Full Product Manual
Table Of Contents
- Low-Volume Landscape Irrigation Design Manual
- FOREWORD
- CONTENTS
- 1 WHAT IS XERIGATION®?
- 2 THE DESIGN PROCESS
- 3 GATHER SITE DATA
- LOW-VOLUME DESIGN WORKSHEET: DENSE HYDROZONE
- Calculating Water Requirements
- BASE PLANTS IN DENSE HYDROZONES
- TABLE 3-1: MINIMUM FILTRATION REQUIREMENTS
- TABLE 3-2: DETERMINING THE SOIL TYPE
- TABLE 3-3: SOIL INFILTRATION AND WETTING PATTERN
- TABLE 3-4: PET RATES BASED ON CLIMATE
- Hydrozones
- Chapter 3 Review
- Figure 3-3: Sample Plot Plan—Doyle Residence
- Figure 3-4: Sample Site Data Worksheet—Doyle Residence
- Answer Key
- 4 DETERMINE PLANT WATER REQUIREMENTS
- Figure 4-1: Dense Hydrozone Design Worksheet
- Calculating Water Requirements
- TABLE 4-1: BASE PLANTS IN DENSE HYDROZONES
- Calculate K c
- TABLE 4-2: ESTIMATED SPECIES FACTORS
- TABLE 4-3: ESTIMATED DENSITY FACTORS
- TABLE 4-4: ESTIMATED MICROCLIMATE FACTORS
- Calculate Water Require-ment for Dense Plantings
- Calculate Water Requirement for Individual Plants in a Sparse Hydrozone
- Area of Plant Canopy
- Application Efficiency
- Water Requirement (GPD)
- Chapter 4 Review
- Answer Key
- 5 IRRIGATE BASE PLANTS
- Identifying the Base Plant
- Emission Devices
- Labor Cost Considerations
- TABLE 5-1: XERIGATION EMISSION DEVICE APPLICATION MATRIX
- Dense Plantings
- TABLE 5-2: LANDSCAPE DRIPLINE CHOICES
- TABLE 5-3: LANDSCAPE DRIPLINE SPACINGS AND FLOW RATES
- LATERAL LINE SPACING WORKSHEET
- Figure 5-3: Equal Lateral Line Spacing
- Landscape Dripline: A More Technical Approach
- TABLE 5-4: MINIMUM RECOMMENDED WATERING DEPTHS
- Emitter Spacing Versus Watering Depth
- TABLE 5-5: MAXIMUM EMISSION DEVICE SPACING (INCHES)
- TABLE 5-6: RECOMMENDED EMITTER SPACING
- Xeri-Sprays™
- Sparse Plantings
- Selecting Emitters
- TABLE 5-7: EMISSION DEVICE SELECTION
- Recommended Emitter Placement
- Calculating the Wetted Area
- TABLE 5-8: AREA WETTED BY EACH EMITTER (SQ. FT.)
- Chapter Review
- Answer Key
- 6 CALCULATE SYSTEM RUN TIME
- Calculate System Run Time
- Dense Plantings
- TABLE 6-1: EMITTER DISCHARGE RATES (EDR) FOR LANDSCAPE DRIPLINE IN INCHES PER HOUR*
- Sparse Planting
- 2.Determine Maximum Run Time
- TABLE 6-2: MAXIMUM SYSTEM RUN TIMES FOR COARSE SOIL
- TABLE 6-3: MAXIMUM SYSTEM RUN TIME FOR MEDIUM SOIL
- TABLE 6-4: MAXIMUM SYSTEM RUN TIME FOR FINE SOIL
- 3.Determine Irrigation Interval
- Chapter Review
- Answer Key
- 7 IRRIGATE NON-BASE PLANTS
- 8 SYSTEM LAYOUT
- Figure 8-1: Correct placement of emitters
- Figure 8-2: Emitter layout options
- Figure 8-3: Layout using poly drip tubing (Xeri-Tube 700)
- Figure 8-4: Layout using rigid PVC
- Using Inline Tubing
- Placing Supplemental Emitters
- Figure 8-5: Placement of supplemental emitters for shrubs or trees: top view
- Figure 8-6: Placement of supplemental emitters for shrubs or trees: section view
- System Configuration
- TABLE 8-1: SPACING OF STAKES AND STAPLES
- Figure 8-7: Landscape Dripline system configuration
- Irrigating Slopes
- Figure 8-8: Correct emitter placement on slope
- Figure 8-9: Correct placement of lateral pipe on slope
- Figure 8-10: Placement of Landscape Dripline on a slope
- Container Plants
- Figure 8-11: Micro-bubbler in a container plant
- Figure 8-12: Multiple emitters in a container plant
- Figure 8-13: Xeri-Bug emitter in a hanging basket
- 9 SYSTEM HYDRAULICS
- Water Pressure
- Figure 9-1: Determining static pressure based on elevation
- Calculating Pressure Loss
- Figure 9-2: Total flow worksheet
- Figure 9-3: Completed total flow worksheet
- Figure 9-4: Flow rate worksheet
