This will be my first experience with funny pipe. I have 1/2" Rainbird pipe and marlex street eels. What determines the length of the pipe? I tried 18" and think that is too unwieldy. A 4-6" piece will work fine- my trench will be 12" and that comes naturally with the Hunter PGP. How much adjusting will be necessary in an unobstructed trench? I didn't think the 18" gave me much flexibility and had to double it back because it wanted to follow its curve. Thanks, burlap
Length of Funny Pipe
burlap
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This will be my first experience with funny pipe. I have 1/2" Rainbird pipe and marlex street eels. What determines the length of the pipe? I tried 18" and think that is too unwieldy. A 4-6" piece will work fine- my trench will be 12" and that comes naturally with the Hunter PGP. How much adjusting will be necessary in an unobstructed trench? I didn't think the 18" gave me much flexibility and had to double it back because it wanted to follow its curve. Thanks, burlap
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Are you using poly pipe or PVC? Poly can allow you to use very short lengths of swing pipe, if you install a marlex ell in the head. Between the marlex, the MPTxBarb elbow, and a 3/8 ('funny pipe') side outlet insert tee, the swing pipe itself doesn't need to contribute any flex to the assembly.
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With PVC, you need a bit more pipe, since you don't have the insert fitting to help out. So, if you have the funny pipe terminating with a barbed elbow at both ends, a foot should be plenty. I would avoid assuming that a barbed elbow threaded into a sch 40 fitting will move freely a few years after installation. (but wait to hear from PVC guys)
I'm having trouble visualizing what you're telling me. My problem is that whatever length I make the Rain Bird funny pipe translates into lateral distance. A 12" length means the head will be 12" up stream, down stream, or to either side of the tee. It just seems a shorter length would be easier to work with if I want to set the head into the side of the trench where I can secure it into the side rather than the backfill. Sorry to be so dense about this, burlap
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6-12 inches will be fine.
if its shorter than 6 inches the head tends rise a bit over time. you can use more if you need.
if its shorter than 6 inches the head tends rise a bit over time. you can use more if you need.
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What lateral distance? If you use a SxSxFPT tee, and thread a funny pipe elbow into that tee, and point the barbs in the direction of the pipe, then the funny pipe runs alongside the PVC. This would mean the sch 40 tee will be about a foot away from where the head gets located.
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Exactly. You have to account for this when you glue your tee. Offset the tee about 7-8 inches or so from the point where the head will be, attach an elbow barb to the tee, funny pipe, elbow barb, street el, then head. Voila! We use about 12" of funny pipe (actually, the length from the hand to the elbow of the employee who is cutting it) for each head.Wet_Boots said:
I was hooking up my flexible riser with 2 barbed elbows and the funny pipe. It sounds like I should have and additional street eel fpt in the setup. That would give me more flexability. By the way, do I need to tape the marlex threads? When I talk about lateral distance I mean my trench will be 12 " and the head and fittings are about that already. So whatever length I use means I just move my head that much farther away; I don't want to go up at all. Thanks again, burlap
I was hooking up my flexible riser with 2 barbed elbows and the funny pipe. It sounds like I should have and additional street eel fpt in the setup. That would give me more flexability. By the way, do I need to tape the marlex threads? When I talk about lateral distance I mean my trench will be 12 " and the head and fittings are about that already. So whatever length I use means I just move my head that much farther away; I don't want to go up at all. Thanks again, burlap
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Purp:
I think you are the luckest one on the board. You don't have to put up with the bull****ty****t that the owner/operators do.
I think you are the luckest one on the board. You don't have to put up with the bull****ty****t that the owner/operators do.
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52 Posts
if your trench is inline with where you want your heads just put them on nipples.
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We had a contractor in our area that was putting in systems so cheap, that he would cut corners on every thing. One of his favorite things was flex pipe. He would use so little flex pipe that the two barb 90's would touch, the one in the head and the one on the lateral line. Save some money by just using 2" worth of flex pipe.
We see this about once a week.
We see this about once a week.
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Your "greenhorn" status is showing. Nipples break off with impact. And I can't count the number I've seen where the tee isn't vertical so the sprinkler tilts. Maybe the standard for DIY people is nipples and cut-off risers but the professional irrigation standard is some type of swing joint, whether it be prefabricated, funny pipe or the type we use. THAT is a personal choice based on locale and experience. Nipples are NOT a choice.greenhorn123 said:
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