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To plan an irrigation system, it is recommended that you draw a true-to-scale layout of your garden. You can find a drawing tool here. Follow along with our drawing tool to add in pipe routing and the position of drip pipes, sprinklers and much more. You can learn the exact planning process with our planning manual.
Alternatively, we offer planning aids on different levels which you can find in our planning guide that offers an overview of our services.
The ideal water for watering plants is rainwater - collected in cisterns or elevated tanks. Moreover, tap water and well water can also be used. In any case, the water should be filtered so that no particles clog the irrigation system.
There are various options for controlling an irrigation system. Simple ball valves are used for manual opening and closing. "Egg timers" and volume controls can be used to automatically close the line again after a certain time (e.g. 15 minutes) or a certain volume (e.g. 200 liters) has elapsed. By using electric solenoid valves, which can be programmed and operated by a battery-powered controller or by a 220V controller, it is possible to operate large irrigation systems fully automatically. A 220V controller can be used to control multiple 24V AC solenoid valves that sequentially control individual irrigation circuits in the garden. It is important to provide a rain shut-off so that irrigation only runs when there is a real need to water. Modern Internet controllers can be programmed and monitored via smartphone. This is not much more expensive than controlling conventionally and gives you maximum control over your irrigation. Examples of these modern controls include electronic water meters, smart logic IFTTT, integration with existing home automation. Additionally, these controls can be linked to weather stations so that the current weather can be incorporated into the watering schedule. Valve distribution can be implemented either with pre-assembled valve boxes that are buried flush with the ground, or valve distributions that are mounted on the wall.
In general, lawn can be irrigated from above or from below. Underground drip pipes can be installed invisibly, but there are disadvantages regarding the inspection and troubleshooting.The most common method of automatic lawn irrigation is the use of pop-up sprinklers. Underground pipes lead to the respective sprinklers, which are also buried underground. When the water pressure comes, the pop-up sprinklers rise 10cm and the watering process begins. Spray nozzles can be used for small lawns. Gear sprinklers are used for large, rectangular areas. Often, the MP Rotator from the Hunter company is the best choice. There are several models there, all of which can be combined with each other. The MP Rotators have different model designations depending on the spraying width:
MP800: 1.8 m - 3.5 m
MP1000: 2.5 m - 4.6 m
MP2000: 4.0 m - 6.4 m
MP3000: 6.7 m - 9.1 m
MP3500: 9.4 m - 10.7 m
For each spraying distance there are also different models for different spraying angles:
90°-210° / H / Half Circle
210°-270° / TQ / Three Quarter Circle
360° / F / Full Circle
Hunter's line of sprinklers also includes some special nozzles for watering narrow strips (SS, LS, RS) and acute angles (Q Corner). When planning irrigation, do not try to get by with as few sprinklers as possible. It is much better to achieve the most uniform water distribution possible when planning. If a similar amount of water is distributed over the entire lawn area, an optimal irrigation result will be achieved over the irrigation period. To accomplish this, the position of the nozzles is determined in the head-to-head installation so that the irrigation circuits overlap. This means that several sprinklers complement each other: where less water arrives due to longer spraying distances, the overlapping of several sprinklers compensates.This helps to achieve an optimal, uniform irrigation.
With geared sprinklers, it should be noted that the larger the sector, the smaller the precipitation per area, since the sprinkler has to cover a larger area in the same time. Therefore, with geared sprinklers, either only sprinklers with the same sectors should be operated together in one irrigation circuit (e.g. 90°), or the precipitation should be balanced by using the appropriate nozzles.
This question cannot be answered in a straightforward way. In principle, the following factors play a role: pressure, water quantity, pipeline and irrigation components used. The pipe pressure depends on the water supply, i.e. the drinking water pipe or the pump used. The pipe pressure changes, depending on the number of connected consumers. The best way to calculate it is as follows:
1. What irrigation system do I want to use and what is the ideal operating pressure (e.g. Hunter MP-Rotator 2.8 bar).
2. What pressure loss do I need to add based on the components and pipe lengths/pipe cross sections used (e.g. 0.7 bar)? See e.g. http://www.pressure-drop.com/
3. What water quantity does my water supply deliver and at how much bar? (e.g. 2.8 bar + 0.7 bar = 3.5 bar) See characteristic curve of the pump or measurement with a measuring device.
4. Now I can divide the available water quantity among the sprinklers, the water consumption of the sprinklers depends on the sector and the desired spraying distance. This can be read from the consumption tables.
Drip pipes with a 1/2" (16mm) outer diameter are ideal for this purpose. The drip pipes have integrated outlets every 30cm, so that a hedge can be watered with 2 pipes. For this purpose, one drip pipe is laid in front of and one behind the hedge. If a whole planting area is to be irrigated this way, it is best to lay the pipes at a distance of 30cm from each other. In sandy soils, it is recommended to reduce the distance a little more, and in loamy soils to increase it a little. If it should be filigree, there are also drip pipes with 6mm outer diameter. In general, a pressure reducer should be used so that the drip tubes do not get more than 2 bar pressure. A filter protects against particles getting into the pipes, which can clog the thin channels. A pipe length of 50m should not be exceeded. For properties with slopes, the pipe is ideally laid along the contour line. This is where pressure-compensating drip pipes come into play: they help keep the outflow volume at each drip point the same, regardless of the local pressure in the pipe. For pipes installed underground, use a model that has a root ingrowth barrier. Furthermore, dirt should be prevented from being drawn in through the drain holes. A special vent valve is suitable for this purpose, which allows air into the system when the system is switched off.
