- My name's Aaron Massey
from mrfixitdiy.com and welcome back to another
episode of Home School'd. For today's project, I'm gonna show you how to install a basic
sprinkler system for your yard. (rock music) I'm currently tackling a
backyard overhaul project and as part of it, I need to install a few new irrigation zones. I installed this small succulent
garden a few years ago, and while it doesn't
require a ton of water, with the heat of the summer, I still have to water it occasionally, and I'm sick of pulling
out the hose every time. So today I'm gonna show you how I plan to install a sprinkler system
for it and some nearby plants. I rank these projects by how many F-bombs you're likely to drop
while tackling the project. This one is not too (bleep)-ing difficult, but it can take a while
depending on the size of the area that you're installing. Step one is to locate
a nearby water supply and lay out the irrigation line. In this case I have an unused
spigot behind my old shed, and I plan to tap into it to use it as the source for this line. To determine how many sprinklers
I can have on this line, I have to do some basic calculations on flow rate and water
pressure for the house. The easiest way to test
the water pressure, is to use a water pressure
testing gauge like this one and attach it to a spigot. In this case the water
pressure is just shy of 60 PSI. Next, to determine the flow rate, I use a five gallon bucket
and turn the water on fully to see how long it takes
to fill the bucket. Multiply the size of the bucket in gallons which is five, times 60 seconds, then divide that number by the number of seconds it took to fill. In this case, it's the around 20 seconds. So the flow rate is about
15 gallons per minute. Once you have that number, it can help you determine
how many sprinkler heads you can have on a zone, or
how many zones that you need. In this case I'll be installing these pop-up Rain Bird
1800 Series sprinklers, and a couple dedicated drip lines. You can check the flow rate
of your chosen sprinkler types and what their coverage is on
the manufacturer's website. I only need about six
sprinklers total for this zone, and each head has a flow rate of less than one gallon per minute. So I have plenty of pressure and flow rate for the needed coverage. Depending on your layout, you'll likely need to buy a combination of different pieces, fittings, and unions. I recommend that you
buy more than you need and return the unused stuff. Once all your stupid
math is outta the way, it's time for some good old manual labor. You'll have to dig a trench
to bury the sprinkler line. Depending on the size of the
area that you're working in, and the type of soil that you have, that can either be easy
or a huge pain in the ass. In most cases for irrigation lines, anywhere from eight to 12 inches deep is sufficient to bury your pipes. However, if you live in
an area that freezes, make sure you plan to drain your lines at the end of the season so they don't freeze and
rupture during the winter. Once you have the digging out of the way, you can start laying out your
piping and sprinkler heads. Now there are a lot of
different products out there that you can use, but I typically just
use schedule 40 PVC pipe because I find it easy to work with. In this case I'm using 3/4
inch diameter schedule 40. I just work my way around
laying out the pipe. Whenever I reach an area
where I want a sprinkler head, I use one of these 3/4 inch T joints with a half inch threaded outlet where I will screw in a threaded riser for the sprinkler head. At each joint, I use purple
PVC primer and cement, making sure to prime each piece and then apply plenty of cement to hold each joint together
so they're water-tight. Once I've laid out and installed
all the sprinkler heads, it's time to connect the
line to the water supply. You have a bunch of different options for different types of zone valves here, but they all basically do the same thing. They allow the water to
kick on either manually when you activate the valve, or on a timer if you have it connected to an irrigation system. Some like the one I installed here run off solar power and
operate on their own. These are called anti-siphon zone valves, and they allow the water to
flow out to the sprinkler lines, but not backflow and
contaminate your drinking water. To install them, you'd
install your sprinkler line to the outlet side of the valve and connect the inlet side
to your water supply line. You can add as many zones as needed based on your flow rate
and water pressure. You could even add an
isolation valve like this one which allows you to shut off the water to the irrigation lines
without shutting off the main water supply to the house. Once everything is connected and you've let the PVC cement cure for at least 30 minutes, you can turn on the water and
check the pipes for leaks. Once you've made sure
the pipes don't leak, turn on your zone valve and sit back and watch your plants get watered. (rock music) Then you can just backfill in your trench, and that is it, you are
done with this project. Well that's it for this
episode of Home School'd. I hope you guys enjoyed it, and I hope you learned something. Installing an irrigation line is a project that can
take a little bit of time, but once you get the hang of it, it's a relatively simple project that you can knock out by yourself and hopefully save yourself some money. If you did like this video, please hit that like button
and consider subscribing to the channel if you're not already, and if you'd like to check out more of my DIY home
improvement-related content, you can always visit my
website at mrfixitdiy.com. Thank you guys so much for watching, I'll see ya next time. (rock music) (guitar music)
