debris that has accumulated to be vacated from the system.
• 
  
• Emitters: Emitters are the exit point for water from the tubing into the soil or root zone.  There are a wide array of emitters for various conditions and plant requirements.  The two primary segments of emitters are non-pressure compensating emitters and pressure compensating emitters.  Non-pressure compensating emitters are dependent on the incoming water pressure to determine the flow rate coming from the emitter.  On the other hand, pressure compensating emitters are able to regulate the flow rate to achieve a constant distribution of water.  Pressure compensating emitters are well suited for long irrigation rows, where water pressure can attenuate down the line, as well as in uneven terrain and have the benefit of turbulent flow design that prevents the emitter from clogging. 

Beyond pressure compensation, there are emitters for different conditions, landscape and plant types.  Below are a few of them:

• 
  
• Drippers: drippers or button drippers are the most common form of emitter and are well suited for gardens and lawns and plants, providing a steady drip to plants.  Drippers come in a range of flow rates, and can be punched into the main supply tubing at the appropriate location to provide irrigation to a specific plant or root system.   
• 
  
• Bubblers: Bubblers are ideal for large shrubs, trees and flower beds, slowly delivering a constant, light stream of water to the target area at ground level, allowing the water to percolate deeping into the root system of the tree, shrub or flower bed. 
• 
  
• Micro-sprayers/sprinklers/jets: Micro-sprayers are suitable for circumstances where standard drip emitters don’t work well, or where overhead watering is necessary or to keep foliage moist.  Micro-sprayers come in an array of patterns and coverage areas, but operate based on a connection to the same low pressure drip irrigation system.  Due to the low pressure/low volume, micro sprayers enable slow and long precipitation with minimal runoff.         
• 
  
• Emitter Tubing: is tubing that comes with factory installed pressure compensating emitters at evenly spaced distances along the tubing.  The advantage of this type of emitter is that it is much quicker to install, with the downside that the location of the drip emitters is not customizable and only available in regular intervals of 9”, 12”, 18” etc.