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How to install irrigation system? Soaker hose vs weeper hose and pop up sprinklers?

Hey everyone,

I’m looking for advice on installing an irrigation system. I’m not planning anything too fancy, but I had an idea to use soaker hoses and water the garden beds manually with a hose. However, the other half of my brain is suggesting installing a proper drip system for the garden beds with pop-up sprinklers for the grass. I’ve attached a rough sketch to give you an idea.

My plan is to connect the main water pipe from the outside tap to the drip lines on the either side of the fence gate in the flower beds. Then, I’ll install sprinklers in the lawn. The water pressure is quite high, so that shouldn’t be a problem.

I’m hoping you can share your thoughts and suggestions on what options are available. I’m also curious if I can distribute one mainline to both the drip lines and sprinklers.

Thanks a bunch!

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Comments

JacobZ

Hi @flummoxed01,

Thank you for your question about setting up an irrigation system in your yard and thank you for the sketch.

If you have any photos of the yard itself, this would also be handy as it will give our members a better idea of where things are and where things would be installed.

While there is absolutely nothing wrong with using soaker hoses and manual watering for your yard, it is a big time save to be able to simply turn the tap on and have everything watered without too much effort on your behalf.

Looking at the length of the irrigation lines, it's likely, based on pressure limitations, that you'd need to run two or three separate lines. You can use a multi-outlet tap such as this Holman QuikDial 4x Outlet Tap Timer to run your separate lines.

In residential applications, 13mm or 19mm poly pipes are common and easy to use with a huge variety of associated accessories. Depending on the width of your garden beds, you may be able to just run this Pope 13mm x 100m Drip Eze Drip Irrigation Tube the full way around the perimeter of the space.

For your pop-up sprinklers, there are a variety of options, with pressure being a more important consideration. Have a look at How to install a lawn irrigation system attached to recycled water where @TimGeo has been planning a similar system. He is using the Rain Bird Sprinklers with different heads for different areas. Using the Rain Bird brand as an example, it's important to check against the U-Series spray nozzle performance charts to ensure you'll have the required pressure to operate the system.

You might also like to check out How To Plan An Irrigation System and How To Install An Irrigation System.

Allow me to tag @Dave-1, @Noelle and @Nailbag to see if they have any advice they can add.

I certainly think it will be worthwhile to set up an irrigation system so you can just turn the tap on, and everything gets watered and I'm excited to help you with the project.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

Dave-1

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/48268#Comment_48268

Good Morning @flummoxed01

I havnt laid a water system down, I intend to but half the bits are still in the box 🙂

Looking at your rough sketch I do have a concern about the length of runs. One is 40m and the other 20odd meters. I am not sure how well the watering heads / driplines will work at that length. Maybe break it up so the 40m run has two runs, one for the closer things and then a long run with nothing on it to supply the further away sprinkler heads?

The only thing I would make sure of is the water is delivered low for the garden beds, to make sure the leaves dont get wet type deal. I water my tomatoes and pumpkin with the hose held at grown level and walk around as I noted I was doing more damage to the whole plant by spraying them.

Dave

Nailbag

Hi @flummoxed01

My preference are soaker hoses over weep. Using solid pipe in areas where there are no plants to waste water on. Running a system that covers both sides of the plants for more even distribution of watering to the roots.

Nailbag

Screenshot 2025-02-03 at 9.15.19 pm.png

flummoxed01

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/48295#Comment_48295

Thanks all- here are some photos. I also discovered that I will need to run a pipe under the pathway for mains to connect. What’s best strategy to bore under the concrete you have come acrosss? Thx

flummoxed01

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/86199#Comment_86199

Thanks Dave- rather than putting 4way splitter at tap, can we put a 4way splitter near the gate fence for the main line coming in? I already have a dual splitter at the tap.

JacobZ

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/108510#Comment_108510

Hi @flummoxed01,

The best method I've seen to run anything under concrete is to use an electrical conduit with a pressure cleaner.

Start by digging down slightly on either side of the concrete so your electrical conduit can aim in the right direction under the path. You will then place the head of the pressure cleaner into the electrical conduit and spray high-pressure water through the conduit while pushing the conduit into the soil. The high-pressure water will liquify the soil, allowing you to push the conduit through it.

Once the conduit has broken through, power can be run underneath.

It would be worthwhile speaking with an electrician before doing this to ensure the conduit you are using is the correct type and is up to the current standards.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

Dave-1

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/121538#Comment_121538

Evening @flummoxed01

I also think a blunt end hose (turned on high) down the conduit conduit to drill through soil as well. Once the pipe is all the way, feed your water flex pipe through it and then remove the conduit. Its a theory yes but I cant see it hurting to try 🙂 If it works well then you could run two side by side or go for a 50mm PVC pipe that you use the same process to did throgh. Its just not as flexible. You could also do a diagonal cut to help spear it through the soil. Make sure its below whatever the concrete may be sitting on (rocks/roadbase)

Splitting it like you are talking about may lower the overall pressure of the system unless you are timing the feeds to certain areas? There is another thread somewhere recently about the same type of questions you have. I do think you are pushing your luck in the length of run. One thing to consider with that length and especially if you make it under your path is to put a length of copper waterpipe in as well (under the path). Just in case you decide to hard pipe another tap or two in your yard at some point in the future 🙂 I ran an extra 25mm underground conduit and also a 50mm conduit that are still sitting in my yard for a "just in case" when I did my lamp posts for the front yard.

Dave

Nailbag

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/86328#Comment_86328

Hi @flummoxed01

Assuming when you say to run "mains under the path" you're referring to a main irrigation line and not electrical, which has to be 600mm deep.

I have used a method similar to @JacobZ using my pressure washer and in my case a length of garden hose that was longer than the width of the path. I held the nozzle of the PW against the hose wearing thick gloves to protect my hand in case they came apart. The path concrete will be about 100mm thick. So, I dug a pit either side a little deeper. Then my wife feed the hose through. And being flexible was able to guide it through fairly easy. Made a hell of a mess, but worked. In the end I made the hole big enough for 60mm PVC pipe to allow a couple of runs of tube and low voltage lighting cable.

These days, anytime I make a path/driveway I also lay a length of PVC tube under just in case.

Nailbag

J-P

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/108514#Comment_108514

@flummoxed01 - one thing that popped in my head is if one zone of pipe will be enough pressure for the Popup sprinklers. Assuming pop ups needs to be 3m apart you are going to need 10+ to cover entire lawn. In my experience at my Mel home I needed two water inputs (one from garden tap and another from rain water tank) for all pop ups to pop. Mine is a 60m2 lawn.

my personal choice is jet spray compared to other irrigation types since they tend wet the entire area like a hose.

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