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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] irrigation

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  • From: "Wyatt Jones" <wyatt_jones AT netzero.com>
  • To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] irrigation
  • Date: Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:59:51 -0400

Yes I'm talking about PVC.  I guess I should have been clearer.  The plastic hasn't deteriorated like it would from exposure to the sun, it just splits open and leaks.  The PVC is still shiny in fact.  All the PVC pipes are fine, just the fittings and valves have this problem.  I thought it might be because I tighten them too much but I basically tighten them hand tight, then maybe a quarter turn past, which shouldn't be a problem I would think.  I use pipe dope etc.  Maybe I'm stronger than I think or something, that's been a problem before with other things.  I don't have any problems with my pressure regulators and they are also PVC and threaded, or I think they are, they're plastic away. I haven't hit them with any tractor or equipment, though I did mangle the orchard tubing with a tiller once.  I knew it was there somewhere but the weeds grew over it, I should have cleared them out by hand around there so I could see but hind sight doesn't help when the damage is done.  I did temporarily patch that with some PVC now that I think of it as I didn't have any more 1" orchard tubing at the time.  It works fine, no leaks.  I got the valves that split at Lowes, maybe they are just poor quality though they weren't cheap.  I think I got the tees from Nolt's and had the same problem.  I'm not sure about that now that I think about it though.  I've thought about using slip joints to solve the problem but I wanted to be able to disassemble them to make the system more modular and easier to take up this fall.  Maybe Slip joint camlocks would be a better solution than threaded PVC joints.  That would be faster as well but a bit pricier. 
 
I've also had the valves pop out of the orchard tubing while I'm on the subject.  I thought about using layflat when coming up with a plan for the system but orchard tubing and the fittings for that were more economical.  I can pop the valves back in,  they hold well enough then and it doesn't seem to be the same ones popping all the time but it is at times, a rather random pattern.  I have a tool I bought from Nolts for cutting the hole for the valves, they seem tight and its sometimes tough getting the barb through.  And I tighten the collar down which should help hold them in but it happens once in a while.  I guess it doesn't happen all the time but it happens often enough.  There must be a pattern to it I imagine but I haven't figured it out yet.  I wonder if it has to do with the initial jolt when one first turns on the water to the system and still has air in places?  I did notice it only happens when the valve is turned off and when the system is first turned on.  Saying that just made me wonder if I need some sort of device like those used in a house that helps stop pipes from banging.  I guess I thought the regulators would take care of that but they need some flow to work.  I don't know, I'll have to experiment I guess
 
Thanks for the sprayer info I'll have to look at that later
 
 
 


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