Soaker hose

I have these placed in beds all over the garden. Needed some for new areas. Went to OSH (local homeowners/garden place). Only hose they carry was so crappy, it split even before using. Tried Home Despot. Carried same brand.

Decided to revert to previous M.O. : PVC pipe, capped at one end, other end equipped with hose junction. Small holes punched at intervals.

Previous endeavour had holes randomly placed; sprayed unevenly.

Resolved to do better.

How engineer holes along 10' length? How many needed for optimum coverage?

First thought: Alternate holes along opposite sides of pipe. But at what intervals? Punch holes at wide intervals and then intersperse if needed?

A lot of work. However, once I bought the fittings (pipe courtesy of neighbor) gotta go through with it.

Sigh...

HB

Reply to
Higgs Boson
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Try Leevalley.com... I bought soaker hoses from them twenty years ago and used them for ten years with no problems whatsoever... they are sitting in my barn, if you are near the Catskills you are welcome to them, I don't need soaker hoses here.

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Reply to
Brooklyn1

Did you try talking to them?

I haven't been in OSH's territory since just before the Sears purchase. They used to be very helpful. Have they fallen that far?

Reply to
Drew Lawson

This is going via Timbucktoo. If going to the trouble of buying and laying the hose, connecting it and punching the holes why not go the whole way and insert spray jets?

D
Reply to
David Hare-Scott

Wouldn't that be much more expensive? To install (immovable) spray jets in multiple beds sounds pricey. This project so far is under $10 and PVC pipes are movable. Plus not sure I would have the skill to install spray jets.

I was looking for a good pattern of hole punching, but I suppose it's not that critical. Tx anyway.

HB

Reply to
Higgs Boson

No point. That was the only item on sale. Some vendor sold the buyer on the idea, is my best bet.

Local store (West LA) was extensively remodeled a year or so ago; is attractive and well stocked, but not with a wide range of brands; nothing innovative.

The help tries, I've often been sent from one end of a large store to another because they didn't know where things were.

When they opened, there was help crawling all over you; also on their anniversary. Other times, hard to find.

HB

Reply to
Higgs Boson

Remember, you'll get a significant difference in amount of water leaked or sprayed at the beginning compared to the end of the length. You may want to do an experimental run, and plan on drilling more holes towards the far end of the run once you've seen how the pattern you've drilled behaves.

FWIW, I buried some of what I call "ooze hose" -- it looks foamy --

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under mulch and it lasted for many, many years. In clay soils, I like the laser drilled 1/4" tubing.

And don't forget a backflow preventer.

Kay

Reply to
Kay Lancaster

Tx Kay. Been there with existing PVC pipe "sprayer". Main thing is to keep it level. But I did notice on existing one that holes should be drilled on opposite sides of pipe to ensure even coverage.

Sounds too high-tech for moi

? Why would I need that on such a simple installation? Alerted by you, I read the (terrifying) Wikipedia article, and wonder how I survived all these years using my first basic PVC watering device.g>

Perhaps helped that it was downhill from house? Frivolity aside, would it really be needed for small garden beds not uphill from house water supply?

HB

Reply to
Higgs Boson

Why are you permitting yourself to get caught up in all this rube goldberg nonsense... I already suggested you buy the soaker hoses from Leevalley.com... they work well and last long.

Reply to
Brooklyn1

Why?

David

Reply to
David Hare-Scott

no the plastic ones are cheap, a few dollars for a pack of 50

This project so far is under

You're right, screwing a threaded barb into a hole in polypipe is probably beyond you.

D
Reply to
David Hare-Scott

If there is sufficient pressure in the system -- beyond the connection to the hose bib -- it is possible for there to be backflow into your household water line. Soil and soil organisims can enter the system through the holes in the PVP pipe when the water is shut off. Thus, there is a possibility of contaminating the household water supply.

In general, a system as proposed by Higgs Boson should have a backflow preventer, sometimes known as an anti-syphon valve. The building codes in California (where Higgs and I both live) require it.

In my garden, I paid a landscape contractor to install a fixed irrigation system with underground pipes supplying above-ground sprinkler heads. I have a total of 9 valves for the flat areas and 4 valves for the hill, with 13 anti-syphon valves. The same contractor also designed and installed the landscape.

Reply to
David E. Ross

I went to their site, but couldn't figure out where they are. In the East?

HB

Reply to
Higgs Boson

Guess I don't know what a "bubble jet" is. I was assuming it involved digging a trench and laying pipe...

HB

Reply to
Higgs Boson

I was just agreeing with you, or were you fishing for somebody to say 'of course you would have the skill.........'?

What is this bubble jet of which you speak?

D
Reply to
David Hare-Scott

How on earth could that much pressure develop and from what? How does this back pressure get through a closed tap or force its way in past an open tap? Makes no sense.

Weird. What a waste of money.

Well if the code says so then he must do it I suppose.

What would be far more important if you use small sprayers is a line filter. If you use big irrigation heads then the filter is not required.

D
Reply to
David Hare-Scott

Cheap and easy to run. Lasts long enough that I figure I get my money's worth.

It's required by code in most places; and a cheap and simple Darn Good Idea. For instance, in a warm climate, you might introduce some of the jollier amoebae into your water system, like Naegleria fowleri or Entamoeba histolytica. Or some nasty bacteria or waterborne virus.

In our case, since we're on a well and don't chlorinate, I could possibly contaminate the entire aquifer. Most of us have pretty good immune systems most of the time. Sometimes our luck runs out. I try not to push my luck too far. At any rate, I'd hate to be known in Wikipedia forever as the biologist who did not fully understand the lessons of the Broad Street Pump Handle.

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Downhill helps... siphons don't run uphill, though you can siphon over a hill. For $5 and a few inches of teflon tape, I don't mind installing anti-siphon devices.

Kay

Reply to
Kay Lancaster

In the US you don't need a back flow valve for water coming from a hose bib, it already has a back flow valve from the main, the entire residence is protected... back flow valves are required for automatic irrigation systems because they are typically supplied directly from the water main before the residential back flow valve. But not knowing the codes where you live you may want to check... but water from a hose bib I seriously doubt needs a backflow valve... you've probably been using the hose bib to irrigate from since the house was built

Reply to
Brooklyn1

This discussion has been VERY interesting! Just to be 1000% sure, I'll check out local regs, but I suspect you're right about the hose bib being protected. Tx to all.

HB

Reply to
Higgs Boson

I think someone misunderstands antisiphon fittings. In the event of loss of system pressure or the occurance of "negative" differential, antisiphon valves open the system to the atmosphere to reduce the possibility of introducing pollutants from downstream. In many local jurisdictions across US, they are required on at least exterior faucets/hydrants/hose bibb fittings; on laundry and dishwashing machines; and on those hand held "shower" things.

Reply to
Derald

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