HI. I am a newbie to irrigation system, full newbie! I just got a house with a big yard, about 14000 sf. Can anyone here help me design the layout for my yard if I load my house map?
I know I like to purchase Rachio because I have Wink automation at home and I like it. As for the sprinkler system I am looking into Rainbird (as I don’t know other famous brands).
Please let me know if I can get help here. Thanks.
Hey @chefdimo, great to hear from you.
There may be others on the forum who can give you some advice, but these are some good resources to help you think about designing your yard:
http://www.sprinklerwarehouse.com/FREE-Sprinkler-System-Design-Installation-Guide-s/9293.htm
http://www.rainbird.com/homeowner/design/index.htm
Hope that helps!
Thank you for your reply. Is it easy to connect 2 Rainbird32ETI to the Rachio?
The Rainbird 32 eti is a very small 1 zone system that you cannot connect to the Rachio without at least adding a valve for the clock to control. My property is about the same size as yours and having minimum coverage I have 9 zones (half of my back yard is woods and I only water a few plants there). I don’t think you will find an easy to install system in a box for your size property and would suggest having a professional install the system for you. Make sure to request they install a Rachio for you.
Thanks for all your help and info.
Munch, I have attached a sketch of the yard. I have lots of newly planted trees (as shown in circles) that I like to have automatic irrigation to. The rest is grass. Do you still thin I can’t put some of the rainbird self installed in 3 zones for the trees?
Thanks
btw, I am having a prof looking at the project next week for a quotation, But I like to learn to do it myself.
If you want to just water the trees and shrubs I would suggest installing a diy drip irrigation system. If you are looking to water everything it is going to be difficult to do it yourself. To install the drip irrigation system you would just need to install a valve to turn the system on and off, trench along the trees and shrubs to install a main pipe with a pressure regulator on it than clip in the emitters to go to each tree and shrub. To be on the safe side you may also want to install a backflow prevention device. To install an entire system you would need to know how much pressure and how many gallons per minute your plumbing can handle. You would need to install a backflow prevention device either a vacuum pressure breaker or double check valve (soldering), install a manifold for the valves (gluing pvc) than running the pipes for each zone. Depending on where you live you may need to install pvc (more gluing) or polly pipe (inserts and clamping) for the individual zones. The pressure and gpm of your water source will dictate what size pipes to use for the system and how many zones you will need. The other way you can go is to have a professional install a system for the lawn and leave you an extra zone to install a drip system for your shrubs yourself. I hope this helps and sorry it’s so wordy.
Munch,
Thank you very much. I will make a decision and will post an update sometime next week! Your messages are definitely great help! Thanks again
