My Sprinkler Manifold is Working, And It's Time to Reflect
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 31 พ.ค. 2024
- I spent $3,700 fixing my sprinklers.
I tried to save money by doing a lot of the work myself, but I spent $1,000 more than what the contractors quoted me. If I could do it all again, there's a few things I would change...
Check out this video as I reflect on the lessons I learned from this project!
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Great video! I really appreciate your honesty on some of the things you’d do different. I too contemplated putting my manifold in a box even though it was not necessary. It would have been purely for aesthetics. Going to rethink that one. Thanks again!
Good debrief
I applaud you for your effort your connections look clean and neat, as someone said it before those valves are meant to be above ground it defeats the purpose of the anti siphon if you have a flat yard they have to be at least 12” above the ground that is by code, in order to bury sprinkler lines they have to be in line valves and it has to have a backflow preventer above ground.
Manifold box should’ve bern larger still.
Next time don’t buy the base put bricks as the base for the irrigation box, spread coupmr inches of clean gravel drill 1” holes to exit your pipe and will stay stable and clean from debris for a much longer period.
You might have used in-line valves and a single back flow device to protect you home's water supply. The anti-siphon valves you used need to be taller than the highest point in your system.
That would also work. I think the reason I did it this way was because the price was about the same, and it one less valve that I had to glue.
I know this is old, but you need to raise those valves or put a back flow prevention device ahead of the manifolds. They need to be at least 6” above the highest sprinkler to work. It’s in every valve’s instruction manual. Some codes require more too. You risk contaminating your water supply otherwise.
The antisiphon valves never going underground,just my opion👍
Stack a valve box to cover the ground hydrant. Do this all the time when the pipe is deep but it can also raise it so the cover fits over the valve.
Excellent video presentation. I learned a lot . Thank you 🙏🏼
The anti-siphon valves are supposed to be at least 12" higher than the highest point in your system. I was going to do what you did but decided to use copper. Not any savings but hoping even easier to replace if needed. I am building a custom box that matches the house to cover the manifold. Thanks for the great info.
Thank you for this video. I'm finishing up my sprinkler install now. Some things I would do differently would be. Instead of buying the inground sprinkler box, I would buy a larger hard plastic storage container and all mainline tee or elbow fittings on the outside of box. Only valve and couplings on inside. I didn't want to buy a 2nd $365.00 back flow preventer and Instead had to rent a jack hammer to break a path across driveway. I did it but I feel it would have been faster and easier to just buy and install a 2nd back flow in the front and go from that one for the front. The jack hammer alone was $150.00 for 4 hours. Heavy as all get out.
To manually open the valves, use a strong magnet on the top of the solenoid. Not only is this easier than turning it a quarter turn, it will reduce the amount of wear on the seals.
Note: this requires a strong magnet, one off of your fridge not be adequate.
Thank you for this. I am mid-project doing something very very similar. I thought I'd do a little more research to confirm my approach and this was very very helpful. Coincidentally, I am having a similar number of valves as yourself (at 7) and using the same model valve as well. My main take-away is to locate the valves "above ground" and also assure appropriate maintenance access. Your video also gave me a new bright idea! Before the vid, I was planning on enable expansion to some sort of wash station, but not a raised sink... something closer to ground level and mix of art and functionality. Great ideas on Pinterest. Anyway, instead, I will add an additional hose spigot.. perhaps similar to what you have done.
Thank you for posting all of this. I'm about to add two lines to my existing manifold, and this gives me ideas of what to and not to do.
I'll either do 100% DIY, or get someone to do it all for me; going half-and-half seems to have caused you headaches without saving you much money. If I DIY, I'm going to avoid digging as much as possible. Having had to help my pops do maintenance on his (admittedly quite old) manifold; having it above ground/accessible is extremely nice so long as you can put a shrub in front of the eyesore. You might consider redoing the 16x 'union-to-threaded-fitting' sections to be about 18" to get them out of the ground and easy to access (and up to code if other comments are correct). For the pipes, I'll either do a drip-irrigation system or get a trenching shovel and take my time.
Sometimes it is worth to just hire the pros.
Recently I changed valves on my sprinkler system, I am not a pro so I made every possible mistake you can imagine and it took me a long while to do it. I did it and it works just fine, but it was not worth the money or my time, I lost money because I made mistakes and ruined parts. I will not give up. Next time I will know what to do. Don't give up, you will learn as you do things more and more and become a pro. This was a huge job.
I agree. I certainly learned a lot, and I also didn't save any money. When I get around to landscaping, I have ideas on how to make an even better sprinkler system.
You aren't supposed to have anti syphon under the ground. They are supposed to be a foot above ground.
