Drip system conversion - need back-flow preventer?

13 years ago

My house's landscaping has a conventional in-ground sprinkler system. It's a new-ish house, and the sprinkler system was installed when it was built. It's a multi-zone system, with an electronic controller. The sprinkler system has a separate manual shut-off valve outside - a pipe which rises up, has a valve, and then goes back in the ground. I plan to convert one or two of the existing zones to drip. I believe I know how to do that pretty well, based on Robert Kourik's book, but one thing I'm unclear about is whether I'll need back-flow preventers for this situation. I presume I won't need these, because I'm working with the existing sprinkler water supply, which should be separate from the house supply. Does that sound likely? Thanks for any advice.

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Comments (2)

lehua49
13 years ago
Otto,

The vacuum breaker/valve is probably the riser pipe with a valve on it that rises up and goes back in the ground. It dumps some water when the your auto-valves turn on and off. If it is not a vacuum breaker type, install one at this point. Do your drip take off after this riser set-up. Backflow prevention(there are different types for different reasons) with the vacuum breaker/valve is for protection of the municipal water supply mainlines and not necessarily for just your house. It is usually a municipal code requirement and can be checked by calling your water purveyor. Aloha
lazy_gardens
13 years ago
"a pipe which rises up, has a valve, and then goes back in the ground" That is your vacuum breaker and it also contains a "backflow preventer". You are legal :)

Just locate the zones you want to convert and screw the adapters in to the sprinkler risers.

You might need a pressure regulator on each riser - sprinklers tend to deliver more water than drip systems.
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