DIY: Drip Irrigation in the Home Garden With Recycled Material

We have a home garden full of fruit bearing trees and this is my "Do It Yourself" experience in providing a Drip Irrigation System with recycled material from our bore well.

An 1.5 HP Compressor pump is installed in the bore well at our garden. A small 500 litre water tank is being used to store water for irrigation purpose.

Due to some fault in the pumping system, we had to remove about 100 feet of 12.5 mm dia and 25 mm dia flexible pipes from the bore well. When I visited my home during my College holidays, I found the pipes lying in a corner of the garden.  I felt that the 12.5 mm dia pipe with some additional material can be utilized for a small Drip Irrigation System to some of the fruit trees.

We had to purchase the following items to make the drip irrigation system:

1. Straight Connectors to join two pieces of pipes
2. "T" Connectors to make a branching
3. Taps / Drippers to adjust the flow of water at terminal points
4. A small packet of M-Seal, a quick sealing, water-proof epoxy compound
5. A packet of plastic tooth-picks to adjust the water drops from punch holes

The tools used are a Hammer, a hack saw blade and a punch from a screw driver set.

The 500 litre capacity water tank had a 25 mm outlet with a ball valve, which required to be reduced to 12.5 mm. Here, we used two small pieces of 20 mm and 16 mm dia pipes to bring down the 25 mm outlet to 12.5 mm. The joints were sealed with quick sealing epoxy compound, which made the joints leak proof.

From the water tank, we laid the 12.5 mm flexible pipe along the fruit trees. We used the straight jointer to join pieces of pipes and tied the pipe line with trunk of the trees using GI wire. Bricks and stone pieces were placed under the pipe line to prevent it from being burried in the soil.

To make a branching, we used the "T" jointer wherever required

After laying the pipe line, we opened the outlet valve and allowed the water to flow through the pipe line. We also punched small holes using the punch and hammer near the tree trunks where the drip water is required. The water pressure at varrious points were checked and it was very satisfactory.

Taps were fixed at terminal points and the flow was adjusted to droplets. The water flow at mid points, where we punched holes. were adjusted to droplets by inserting a tooth-pick in the punch holes. The tooth-picks would also help us to clear blocking of the punch holes by dirt or dust particles flowing with water.

This was my small experiment in drip water irrigation with recycled flexible pipes from the bore well. Any advice for improvement is highly appreciated