How to Install Sprinklers by The Kerb

Posted on 13th May 2012 in Installations, Installing, Products, sprinklers

 

The first time I did some DIY retic I tried to install my kerbside sprinklers by digging along the line of the kerb.

Big mistake!

After 10 minutes I had all but given up. You see the soil along the kerb is actually roadbase. It is hard and rocky and not easy digging. If you want to install sprinklers along the kerb then dig a trench one metre away from the kerb and parallel to it and then ‘t’ off to the point where you need sprinklers. You will still need to do some hard digging but it will save you a lot of effort and you will do the job right.

The other tip with kerbside sprinklers is to make sure they are well below kerb height – because they will get driven over. If you’re lucky they won’t get damaged, but if they are even sticking up a little bit then expect to replace them regularly.

I get calls from one client a few times each summer to replace the same sprinkler. Personally I reckon it would be easier just to sink the sprinkler a bit lower…

This is the Brighton Reticulation Blog and our main site can be found here For service or advice with the issues in this post call Andrew on 0400044236, or email us here
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Running Sprinklers off a Bore

Posted on 22nd February 2012 in bore, Products, sprinklers

Which sprinklers should you run from a bore?

You have a couple of things to consider:

a) Flow rate: often bores allow you to run much greater numbers of sprinklers than a standard mains pressure system. 80l/min is normal as opposed to 30 off the mains.

b) Pump run time: every minute your bore is running is costing you money in electricity and wear and tear on your pump.

That said you don’t want to simply be governed by the cheapest option. In my own backyard I have 3 different types of sprinklers running. We have 4 big heavy duty gear drives on the verge, regular pop ups in the garden beds and then MP rotators in the lawn areas. It means the pump runs for aprox 2 hours each time it comes on, but we have chosen sprinklers that will fit the areas and do the best job.

 

 

This is the Brighton Reticulation Blog and our main site can be found here For service or advice with the issues in this post call Andrew on 0400044236, or email us here
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Controller Manuals

Posted on 24th January 2012 in Controllers, Installations, Local Knowledge, Products

 

Not sure how to set your control box and lost the manual?

Then just check this page and you may well find your box listed and them manual that is required.

This is the Brighton Reticulation Blog and our main site can be found here For service or advice with the issues in this post call Andrew on 0400044236, or email us here
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How Many Sprinklers Can I Get on One Station?

Posted on 31st December 2011 in Installations, nozzles, Products

Yeah… that’s one of those questions that you can’t answer quite so easily…

The things to consider are:

- what is your water flow rate?

- what type of nozzle are you using?

- what type of sprinkler?

In most suburbs I work on around 30l/min flow rate but in places like Yanchep it can be as low as 18l/m or The Green in Butler it is around 22L/M.

From there you work out how many regular pop-ups you can fit on a line. For example a 12ft Toro pop-up nozzle with a 180 degree spray uses 4l/m, a 90 degree spray 2l/m and a whole spray 8l/m. However a 15 ft nozzle with increase water usage and a 10ft will decrease.

Then if you use MP Rotators you decrease water usage again but increase your spray distance…

So if you want to get it right then talk to someone who understands these variables or get a specification chart that can guide you in your planning. I have been to plenty of homes where the sprinklers are functioning poorly because the wrong kinds of sprinklers have been used.

 

 

 

This is the Brighton Reticulation Blog and our main site can be found here For service or advice with the issues in this post call Andrew on 0400044236, or email us here
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How Long Do I Put My Reticulation on For?

Posted on 16th December 2011 in Ideas, Products, sprinklers, What's Going on There?

This is not a question with a simple answer, because the response depends on the type of sprinklers you are using and how they apply water.

The goal is to get 10ml of water to your lawn/garden each time they operate so different nozzles will require different run times. For example regular pop-ups can be run for around 12 minutes to apply 10mls.

Toro precision nozzles need to be left on for around 25 mins to get the same result. Then there are the MP Rotators which need 45-50 mins to deliver 10mls.

 

There are specs for each type of sprinkler available from the manufacturers or your retic guy can help you make sense of it. Here’s an example of how to find the answer. The chart shows that PGP needs to be on for 60 mins to apply 10ml.

The important thing is to remember that not all sprinklers deliver water at the same rate.

