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| Glossary |
Backflow / Antisiphion
Conventional Irrigation
Controllers
Compression Fitting
Diameter
DC / AC
Dripper line
Deflector
Flow Rate
Flushing
GPH
GPM
Gravity Feed
Head Assembly
Hose Bib / Hose Faucet
I.D. / O.D.
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Inline Emitters
Laser Drilled
Mesh
Micron
MPT / FPT
MHT / FHT
Manifold
Mainline
Non-Compensating
"O" Ring
Pressure Regulator
Pressure Compensating
PSI
PVC
Retrofit
Radius |
Solenoid
Soaker Tape
Spinner
Spray Pattern
Turbulent Flow
Teflon Tape
UV
Valves
Watering Zones
Water Flow
Water Supply
Watering Duration
Watering Frequency
Washer
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Backflow / Antisiphion
- This is a devise which keeps water that has passed through it from returning into the water source. This will keep your water supply from becoming contaminated with water that has fertilizer in it (if you are doing that) or just from water that has been in irrigation lines. You should always try to use one. Some locations mandate the use of these in local building codes.
Conventional Irrigation
- This is used to describe normal irrigation practices for landscaping. This would include normal lawn type sprinklers and shrub sprinklers. In a short sentence anything which is not Drip!
Controllers
- This is a device which will control the water by making it turn on and off. We refer to this as an automated devise and the controller is only the "Brain". You will still need some type of valve to actually control the water itself.
Compression (Fitting)
- This is a style of fitting which tubing fits inside it. The fit is tight and when the water is turned on the pressure helps push the tubing against the fitting which increases the holding power. The fitting itself will have a sharp edge inside the fitting which is angled backwards inside the fitting. This keeps the tubing from being pushed out by water pressure.
Diameter
- This is the total distance around the outside of a circle. The diameter of a sprinkler is the distance around the outside of the wetted area the sprinkler covers with water.
DC & AC
- DC - This refers to something with is battery powered.
- AC - This refers to something which is powered by plugging it into a normal household electrical socket.
Dripper Line (Dripper line)
- Dripper Line is a normal 1/2" poly tube which has drippers installed "inside" the tubing at the factory during the manufacturing process.
Deflector
- This is a part of a microsprinkler which directs the water flow. This would be what makes the water spray in a 180 deg or 90 deg pattern. Not all microsprinklers use this in the same way but they all use the same principal.
Flow Rate
- The amount of water which will pass through during a given period of time. Drippers, microsprinklers, filters, valves, pressure regulators and any other devise which has water flow through it will have a flow rate.
Flushing
- This is the process of cleaning out lines before using them. This will expel any dirt or other things which may clog drippers or microsprinklers.
GPH
- Gallon Per Hour - One of the ways to measure the water flow. The number before the GPH will tell you how many gallons will flow through in one hours time. All drippers and microsprinklers are rated in this manner! Do not confuse this with GPM (Gallons per Minute).
GPM
- Gallons Per Minute - This rates the flow through something by the minute. Most conventional irrigation products use this method. Note that when this method is used there will be much more flow than with the above GPH method.
Example: 1 GPH = 60 GPM
Gravity Feed
- This is a method of watering using only gravity to move the water down lines and out tubing. Before thinking this is great or easy please read our Gravity Feed section!
Head Assembly
- This can be just one component or many. What it really means is any and all components which are on the start of a drip system. Sometimes it could be referred to as a Manifold but normally a manifold would be a group of many head assemblies all supplied water by a single source.
Hose Bib / Hose Faucet
- Both of these are the same and it would be any faucet to which a normal garden hose can attach too. This could be coming out of the side of your house or one in your garden / landscaping away from your house.
I.D. / O.D.
- I.D. - Inside Diameter / This is a way of measuring the inside of a piece of pipe. The pipe could be PVC or Poly. The common unit of measure is in inches but it could also be in millimeters.
- O.D. - Outside Diameter / The same as above but it tells you the outside diameter of the pipe.
