Q&A- General Questions

Jess Stryker's
Irrigation Q&A

General Questions

It would be nice if you had everything in one .pdf file, rather than so many separate html files so that printing the whole thing would be easier.

A lot of things would be nice. If all I had was free time, I would do them all. :)

When you italicize fonts it's very hard to read on a monitor, maybe you should use "bold" type.

You can get rid of the italics in the tutorial text by simply changing the font on your browser. The first page of the sprinkler design tutorial explains in detail how to make the italics "go away". I already use bold to highlight items, so that wouldn't work. As I revise and update the pages I have been getting rid of italics and using indents. Of course that causes people who print the tutorials complain because it uses too much paper. Kind of a no-win situation.

Do you have a paper printout on IRRIGATION that I may purchase? I work on a computer all day and would like to give my eyes a break.

I don't have any of the tutorials on paper, in fact I'm moving in the opposite direction. I'm trying to make them more interactive as I get time. The biggest problem with reading stuff on the screen is font selection, I work on a terminal all day and have found that switching fonts really helps a lot. In particular, I don't like the default fonts Microsoft uses for Explorer. I find them rather small and very difficult to read. Try switching to a different default font. I have purposely designed the tutorials so that they do not force a specific font to be used. That way you can use the one you like best. On the same topic, I've been on a campaign lately to force myself to get used to reading stuff on the screen rather than printing it out. Printing takes a lot of time and I'm using way to much paper!

Can you give me step step instructions on what I need to do for a irrigation system?

1. Read the pump tutorial.

2. Read the sprinkler design tutorial.

3. Read the Winterization tutorial since you'll need that info in Dayton.

4. Go back to the beginning of the Sprinkler Design tutorial and work through it actually creating your design.

5. Read the Installation tutorial.

6. Install your sprinkler system.

7. Read the Irrigation Scheduling Tutorial.

8. Enjoy your new sprinkler system!

All the tutorials above are free and are available from:
http://www.JessStryker.com

Why do you have two chins?

I grew up eating Mexican food and can't (don't want to) break the habit!

Would you recommend a good design software program that I could purchase? I have a lot to learn about this and I know that the design is critical for a quality finished product.

I am less than impressed with most of the irrigation design software. I have some basic tools that are available from my web site if you use Intellicad or Autocad. Beyond that I really don't have any specific information. I have never tried any of the programs available as their literature alone did not indicate a level of usefulness I was interested in. Most input from others I have received concerning irrigation design has been less than stellar. Wish I could say there was some great program. Sorry! If I do find a decent program I will write an Irrigation Design Software Tutorial / Reviews. If you don't see that tutorial in my main index, it means I haven't written it, so no need to email me asking. :)

In your tutorials, you suggest taking the PVB off during the winter in cold weather areas. Is there special fittings I should use for this to be possible? How do I achieve this without breaking the pipe/nipple?

The installation tutorial contains drawings of how to install it so it is removable. You would use a special fitting called a "union".

I have a small 4x4x3d pond and would like to use a float mechanism to control water level and fill automatically. The valves I've seen are large and unsightly and I could not hide them in this ornamental basin. Are any controls made for tiny collections of water such as bird baths?

There are none that I know of. What we usually do is build a separate "tank" off to one side of the pond at the same elevation. A pipe connects the tank to the pond so water can freely flow between them. The tank is hidden out of view, usually with a cover over it. It can be several feet away. All the water level control equipment is installed in the tank.

Some people use an old toilet tank for this, as it already has a fill valve in it and comes with a cover. Remove the flapper valve and connect your pipe going to the pond (at least 1" size) to the large outlet in the center of the tank. Hook up the water supply in the normal location. Then bury the tank so that the water level in the tank is the same as the water level you want in your pond. Put the lid on the tank and plant stuff around it to hide it from view.

Just one way, I'm not a pond expert and I'm sure there are many more. There may even be some small fill valves. I'm a cheap kind of guy, always trying to reuse things around here, hence the toilet idea!

I think I saw a company offering a portable inverter (DC to 24 VAC). This can be a handy tool for troubleshooting irrigation installations. ...or something good to give new controller demos on the site. Every inverted I have found has 115VAC output.

I haven't seen an inverter that converts DC to 24 VAC. I do know that you can activate most valves using DC batteries. Just snap 3 - 9 volt batteries end-to-end and hook the last two ends of the batteries up to the valve for 27 VDC. It will open the solenoid. That's what I use for quick field tests.

Hey Jess, just came across your page and want to know if you can tell me the pitfalls of installing sprinkler systems for money. Know two people, who when they were unemployed, with no previous experience, installed a total of four systems for homeowners and made from 5,000 gross to 7,000 in a week's time. Still cannot understand why these two (truck drivers) are not STILL installing sprinkler systems.

