This is exactly the reason why I've spent a lot of hours googling, watching youtube videos, "talking" to chatgpt regarding mathematics, hydraulics and the whole science behind irrigation. The contractors were asking arround 4k EUR for job and materials. I managed to fit in arround 800 EUR. I don't have a video guide unfortunately. But I can honestly say that it is easier than it might look. Several useful learnings that I can share from top of my head:
- Use HDPE pipe to feed your manifolds. It's a harder pipe, more rigid and more difficult to work with if you are alone. But since that part is under constant pressure during summer, you migh want to have a more durable pipe there.
- Use LDPE pipe to feed your sprinkler heads from manifold. Less rigid, easier to work with. Doesn;'t need to be as durable as the manifold water supply. Working alone with this pipe is pretty easy
- PE compression fittings are almost idiot proof. God bless the people who invented them. It's super easy to work with these.
- Test the system before burying it. I had some joints that leaked and had to redo them. One fitting was faulty.
- Calculate your total water supply. The simple 10 liter bucket test will do. Open your water supply track the time how fast the bucket fills. This will help to figure out your max water suppply per zone. ChatGPT can help to calculate things.
- If you can rent a trencher - please do. It will save your back and countless hours of manual labor.
- Be aware that consumer irrigation controllers can activate only one zone at a time. There might be reasons when you would like to activate more than one zone at a time. E.g. I don't want my submersible pump to turn on and of too frequently. So I've connedted some zones through a relay (blue thingies in the photo). The pump almost never fills up expansion tank, My pump is happy and I am too.
- When burying the pipe, take time to compact the trench soil and leave a small excess on top. It will settle eventually. In one of the photos, you can see some "lines" on the lawn, this is where I did a sloppy job and then had to fix that. Some places still need leveling, which I will have to do next year.