Make a map of the area you want to irrigate. Be sure to note the location of the water supply, row lengths and width, plant spacing, or individual plants for a landscape system. Locate any obstacles such as underground utilities, fences, or sidewalks.Determine the amount of water available and the pressure. Check with your pump supplier or city water department. If pressure is unknown, a sill cock adapter and a pressure gauge installed on a faucet will give an accurate indication.Dirty water supplies such as ponds and streams should be filtered with an oversize filter. Using a 60-gallon-per-minute filter on a 30-gallon-per-minute system will eliminate many extra flushes.Be sure to convert gallons per hour into gallons per minute; that is, 600 1-gallon-per-hour emitters equals 10 gallons per minute.Backflow preventers can keep contamination from your water supply and are a good idea even if not required by local code.Do not make laterals too long or undersize your pipe.If large plants and small plants are on the same system, add more emitters spaced evenly around the root zone of the larger plants to give them more water in the same length of time.A 2-foot emitter spacing will usually work well for row crops.Clean, straight cuts on the emitter tubing makes fittings installation easier.Flush all lines at startup and regularly during the growing season.The first irrigation cycle should be a long one to bring the moisture level up in the soil. Following cycles are shorter in duration but still maintain a good moisture level. Buried emitter lines should be 6-18 inches deep or below plow level.Maintain your system. Flush at regular intervals. Keep filter elements clean. Tubing may be rolled up and stored in winter. Above-ground fittings such as filters should be drained and insulated in cold weather.Keep a supply of spare parts to minimize down time.Do not over-water. It's easy to do with drip, but don't saturate the soil.
Legend
FIG. A - Hose bibb, Hose Y with shutoffs, Hose filter, 1/2" compression x 3/4" FHT
FIG. B - 1/2" compression ell
FIG. C - 1/2" compression x 1/2" compression x 1/2" compression tee
FIG. D - 1/2" compression x 1/2" compression x 3/4" MHT tee, 3/4 FHT x 1/2"
compression with shutoff
FIG. E - Compression end plug with unscrewing cap
FIG. F - 1/2" poly tubing
FIG. G - 1/2" or 3/8" poly tubing
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