Congratulations on your purchase of a Drip Irrigation Kit for Vineyards 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.

Drip Depot Irrigation Kits are modular in design, as no two vineyards are completely alike. Should you have any question 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 by clicking the "Help" button in the menu bar on our website.

The Standard drip Irrigation Kit for Vineyards utilizes ¾” (.820” ID x .940” OD) poly tubing for the mainline supply tubing and ½” (.600” ID x .700” OD) poly tubing for the vine row lateral runs. Individual drippers are used so you can place one drip emitter near each vine. Support Hooks are for easy hanging of the lateral lines on your vine wires to keep them off the ground. Each row will use one reducing tee and two elbow fittings along with an end cap. Goof Plugs are included just in case you need to plug a hole punched in your mainline that is no longer needed.

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.

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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 for proper installation.

4. 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.

Mainline Tubing Installation - Determine the best location for your ¾” mainline to reach from the water source to your very last vine row.

1. Connect mainline tubing to the head assembly.

2. Lay out the mainline tubing along one side of your vine rows.

3. Cut off excess tubing and close the end with the ¾” Perma-Loc Tubing End Cap.

4. Use Heavy Duty Wire Staples to secure tubing to the ground.

Installing Vine Runs - Each row will require a Perma-Loc Tubing Reducing Tee spliced into the mainline near the row along with two Perma-Loc Tubing Elbows and some short sections of tubing.

1. Cut the mainline where you want to install the tee fitting. Install the crossbar ends of the tee fitting into both cut ends of the mainline tubing. Perma-Loc fittings are easy to use and are reusable. Turn the locking nut back towards the center of the fitting, exposing the barb; push the tubing over the barb as far as you can; then simply screw the locking nut back out over the tubing to lock in place. Repeat at each vine row. Here is a video showing installation of a perma-loc tubing tee fitting: https://youtu.be/xAdxusm2a5s.

2. Cut a short section of ½” tubing to reach from the remaining leg connection on the perma-loc tubing reducing tee fitting to the beginning of your vine row where you will use a perma-loc tubing elbow fitting to make a 90 degree turn upwards.

3. Connect the elbow fitting to the open end of your short section of tubing.

4. Cut another short section of tubing to reach from the elbow fitting on the ground up to the vine wire you will hang your drip tubing from. Connect this short section of tubing to the elbow fitting making a vertical tubing section.

5. Connect the remaining elbow fitting to the top of this vertical section of tubing making another 90 degree turn. This will be the connecting point for your lateral run down the vine row.

6. Follow these steps for each vine row.

7. Next, you will layout the tubing from the start of your vine row to the end of the vine row.

8. Connect this section of tubing to the elbow fitting at the wire height.

9. Using the Tubing Support Hooks, hang the ½” tubing to the vine wire all the way down your row.

10. Complete each row in the same manner. We recommend flushing newly installed lines before installing drippers to reduce risk of clogging drippers. Run water through the system until it flows out all open ends.

11. Close the ends of each run of tubing with a Perma-Loc Tubing End Cap.

Installing Individual Drippers

1. Using the punch tool included in the kit, punch a hole in the ½” poly tubing where you want to insert a dripper near the vine.

2. Push the barbed inlet (on base of dripper) into the hole you punched.

3. Continue down each row until all vines have a drip emitter installed nearby.

Tips

1. 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. Also, larger rolls can be stood on edge and unrolled from the outside of the coil. It is best to anchor the end of the tubing by staking or placing a heavy object on it then unroll. Another option is lay the coil on the ground and starting with the inside end, slowly pull and twist to unroll without kinking. See our Professional Tips for more helpful suggestions.

2. Remember the 480/480 Rule for the 3/4" tubing: maximum 480' run length and 480 GPH (gallons per hour) total flow; 200/200 Rule for ½” poly tubing: maximum 200’ run lengths and 200 GPH. See the Tubing Buying Guide for details of tubing capacity.

3. 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.