How to install RainBird irrigation system for side yard?

Question

Hi.

I'm hoping you can assist me to obtain a full understanding of what I need to purchase, & how I install a RainBird Watering System in my 'Side Yard'.  I've attached a drawing  showing all measurements, garden beds, lawn area, water tap location and power outlet location.  I have other areas around my house that I'll probably install watering systems into (ie: our Back & Front Yards), however for the moment I'd just like to focus on our Side Yard initially, & get my head around the necessary components required, placement of everything, installation, etc.

I'm not sure which Sprinklers I should purchase to cover the lawn area, how many individual lines I'll need, how to cover the Garden Beds, whether valves are required, what valves to use, what size piping, etc.

I'm also not sure which RainBird Controller to consider using (there appears to be many to choose from), however I would like the ability to connect to the controller remotely.  Is that possible.

My Water Tap is delivering 9 Litres of Water each 14 Seconds - ie: 38.5 Litres per Minute.

Thanks in advance for any assistance/guidance you're able to provide.  I very much appreciate it.

Regards, Paul.

EricL · Answer

Hello @Masonguitars (Paul)

If you are tackling the lawn zone first, I suggest imagining in your mind how many turns the pipework will need to take to do a full circle of your lawn. I propose drawing a plan on paper so that you can get a definite parts list and not have to guess. Conservatively I would suggest 10 elbows for the lawn. I'll be placing links below that refer to irrigation set ups that should help.

In regard to your questions:

* I propose using

https://www.bunnings.com.au/holman-19mm-x-50m-black-poly-pipe_p3120624

, it allows more water flow and does not limit your water flow should you wish to upgrade your fittings.

a. Tap to solenoid valves - Generally speaking the assembly will depend on how you wish to put it together. I propose looking at this discussion - Holman WX8 irrigation project by @Greenway. It shows that they used PVC pipes to link the solenoids to the tap. Please note that plumbing work needs to be completed by a licensed professional for safety and compliance. Taking the garden tap off is considered plumbing work so you'll need to engage the services of a licensed plumber.

b. Valve to Pop Up Sprinklers - You can at this point use the Holman poly pipe, I suggest using

https://www.bunnings.com.au/pope-19mm-tail-x-25mm-bsp-male-poly-director_p3124144

. Again, it depends on the fittings you'll need for the valves so it's best to check before you begin your assembly. I suggest visiting the store so that you can verify the fittings.

c. Valve to Dripline - If you are using a pressure reducing valve you can use the same fitting as the 19mm Poly Director as I suggested earlier. Please note that this is on another line independent of the sprinkler system.

* The store carries

https://www.bunnings.com.au/holman-50m-assorted-colours-irrigation-wire-cable_p3110294

and bundled sets such as the

https://www.bunnings.com.au/toro-10m-5-core-irrigation-wire_p3110718

.
* My best recommendation is to have it close to the vicinity of the tap and power point so that you don't have to lay out a large amount of pipe and wiring. Personally, I would suggest at least a meter from the garden tap so that you have room to work. Again, it all depends on your circumstances.    
* You’ve got 38.5 litres per minute which is technically your water budget, and each sprinkler generally requires 4.5 litres per minute (other models use more) to operate. Dividing 38.5 by 4.5 gives about 8.5 sprinklers. In practice, you can’t install half a sprinkler, and more importantly, you shouldn’t design a system right on the limit. Once you factor in pressure losses from pipe length, fittings, and slight variations in supply, that “8.5” becomes less reliable. A safe, realistic setup would be 8 pop-up sprinklers on that line. This keeps you under the budget and you don't get reduced performance.

I suggest having a look at these discussions:

* Holman WX8 irrigation project by @Greenway 
* How to install a simple irrigation system by @srobinson  
* Understanding a drip irrigation watering system by @Adam_W 
* How to install a drip irrigation watering system by @Adam_W 
* Holman BTX1 watering controller review by @ @TheSaltyreefer 
* How to install an automatic irrigation for garden? by @Revi

I also suggest looking at the irrigation topics by typing in "irrigation" on the search bar. You'll see all the discussions about irrigation systems.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

Masonguitars · Answer

Hi Mitchell.

Thank you for your comprehensive information & advice.  Much appreciated. I'll certainly be taking your advice & tackle this project in stages, starting with the Lawn Zone First.  I have a few additional question for you, if you don't mind.

* What piping/piping size would you recommend I use to connect a. Tap to Solenoid Valves, b. Valve to Pop Up Sprinklers,  c. Valve to Dripline?
* What wire do you recommend I use to connect the Solenoid Valves to the Controller?
* How far away from the Tap would you recommend I have the Solenoid Valves/Box?
* With the Zone that I'll be setting up for the watering of the lawn area (ie: using Rain Bird Pop-up Sprinklers - 1800 Series) how many of those could I run together with my current 38.5L/min water flow rate?

Thanks once again for your time & guidance.  I really appreciate it a lot.

Regards,

Paul.

MitchellMc · Answer

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Masonguitars. It's fantastic to have you join us and many thanks for your question on planning an irrigation system.

Great to see the level of detail you’ve put into your plan. That will really help when it comes to installation. What you’re looking to set up is essentially a full irrigation system with multiple zones (lawn sprinklers and drip for garden beds), so while it’s absolutely doable DIY, it’s a bit more complex than a simple “plug and play” setup. The good news is your water flow rate of around 38.5L/min is quite strong, which gives you a solid starting point.

In terms of layout, you’ll want to break the area into separate zones rather than trying to run everything at once. A typical setup for your space would be one zone for the lawn using pop-up sprinklers, and one or two additional zones for the garden beds using dripline. For the lawn, Rain Bird pop-up sprinklers (like the 1800 series) are a good option, spaced so their spray overlaps “head-to-head” to ensure even coverage. For the garden beds, dripline is the better choice as it delivers water directly to the plants and is more efficient.

The biggest challenge with a wall-to-wall system like this is not so much the products themselves, but getting the design right, particularly sprinkler spacing, flow balancing (how many sprinklers per zone), and setting up the valves and controller correctly. Because you’ll be running multiple zones, you will need a solenoid valve for each zone, typically installed together in a valve box near your tap, and connected to a controller. If you’re after remote access, Rain Bird do WiFi-enabled controllers that let you manage everything from your phone.

My honest recommendation would be to tackle this in stages rather than all at once. Start with the lawn zone first, get comfortable with laying pipe and setting up sprinklers, and then expand into the drip systems for the garden beds. That way, you can learn as you go without overcomplicating things upfront.

Rain Bird has an extensive list of instructional videos for their products online. You might like to take a look at those to become more aquainted with their products and how they are installed.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell