The irrigation system in this garden has a greater variety of irrigation system components than one would expect to find in this size garden. This was done for the purpose of "demonstration." Please note that there is no one "right way" to build your irrigation system. You must judge for yourself the kind of system that would work best for you. Water costs, water availability, product and installation costs, and maintenance skill level requirements all are factors to be considered when deciding which method to use.

To learn more about drip irrigation possibilites for your own garden, you can check out an on-line drip irrigation tutorial.

 

Controller
A clock with switches and dials allowing the sprinkler system to be programmed to: (a) set current date and time, (b) set timing of each station to be turned on for desired time durations, and (c) set when station are to go on. Note that controllers vary widely in terms of number of stations it can program and flexibility of timing durations and frequencies of operation.

Rain Sensor
Most consist of a collector "cup" to catch rain water. Collected rainwater will close an electrical circuit to shut down the controller when it rains. When the rainwater evaporates, the controller can again operate as programmed.

Water Meter
Measures water, usually in cubic feet, that flows through the pipe. This is the property of the Water District, which maintains it and reads it on a bimonthly schedule.

Remote Control Valve
A valve, opened electrically by the controller, to allow water to run through the pipes connecting the valves to the sprinklers or drip emitters.

Quick Coupling Valve
This valve enables a fast connection of a hose or manual sprinkler by use of a "notched" key.

Wye Strainer
Filters out solid particles from the water by means of a screen - usually made of stainless steel or nylon. A very fine screen is recommended to be used with a drip system because very small particles can clog a drip emitter. A regular overhead sprinkler system does not normally require a strainer or filter with domestic (drinking) water.

Flush Valve
A valve placed at the end of a drip line to enable "flushing" out the line in case the line is broken or, occasionally, for accumulated sediment (the frequency of flushing required will vary depending on the clarity of the water).

Spray Head
A device, made of either brass or plastic, with a finely engineered slit so that water passes through evenly and throws a spray of water at the same distance across the entire arc of the slit. The throw of water is usually between 5 and 15 feet.

Microspray
A device similar to the spray head but smaller in size, has a finer spray and the throw of water is usually between 3 and 12 feet.

Multi-Outlet Emitters
A device with multiple emitters built as one unit. Usually small tubing is connected to each emitter and run to plants in the immediate vicinity (or for larger plants, two or more tubes are used to water the same plant).

On-Line Drip
Polyethylene pipe with built in drip emitters. These emitters are designed with different spacings in the pipe to accommodate different plant spacings and soil types, and to allow for even emissions.

Drip Emitter
A plastic device that allows water to drip at a controlled rate (usually in the range between 0.5 and 2 gallons per hour).

Octa-Bubblers
Similar to a multi-outlet emitter but has eight outlets. This is a particular brand and comes with higher flow rates than drip emitters. It can also run at higher pressures and requires a less fine filter than other drip emitters.