 

This is the Brighton Reticulation Blog and our main site can be found here For service or advice with the issues in this post call Andrew on 0400044236, or email us here
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How to Cut PVC Pipe (Easily)

Posted on 1st June 2011 in Ideas, Products, Tools

You can use the good ole hacksaw, but there is a better way.

The hacksaw leaves burred edges and can be unwieldy, but a good set of PVC cutters will slice thru PVC and black poly easily and give a clean cut every time.

They last for ages and you can pick up a pair at any retic shop. Most cutters suit up to 25ml pipe, but you can get some that will do up to 40ml pipe also.

This is the Brighton Reticulation Blog and our main site can be found here For service or advice with the issues in this post call Andrew on 0400044236, or email us here
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Why Choose Soft Leaf Buffalo?

Posted on 20th May 2011 in Ideas, Products, Sir Walter Turf, Turf

I received a pamphlet in the mail today from Westland turf, one of the turf suppliers I use and these were the reasons they gave:

 

a) Buffalo Grass is much more tolerant of the alkaline soils than is couch grass and is highly suitable for Perth’s coastal suburbs.

b) Buffalo Grass has been shown in trials to require no more water than couch grass to maintain colour

c) No scalp marks and can be mowed with a rotary mower

d) Buffalo Grass produces no underground stems (rhizomes) and because it only spread by surface runners (stolons). It is easy to keep out of garden beds.

e) These soft leaf varieties provide a non-itching surface and a very comfortable lawn.

f) Buffalo Grass requires less fertiliser and mowing than couch grass.

This is the Brighton Reticulation Blog and our main site can be found here For service or advice with the issues in this post call Andrew on 0400044236, or email us here
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Remote Control Reticulation

Posted on 11th May 2011 in Ideas, Never Seen That One Before, Products

 

Of course your control box operates automatically, but on a larger property / golf course it is really valuable to have a remote control to operate the reticulation while you walk around and service it.

 

At around $1500.00 just to purchase the unit these might be considered something of a luxury, but you only have to spend a few hours on your own walking around a large property checking, fixing and re-checking to realise that in time they will actually save you some money

 

I was doing a job today at a large apartment complex in Osborne Park and discovered they have a Hunter ICR  remote control set up.  Unfortunately they didn’t have any instructions and I had never used it before so I ended up doing a heap of walking and time wasting.

 

I have downloaded the product manual for next time I am there, which will save me time and the owner money. It is a large amount of money to spend, but in time it will come back to you simply in the time savings for retic contractors.

This is the Brighton Reticulation Blog and our main site can be found here For service or advice with the issues in this post call Andrew on 0400044236, or email us here
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DIY Reticulation Repair Tip

Posted on 7th May 2011 in Ideas, Products, Repairs, What's Going on There?

If you use microsprays in your garden beds then chances are at some point they will come loose from the black poly and you may have a hole that simply shoots water high in the air.

You can obviously replace the spray with another one, but chances are the hole may have enlarged and the pipe will leak. Or you can try a ‘goof plug’ to plug up the hole, but often the same problem occurs.

I have found that the most effective way of remedying this situation is to simply bite the bullet and cut the line, then rejoin it again with 19ml poly joiner and clamps.

This way you don’t have an ongoing leak and an ineffective watering system.

 

This is the Brighton Reticulation Blog and our main site can be found here For service or advice with the issues in this post call Andrew on 0400044236, or email us here
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Epic Fail – Black Poly Mainline

Posted on 6th May 2011 in Installations, Installing, Products

One sure way to ensure you have endless ongoing problems with your reticulation is to use 19ml black poly for your mainline.

By ‘mainline’ I mean the bit that joins all the solenoids. This is the part of the reticulation that is regularly under pressure and a 19ml ratchet clamp just isn’t going to cut the mustard when it comes to holding things together.

So by all means use black poly in your garden beds and even in your lawn if you prefer it, but only use good quality 25ml pvc in the mainline and seal the joints with green glue (rather than blue).

If you do this right the first time then it will save you a lot of grief in the future. If you don’t then you can expect your system to be popping and leaking and giving you endless trouble.

It might seem like you can save some money when you set out to do it, but the ongoing hassles will mean you soon regret whatever small savings you may have made.

This is the Brighton Reticulation Blog and our main site can be found here For service or advice with the issues in this post call Andrew on 0400044236, or email us here
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