Using drip, spray, or stream irrigation, low-pressure, low-volume lawn and garden watering systems, water is delivered to residential landscapes. A drip irrigation system uses less water than traditional irrigation methods while maintaining roots that are moist but not drenched.
The garden hose permits water to slowly leak out through microscopic pores throughout the full length of the rubber hose at a flow rate that the soil and plants can absorb if there is the proper amount of moisture present. With relatively little water pressure, the water reaches the root zone immediately.
Repairing Drip Irrigation Tubing
Although drip irrigation tubing is robust and capable of withstanding a lot of punishment, it is not indestructible. The next time a stray shovel grazes a damaged section of tubing while doing some do-it-yourself backyard maintenance, the knowledge of how to fix it will come in handy.
- The best companion of men and women utilizes it as a chew toy.
- The neighborhood kid that you paid $5 to cut your lawn also trims the tubing.
- Rodents that burrow find the buried tubing to be a fantastic source of water.
- Before the freezing weather arrived, you believed you had all the water out.
- The list could go on forever, but fortunately tube repair is simple when accidents do occur. One thing to keep in mind is that above-ground tubing is significantly simpler to replace.
Although burying drip irrigation tubing is popular and doesn’t affect the quality of the tubing, burrowing rodents should be kept in mind because they have a propensity for locating buried drip irrigation tubing. It is more challenging to locate a weak spot in subterranean tubing and repair it.
Follow These Simple Steps to repair drip irrigation
1. Shut off the drip irrigation system’s water supply.
2. Find the irrigation hose piece that is damaged and dig it up.
3. Insert a plastic union fitting into either end of the irrigation hose that was severed.
4. Drill a hole in the irrigation hose and insert a pressure-sensing device into it.
5. Restart the water system and check the repair.
6. Apply mulch or dirt to the hose part that has been repaired.
Drip irrigation systems will soon be operational again as the nation’s winter ends and spring begins. You’ll probably discover a leak in the polyethylene tubing of the drip due to aging, burrowing critters, or a simple gardening error.
Drip tubing is easy to repair
The good news is that drip tubing can be easily fixed. These three simple steps can be followed.
Purchase the ideal items of Drip tube
The size of the poly that is now buried in the ground must first be determined. This should be simple to locate as most manufacturers print the size on the outside of the tubing. You can buy a fresh roll of poly tubing and the necessary fittings once you’ve decided on the size you require. For a poly repair, you need buy one of two types:
- A compression coupling that joins on the exterior or a barbed insert coupling that fits within the tubing.
- A shovel and a pipe cutter are also required.
- You can begin once you have the necessary repair parts.
- To give yourself plenty of area to work, dig a foot-wide trench on either side of the pipe.
Repair The Issue of Drip Tube
Next, use your pipe cutters to remove the damaged pipe segment. To guarantee a snug fit with the replacement pipe, make careful to cut as straight as you can. After you’ve removed the damaged pipe, use it as a reference to cut the new pipe to the same length. The fitting should then be inserted or attached to each side of the tubing. Join the ground pipe with the new segment of tubing. Lastly, check the repair for leaks before covering the tubing’s surrounding earth.
Repairing a Faulty Drip Irrigation
Due to their simple design and absence of moving parts, drip irrigation parts are generally simple to repair. Blockages caused by microscopic particles drawn into the system through the emitters commonly cause local failure. Collisions or extreme cold, however, can occasionally damage the tubes or emitters.
Failure of the system can result from malfunctioning valves, timing equipment, or a clogged filter at the water source. You can diagnose and resolve most drip system problems using simple tools and inexpensive supplies.
1. Pull an emitter with a problem out of the tube. Use a utility knife to cut the emitter off the tube if it is connected to a 1/4-inch branch tube rather than a 1/2- or 5/8-inch main line. Then, cut the tubing off the emitter barbs.
2. After getting rid of all the problematic emitters, start the water. By doing so, the pipes will be flushed and any sediment that is clogging them will be removed.
3. Replace the clogged emitters with fresh ones. To ensure the same drip rate, use ones from the same manufacturer and with the same color code.
4. Use a tool knife to remove the leaky portion of the hose. The remaining tubes relate to a segment of fresh polybutylene tubing by pressing compression couplings onto each of their ends. To ensure that a compression coupling is watertight, make sure that at least 1/2 inch of tubing is inserted within each joint.
5. To fix widespread emitter failure, clean the main filter. To clean the filter, unscrew the filter cup, take the filter out, and place it under a garden hose. If it’s dirty or clogged with mineral buildup, replace it.
6. If the system doesn’t turn on at the scheduled times, replace the timer batteries. If you have a 12-volt system, ensure sure there is power by using a multimeter to check the terminal connections.
FAQs of How To Repair Drip Irrigation Tubing
What are the benefits of drip irrigation?
To ensure healthy plants and vigorous growth, drip irrigation administers water and nutrients very effectively directly to the plant’s roots and only where they are required. According to studies, drip irrigation systems are up to 60% more efficient than sprinkler systems.
Does drip irrigation require a pressure regulator?
Yes, pressure regulators are frequently required since drip irrigation or low volume irrigation systems are built to function at lower pressures than sprinkler systems. A drip system’s recommended operating pressure is 25 PSI, with the lower pressure starting at 15 PSI and the higher pressure at 30 PSI. A pressure regulator will help to ensure that your drip system runs as efficiently as possible.
Drip Irrigation Repair – Poly Tubing Leak
Conclusion
It would be wise to choose commercial grade plastic products that can survive bad water quality, UV exposure, and various climatic variations when maintaining or building a drip system. Commercial grade polymers will increase the durability of a drip system because they are impact resistant. An entire system constructed with subpar parts may degrade considerably more quickly, possibly necessitating its replacement.