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Thread: Lot is trenched for irrigation - any ideas for running direct bury wire now?

  1. #16
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Highland MI
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    Irrigation pipe is typically 6-8" below ground and electrical should be at least 18" deep. Much more likely to dig up irrigation than electrical. I do wish I would have run a 110 circuit to my dock when I ran a 220 to my lake pump 35 years ago.

    Running PVC or poly pipe? PVC must be blown out or drained each season in freezing climates, poly is less of an issue, it can sit with water, freeze and not burst. I hope your irrigation guy ran a hydraulic analysis on your pipe sizes. Inch and a quarter sounds small for such a large lot. But it depends on how big your pump is and how many zones you will run. I run my entire lot (15 heads) on one zone, 1.5 hp pump so I don't need any electric valves.
    Last edited by Ole Anderson; 07-17-2014 at 11:10 PM.
    NOW you tell me...

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
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    Chappell Hill, Texas
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    I have a 2HP, Franklin Sub Drive 100 pump (variable speed, 3ph via built-in VFD). Main 1.25" PVC class 200 (aka 200 PSI) loop is ~18" deep. 1" zone lines are 12" deep, as are the 1/2" zone-line to tree lines, with a 1/2" riser and one adjustable bubbler head per tree. Small trees will get slow flow and big trees will get big flow.

    Not too much freezing here, but it does freeze some. Last winter, it dropped into the 20's a couple times. Certainly not 18" deep. I will drain each winter.

    I think 6 zones across ~70 heads, plus another zone for the pond fill. I think the controller is capable of 22 zones. This is phase 1 of irrigation. Other phases will follow after house is built.

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
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    Chappell Hill, Texas
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    I ended up laying about 350' of 1" PVC conduit. Thanks for all the comments and suggestions.

    Todd

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Spokane Valley, WA
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    225
    You may want to check your codes. Unless the wiring is low voltage, there may be a minimum bury depth. Best wishes!
    "Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity" - anon

  5. #20
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Chappell Hill, Texas
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    Thanks Marty.

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Falls Church, VA
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    Put in a single strand of copper as a guide wire. If they ever want to find what's buried, they can hook up some sort of transmitter and find it with a detector. They do this with buried optical fiber.

    Where I went to college, the local school district ran optical between two buildings and saved a few bucks by not using a guide wire. I drove by years later and saw them excavating trying to find that wire without breaking it.

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