Re: Seeking advice on adding irrigation system -- Water Well Helpline Message Board

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Subject: Re: Seeking advice on adding irrigation system

Author:
Vey
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Date Posted: 08:47:11 04/25/08 Fri
Author Host/IP: user-0c6tit5.cable.mindspring.com/24.110.203.165
In reply to: Jim 's message, "Seeking advice on adding irrigation system" on 14:26:46 04/24/08 Thu

>My home has a dug well. The water flow in the home
>has always been good. The flow via a 1/2 copper pipe
>to a faucet head then through a garden hose, is about
>6.5 gallons a minute. In 20 years, the well has never
>run dry. I've just had two estimates done to add a
>lawn irrigation system. One contractor recommends a
>5-6 zone system with two spray heads on each zone. He
>said, I can then switch between different zones and
>not overtax the(1/2 hp)jet pump or well. The other
>contractor said all I need is a two zone system with 6
>spay heads each. He would install a regulator that
>will monitor the water pressure and shut the water
>flow off if the water pressure drops to a set point
>then start the flow again when the presure has rebuilt.
>I could use some unbiased advice on what would be the
>best option.

First, let me say this, I am none too thrilled about using a drinking water well for irrigation. If something goes wrong, life just plain sucks without drinking water, whereas most grass will recover after it turns brown.

I also think that some wells/pumps are good for household water and others for irrigation. A household well can be low volume and is used with a high pressure pump. As you can see now, most irrigation wells need at least 15GPM and sprinkler type pumps are designed for about 30psi.

But let's analyze the two gentlemen's propsals:
The first one is very straight forward. It uses two heads that will want 3GPM each. This is exactly how things are done here in Florida where just about every house has a sprinkler system and central A/C. This system is fairly simple and works well.

I would ask about having the pipe "home run" to a manifold in a buried box rather than have the switches buried all over the yard. This make maintenance a lot easier. Only diff between your system and mine is that I have 18GPM, so I can run six heads at the same time and you don't.

I don't know much about what the second one is talking about. Your problem is volume, not pressure so even if the pressure built back up, opening up the valve would cause it drop just about immediately and it would close again. How long do you think you could run an 18GPM system on 6GPM?

But I am sure it is a lot cheaper since he wouldn't have to dig as much.

Around here there are "pump stores" I call them. You go there when you want to buy a pump. They mostly deal with the trade, but they will talk to regular folk.

Most of them also sell sprinkler supplies and systems. You should ask in there what they think about this magic valve. Don't mention the guy's name in fact don't mention that you won't be doing this yourself. Just say something like "I was going to put in a sprinkler system and I heard that there was this valve so that I didn't need so many zones. Have you heard about that?"

Because I haven't.

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Replies:

Subject Author Date

Re: Seeking advice on adding irrigation system Jim (So. NH) 13:25:51 04/25/08 Fri

Re: Seeking advice on adding irrigation system -- Vey, 17:26:42 04/25/08 Fri

Re: Seeking advice on adding irrigation system -- Jim (So. NH), 05:04:43 04/26/08 Sat

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>>My home has a dug well. The water flow in the home >>has always been good. The flow via a 1/2 copper pipe >>to a faucet head then through a garden hose, is about >>6.5 gallons a minute. In 20 years, the well has never >>run dry. I've just had two estimates done to add a >>lawn irrigation system. One contractor recommends a >>5-6 zone system with two spray heads on each zone. He >>said, I can then switch between different zones and >>not overtax the(1/2 hp)jet pump or well. The other >>contractor said all I need is a two zone system with 6 >>spay heads each. He would install a regulator that >>will monitor the water pressure and shut the water >>flow off if the water pressure drops to a set point >>then start the flow again when the presure has >rebuilt. >>I could use some unbiased advice on what would be the >>best option. > >First, let me say this, I am none too thrilled about >using a drinking water well for irrigation. If >something goes wrong, life just plain sucks without >drinking water, whereas most grass will recover after >it turns brown. > >I also think that some wells/pumps are good for >household water and others for irrigation. A household >well can be low volume and is used with a high >pressure pump. As you can see now, most irrigation >wells need at least 15GPM and sprinkler type pumps are >designed for about 30psi. > >But let's analyze the two gentlemen's propsals: >The first one is very straight forward. It uses two >heads that will want 3GPM each. This is exactly how >things are done here in Florida where just about every >house has a sprinkler system and central A/C. This >system is fairly simple and works well. > >I would ask about having the pipe "home run" to a >manifold in a buried box rather than have the switches >buried all over the yard. This make maintenance a lot >easier. Only diff between your system and mine is that >I have 18GPM, so I can run six heads at the same time >and you don't. > >I don't know much about what the second one is talking >about. Your problem is volume, not pressure so even if >the pressure built back up, opening up the valve would >cause it drop just about immediately and it would >close again. How long do you think you could run an >18GPM system on 6GPM? > >But I am sure it is a lot cheaper since he wouldn't >have to dig as much. > >Around here there are "pump stores" I call them. You >go there when you want to buy a pump. They mostly deal >with the trade, but they will talk to regular folk. > >Most of them also sell sprinkler supplies and systems. >You should ask in there what they think about this >magic valve. Don't mention the guy's name in fact >don't mention that you won't be doing this yourself. >Just say something like "I was going to put in a >sprinkler system and I heard that there was this valve >so that I didn't need so many zones. Have you heard >about that?" > >Because I haven't.

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