Filtering Your Drip System

The warm months are finally here which means it is time to turn on the sprinkler system and make sure that it is working correctly and there are no leaks from the cold winter. Sometimes when your system isn’t working it could be that the line wasn’t drained correctly and the standing water froze which caused the line to crack. Another reason that a system may not be working correctly is if dirt, pebbles, and other outside debris has clogged the system in one place or more.

If you live in an area where your sprinkler system runs off of irrigation water, well water, or other water that contains sediment/other dirt material. In these areas sprinkler systems should have some sort of filter attached to the line to avoid the clogging of the system as the water passes through it. There are different types of filters that have are used for specific types of sprinkler systems. Some are used on main lines of the sprinkler systems and others are used for drip systems. It is important that you get the correct filters for the correct application so that the filter will not be blown off by too much pressure.

When dealing with drip irrigation systems it is especially important to have a filter since many of the parts associated with these systems are fairly small. When running emitters to trees, bushes, and other plants, usually a ¼” line is used as well as ¼” fittings. You can imagine that with such small fittings that dirt and small pebbles can easily clog the system. This has two negative effects. First it will prevent water flow to the plant where the line is leading to, so your plant won’t be getting the water it needs to live and grow. Second, it provides a base for more dirt and rocks to build up which can clog the entire line. The increased pressure from this can cause fittings that are ahead it to pop off or cause the main line to crack.

This is the purpose that filters for these types of systems were designed and are on the market today. There are different types of filters that can be purchased but the purpose is the same: to keep the system running properly and to remove the material that could cause it to become clogged. Filters can be purchased separately or they can be purchased as a kit unit (kit units are available at: https://www.plumbersstock.com/category/484/valve-kits/). Many drip systems are connected to a sprinkler timer with a valve that can be controlled from the timer unit. So if you want to install a drip system or fix an existing system, it may be less expensive to buy a kit unit (which includes a sprinkler valve and a filter unit) rather than purchasing the valve and the filter separately

Like any other filter unit, the actual filter inside will need to be changed periodically so that it will perform the job that it was designed to do. Having a filter unit in your drips system will save you money and take a little stress out of your life.