Sprinkler piping- use PEX or schedule 40?

[AchingBack]

One other note - all my irrigation is gravity fed. I have water tanks sitting up higher than the trees and bushes and it all feeds without pumps.

You have a good system. The black pipe is ideal for above ground installations. I've seen a lot of it done like yours. The problems arise when it gets buried. If it works, don't fix it.

 

[aczlan]

From what I've been told by the local Water Utilities, black poly fails from movement in the ground. Freeze/thaw cycles move the ground quite a bit, and it's not able to withstand that over a period of time. If you don't have expansive soil, it will last a lot longer then places that do. If it's not in the ground, and you drain it before it freezes, then it might last forever. Does the sun affect it?

We have had poly buried for 23+ years with no issues, however, it is buried below the frost line and its 200PSI rated pipe. I prefer to use 200PSI rated pipe rather than the thinner 160PSI pipe as the 1/8" wall on the 160PSI pipe makes me worry more than the 3/16" wall on the 200PSI pipe.

Aaron Z

 

[plowhog]

Last week I installed a new irrigation system on a baseball field (about 2.3 acres) We used schedule 40 for all pipe that is under constant pressure. Anything after the valves that only has pressure when that zone is on, is Class 200 pipe. We use the direct bury sprinkler wire and do not put it in conduit.....most of the time. If we install the sprinkler wire in an area where someone might use a shovel often, I would put it inside conduit to protect it.

Sounds like a well done project. I read somewhere that conduit for sprinkler wire is recommended if there are burrowing creatures in the area. I have a lot of those.