How to Install / Fix Your Sprinkler Heads Correctly
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 มิ.ย. 2021
- Hope y'all having a good week or weekend! Oh wait, if you are watching this then maybe it's not going as planned. At any rate, welcome back to a new episode of The Sprinkler Channel where we talk about how to install your sprinkler heads (or fix them) the right way so that they don't keep breaking and you can actually enjoy your weekends or holidays or have a nice sprinkler system from the get go. Here you will learn the way the professionals do it and know how to do it yourself. It is the same design whether you are doing a pop-up head or a Rain Bird 5000 Rotor head (they will just have a 3/4" funny pipe elbow - see part 2 of Rain Bird 5000 video). I have repaired too many sprinkler heads stuck on pvc pipe that just end up breaking the first time anything touches it. Don't be that guy that does it the wrong way. Get the right parts and do it right. You will be happier in the end. If you are installing a new sprinkler system, then you will have all your sprinkler heads the right way. Just remember it is better to give yourself a little more flex pipe than not enough. Also remember to NOT position your sprinkler heads to where they are right against a concrete corner or sidewalk etc. Leave a 1/2" gap or so between the edge and the edge of your sprinkler head. If you ever edge or have some edge your lawn you will avoid breaks and you will be able to make sure you can set you sprinkler head perfectly flat when the time comes. Ok that is all I have for you, watch and go do. Happy sprinkler working everyone!
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I've been using those black risers from hell and this is a huge help. They've been impossible to trim to the precise height and then diddle around with the threads to align, all while tryingbt to keep the dirt off of them in a muddy hole. Its been hit and miss (mostly miss) to get them to the perfect height.
Nice job of illustrating the correct way to do this. Even little things you did like holding the funny pipe up to the camera along side the drip line to point.out the wall thickness makes it so much easier to understand. Of course now.I have to go out into the Florida sun and redo about half a dozen of these things and do them correctly, but its worth it. I'm thinking it does mean it will be necessary to up a bigger chuck of sod for a larger hole to assure there is enough extension of f-pipe, but its well worth the time to get it right.
I'm 70 ad i still.reme!her my Dad telling me " When a task you've once begun, be the task large or small, do it right or not at all". (I think he may have invented OCD, at least for me.)
Good job.
You do an excellent job of explaining the task thoroughly.
Excellent video 📹! Great to prevent damage to the sprinkler heads.
Our sprinkler system was installed in the 1980’s and I have done lots of work on it over the past 25 years. We have a few heads that get broken over and over again. You gave me a solution for this problem. Thank you!!
I have used the funny pipe in the past to move sorinjker heads to accommodate changes in the landscape design so I gave all the parts already! Plus you can add the drip irrigation conversion head using the funny pipe to place it where you need it.
Excellent video!
Exactly what I needed. Thank you!
Thank you! Very informative! Will help tremendously with my upcoming sprinkler upgrades!
Thanks for the help and information.
Nice job 👍
Thanks for the information so far
Thank you very much for making this video
Great video, I was going to do this until I found the Hunter double swing joint pipe. They’re pretty cheap price wise as well.
Ya... there’s a HUGE difference bending that pipe up & down in front of you vs it being IN a trench & half buried with no room to work. I’ve done this *many* times & it is NOT a quick or easy fix most of the time. It’s easier to cut the not-so-funny pipe just past the connector then slice the hose off with a utility knife to remove it. Then to push it back on the barb, either heat it carefully with a heat gun or hold the end in some hot water first. Messi g with these things is *never* fun but you could save hundreds of dollars! 👍🏼
Yeah, fixing these is a real pain when the elbow breaks.
it's not easy 😕 😤🥴
Thank you so much!! Adding flexibility makes so much sense!
We have a sprinkler head right next to our [careless] neighbor's driveway, and we constantly have to replace/ repair it. I was able to cut the pvc, add a T, elbows, and some funny pipe, and move it a little further away from the danger zone. I did not have the strength to connect the pipes to the T, but used a blow torch to apply gentle heat and then was able to push it right on! THANKS AGAIN!
