# Most reliable irrigation equipment **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 27, 2000, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-reliable-irrigation-equipment/23796 "2000-06-27T23:39:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2000, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-reliable-irrigation-equipment/23796/1 "2000-06-27T23:39:10Z")
Installing an irrigation system is a major pain-in-the-ass. Once it’s installed, I want to spend a minimum amount of time repairing and replacing components. Never would be nice. Given that, what do the Teeming Millions recommend as far as a good irrigation system component manufacturer? Any that I should stay away from? Right now, I’m still digging the trench for my irrigation system. It’s been slow, but _you_ try digging a trench in summer, in Arizona. ---
**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2000, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-reliable-irrigation-equipment/23796/2 "2000-06-27T23:42:23Z")
Now, before you get on my case, I’d like to let you know that I’ve emailed manhattan to have this thread moved to IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2000, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-reliable-irrigation-equipment/23796/3 "2000-06-27T23:58:45Z")
Gotta love that caliche rock. For those of you not from the burning desert the heat bakes all the water out of the ground leaving a layer of limestone. Fun stuff to dig through even in winter let alone 100º+ ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2000, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-reliable-irrigation-equipment/23796/4 "2000-06-28T00:19:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > Now, before you get on my case, I’d like to let you know that I’ve emailed manhattan to have this thread moved to IMHO. > \*\* And I appreciate it. But let’s leave it here overnight, because I know we have a couple of farmer-types that don’t stray too far from GQ. This question is esoteric and specific enough that I think no one will get mad if I leave it here for a while. I’ll move it tomorrow afternoon, and that’ll give you two bites of the apple. Cool? ---
**Author:** ![Rich\_G7subs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85e7bf/32.png) [@Rich\_G7subs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rich_G7subs)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2000, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-reliable-irrigation-equipment/23796/5 "2000-06-28T00:28:56Z")
Raindrip makes a nice product.Reasonable price…pretty good selection.Try their website.Only problem is the micro drippers clog kinda easily. ---
**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2000, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-reliable-irrigation-equipment/23796/6 "2000-06-28T00:29:34Z")
Works for me, manny. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2000, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-reliable-irrigation-equipment/23796/7 "2000-06-28T15:08:54Z")
raindrip? Sort of. You CANNOT dig around them, you can’t use metal tools either, unless you are extremely accurate. Those things come apart easily & how many times have I cut a hole in one of those lines? They are too near the surface. But I would rather have one deep in the soil, so you can still work around them. ---
**Author:** ![justwannano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ab992/32.png) [@justwannano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justwannano)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2000, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-reliable-irrigation-equipment/23796/8 "2000-06-28T17:48:57Z")
First,lets establish what you are irrigating. If it is your yard I would agree this should be in IMHO. If it is farmland I would think that flood irrigating would probably be best. You wouldn’t be losing valuable water to the atmosphere. You have problems that most of us don’t have so maybe you should ask the pro’s at your state AG service. ---
**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2000, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-reliable-irrigation-equipment/23796/9 "2000-06-28T23:34:29Z")
I’m irrigating my backyard. It’s a tiny yard, but enough as far as I’m concerned. I know what I need - about 15 low-mid-range sprinkler heads, 2-3 control valves, 4 drips and lots of PVC pipe and glue. I just want to get an idea of who makes the most reliable valves, heads, etc. (not that heads are a big deal to change). Thanks Rich. If the drips are prone to clogging then that’s something I would want to avoid. Here in AZ, the water is about as hard as the ground, which would make any clogging problems worse. I’m also asking friends and retailers this question, although I’m careful to take possible bias of retailers due to their relationship with manufacturers into account. ---
**Author:** ![tcburnett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@tcburnett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tcburnett)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2000, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-reliable-irrigation-equipment/23796/10 "2000-06-28T23:46:18Z")
My best friend who works at Boeing had lived in Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale or AJ all his life. He just put an irrigation system on his 1 acre lot in AJ to water his cactus (or whatever). He says to go buy whatever is on sale at Home Depot. According to him, they are all about the same. And the monsoon season just started there, so wait until the next 10" downpour to dig the trenches. I have no idea myself. I live in the wettest city in the United States. ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2000, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-reliable-irrigation-equipment/23796/11 "2000-06-29T07:33:34Z")
Yeah, I know you don’t get much rain, Strainger, but PLEASE take this into consideration… Nothing ticks me off more than seeing sprinklers going off while it’s raining. No matter what type of sprinkler system you get, please make sure it has some type of water gauge attached!! And have you considered planting something besides non-native grass in your backyard? How about plants/cacti that are native to AZ? No, not a tree hugger…just think that the best lawns consist of concrete painted green…all else is a waste of time, effort, and money 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@Bill\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_H)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2000, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-reliable-irrigation-equipment/23796/12 "2000-06-29T07:48:50Z")
**Strainger** , I don’t have a recommendation for high-quality components, but I’ll give you a couple of mistakes I’ve made that you can learn from. a) Over-engineer the thing. There’s some math in the process, involving the water pressure at your house, the width of the pipes, the number of sprinklers on a circuit and the flow per sprinkler. When you figure how many sprinklers to put on a circuit, reduce it a bit, because either the water pressure will go down, or the sprinklers will reduce in effectiveness a bit over the years, and then with each sprinkler delivering a reduced radius, you won’t get complete coverage. Don’t be afraid to put in more circuits. Once things grow over, it’s really tough to add. b) If you’re watering a lawn and the lawn goes up against a mowing strip or other cement slab, be sure to leave a half inch or more between the edge of the cement and the sprinkler head. If you put the sprinkler right up against the cement, then when you go to edge you’ll have to be careful or you’ll wipe out the sprinkler head. c) kind of related to a. Digging the ditches and running pipe is a lot of work. Pipe is cheap. Think of every place you could possibly need irrigation later, and run circuits for it. Later you’ll be glad you did. d) I recommend you set the system up to be controlled by a timer. If you don’t plan to do this, at least consider running the wire in the trenches with your pipe anyway, since if a year down the road you change your mind, it’ll be tougher to get the wire to wear you need it. e) If you do run wire, be sure to put it under the pipes. Otherwise you may cut it later digging. ---
**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2000, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-reliable-irrigation-equipment/23796/13 "2000-06-30T01:09:40Z")
Wow, great suggestions Bill! I’ll be sure to keep them in mind; maybe even print them out. I already have a timer (I got front yard landscaping withe the house), so I’ll just be hooking my backyard control valves up to it. Don’t worry, sandy. I’ll turn my sprinkler off during the monsoon season. Also, the grassy area of my backyard will be very small.