Hose/tubing for drip systems

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Blown

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I'm putting a drip system in a bed. I noticed that the stuff I've seen professionally installed uses a black flex tubing with a blue stripe, and the smaller tubing that goes to the emitters is very rubbery. This is compared to the stuff I see at Lowes/Home Depot. The flex tubing is the same size, but feels thinner walled. Also the smaller tubing is harder and more plastic than the rubbery professional stuff. I've used it before and hated how it took a set from being coiled and was very tough to work with. Kept popping the barbed fitting out of the larger tube, etc.

Am I just being picky, or should I forget Lowes and hit up an irrigation store? Are there any other advantages other than the rubbery tube appearing to be easier to work with?
 

Jimbo

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The blue stripe makes it Toro brand. If you have fittings popping out, you have too much pressure.

The DIG brand from Depot is fine. Stay away from Orbit.

Drip irrigation is a high-maintenance system. Don't expect to "set it and forget it"
 

Blown

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The blue stripe makes it Toro brand. If you have fittings popping out, you have too much pressure.

The DIG brand from Depot is fine. Stay away from Orbit.

Drip irrigation is a high-maintenance system. Don't expect to "set it and forget it"
IIRC the regulator is ~25psig. It's popping out without the system pressurized. The tubing is so curved from being kept in a coil that when I try to force it straight it wants to bend at the fitting and pop out it.

I think I found some more flexible stuff at Lowes, I'll try that.

As far as "set it and forget it" - what type of system can I look at that might be a little less high-maintenance? I don't mind doing some regular checking, but I don't want to have to tear through the flower beds checking for leaks and clogged emitters regularly.
 

hj

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The blue stripe tubing is .710 o.d. and the black is .700. Using the fittings with the blue ring around the opening with black tubing lets them go together a lot easier. If you can't get the drips to go into the tubing properly, dip the tube in a glass of hot water first. You do not have many choices, either use a drip system, or one with conventional popup spray heads.
 
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