I have one near the street next to my driveway. It has been hit so many times so I finally figured to put a round red reflector(comes on a thin pole) on both sides of my driveway. Problem solved!
great video. thanks. too expensive to call in sprinkler repair people. Love how you say sometimes you spit on the elbow to help attach the funny pipe. never thought of that but maybe I will try it!! working on one today the pvc tee is already in the ground and the funny pipe install is the hardest part. gonna go out and dig my ditch about 3-4' because there is a banana tree growing like crazy and the sprinkler is almost behind it.
Thank you so much for your video❤
Use needle nose pliers by inserting them closed into the pipe and twisting them. It will help the funny pipe open up wider to insert the barb fitting easily.
Had to log in just to give you thumbs up. All your videos very helpful.
Appreciate you go the extra mile to show support!
Same 👍
Good information good video
Great tip, I will start to retro fit any heads I replace...but I've never seen them installed like this because of the extra labor and material. I have added Donuts to nearly every sprinkler head.
Yep donuts are a common way. Usually I’ve made old ones like this once they get broken if not a new install. Not much more time and labor considering if the other way breaks one time etc.
Thanks for the video. Exactly what I was looking for.
Well explained bro good shit u helped me a lot
How do you remove those 90’s?
Great way to do it on new installations. I just use 4 marlex elbows to get the flexibility in all directions.
great alternative as well!
I just recently found your channel and it's helping me better understand the Rain Bird system that was installed by a contractor.
I noticed he did not use rigid PVC, but a flexible polyethylene, so I'm wondering what your thoughts are on using the type of connectors / fittings, or if it matters much? I'm assuming the big box stores should have something.. My primary question however, is does it matter how close the T fittings are to each other on the Poly pipe? I need to drop a rotor on the other side of a fence line.
Also, when the valve closes for the zone that only has 5 Rain Bird Rotors, I get a huge hammer in the house. This zone is connected directly to the line from the meter to the house in front. I think we have more than 60PSi of city water here. How can I eliminate the hammer? The valve appears to be a typical valve you'd get at the store. I don't have this issue with the other zones in the back yard that are fed from the 3/4" line in the basement.
Thanks!
David
Hey David, I haven't had too much exposure to the polyethylene type of piping but in either case I don't think have two Ts close to each other could cause much issue as long as there is enough pipe to push all the way onto the barbs from the Ts. In regards to your water hammer, my experience has been when water is flowing through the pipes at a fast rate (water flow is high / measured in FPS - feet per second) then water hammer occurs when the valve goes to shut itself off. A remedy may entail reducing the flow rate of that specific zone either by a pressure reducer installed before the valve or a simpler / more economical solution may be reducing the nozzle size on each of the heads and letting the zone just run longer to get the need watering amounts. The latter solution would be the one I would try first. Hope this helps!
@@thesprinklerchannel Thanks for the quick response! I already have the ball valves partially opened to about 50% which helps some, but I'm excited to try the reduction of the nozzle size in the upcoming days to see how / if that helps!
Another thought I just had was that my prior timer (Orbit 28956) seemed to allow the next zone to begin its cycle even if the prior zone was still watering, which helped reduce pressure as well. My current rain Bird timer doesn't allow the overlap, so I might also need to re-install the old timer to see if I remember correctly about it helping reduce water hammer.
Thanks again!
You do a concise and great explanation. What do you do if the head broke off and the thread in still in the pvc elbow? Is there a way to remove it and do the right way with funny tubing?
There is a tool called the extractor tool that you turn counterclockwise that digs into the broken off piece and untwist it from the pvc elbow. I’ll have to record a video of this sometime soon. Thanks for the question / suggestion.
Cut off the end of the funny pipe that has the broken end in it. You will only loose about an inch. Then reinstall the new part.
I use a lighter to heat the pipe up and slide the fittings on with ease. No leaks either.
