Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Chatting => Equipment Shed => Topic started by: Martin70 on June 29, 2015, 09:03

Title: Irregation system
Post by: Martin70 on June 29, 2015, 09:03
Hi all.

Just a quick post which may possibly save someone a few quid.

I have just put in an irrigation system from my outside tap to the greenhouse and it's working very well. not having done it before I ordered a Hozelock kit thinking that would be the best idea and it did give me a start but nowhere near enough items in it to complete it.

I got some 13mm tubing which wasn't long enough , 4mm tubing, only 2 elbow connectors and 1 t-connector. Not enough drippers either so I had to buy extra parts.

If I had to start all over then I would have bought the 13mm tubing separately from Amazon, two of the 4mm kits from the Range at £4.99 and a pack of 10 elbow connectors from ebay for about £6. I pressure controller would be pretty cheap on it's own and I would have to buy the timer seperately anyway as the Hozelock one is reknowned for letting in water.

Not an anti-Hozelock post at all by the way I am very happy with it all now - but it can be done cheaper for anyone just starting out.

I ended up with surplus kit in the end so have run another system to the outdoor plants. Makes life much easier as my 80 year old neighbour will only have to keep an eye on things while we are on our fortnight holiday next month.

Worth every penny but I could have saved a few of them.
Title: Re: Irregation system
Post by: mumofstig on June 29, 2015, 11:42
All the Hozelock kits that I looked at, (when I decided to irrigate my greenhouse last year) do specify the contents - so perhaps it was more a case of you, and I, not knowing what we were doing/not measuring and planning before we ordered  ;)

It's very easy with hindsight, isn't it  :D

I found cheap drippers and pipe on ebay to finish my system and to do the 2nd greenhouse this year.

It's great once they're working though!
Title: Re: Irregation system
Post by: Martin70 on June 29, 2015, 12:51
Absoutely - it was all down to be not having much idea of what I actually needed.

Was a good feeling seeing it all work the first time I turned it on. I have one elbow joint that comes loose after a while so just got a barbed joint to replace it - I think I must have not quite cut the tube at 90 degrees.

Once started though it is hard to leave it alone- I already plan on replacing some of the smaller pots to make distribution more even and possibly a timer with 2 outlets so I can have a separate run for the outside containers :)