Congratulations on your purchase of a Premium Drip Irrigation and Micro-sprinkler Kit for Landscapes 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 gardens 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 under the “Learn” tab in the menu bar on our website.

The Drip Depot Landscape Kits include several varieties of watering devices to meet the varied needs of most landscapes. The kit utilizes ½” (.600” ID x .700” OD) poly tubing as the mainline so is limited to 200 GPH total flow in a single zone design. The kit may include emitting devices totaling a higher flow so you can combine the different types to meet your specific design needs. Your kit also includes items you may not need for your specific design, such as tee; elbow and coupler fittings, but are included “just in case”.

Individual Drippers are used to water individual plants that may be spaced farther apart where a run of drip line would not be practical, such as small shrubs or perennial plants. Drippers with barbed inlet connections can be inserted directly into ½” or larger mainline tubing or inserted into the ends of ¼” micro-tubing to reach plants that are not near your main or lateral lines.

Drip Line included in many of the kits is flexible ¼” (.170” ID x .250” OD) poly tubing with drip emitters factory installed at specific spacings.

Adjustable Drippers on Stakes can be used for more water hungry plants in the same zone with your other plants. These can be adjusted from 0 - 15 GPH by simply twisting the top.

Adjustable Spray Jets on 12” stakes are suited to larger areas such as ground cover or large flower beds, to provide more uniform wetted area.

SpinRite PC Micro-Sprinklers provide a higher volume (flow) of water over a large area while still offering compatibility with lower pressure drip irrigation systems. These 360° micro-sprinklers can be used for small lawn areas, large flower beds, gardens or landscaped areas.

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.

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.

2. Mainline Tubing Installation - Determine the best location for your ½” mainline to reach from the water source through your landscaped area. The flexibility of Drip Depot kits allows you to run the mainline however best fits your landscape design. Use tees, elbows and couplers where necessary.

1. Connect the mainline tubing to the head assembly.

2. Lay out your ½” mainline tubing. Use the steel wire stakes to secure the ½” tubing in place.

3. Cut off any excess tubing.

4. Flush the line(s). Allow water to run through tubing to remove any debris that may be inside.

5. Install the Perma-loc Tubing End Cap(s) to close the line(s).

3. Installing Watering Devices - This kit includes individual drippers, ¼” micro drip line, adjustable sprays and drippers as well as micro-sprinklers. Individual drippers are usually used to water single plants, such as small shrubs and perennial plants, while the drip line is great for more densely planted areas. The sprays and sprinklers will provide a higher volume of water covering larger areas. *Remember the 30/30 rule for ¼” tubing: maximum single run limit of 30’ and no more than 30 GPH flow per single run.

Installing Drippers Directly into the Mainline:

1. Use the ¼” punch tool , included in your kit, to punch a hole into the mainline tubing where you would like to install the dripper.

2. Push the barbed inlet of the dripper into the hole you punched in your mainline. You should hear a snap or click once the barbed dripper is inserted correctly.

3. Repeat at each location you want to install a dripper directly into the mainline.

Micro-tubing with Dripper Installation:

1. Punch a hole into the mainline tubing, where you want to connect a dripper line, using the ¼” punch tool included in the kit.

2. Attach a ¼” barbed coupler to one end of the micro-tubing and insert 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.

3. Unroll the ¼” micro-tubing to reach to the first plant to be watered and cut. Please Note: If you are watering several plants in this run, proceed with steps e - g.

4. If watering a single plant, insert the barbed inlet of a dripper into the ¼” micro-tubing; snap the dripper end of the micro-tubing into a Stabilizer Stake and push the stake into the soil near the base of the plant.

5. Insert one side of a ¼” barbed tee in the micro-tubing. Cut another short section of micro-tubing to reach from the run to near the base of the plant to be watered. Attach this section to the center point of the ¼” barbed tee. Attach the barbed inlet of a dripper to the end of this short section of micro tubing.

6. Snap the dripper end of the micro-tubing section into a Stabilizer Stake and push the stake into the soil near the base of the plant.

7. Attach the micro-tubing to the remaining barb on the tee fitting and unroll to the next plant to be watered. Continue to the last plant in this run by following directions in step d.

Drip Line Installation:

1. 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.

2. Attach a ¼” barbed coupler to one end of the drip line and insert 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.

3. Unroll the drip line down the row. Micro drip line is flexible and can be laid out with slight curves or “S” shaped zigzags if necessary.

4. Cut the drip line to the length needed and cap the end with a ¼” goof plug.

5. Repeat steps a - d for all drip line runs.

Adjustable Stream Drippers Use:

1. Punch a hole in the mainline tubing where you would like to connect the ¼” feedline, for the adjustable stream dripper, using the ¼” punch tool included in the kit.

2. Remove the small barbed coupler attached to the stake of the adjustable stream dripper. Insert this barbed coupler to one end of a length of ¼” micro-tubing, then insert the other end of the barbed coupler into the hole punch in the mainline tubing. You should hear a snap or click once the barbed coupler is inserted correctly.

3. Layout the section of micro-tubing to reach near the plants or area you want to water with the adjustable stream dripper. This flexible tubing can curve its way through the garden as needed.

4. Connect the section of micro-tubing to the barbed inlet on the adjustable stream dripper and push stake into the ground where desired. You will be able to adjust the spray to your desired range once your system is installed and operating.

Here is a short video showing the installation/use of the adjustable stream drippers on stakes: https://youtu.be/j7b5ERv_OJs.

Using Adjustable Spray Jets on Stakes: The Adjustable Spray Jet on 12” stake includes a section of tubing with a barbed connector to reach from the sprayer directly to the mainline or a feedline running from the mainline to placement of sprayer.

1. Punch a hole into the mainline where you want to connect the adjustable spray jet on stake or the micro-tubing feedline to the adjustable spray jet on stake.

2. If connecting directly to your mainline, push the barbed connector on the short micro-tube into the hole punched in the mainline.

3. If using a feeder line reaching from the mainline to the location of the sprayer, cut a length of ¼” micro-tubing to reach from mainline to location for sprayer installation. Insert a ¼” barbed coupler into one end of the feed line and insert into the hole punched in the mainline. Then connect the other end of the feedline to the barb connector on the sprayer.

4. Lastly, push the stake into the ground several inches to stabilize the sprayer. You will be able to adjust the spray to your desired range once your system is installed and operating.

Installing Micro-Sprinklers: SpinRite PC (pressure compensating) Sprinklers come standard on a 13” stake with a 30” lead (feed line) with barbed connector for easy installation directly into mainline or ¼” micro-tubing feedline.

1. Punch a hole into the mainline where you want to connect the micro-sprinkler on stake or the micro-tubing feedline to the micro-sprinkler.

2. If connecting directly to your mainline, push the barbed connector on the short micro-tube into the hole punched in the mainline.

3. If using a feeder line, reaching from the mainline to the location of the sprinkler, cut a length of ¼” micro-tubing to reach from mainline to location for sprinkler installation. Insert a ¼” barbed coupler into one end of the feed line and insert into the hole punched in the mainline. Then connect the other end of the feedline to the barb connector on the sprinkler.

4. Lastly, push the stake into the ground several inches to stabilize.

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 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.

3. Using Perma-Loc Fittings is not as hard as it might seem. Do not remove the locking nut. Turn the locking nut back towards the center of the fitting, exposing the barb. Simply push tubing or tape over barbed end, then hand-tighten locking nut back out over tubing or tape for a permanent secure fit. Here is a video link that may help: https://youtu.be/Jx_yzI1E3Zg.

4. 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.