Following a regular maintenance schedule helps ensure your drip irrigation system delivers water effectively and efficiently.
Broken drip tubing is one of the most common maintenance issues with drip irrigation. This could be just normal wear and tear or because an animal chewed its way through the tubing in search of water.
Either way, it’s a relatively simple repair.
To locate damaged drip under mulch, listen for a high hissing sound once the tubing has filled up with water and mark the area with a stick.
Gather these supplies to make the repair.
- Sharp knife or small saw
- Barb coupling (several, if necessary)
- Extra tubing
- Barb fitting insertion tool (optional)
Begin by cutting out the damaged section of tubing. Next, insert the barbed coupling at both ends of the open tubing. (If a large section of tubing must be cut out then you’ll need a piece of replacement tubing as well.)
If you’re having trouble inserting barb fittings into the tubes, try these tricks:
- Let the tubing sit in the sun for a while to soften up.
- If the landscape bed is in the shade, insert the end of the tubing in hot water for an easier insert.
- Get a specialized barb fitting insertion tool, available at an irrigation supply store.
Don’t use any lube as this will make the barb fitting pop out when the drip zone turns on.
Remember, if barb fittings continue popping out of the drip tubing, it may be another issue entirely like high pressure. A drip irrigation zone should always be installed with a pressure regulator after the sectional drip valve.
One last easy maintenance issue with drip irrigation is clogged emitters. These can be remedied by flushing the drip tubing. Locate the end of the drip tubing farthest from the valve and there should be either a cap or folded end piece. Open it up, turn on the zone manually, and flush the tubing of debris.
Keeping drip irrigation in good condition and scheduling it conservatively is a great way to avoid water waste.
Remember, during Stage 3 watering rules drip irrigation is only allowed on Mondays and Fridays from 5-10 a.m. or 9 p.m. to midnight. If you have other questions about drip, get them answered with a free irrigation consultation. Call us at 210-704-SAVE to schedule yours today.