Drip Irrigation Tips & Tricks

Always use Teflon tape with pipe-threaded fittings. Wrap Teflon tape clockwise 4 - 5 times around pipe threads. Hose-thread fittings use a hose washer to make a water-tight seal.

Over time, hose washers can compress or deteriorate, causing fittings to leak. Check garden hoses and fittings for a flexible hose washer. Replace brittle or worn washers. Insert a hose filter washer for a little added filtration in your hose or drip poly tubing. If the fitting still leaks, try adding a second washer. For pipe threads, use Teflon tape.

Some drip irrigation hole punches are shaped like a pencil and simply poke a hole as they push through the drip irrigation tubing. They require more force and can slip off of the drip tubing before they make the hole. The Super Punch (shown here) has a squeeze handle and is only $9.90. A less expensive option is our Deluxe Hole Punch which has a sharp, circular cutting edge. It's comfortable, easy on your hands, and costs only $3.60.

Soil type influences water penetration and runoff. If soil particles are tightly packed (clay soil), water can pool on the surface and eventually flow away from the plants. Water flows quickly through sandy soils. Select low output emitters (1/2gph, 1gph) for clay soil and higher output (2gph, 4gph) for sandy soils. View "Choosing the right Drip Emitter".

In cold weather, it helps to dip 1/4" or 1/2" poly drip tubing in warm water for a few minutes. Warm water will soften the ends of the drip tubing before installation. The drip tubing will go onto the fittings easier. Give it a shot the next time you are working with solid drip poly tubing or soaker hose dripline.

Install them now and thank yourself later. A threaded cap at the end of the drip line allows you to flush the drip line to clean it and drain the line of water before freezing winter temperatures set in. Learn more about winterizing your drip irrigation system.

Micro spray caps are small and snap on to micro spray bases. Pick up a 5/16" nut driver at your local hardware store. Place the cap in the nut driver and press it onto the spray base. It's much easier on your fingers. Read our Nut Driver Installantion Tutorial.
Browse our micro spray basess & caps.

These drip irrigation valves are great when you have garden boxes or drip areas that you may want to turn off seasonally. You can reduce the flow or shut it off completely. 1/2" Flow  Control Valves are installed just like a compression coupler.

If you make a mistake and poke a hole in the wrong place on a drip line, insert a goof plug (small barb). If the hole gets worn and leaks a little, pull the plug out and use the large barbed end. Goof plugs are also used to plug the end of 1/4" micro tubing.

If you use a drip irrigation system to water hanging baskets or flower pots, put a 1/4" flow control valve  on each pot. You can reduce the drip irrigation flow or shut it off completely. It's handy if the pot is has not yet been planted and you don't want to water it.

Often, overwatering will cause grass to look sickly. Check the soil moisture before making adjustments to your watering schedule. If your lawn has brown spots, it may need fertilizing, aeration, or disease control.

Be green and save money too. Check often for excessive runoff from your irrigation system as well as puddles or pools of water. It may only take a slight adjustment of nozzles, spray emitters, or water timers for substantial water savings.

Create your watering schedule based on mild weather conditions for your area. In most cases this will be in early spring. From there you can use the “Seasonal Adjustment” feature on your controller. For example, in the summer you can increase your overall watering duration, and in the fall you can decrease it.

If you have a hole in a mainline poly pipe that is bigger than a goof plug, a compression coupling is the fitting to use. Make a clean cut and insert the two tubes into each end of the coupler. No glue required.

Also called an insect plug, a bug plug lets water out and keeps insects from entering and clogging the tubing. It is inserted into the open end of 1/4" micro tubing.

When installing a drip irrigation system on a slope, non-pressure-compensating emitters will deliver less water at the top of the slope and more at the bottom. Install pressure-compensating emitters to ensure even flow rate even if the elevation changes. Non-PC emitters are best on flat landscapes.

A good hole punch will actually cut a tiny circle out of the drip irrigation tubing. The plug of drip irrigation tubing can be removed from the cutting edge of the punch with a paper clip. Push it through the cutting end to clear any plastic debris.