- TABLE 9-1: MAXIMUM FLOW RATES
- Determine Maximum Lateral Lengths
- TABLE 9-2: MAXIMUM LATERAL LENGTHS
- TABLE 9-3: MAXIMUM LATERAL LENGTH XT-700
- Pressure Loss Calculation
- TABLE 9-4: MINIMUM/MAXIMUM FLOWS FOR PROPER VALVE PERFORMANCE
- TABLE 9-5: MINIMUM FLOW REQUIREMENT FOR PROPER VALVE PERFORMANCE*
- TABLE 9-6: FRICTION LOSS CHARACTERISTICS OF XERI-TUBE 700
- High Pressure
- Maximum Inlet Pressure
- TABLE 9-7: RAIN BIRD PRESSURE REGULATORS
- Hydraulics Worksheet
- 10 INSTALLATION, MAINTENANCE AND TROUBLESHOOTING
- A FORMULAS FOR XERIGATION DESIGN
- B PET DATA
- C FRICTION LOSS AND PERFORMANCE DATA
- D XERIGATION PLANNING FORMS
- E GLOSSARY
- F XERIGATION PRODUCT LINE
- INSTALLATION DETAILS
- BIBLIOGRAPHY
- INDEX
- Contact Information
System Hydraulics Page 63
SYSTEM HYDRAULICS
Chapter 3 covered gathering site data and Chapters 4 - 8 described how to design
and lay out your low-volume irrigation system. This chapter covers system
hydraulics, the final step in the design process.
The main goal of determining system hydraulics is to assure that there is sufficient
flow and water pressure available to irrigate all parts of the landscape. The water
pressure at various points in the irrigation system is influenced by changes in
elevation and by loss of pressure due to friction between water and the system
components.
This chapter is not intended to be a complete course in irrigation system hydrau-
lics. If you need basic training in hydraulics, we recommend that you obtain Rain
Bird’s Landscape Irrigation Design Manual (P/N D38470A). Contact your local Rain
Bird distributor or Rain Bird representative about ordering this training material.
Water Pressure
Water pressure is defined as the force exerted by water over a given area. Water
pressure is most often measured in pounds (force) per square inch (area), abbre-
viated PSI.
Static pressure is the pressure of water in a completely closed system, such as a
main line with all of its outlet valves turned off. The static water pressure at the
water source (usually the water meter or pump outlet) is the starting point for
your hydraulic design. It indicates the potential pressure that is available to
operate your irrigation system.
You should determine the static pressure at the water source as you collect site
data. For more information on collecting site data, see Chapter 3.
Dynamic pressure is the water pressure at any point in the system at a given
flow. Dynamic pressure will vary throughout the system due to friction loss and
elevation changes.
Friction Loss
Friction loss is a pressure loss caused by water flowing through the system. This
loss occurs in every component of the system through which water flows. Pipes,
valves, water meters, backflow preventers and pipe fittings all provide some
resistance to the water flowing through them, creating a pressure loss. The
roughness on the inside surfaces of these components creates a drag on the flowing
water causing turbulence, which reduces pressure. The shape of each component,
or changes in flow direction (such as within a valve) add to the pressure loss.
Elevation Changes
Changes in elevation also cause changes in water pressure. Each foot of elevation
change means a change in pressure of .433 PSI. That is, it takes .433 PSI to move
water up one foot. And if water flows down one foot, there will be a pressure gain
of .433 PSI. Obviously, significant changes in elevation within your irrigation site
can have a major impact on the pressure in the system.
9
Static Pressure
Dynamic Pressure
®