Main Line Plug&Rain®

PE pipes for your Plug&Rain® irrigation system - Water on!

Polyethylene (PE) pipes are the right choice as the main line in an underground irrigation system: durable, easy to install, and excellent value for money.

To connect your Plug&Rain® installation components you need sufficient PE pipes in the right dimension. Apart from the required length of the piping material, please also pay attention to the following parameters:

  • diameter (24 mm Blu-Lock, 25 mm, 32 mm)
  • pressure resistance (PN6 to PN16, i.e. pressure resistant from 6 bar up to 16 bar)
  • UV resistance (use only black PE pipe for above-ground installation)

Pressure resistance of 24 mm PE pipe with Blu-Lock

Blu-Lock fittings simplify the assembly of your system and reduce the risk of errors during installation. This system guarantees simple, safe and quick installation. While clamp connectors are always used before the first solenoid valve in your irrigation system (in the area of permanent pressure) and the pressure resistance of the supply line should be at least PN10, you have the option of using 24 mm PE pipe and Blu-Lock fittings for the individual irrigation circuits from your Plug&Rain® valve distribution unit onwards.

After the valve distribution, there is no need for increased pressure resistance. This is because there is only temporary water pressure at this point and it is lower due to the appliances connected (sprinkler, drip pipe, etc.). You can therefore connect all the following components using the more economical and flexible pipes of the pressure resistance categories PN4 to PN6 (4 or 6 bar at 20°C).

What diameter PE pipe?

As a rule, a 24 mm or 25 mm (3/4") PE pipe is sufficient for garden irrigation in order to keep the pressure loss reasonably low. For 3/4" PE pipes we estimate a maximum water flow of 1.8m³/h at a dynamic pressure of 3.5 bar. This is sufficient to irrigate, for example, 180 m² of lawn with Hunter MP-Rotators. For a residential garden, it is a good thing anyway if not the entire lawn irrigation is on one circuit. With different watering circuits, you can set the perfect watering time via your controller, depending on the water requirements of the lawn (lawn in the sun or the shade). If everything is on one circuit, there is a high chance that areas of your lawn will either get too much or not enough water.

At what point do 32mm (1 inch) PE pipes make sense for my irrigation system?

If your water supply has a capacity of significantly more than 1.8m³/h and you do want to use this amount of water, or if the pipe lengths of the individual irrigation circuits are significantly longer than 60m, then 32mm (1") PE pipes should be used. Irrigation systems with 32 mm PE pipe can be scaled up to a water capacity of 3 cubic metres per hour. This means that the pressure drop in the pipe can be kept low even at higher flow rates. You can calculate the pressure loss at www.pressure-drop.com.