Irrigation

[JMAC]

I am thinking about buying a high output, high pressure, gas powered water pump from Northern to pump water from my pond to irrigate new grass planting. My thoughts are to run abount 160 ft. of 1 1/2 or 2" pvc pipe that I drill holes in to make a sprinkler. I would set the intake about a foot from the surface so as to collect the cleanest water to try and keep from plugging the holes with junk, I would put threaded ends on the pipe so to make it more adjustable and easier to move around for other projects. Has anyone done something simliar to this or do you think it would work. Any thought would be helpful.

JMAC

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Has anyone done something simliar to this or do you think it would work )</font>

Yes. I had a little Homelite 2-cycle pump with the fittings for a garden hose that I used for a number of things, including pumping out a cellar that filled up with water, and then my brother used it to connect to quite a bit of PVC and pumped water from his pond to his asparagus beds. It would only run 30 to 45 minutes on a tank of gas, but that was usually long enough to do most of what we wanted to do, and when it wasn't, it didn't take long to refuel and restart.

 

[Molerj]

I'm thinking that the drilled holes would not spray the water around like you would want. Maybe one of the different rotating sprinkler heads would work better.

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I'm thinking that the drilled holes would not spray the water around like you would want)</font>

You could very well be right; I've had that happen. Drilled holes must be very small and drilled at the right angle and in the right places for it to work satisfactorly.

 

[gsganzer]

I've thought about doing the same thing.

I'm planning to build mine using a permanantly mounted 240 VAC pump, inlet strainer and pressure regulator on a stanchion near the pond bank. I'll then run a 2" main line down the field (2 acres) with some strategically located valve boxes.
BTW: a 1 gallon empty jug, such as an old antifreeze jug, works great as a float to keep your inlet off the bottom. Just suspend the inlet pipe from the handle of the jug with a 1 foot piece of rope.

I thought of going the sprinkler pipe route, but like the others have suggested, I think it'd be tough to get a uniform spray pattern with drilled holes. Home Depot has some small sprinklers in the drip irrigation section that can be threaded into pvc pipe. Those might work. I just think you'd have a ton of plugging problems though.

I opted for building some portable sprinkler towers that stand about 4 - 6 feet tall. I'd install a commercial impact sprinkler like you see on golf courses on the top of eack tower (70 foot throw). Graingers has some in their catalog. All I have to do is run a hose to the appropriate valve box and move the towers around as needed.