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Leave Room for the Pipes
A kink in poly pipe creates a weak spot. Don’t try to straighten the pipe. Instead, cut out the kink and splice two pipes together with a coupler. If you must pull a pipe that has been spliced, add a couple extra clamps to the fitting and hook up the longest of the spliced sections to the plow.
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Self-Tapping Fittings are Fast and Easy
When you pull pipes underground instead of trenching, traditional tee fittings can be difficult to install. The best way to tap heads directly into a continuous run of pipe is to install self tapping fittings (saddles). Just snap the saddle onto the pipe and screw in the spike, which taps into the pipe. Hook up your funny pipe to the saddle and you’re good to go.
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Smart Controllers Save Water
According to the EPA, residential outdoor water use in the United States accounts for nearly 9 billion gallons of water each day, mostly for landscape irrigation. Experts estimate that as much as 50 percent of this water is wasted through overwatering caused by inefficiencies in irrigation methods and systems.
Traditional controllers for yard sprinkler systems turn each zone on and off for a predetermined amount of time. A rain gauge connected to a controller will monitor recent rainfall and shut down the system in the middle of or shortly after a rain event. That’s helpful, but there are controllers and sensors available now that can track temperatures, sunlight and other seasonal conditions, and will adjust the watering schedule accordingly. A well-planned design along with a properly functioning smart controller can save a couple hundred gallons of water per day!
The one shown here, made by Rachio, connects to a home Wi-Fi, allowing the homeowner to control it or get updated on a smartphone.
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