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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Can I install Turf Without Retic?

Posted on 8th May 2012 in General, Installations, Sir Walter Turf

The short answer is ‘yes of course’.

The longer answer is ‘why would you?…’

Obviously budget is a consideration, but if you are going to spend a lot of money on earthworks and turf then it only makes sense that in a climate like ours you make watering your turf as easy as possible.

If you lay turf in Perth then you can ring 131039 to get a watering exemption and that will allow you water 3 times a day for around 30 days. In summer this is essential. Obviously its less of a consideration in the cooler months, but I often tell people that the only thing that will kill a new lawn is insufficient water. (Not strictly true – but let’s assume it is pest free)

I have laid a couple of lawns without retic only to be called back in a month or so and asked to install sprinklers. If the lawn hasn’t taken it is actually a much harder (and more expensive) job because it involves lifting the new rolls of turf, digging where they were and then trying to get the ground level again. Its much easier just to pull a trencher thru a fully established lawn, so if you have to go this route then wait around 3 months to be safe.

So if you are considering laying a new lawn then please please please… make sure you have reticulation!

There is no ‘warranty’ with new lawn as it is a living organism and will only respond to whatever nourishment it receives from the owner. We do guarantee to lay it correctly and provide it in excellent weed free condition, but after that it’s up to you to make sure it is kept healthy.

So if you’re considering just wacking down some lawn to make things look better then think again unless you have functional sprinklers…

 

 

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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Reticulation in Two Rocks

Posted on 20th April 2012 in General, Installations

 

If you live in Two Rocks then you’d know that it didn’t get its name for no good reason. There are plenty of rocks around up there and it makes digging trenches a hell of a challenge.

If you are planning on some DIY retic then I’d suggest you consider hiring a Groundhog Trench Digger like the one in the picture above to give you a hand in getting through the worst of it.

I’ve done a few jobs in the area and if it wasn’t for the trencher I’d probably still be digging today.

You can hire them for around $170/day. Alternatively call us and we can do the work for you and save you both time and physio bills!

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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Reticulation & Turf in Perth

Posted on 30th March 2012 in General, Installations

I regularly get calls from all over the city – often south of the river.

As a rule we will not work south of the river as it gets too difficult to honour our warranties when a job is too far away. Recently I have returned to several jobs where the problem was apparently my worksmanship, but in reality it has been user error or another issue altogether. When its a local job I’m happy to come back and make sure all is well, but that becomes problematic and costly with greater distance.

At Brighton Retic and Turf we take our warranties seriously and know that service once the job is completed is as important as doing a good job the first time round. For that reason we prefer to work in the far northern suburbs of Perth, but we will work as far south as Trigg/Scarborough.

 

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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Should I Use Sub-surface Irrigation in Turf?

Posted on 17th March 2012 in Drip Irrigation, Installations

You can and it would be very effective but I’m not a fan personally.

The Advantages:

a) You will save around 40% in terms of water usage.

b) Your lawn will be easier to mow and will look great

The Disadvantages:

a) It can be impossible to really know if its not working. You can install signal flags in the line, but you can only use so many of them before it looks odd.

b) Locating problems can be difficult and requires digging up your lawn to make repairs.

c) Its more expensive

So – yes – you can do it – but I wouldn’t want to be maintaining it!

 

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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Who Installs Retic and Turf in Two Rocks?

Posted on 17th March 2012 in Installations, Local Knowledge

 

 

When you live in the outermost suburb of the city it can be difficult to find good tradies. For Two Rocks residents we want you to know that Brighton Reticulation is based in Yanchep and is able to give prompt, reliable service at very short notice.

We are a local business and committed to the local area so give us a call and we will be able to give you an excellent price and top notch service on your retic and turf needs.

 

 

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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My Bore Won’t Come on

Posted on 22nd February 2012 in bore, Controllers

Normally when your bore starts up you hear a ‘clunk’ sound as the bore starter kicks in. If you can’t hear this then chances are your relay to the starter is faulty or the problem is in your control box.

If the control box looks ok then you will need to call an electrician to have a look at the relay switch.

 

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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Replacing an Existing Lawn

Posted on 8th November 2011 in Installations, Installing, Sir Walter Turf, Turf

Sometimes your lawn gets to a point where it simply isn’t viable to revive it. It needs replacing and the question is ‘how’?

Firstly let’s hope you have bobcat access, because if you don’t you’re in for a lot of hard grunt work digging it out. I still remember digging out 50sqm of buffalo on a hot summer day. It took 2 of us 5 hours and we were going hard.

So – yes – you can dig it out, but if you weigh up your time then it makes much better sense to use machinery to get it done.

So first step is to get the old one out.

Your bobcat will need to dig down around 80-100ml and in the process will likely damage your retic. So if you’re replacing a lawn then be sure to budget for retic repairs and it may even be that its better just to re-lay the pipes. I’d allow between $200-500 for the retic.

When removing a lawn you need to allow for bobcat operator’s time, tipping costs and any associated travel costs. For 50sqm $700.00 is fairly normal but it may vary depending on the site. The bobcat then will bring in some good soil and bring the levels up to whatever is suitable for laying turf on. I always suggest leaving it 10ml below the finished level to allow it to grow and ‘boof up’ a bit.

Once the soil is in, the retic can be repaired and the final stage is the turf laying.

Our turf rates are on our main site here.

 

 

 

 

 

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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Problems With a Shared Bore

Posted on 30th October 2011 in bore, Never Seen That One Before, solenoids

Shared bores are a great idea in that only one whole gets drilled and can serve two or three properties. But shared bores can also raise some interesting challenges – and can be similar to the dreaded ‘neighbourhood fence’.

The question of who is responsible when it breaks down can be tricky. The question of what happens if my neighbour can’t afford his share of the repairs is also a grey area.

This week I have encountered two problems with shared bores and the solutions are interesting and worth knowing.

On Friday a friend rang and told me that his sprinklers kept coming on even though it wasn’t his watering days. He is on a shared bore and the obvious solution is that he has a solenoid stuck open. So everyone on the 3 properties is then inconvenienced until he fixes his solenoid. That sounded like the solution but then it got weird…

He went home to replace the solenoid yesterday but after turning the pump on to test the system he couldn’t stop the water flow. He unplugged his control box and still the water kept flowing. Eventually he had to go next door to his neighbour’s place and turn the pump off at the mains to stop the water. When he turned it back on the same problem occurred. A chat with an electrician suggests this is a faulty relay switch on his line and that when activated it is unable to shut down.

Thankfully he was able to access the main switch otherwise it would have been a lot of water down the drain.

He is getting the relay switch looked at this week so we will see what develops

 

 

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 Much For Reticulation?

Posted on 14th September 2011 in Installations, Installing

This is an interesting question.

We have always pitched ourselves at the mid-price range so that we can use quality parts, do an excellent job and give a proper warranty. You can always get cheaper – and sometimes you will get the same for cheaper – but generally speaking the old rule applies that ‘you get what you pay for’.

Installations are always on a case by case inspection, but the following ‘set up costs’ can be expected:

  • Retic cut in by licensed plumber $180.00 + GST
  • Hardwiring of controller $160.00 + GST
  • Electronic Controller $200.00-$400.00 + GST (depending on what is chosen)

To give you an idea of what to expect a VERY rough ball park figure for a 4 x 2 home on a 600m block with 5 or 6 stations is usually around $2600.00 + GST

A front install on this kind of home would be around $1500.00 + GST (because of all the set up costs) and a rear install usually around $1100.00 + GST

We always compete on price so feel free to let us know your best quote and we will try to beat it.

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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