There are manifold of 3 which can be expanded that you can buy for about 12 dollars from orbit. The only problem I have is I have to match it to my existing system which could be a pain but for someone who is starting from scratch, you would not have that concern. The Unions are rather expensive, if you made it high like your original you have plenty of space to cut the pipes in the future without the need of an expensive union.
that crazy the way u did the sprinkler system each value should b foot or two apart back flow look crazy in state of texas sprinkler stystem is different
When I saw the Tesla in the garage I had a feeling you were doomed.
build your own manifolds with expansion/flushing and unions and not in boxes... you'll always need to repair valves so make it easy... I'm just learning how to use unions and local shutoff valves in my front yard's new design
DO NOT install anti siphon valves below grade, putting anti siphon valves below the lowest sprinkler defeats the entire point of them, there is a reason they are always above ground. If you want to burry the valves you use the inline ones, they fit better in a box, and then you put a single anti siphon valve upstream from your manifold.
Absolutely. Saved me the trouble of saying that.
This was my comment too.
Question did you put a backflow prevention device on your system. And also why did you use so much glue for. In due time all that excess glue will eventually deteriorate the pipe and cause a lot of problems later on
how would you have done the manifold different then for burying it? take the pipes up to the surface and maybe just have a larger box over it or a same-size removable box to go over them?
No box at all. Just bring the pipes to the surface.
Probably could still do it with 2 90's per pipe?
I think that you did a great job. I am an amateur. I don't know all the things that you were trying to do in your project or how large of a garden you have. Have you considered in using some flex piping to water your garden? Digging trenches is a b---tch however you do it. I live in a sunny area so they don't have to deep. I am sure that you have probably learned a few things. Good job at least you don't have any major leaks.
Your plumber ripped you off.
You should make a 3rd video with all the corrections that you have made from all the feedback that you have gotten.
I totally want to! Admittedly, I just haven't prioritized that yet.
I don't understand paying $1700 to have what looks like 18 inches of copper pipe put in to connect the supply line? If that's the case... wow... there's maybe $20 max in parts there? Was it just that small section or was it larger and more involved?
I admit that I wasn't clear about what was involved, and why it cost so much.
Hopefully this provides more context:
Some of this work was a precursor to replacing my water main.
Original Water Main:
The water was flowing from the water main, into the garage, then out of the garage, then under the walk way, then up from the ground, and into the wall. This meant that my water shut off valve and pressure regulator were outside.
New Pipes:
The water now flows from the water main, into the garage, through a new pressure regulator, then up through the attic, then down the wall, and out through the exterior of the house. Once it's sticking out of the house, he made the copper-to-pex connection.
He also made the trench much bigger, and installed the pipes.
One of the advantages of this change is that my water shut off valve is now in the garage.
In terms of parts, it's a bit more because of the materials needed to go up through the attic and to install the new pressure regulator. This was because the main later went from a 3/4" line to a 1 1/4" line.
The real cost was the labor of drilling holes in the walls and running the pipes up through the attic and back out to the front.
I hope that gives you more context.
20$ max in parts? You have no clue bout this job. At least 1000 what full sprinkler system cost 20$
Why can't you bury your "yard hydrant" further down so it fits under the cover? The valves you used need to be 12" above your highest sprinkler, not buried under ground.(like your old setup) You should have used "in-line" valves in your box and one anti-siphon valve where the line comes out of the house. You would have saved $$$ doing it correctly.
You're not wrong about alternative configuration options. Luckily they are on unions, so I probably will have them sticking up above ground once I get the landscaping done. It really wasn't worth burying the valves, and it makes any maintenance more difficult.
Wheres the anti siphon? I thought all states required that as code. Too many shut offs and poor planning involved here.
Trial and error. Good job but this is basically a video of what not to do. I would have hooked up your water for 200$ and done it with spare parts lol. Must be in Cali or something
At such a low price, you should do all my landscaping too
@@papashome547 thats actual work lol. Ide rather take over 1000$ for 10min of work.
Lol a builder down here paid us 700 a pop for adding pressure control valves to meters and i felt bad about that. Plumbers are terrible people
@@RockinRack this was several hours of work if you include the digging, changes to the water main, building the manifold, and installing it all. In retrospect the work wasn't hard, but I think you're underestimating how much time was needed.
With the boxes bury in the ground. Don't they fill full of sand. Every one I have in the ground the ants fill full of sand.
I haven't had that issue here in California
@@papashome547
All mine in Minnesota fill full of sand
Man this is alot.
No sir I strongly recommend anyone to hire a professional! Yes it will cost you a arm and maybe a leg, but not only will you have a guaranteed Irrigation system but also how to better manage your watering coverage and scheduling furthermore not only will it save you money in the long run but also a better way to save water!
It for sure cost me an arm and a leg doing it myself, and it didn't really save me any money. I think you're right that hiring a professional is the right way to go AND it would be less work for me. I learned a lot trying to do it myself though.