An automated home irrigation system is a network of components designed to deliver water directly to your landscape efficiently. Setting up your own system allows for precise water application, which helps conserve water and reduces utility costs. This approach promotes healthier plant growth by providing consistent moisture at the root zone, avoiding the stress caused by erratic hand-watering. A do-it-yourself installation offers the benefit of customizing the system to your yard’s unique needs while avoiding the expense of professional installation.
Selecting the Best System for Your Needs
The first step in planning your irrigation project is deciding which type of system best suits your landscape and watering goals. Drip irrigation systems are the most water-efficient choice, delivering water slowly through small emitters directly to the base of plants. This method is ideal for vegetable gardens, flower beds, and individual shrubs, as it minimizes water loss from evaporation and wind drift.
Sprinkler systems, which spray water over a broader area, are generally the preferred option for watering large lawn sections. These can include stationary spray heads for smaller areas or rotary sprinklers for wider coverage. Soaker hoses, which are porous tubes that weep water along their entire length, offer a simple, low-pressure solution for densely planted rows or hedges. Considering factors like initial cost and operating water pressure will help guide your choice, as drip systems generally operate at a lower pressure than sprinklers.
Designing the Layout and Gathering Materials
Effective system design begins with a detailed map of the area to be watered, noting all plants, hardscapes, and the location of your water source. A crucial calculation at this stage is determining your available flow rate, often measured in gallons per minute (GPM), which limits the total amount of water your system can handle at one time. A simple “bucket test” can determine this by timing how long it takes to fill a known volume container from your spigot.
If the total water requirement of all your planned emitters or sprinklers exceeds your available flow rate, you will need to divide the landscape into multiple watering zones. Zoning allows you to run different sections sequentially, ensuring each zone receives adequate pressure and flow for uniform watering. Your material list needs to include several components that make up the “head assembly” at the water source: a backflow preventer, a pressure regulator, and a filter.
The backflow preventer is a required component that stops irrigation water from contaminating your home’s main potable water supply. The pressure regulator is necessary for drip systems, which typically operate best between 10 and 30 PSI, to prevent high incoming pressure from damaging the tubing and emitters. A filter, often with a 150-mesh screen or higher, is mandatory to catch sediment and debris that could clog the tiny drip emitters.
The main line tubing, usually a larger diameter polyethylene pipe, carries water from the head assembly to the planting areas. From the main line, smaller distribution lines or micro-tubing branch off to deliver water to the individual emitters. You must select the correct emitter type—such as individual drip emitters, micro-sprayers, or in-line drip tubing—based on the specific plant’s water needs and the soil type in that area. For example, clay soil absorbs water slowly, so it benefits from lower-flow emitters spaced further apart, while sandy soil needs higher flow.
Step-by-Step Assembly and Connection
Installation begins at the water source, where you connect the head assembly components in the correct sequence. The proper order is typically the backflow preventer, followed by the pressure regulator, and then the filter. This assembly is then connected to your main line tubing, which should be unrolled and laid out according to your design plan.
Once the main line is in place, cut the tubing to the correct lengths and use appropriate barbed fittings to create turns and branches for each zone. Before installing any of the final water delivery devices, it is important to flush the entire system. To do this, open the water source and allow water to run freely out of the uncapped ends of the main line for a few minutes to clear out any dirt, plastic shavings, or debris that could cause clogging.
After flushing, cap the ends of the main line tubing with figure-eight ends or end caps. The next step is to install the emitters or micro-sprayers by using a small hole punch tool to create openings in the main line tubing at the location of each plant. Insert the barbed end of the chosen emitter or micro-sprayer directly into the punched hole. Finally, secure the entire network of tubing to the ground using specialized stakes or clips to ensure the lines remain in their intended positions.
Fine-Tuning and Seasonal Care
After the physical setup is complete, you must test the system by slowly opening the water supply and visually inspecting all connections for leaks, particularly at the fittings and end caps. You will then need to fine-tune the water delivery, which involves observing how quickly the water soaks into the soil around each plant. Different plant varieties and soil types require adjustments to either the run time or the flow rate of the individual emitters to prevent runoff or underwatering.
Attaching a programmable timer to the head assembly allows for automated, consistent watering based on your fine-tuned schedule. For long-term care, periodically flush the system by temporarily removing the end caps to prevent the buildup of fine sediments that may have passed through the filter. In regions that experience freezing temperatures, the system must be properly winterized before the first hard freeze to prevent costly damage. This involves completely shutting off the water supply and draining all water from the lines, valves, and backflow preventer, either manually through drain valves or by using an air compressor.