Hey, the answer's hay. As in "they probably didn't make much!" There is a lot of overhead, you must have a contractor's license, post a bond, buy insurance. Materials alone are 50% or more of the gross on a sprinkler system installation. It is very seasonal work, unless you are in mild climate area, most plow snow in the winter, rob banks, or starve. It takes about a week to install a sprinkler system in a front yard of the standard residence unless you have a crew larger than 2 men. It is very hard work, there are very few older guys in the business for a reason! Bottom line is that it is a tough, very competitive business. If you can put up with all of that, then investigate further, some make a good living at it.

I have a 6 zone drip system controlled by an irrigation controller. It also controls a pump at my lake via a relay. One zone dedicated to a valve that controls a fountain in the middle of the lake for 5 minutes 3x/day. I would like to have a siren sound, or music play, when the fountain comes on. Can I use the same 24v wires from the controller to switch on another device or must I use a different circuit?

A siren?!!! Hmmm. Glad you don't live next door to me! You can use the same wires, just add a second relay to the circuit. Beware, however, that most relays use more amperage than solenoid valves, so it might not work. Depends on the controller and how much capacity it has. Some can run several devices on a single station, others struggle with one. You may need to do some research of amperage of various relays. You can always use one relay on the controller, which then switches several others connected to it, if you need to. As the saying goes, "where there is a will, there is a way!"

This guy is going to install a totally underground system for us, so no water sprays above ground. People kept asking me how we would know when a bed needed water or when it had received enough water, since all watering would take place underground. So I'm wondering, is that even possible?

There are several different types of totally underground systems (called sub-surface drip irrigation). They are drip irrigation systems which are buried. You can see the water on the surface, so you know if it's getting watered.

In my not so humble opinion only two underground systems are worth the money. One is the Toro DL2000 system (also sold internationally under the name GeoFlow), the other is the Netafim Techline with Techfilter system (the Techfilter part is critical as that's where the chemical root barrier is). Both of these systems use a chemical that stops the plant roots from growing into the underground water outlets. Without the chemical roots will grow into the system within a few years and ruin it. Take my word for this, I know! I have used both of the above products and had no problems over the course of several years now. While there are several others that claim to work, I don't know of any other systems that work. If the system he wants to install is not one of those two, I would not install it. It must be installed right, and the installer should have substantial experience with sub-surface drip systems.

Where would you place the pressure regulator, upstream or downstream from the backflow?

At the tap into the mainline, upstream of the backflow preventer. It doesn't really matter as far as the backflow preventer is concerned, but the less pipe you have at 120 PSI, the less problems you will have in the future. I would install it right after the meter so that it regulates both the irrigation and the house pressure! If you already have one at the house, why not just move it to the meter where it can serve both the house and irrigation?

For the sake of this question, assume the water meter (of course) and the irrigation main line are upstream from the regulator and the regulated static pressure is set for 75 psi. In calculating pressure losses; since both the meter and mainline are seen at the input of the regulator, would you still have to count these as a pressure loss? I would think the regulator would compensate for their loss considering I have plenty of excess pressure being gobbled up by the regulator.

You certainly assume a lot! :) You would use the regulated pressure as your new static Design Pressure, and only count the pressure losses downstream of the regulator. So in your case you would ignore the loss through the meter and mainline up to the regulator. However, you still have to watch the velocity in the mainline because of the water hammer problem. Keep the mainline velocity UNDER 5 feet/second.

Dear sir,
I have read your article entitled "Landscape Irrigation Scheduling Tutorial" and I would like you to provide me with more information about "The Arm
Chair Method ".

Sir? Wow, have I been knighted without my knowledge? (OK, sorry, that was just stupid.) Try contacting your local irrigation supplier or one of the online suppliers and ask about "automatic moisture sensor systems". See the industry links page on my website for links to suppliers.

Should I have one valve for my trees and one for the drip system? (or one for both?)

Whatever. Some people separate them so they can only water the trees during a drought and let the shrubs die. As long as they are both watered by drip systems there isn't a major problem with running them both on the same valve.

We are trying to locate the ZIP files to download to be able to use the tutorial off-line. We found it one time but have not been able to locate it again. Can you help?

You must have the wrong zip code. No that's not right, sorry. I've removed them. They had become hopelessly out of date. Because of some internal changes in how I maintain my "off-line" version I can't update them easily anymore. It's partly the result of the growth of the web-site as I keep adding stuff. Sorry for the inconvenience.

I have found a pressure regulator to use for my system. Should this be placed inside the box with the valves? I am using Anti-Syphon valves and they will be in boxes above ground. Should I adjust the regulator according to the PSI or GPM? Any helpful hints for this?

Pressure regulators are adjusted by PSI. Typical setting would be between 50 - 60 PSI. The GPM is determined by the number of sprinklers. The regulator should be installed upstream of the valves and can be above ground or underground in a box.

Did you make up any of these questions?

Yes, the dumb ones. None of my website users ask dumb questions. Well, OK, some of them do... Have a great day!

General Questions

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