Thanks for the great video. I currently have Rain Bird Maxi Paw impact sprinklers and have problems with sand and crud getting inside. Every year I replace the internals on 4-7 heads. So I'm considering changing them out and installing the Rain Bird 5000 rotors. The Maxi Paw heads were installed directly above the PVC tee with a short nipple. I think a couple were installed with funny pipe. Obviously it would be simplest to install the 5000 rotor heads in the same holes using cut-off riser extensions rather than swing pipe elbows and funny pipe. FYI, I've never broken any of the Maxi Paw heads by driving over them with my riding mower. I don't know whether the rotors are more fragile. I would appreciate your thoughts on switching to rotors as well as installation. Thanks!
Hey Bob, good question. I would perhaps try converting a zone and see how it goes. I have never had good experiences with cut off risers playing well with sprinkler heads in lawns but also haven't used the maxi paw heads very much. You could possibly use some swing joint elbows to create the flexibility of the flex pipe without having to reposition the heads much but can understand wanting to do the simplest solution.
@@thesprinklerchannel Thanks for your quick response. In your experience, do you find rotors such as the Rain Bird 5000 to be less problematic than impulse heads such as the Maxi Paw? Also, would you recommend something like a 6" x 3/4" swing joint assembly since I have 3/4" tees in my distribution pipes? Thanks again!
@@thesprinklerchannel I've done some reading about swing joint assemblies, and the Hunter SJ-706 (3/4" x 6") looks like a great option. Do you have any experience with them and would you recommend them? Thanks again!
@@thesprinklerchannel Are there any sprinkler retailers you would be able to recommend? Or any that you would avoid? Thanks again.
Can you use just funny pipe for a small DIY 3 head system, 2 3500 and 1800 rainbirds? I have 60psi and 5 gpm at my hose bib. Im finding that the second and third heads take about 40-60 seconds to fully pop up. Also, none pop up when using a Melnor timer because of flow restrictions with it.
Would I be better off running 3/4” schedule 40 from my hose bib and then using this method? Or would high efficient head be a potential solution as well?
Definitely go with schedule 40.
Thanks!
Amateur here. Thank you for the information. If already have sprinkler system installed and we want to replace broken sprinkler heads w/funny pipe, do we just dig along the ground to find pvc and if so, how far down do installers typically go with pvc piping. You mentioned gluing, where and how do we glue and with what type of glue? Thank you.
6-12 inches typically - typically won’t need glue, just convert existing riser threaded into pvc over to the elbow going to swing pipe/ funny pipe - head would be over just a bit. Funny pipe doesn’t have to be this long
Is there a drop a little in PSI by using this narrow funny pipe vs straight into the PVC? How long a funny pipe can I use if I want to move the sprinkler far from the main line?
I wouldn’t use more than 6 feet from pvc. Should not affect psi
Dipped the end of the hose in hot water from my coffee pot. 1-2 minutes. So much easier while in the trench.
All these videos I'm seeing seem to be showing the fittings used for heads which have a 1/2" fpt at the bottom. My rotors all have a 3/4" fpt at the bottom. My question: while I have figured out the fittings I need, can I use 1/2" funny pipe to move an existing head a couple of feet, or does it have to be 3/4" flexible pipe?
Yes so 1/2” pipe with 3/4” funny pipe elbow going into your head
@@thesprinklerchannel Thank you!
and no crimp rings are needed? it hold the water pressure fine with just being pushed over?
The fittings are barbed so no crimps needed.
Looks like a good design. However, after a while the swing pipe gets compacted into hard dirt. Then hitting the sprinkler breaks the elbow under the sprinkler. Good luck digging the whole thing up.
Where can you buy the funny pipe & rain bird parts?
Any sprinkler supply store should have these parts
Use a propane torch to heat the end and it slides right on a lighter might work but I use a torch and it works great and fast
The warmer the ambient temp the easier it is for sure. I haven’t used this method before since I haven’t tested to see if any of the hold strength on barb fitting is lost. Thanks for sharing.
great video. thanks man
the sprinkler head is spraying but a greater amount of water is running out of the bottom. It is occurring right at the base at the 90 degree connector to the funny pipe. I don't see a crack. What might I look for or replace to fix this.
Try screwing head on tighter. Might be that. Might have to dig it up and have eyes on it right when it gets turned on. Cracks are really hard to see with most sprinkler repairs until it’s pressurized.
Is the bar side size standard? 1/2”?
