Envision this: you have a nice rectangular bench, with nice polyethylene tubing that is going to go around the entire outside edge of the bench.
The only thing is, the tubing isn’t flexible enough to make the tight 90 degree bend. What’s a grower to do? Give up and water by hand? Not if we have anything to say about it.
This is where fittings come in. 90 degree elbows, tees, adapters, bushings, straight connectors, the list is quite extensive. It is important that the fittings be able to withstand the pressure of a continuously operating irrigation system (which can be as high as 50 psi depending on the situation).
One way to do this is with barb fittings. These fit in the inside of the polyethylene tubing, and will require a clamp to keep the tubing sealed around the barb (if pressure is above 10-15 psi).
For a small garden outdoors, or an indoor garden this is fine, but once you get to larger operations in greenhouses or outdoors this clamping can become very tedious! One solution to this is the TechLock compression fittings from our friends at Netafim.
These TechLock fittings allow growers to quickly and easily attach tubing together to allow tubing to get around tight corners, split into a tee, really do what your heart desires, all without needing to engage in the repetitive task of screwing clamps with power tools, or even worse, by hand!
Now that we’ve worked our way back from the plant, to the tubing, to the fittings, hop aboard as we continue to our next stop: zone control. This is where the magic of automation happens!
Continue learning with our next step ⟶
The Hawthorne Difference
Our team of technical experts can help not only with the specifics on setting up a drip irrigation system, but also with the holistic, complex interplay between irrigation and other areas of your grow, including nutrients, growing media, HVAC and lights. Our goal is to provide growers the information they need to make the right decisions for their facilities, the first time.
The products and advice to keep you in the game
Hawthorne Gardening Company, in partnership with some of the largest irrigation equipment manufacturers in the world, is here to help you maximize your crop’s potential with the best irrigation management strategies and information available today.
Our dedicated team can assist you in every step of the way to ensure that your system will work exactly how it is supposed to from day one.
For more information, call Hawthorne at 888-808-4826 or fill out the form below.
