Metal Raised Bed Irrigation Kit
Congratulations on your purchase of a Metal Raised Bed Basic Irrigation Kit from Drip Depot. Please take a few minutes to read through these instructions and familiarize yourself with all the parts. For assistance with part names and details, you can print the list of parts included in your kit from the Kit Item page on our website. We also have an instructional video showing the installation of a drip irrigation system in a raised bed or on the kit item page.
Drip Depot Irrigation Kits are modular in design, as no two gardens are completely alike.
All of our kits are designed for 24" wide beds in 42", 60", and 78" lengths.
Should you have any questions while installing your new kit please feel free to email our Customer Support team or review some of the many resources in our Education Center, found under the “Learn” tab in the menu bar on our website.
The Metal Raised Bed Kits utilize ½” (.600 ID x .700 OD) PE tubing as the mainline. The kit includes drip line with built-in emitters for irrigating inside the beds. A good rule of thumb is spacing the drip line at 12” intervals (so a 48” wide bed would have three drip lines running through the length of it). In the basic configuration, each bed requires a tee; two elbows; a coupling valve, and one end cap.
Your kit may also include items you may not need for your specific design but are included “just in case”.
A coupler for the ½” poly tubing is included “just in case” your design requires coupling two sections of ½” tubing together such as in making a repair or expanding your system.
¼” barbed fittings (coupling) are included to connect ¼” tubing or driplines to the ½” main line or to connect two sections of the ¼” drip line together.
1. Installing your Head Assembly - Drip Depot Kits come standard with garden hose thread components for easy connection to your outdoor spigot or garden hose. Hand tighten only, no Teflon tape or pipe dope is required with hose-threaded connections. Please check to ensure the rubber washer is securely in the female hose thread connection for the perfect leak-proof seal.
Install the Backflow Preventer also known as a Hose Thread Vacuum Breaker, included in your kit, to the outdoor spigot. Ensure this item has the rubber washer seated completely down inside the female threaded connection prior to installation.
Next, install the Filter, included in your kit, to the vacuum breaker or backflow prevention device. Please ensure the rubber washer is seated completely down inside the female threaded connection prior to installation.
The Pressure Regulator is installed after the filter. Again, ensure the rubber washer is seated completely down inside the female threaded connection prior to installation. Please note the directional flow arrow on most pressure regulators and filters for proper installation.
Lastly, the Female Hose Thread Tubing Adapter is installed on the outflow side of the pressure regulator. A helpful tip is to connect your tubing to the tubing adapter prior to connecting to your head assembly components. Most tubing adapters have a female swivel end for ease of installation.
*Please note: If using a hose-end water timer to automate your drip system the Head Assembly must be installed after/downstream of the timer or valve. Drip irrigation products are not rated for constant pressure use. Many municipal codes require the use of anti-vandalism protection (set screw) on an outdoor water spigot backflow preventer. The J10 with locking screw may qualify when properly installed directly on the hose bibb. If used on an automatic water timer for your irrigation system we recommend not tightening the screw as the plastic threads of the timer can be permanently damaged if the backflow device is removed.
2. Mainline Tubing Installation - Determine the best location for your ½” mainline tubing to reach from the water source to your very first raised bed. See our Raised Bed Design Examples for help with ideas.
Connect the main line to your head assembly.
Lay out the ½” tubing to the first raised bed. Cut the tubing, and insert one side of a ½” Perma-Loc tee fitting to the tubing.
Cut a section of tubing to reach from the tee fitting to the bottom corner of the raised bed. Attach this section of tubing to the ½” elbow fitting and attach another small section of tubing then insert the ½” perma-loc coupling valve and another small section of tubing to the top of the bed.
You will then insert another ½”perma-loc elbow. Attach ½” tubing to the other side of the ½” elbow then run a length of ½” tubing across
the edge of the bed creating your header row (for attaching the micro-drip lines too).
Install a ½” end cap to this header row section of tubing.
To continue to the next raised bed connect the ½” tubing to the remaining side of the ½” perma-loc tee fitting and run the tubing to the next raised bed.
Continue the previous steps for each raised bed in your system. When at the last bed to be watered use the remaining end cap to close the system. This allows for easy flushing or end-of-season draining of your system. We recommend flushing your mainline before installing micro-drip lines and emitters. Remove all the caps on the perma-loc end cap fittings and allow water to run through the tubing to remove any debris that may be inside.
3. Installing the Drip Lines - This kit includes micro (¼”) drip line. *Remember the 30/30 rule for ¼” tubing: maximum single run limit of 30’ and no more than 30 GPH flow per single run.
Drip Line Installation:
Punch a hole into the mainline tubing, where you want a row or run of micro drip line, using the ¼” punch tool included in the kit.
Attach a ¼” barbed coupler to one end of the drip line and insert the open end of the barbed coupler into the hole you punched in the mainline. You should hear a snap or click once the barbed coupler is inserted correctly.
Unroll the drip line down the row.
Cut the drip line to the length needed and cap the end with a ¼” goof plug.
Secure the 1⁄4'' drip line with a Microtube stabilizer stake. Repeat steps for all drip line run.
Tips:
Placing your roll of poly tubing in the sun before installation allows the tubing to warm up and become more flexible, which makes installation easier. See our Professional Tips for more helpful suggestions.
Remember the 200/200 Rule for ½” poly tubing: maximum 200’ run lengths and 200 GPH (gallons per hour) total flow; 30/30 Rule for ¼” tubing: maximum 30’ run lengths and 30 GPH total flow. See the Tubing Buying Guide for details of tubing capacity.
If you live in an area where the temperatures drop down to below 37 degrees Fahrenheit you must winterize your system. See our Winterizing Instructions.