A Three Head Sprinkler for Odd Lawns

This is my first Instructable, so be brutal.

 

My idea was inspired by bwpatton1 and his “Simple Garden Sprinkler out of inground popup sprinklers”.  He mentioned that he intended it as a springboard, and I jumped all over it.

My yard has several areas that are too big to use a soaker hose on and too oddly shaped to use an oscillating or rotating sprinkler without multiple moves. I wanted an easy way to evenly water these areas that could be adapted to other hard-to-water spaces.

 

My goals for any project and Instructable are simple:

Low cost (if you have money to burn, please donate to my early retirement fund)

No parts made from unobtainium (a rare element that is either very expensive or only found in a single store in Outer Mongolia, and it's on back-order)

Simple fabrication (use common tools, no tool-and-die machinist certification required)

Fill a need (okay, sometimes I like to tinker for the sake of tinkering)

I think I achieved all of my stated goals with this project.

Step 1 Materials:

The parts for this build were all found on two aisles of my local big-box hardware store.

 

Qty   Desc

1  x  3/4” x 10’ PVC pipe, Sch 40

6  x  3/4" PVC cap

5  x  3/4" PVC tee, slip x slip x slip

3  x  3/4" PVC tee, slip x fpt x slip

1  x  3/4" PVC 90° elbow

5  x  3/4" PVC adapter, slip x fpt

3  x  1/2" thread x 3/4" mpt (next to the sprinkler heads; this converts the 3/4" PVC threads to the 1/2" sprinkler head threads, which is not the same as 1/2" PVC threads)

3  x  2.5" popup sprinkler head, 180° pattern

5  x  1/2" insert x 3/4" mpt (next to water heater and sump pump items)

5  x  #8 hose clamp

1  x  5/8” garden hose (cheap, it will be cut up)

Teflon thread tape

PVC primer and cement

 

Total cost for the materials was about $25.00.

Comments

[Crucio]

Very nice!

This could be greatly simplified by substituting metal sprinkler spikes for the PVC fittings. See this link for an example spike. That's what I used wherever I needed to place a pop-up sprinkler on grass. I used a similar setup to yours when I put them on concrete (to facilitate mowing).

http://www.amazon.com/Sprinkler-Spike-Metal-Lawn-Stake/dp/B004IQGQEQ

[kebmoore]

Yes, that might have simplified things a bit. On the other hand, the spike is not always a good option. I have a commercial sprinkler that has a spike base, and to set it in place I have to make a pilot hole in the yard with a hammer and a big screwdriver (the subsoil contains a lot of clay). The bases I made allow me to reposition the sprinkler heads by simply pulling on the hose and sliding the heads where they need to go.

[jasongroupindustries]

An interesting project. i think it would be more practical not to use cap on the two side pvc and use the hose fitting. In this configuration, you could have more flexibility in the position of the sprinkler. I don't know if I've well explain my idea, but if you need more explanation, just contact me.

[kebmoore]

Flexibility was a consideration, but cost overrode that. The hose fittings would have almost doubled the cost of the materials.

[jasongroupindustries]

oh, yes, I didn't thought about the cost aspect.

[kebmoore]

I thought a lot about the design before I created this. My wife teases me about planning and re-planning things, sketching different designs and taking my time. In this project, all of the planning work paid off when I was able to cut the build time and the material cost to the bare minimum.

[jasongroupindustries]

yeah, i agree wit you, planning is best way to achieve the best result.