For pop-up heads the barb size is typically 1/2”.
Usually 1/2” will be black, 3/4” will be grey at least in my experience.
How can we set start1 on Monday and Tuesday and start2 on Friday
Sprinkler Clock Programming Made Easy
th-cam.com/video/zLL-njHdm8Y/w-d-xo.html
The fitting my sprinkler head screws in to broke, what is the exact name of the part I’m looking for?
Flex pipe or funny pipe elbow - they come in either 1/2” or 3/4” depending on sprinkler head inlet going into.
Do you need to put clamps on the funny pipe?
You do not. Just insert over all the barbs on the fitting.
Adding a little liquid dish soap to the fitting helps it slide on more easily and heating the swing pipe with a heat gun also makes it much easier.
What do you do if you turn the sprinkler head all the way to the left starting position but it isn't pointing the correct direction?
Check this one out th-cam.com/video/1sJP3C-94_c/w-d-xo.html
This will only answer the question if it relates to pop-up heads
Two questions please:
1) I have my garden tap marked as 1/2" - what size of PVC pipe should I use to get water from the tap to pop-up sprinklers?
2) What type of irrigation should I use for flower beds: pop-up sprinklers or drip hoses? The beds are ground level, along the fence (about 3-4 feet wide and 26 feet long).
I would use a hose bib adapter with drip line barb to have it go straight from tap to drip line and run it down the flower beds where needed.
@@thesprinklerchannel Thanks, but I've asked a bit about other things :)
Anyone know the max PSI that the barbed joints can handle?
Good question. Perhaps this could be an experiment to find out. I imagine the pipe would come off the barb before the elbow would blow up.
80 psi is what that connection is rated.
@@cutubeish thanks. 🤔 my water pressure is 83psi…. What to do….🤔
@@polloloci21 generally ratings leave some wiggle room. Also the supply pressure is reduced down stream due to friction in different components of your system so its not likely 80 PSI at these flex line connections. If you are not having any issues with the lines blowing off (and I you will likely have a very noticeable wet spot if that were to happen) then I wouldn't do anything. If you do have a line blow off you can reinforce the connection with a clamp. If you are seeing multiple connections fail, I once repaired a system where the installer used drip line instead of flex tubing at all of the heads which would fail at VERY low pressure which would require clamping all of those connections in which case I would recommend replacing them all with the correct flex tubing. You could also install an adjustable pressure reducing valve at the source, just be careful to not reduce the pressure so much that it prevents the heads down stream from operateing properly.
Monday and Tuesday start2 morning and start2 evening on Friday pl
Let me know if the shared video answers your questions. Sequel to it as well on our page
Lubricate it with "Permatex 80070 Silicone Spray Lubricant".
Teflon? Or Loctite?
None with these parts
Great job ?
Direct to the point!
heres a 👍 & a sub to you !
Why not just come straight up from the pipe like in a conventional solid-pipe system (especially when dealing with a pre-installed solid pipe), and just have the funny pipe "be the riser"? Hope that makes sense what I'm asking.
If the funny / flex pipe comes straight up then it won’t have any flex up and down but only side to side. You want it to be able to flex up and down. The solid pipe is still used and can use existing solid pipes just will want to make the last foot to be this flex pipe so it doesn’t break off if the mower hits it etc. Hope this makes sense.
@@thesprinklerchannel ah yes that does make sense - thanks for the reply!
What do you mean if a lawnmower hit the head it won't break. Sure it won't break the pipe but the sprinkler head is toast!
Meaning if it is installed with pvc riser from the main line instead of the flex pipe, it will just snap the pvc that it is threaded on. Heads should be installed at a level where it is flush with the ground/dirt to avoid damage to the head.
I think what was meant was if the wheel of the mower or even a car hits/runs over the head, the head can move with less chance of breaking. You are right that a mower blade strike will certainly damage the head.
I wish our sprinkler system installer did this. Nope. Pretty much all solid pipe connections. 😐
Sorry to hear 😔
The good news is that this can be a one time repair. As issues arrise,
replace the solid parts with the flex parts.
funny pipe = flex pipe
Correct