# 1" to 3/4" sprinkler pipe



## biggles (Jan 1, 2008)

the pressure will drop a bit from the city 3/4" into the 1" but still do the job won't want to be taking a shower when the lawn sprinklers kick in.....


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## smrf1080 (Apr 16, 2012)

What is the capacity of the sprinkler system (gpm)?


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## jjrbus (Aug 28, 2009)

Thanks for the responses. Capacity?? I have no idea? All I know is it is an older system with 4 1" pipes coming out of a Hydrotek 4000. The Hydrotek appears to have a 3 zone insert?

There is a older Intermatic controller which appears to still be functional.

JIm


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## Thurman (Feb 9, 2009)

Check with you local City water department about the size of the piping coming to the water meter. Around here they run 1" piping up to the meter then install a 5/8" meter, then a 3/4" pipe run goes to the dwelling. IF your City runs the 1" line to the meter then they may charge a "change out" fee to change the meter to a 1" meter. Then you will have the 1" supply line you want. The fees here are $75 for a change out.


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## jjrbus (Aug 28, 2009)

Thank's for the input. I really, really do not wish to deal with the town. Everything in this area needs to be permitted. Understandable when you see what people try to do! But it quickly becomes absurd! 

But I am going to ask the neighbors and see what they did, if that is the route they went then I will bite the bullet. JIm


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## InspectorZo (Apr 19, 2013)

biggles said:


> the pressure will drop a bit from the city 3/4" into the 1" but still do the job won't want to be taking a shower when the lawn sprinklers kick in.....


Hey Jim,
I think you'll be fine. Most sprinkler systems tend to reduce the line as it reaches the sprinkler heads. If you're not modifying your system, the pressure will still build up and allow your heads proper coverage.
"biggles" is right about the volume. You will be drawing more water than is intended when the system is live and depending on how the water service is plumbed, it might affect interior water flow such as taking showers.
If the coverage outside is reduced due to the drop in pressure, there are solution I can suggest as well.
Keep me posted and good luck! :thumbsup:


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

You should be watering early in the morning before people are taking showers anyhow for the health of your turf and garden. You want water applied when it is least prone to evaporation and wind drift, and in plenty of time for the grass and leaves to be dry before insects and fungi loving moist surfaces overnight can get at the plants. 

If you are concerned, you might find the flow rate and pressure demands of your sprinkler heads and total them up per circuit. When designing residential irrigation systems I always was conservative in what I tried to draw in terms of either flow or pressure and left adequate room for fluctuations. I laid the heads out with triangular, overlapping patterns and not squares and based on the worst case scenario performance stats of the sprinkler heads. You shifting from a 3/4 source at the start of things would have made zilch difference in a design of mine. 

If you have electronic valves, you might have to check their settings and adjust them. You will see a manual bleed/override screw on the top of each valve and a flow control adjustment screw or nob that will let you open and adjust them without having to run to the controller to engage the solenoid. Adjust the flow rate on each, close the override, and live happily ever after.










Of course, I must preach converting everything but turf to drip when you can afford it. Your plants will love it and prove it by becoming more drought resistant. You will put water only where you want it. And you will water in gallons per hour instead of gallons per minute.


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## jjrbus (Aug 28, 2009)

Went with the 3/4" pipe. system seems to function OK, or at least be salvageable. Only one biiiiigggg geyser. One head waters the driveway, one the street and a couple, well not sure what they are trying to do, but there is water there.

So the next question? I have a Hydrotec 4000 indexing valve. It has 4 1" pipes coming out the bottom. But appears to have a 3 zone valve/indexer doohickey. I can only find three zones of sprinklers. Is it possible to fool the unit into going to the 4th zone? Or some other simple way of discovering where the zone might or might not be? I do not see anything that might be other sprinklers, but some were buried pretty good, it's been several years since this system was used!
JIm


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