Sprinkler irrigation woes caused by tree roots

Grub80

Hi all

When I purchased my home, I paid ALOT of money to have someone to rectify the irrigation system. Since then, all has been fine, however the system is now covered in tree roots. After digging for 3 days on and off, I have located the 3 lines all covered by roots.

should I relay new pipe back to the sprinkler box, or keep fixing the original lines?

your suggestions are welcome. Ps I can’t remove the sprinkler box…oh the woes of tree roots😡

EricL

Hello @Grub80

To replace or not replace? That is the question. There are two sides to this endeavour as I see it. You could try and repair the existing pipes, but they are very difficult to service now because they are under a large number of roots. Patching, replacing, and joining pipes now becomes an arduous task. Putting a new set of pipes down and integrating those pipes that you've managed to salvage is a much easier task. With a new set of irrigation pipes, you'll know exactly where they are and if you need to modify them, you'll know exactly what to do. 

I suggest reading this post - How to install a drip irrigation watering system by @Adam_W. This will give you the knowledge of how to set up your new drip irrigation system. The plants in your garden were obviously drawn to the water in the drip system hence the root entanglement. I suggest planning your new system in such a way that the water will only drip out where it is needed. My best advice is to think of it as a circular system rather than as individual lines. By keeping it in a circle the pressure in your system stays uniform.

It is always prudent to recycle those parts that are still in good condition. The drawback with using new with old is that sometimes they are not compatible or that the control box has aged too much and is on its way out. You'll have to make that judgement when the time comes.

I understand that it will be a laborious task, but it also presents a fantastic opportunity for you to demystify the mystery of how an irrigation system really works. Once you've built your own system, no repair will be beyond you and you will be able to modify and expand your system to your heart's content with no third party involved.

If you have any other questions about your project, please don't hesitate to post them.

Eric