Watering of balcony planters and flower pots on the terrace, balcony or in the garden can be realized with several systems. If a water faucet is available, we recommend the use of a micro-irrigation system with a battery-operated timer. If you prefer a self-regulating solution, we recommend the system Tropf-Blumat for connection with a pressure reducer to the water faucet. If you do not have a faucet, you can connect the Tropf-Blumat system to a high tank, which must then be about 1m higher than the plants to be watered. Alternatively, you can use an irrigation system with a pump. For this purpose there are either pumps that are operated with 220V at a socket. For these, 220V timers are suitable for control. Or you can use small solar pumps. From the company Claber, these are already equipped with control technology.
Watering indoor plants can be done easily with the support of Zimmer-Blumat or Claber Idris. For vacation watering, we recommend the Claber Oasis, which provides water to the various plants daily for up to more than 40 days. In this case, the plants must be placed together and small drippers must be installed in the individual planters.
To winterize there are a few things to consider depending on the irrigation system used. Clay cones from Tropf-Blumat should be dismantled and stored frost-free. For micro-irrigation, the battery-powered controller and pressure reducer should also be disassembled and stored frost-free. The drip tubes either drain themselves or can be drained by lifting them. In the case of an underground irrigation system, the water should be blown out with a compressor. If such a compressor is not available there are several ways to drain the system: Passive draining can be accomplished by placing the valve manifold at the lowest point and using ball valves in this valve manifold. These ball valves can also be installed in the pipe at other low-lying positions in the garden. Preferably in a small service manhole to eliminate the need for searching and digging. It is also convenient to use automatic drain valves, these open after each watering session when the line pressure drops. Again, we recommend installing them in a service manhole so that their function can be tested. Furthermore, sufficient gravel helps the water seep away well and helps the valves be clean from dirt.
Self-regulating irrigation systems make it easier for you to adjust the watering because they automatically respond to different conditions such as rain and evaporation. Thus, they respond to the needs of the plants at all times. In the case of the Tropf-Blumat system, this is done by the suction tension of the soil. If the soil becomes dry, the suction tension increases, water is drawn from the clay cone, the pressure drops and the valves open, allowing water into the ground. This moistens the soil again, the suction tension decreases and the valves close again. This type of irrigation is perfectly self-regulating and rarely needs to be checked. The system Drip-Blumat can be operated from high tanks and by pressure reduction on the water pipe. The Autopot Aquavalve system is also self-regulating, but has a different operating principle. The Aquavalve system controls a wet-dry cycle that provides the plants with sufficient water as well as optimal soil aeration. The Aquavalve system works like a float that allows a certain amount of water to enter the planter. The soil becomes saturated and the plant gradually uses up the water. Thus, it becomes drier again, the soil is ideally aerated. At some point the water is used up, the Aquavalve opens the water supply and fills up again to a predetermined amount of water. The process starts again.
Yes in Germany, according to the DIN EN 1717 standard on drinking water protection, underground irrigation systems are not allowed to be connected directly to the drinking water network. This is to prevent water used in the garden from getting back into the drinking water network. In order to operate an irrigation system, you are therefore required to install a separation station. This separation station consists of a tank and a booster pump. As soon as water is requested, it is added to the tank in a free flow, and the pump then pumps the water into the irrigation system. When feeding drinking water into a cistern, it is also important to ensure that a standard-compliant feeding device is used.
Please inform yourself about the laws in your country regarding the use of potable water in an irrigation system.
One possible cause is that the output pressure drops below 3.5 bar. One possible solution is to divide the sprinklers between more irrigation circuits ma. 1.8m³/h per circuit.
The water pressure may not be high enough. One possible solution is to divide the irrigation zone into two zones.
Another cause could be that the water supply is not fully open. If this is the reason, you will need to open the main shut-off valve.
One possible cause is that the cork panels are old or dirty. We recommend that you replace them.
The valve could be dirty, please clean the membrane or replace it.
There are two possible causes for this.
Either the flow rate is too low, in which case we recommend increasing it with additional consumers.
Or the valve has not been vented, in which case we recommend doing so.
The system is watering for too long. Reduce the watering times for the affected zones.
There are various causes and solutions for this.
The irrigation system was probably not winterized properly. Use a compressor to blow out the system before the first frost.
There are various causes and solutions for this.
The timer on the control unit is not programmed as required. Check the programming of the timer on the control unit to rectify the problem.
Too many start times (intervals) have been programmed. Remove unnecessary start times to resolve the problem.
There is too much drip pipe on one connection. Max. 100m drip pipe per connection. max. 200m drip pipe per circuit.
To answer your questions as quickly and accurately as possible, you can download planning manuals and guides. These contain information about the functions and planning of an irrigation system for different areas.
We are always happy to help! Simply use our contact form to let us know your concerns. We will endeavor to answer you within 24 hours.
Wondering exactly how planning or installation works? We have the right instructions for you for every step.
Are you stuck with your planning or installation? Send us an e-mail and we'll get back to you within 24 hours with the solution.
Do you still have further questions? Then you are welcome to book a personal appointment with us.