Inline Emitters
- These are drippers (emitters) which let water out but also pass through to the next one. Maybe better is how they are used. You normally use them with 1/4" microtube. The water inlet side of the dripper would have microtube attached to it and then the water outlet side would have another piece of microtube attached to it running to the next dripper. In this way you can make your own soaker line with drippers installed wherever you like.
Laser Drilled
- This is a method of making very precise holes at very precise angles in tubing. By doing so you can regulate the flow of water out of the tubing.
Mesh
- One of the ways to measure filter screens and how fine or small the water passages through them are. The higher the number the finer the screen is. A 200 mesh screen filters out small dirt than a 100 mesh screen.
Micron
- This is the same as above in that it is a way to measure the size of the water passage in a filter screen. The difference here is that the lower the number the finer the screen. This is opposite than the above Mesh. A 50 micron screen filters out smaller dirt than a 100 micron screen.
MPT / FPT
- MPT - Male pipe thread
- FPT - Female pipe thread
Pipe thread is a finer thread found on all your PVC, Brass and metal threaded fittings.
MHT / FHT
- MHT - Male hose thread
- FHT - Female hose thread
Hose thread is a coarser thread found on common garden hoses.
Manifold
- This is different than a Head Assembly. The manifold is normally a group of valves or head assemblies supplied by a single source of water.
Mainline
- This can refer to a main water supply line going to a manifold or also a mainline coming from your manifold supplying other lines.
Non-Compensating
- This is used to classify drippers and how they work. This classification is for drippers which do not compensate the flow rate at differences in pressure. With these drippers if you have higher pressure you will receive a higher flow rate out of the dripper. This difference may not be huge but it is more difference than if you use compensating drippers.
"O" Ring
- This is a small or large washer which is round not flat.
Pressure Regulator
- A devise which controls the amount of pressure allowed on the water outlet side. This controls how high the pressure will be in a drip system. We sell both pre-set and adjustable models.
Pressure Compensating
- This is the other classification of dripper. This dripper will compensate for higher or lower pressure and give you a very close flow rate with either. This feature allows you to make the longest possible single lines with the most drippers on it.
PSI
- Pounds per Square Inch - A measurement of pressure.
PVC
- Poly Vinyl Chloride - This is the common white water pipe found in home centers and hardware stores. It is mostly used for irrigation pipe and comes in different wall thickness. The most common is called a "Schedule 40 PVC pipe".
Retrofit
- Refers to the changing over of something existing. We use it when talking about changing over existing sprinkler systems to Drip.
Radius
- The distance from the center of a circle to the outside. When used in the rating of microsprinklers it will mean how far the sprinkler will throw water from the sprinkler to the edge of the spray.
Solenoid
- A device which is activated electronically and controls the on - off function of a valve.
Soaker Tape
- A thin walled tube which lays flat when no water pressure is present. This tube has drippers installed at the factory during the manufacturing process.
Spinner
- A part of a microsprinkler which the water spins and then helps to throw the water away from the sprinkler. This helps make a larger diameter spray with lower pressure. Used on 360 degree pattern sprinklers only. Not all 360 degree sprinklers use this method, mostly the larger diameter ones.
Spray Pattern
- This is the portion of a circle that the sprinklers water spray will cover. The most common is a full circle (360 degree), Half Circle (180 degree) and Quarter Circle (90 degree).
Turbulent Flow
- This is one way that drippers can regulate the flow of water. It is a method of making the water move through a very winding passageway before it can exit the dripper.
Teflon Tape
- A thin plastic type of tape which you place on threads to help seal them from leaking.
UV
- The harmful Ultraviolet rays from the sun. Many products have a UV inhibitor called Carbon Black to extend the life span of the product before it is broken down from the UV rays.
Valves
- Valves are the component which actually turn the water on and off. Valves can be manual or automatic.
Water Flow
- "Water flow" can be used to mean the water flow direction or the amount (quantity) of water flow.
Water Supply
- Where your water comes from. This could be a pipe on the side of your house or a river you pump the water from.
Watering Frequency
- This is how often your system turns on. Once per day, once per week, ect.
Washer
- This is a rubber circle which fits inside some female threaded components to keep water from leaking out.
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