Sun Too Hot For Irrigation Tube?

[enkmd]

Hi all,

I have just laid out about 800m of 20mm black irrigation tube with drippers and misters. Back in NZ this would be ok left exposed to the sun but here I am not sure.

The father inlaw says it must be dug into the ground. I have dug a few small holes for plants in the hard dry soil and am not interested in digging by hand 800m of pipe.

Can any one share there knowledge and experience please?

The tube is Agru-ruma LDPE 20mm

[teletiger]

Never seen anyone dig the black pipes in. The blue pipe tends to bleach and go brittle when left out. Our black pipe has been out for 2 years now with no apparent problems.

One problem we did have was twisting. We put it out in 40 metre lengths and then punched the holes for the mini sprinklers aimed at each plant.(macua puang) After a week the pipe had twisted sending the water jets all skeewiff. So letting the pipes settle first before punching holes is good.

Regards.

[enkmd]

Well that sounds like good news to me, fingers crossed I have the same quality tube as you.

I did look at another brand of tube but it was much softer than mine so I hope we got the good stuff.

We are in Phayao which I think is not as hot as other parts of Thailand.

I will inform the father in-law that it is ok as is and if it does go bad, well its my money anyway.

Thanks Very Much

[Smithson]

We will bury some of our irrigation hose to make mowing easier, but it won't be until the rains come. The ground is too hard now and the grass isn't growing while it's dry.

[Boksida]

We have some 1-1/4" HDPE tubing that, when we use it, is frequently moved and re-routed. We have used it in many different provinces and have never buried it. Some of it must be over 20 years old now and will be used again. We generally use G.I. fittings when making connections and the biggest losses have been through bushfires and trucks running over it.

I don't think you have to worry.

[Gary A]

Hi all,

I have just laid out about 800m of 20mm black irrigation tube with drippers and misters. Back in NZ this would be ok left exposed to the sun but here I am not sure.

The father inlaw says it must be dug into the ground. I have dug a few small holes for plants in the hard dry soil and am not interested in digging by hand 800m of pipe.

Can any one share there knowledge and experience please?

The tube is Agru-ruma LDPE 20mm

I found their website with no problem. Unfortunately the web site doesn't work properly. I tried all three of me browsers and none work. Can you give me an idea of the cost per 100 meters and the cost of drippers?

[Maizefarmer]

You don;t say if this 20mm hose is rigid or layflat (i.e. keeps its ciruclar shape when no water is in it, or tends to lay flat)?

Which is it?

Edited February 3, 2009 by Maizefarmer

[enkmd]

The tubing keeps itself rigid and round. The cost here in Phayao was 630 per roll (200m). The drippers were about 3 baht each and t's and elbows i think about 5 baht each. Im sure better prices are available in BKK and with larger quantities.

Does anyone know of a good place in chiang rai to get irrigation and hort supplies? and also somewhere to find decent tools?

Many Thanks

Edited February 3, 2009 by enkmd

[slapout]

Have used heavy wall 3 and 1 inch (blue color) for irrigation for the past 10 years. No problem with sun or cracking. Did bury that between trees due to the week eaters seemed drawn to plastic pipe like a magnet. In fact we have nearly discontinued using it as ditches alone drip line of trees seem adequate.

[Maizefarmer]

Okay, its rigid.

Personally I would not bury it. Why? - becuase like it or not you are going to get a load of crap over time getting into the drippers - and having to walk up and down each line with a piece of thin wire or paper clip, repeatadly unblocking drippers becomes a nuisance - which reminds me - you haven't forgotten to put a disc fliter on the system, have you?? best get one - otherwise it wont be long before you are doing the above.

The best way to lay them: tied inside the Y of short Y-sticks pushed into the soil with the Y about 1" above the ground. Thsi will keep dirt out, stop people walking all over them and stop them getting chewed up by the strimmer cuter chord/blade, or getting damaged by any other tools used to keep the ground clear.

[jandtaa]

The tubing keeps itself rigid and round. The cost here in Phayao was 630 per roll (200m). The drippers were about 3 baht each and t's and elbows i think about 5 baht each. Im sure better prices are available in BKK and with larger quantities.

Does anyone know of a good place in chiang rai to get irrigation and hort supplies? and also somewhere to find decent tools?

Many Thanks

theres a good irrigation shop as you turn off the main drag in the centre of town towards the bus station .its on the left hand side about 30 meters down. There's a seed merchant behind the bus station (on the corner of the soi that is the main entrance to the night bazaar from the main drag, loads of varieties including a range of hybrid seed.If you carry on past the bus station towards the super highway junction there's some tool shops at this junction.

hope this helps Jandtaa

[enkmd]

Not sure if any one will read this but It has been a couple of years now and it seems that the sun is too much for the irrigation tube, at least in places.

At first glance I immediately thought it had been hit by the strimmer blade but after closer inspection it was clear that the hose is brittle and degrading from what must be the sun. Several drippers have also snapped off and are brittle.

[enkmd]

Not sure if any one will read this but It has been a couple of years now and it seems that the sun is too much for the irrigation tube, at least in places.

At first glance I immediately thought it had been hit by the strimmer blade but after closer inspection it was clear that the hose is brittle and degrading from what must be the sun. Several drippers have also snapped off and are brittle.

A clearer picture

[Pacificperson]

Your father-in-law was right? It looks like UV degradation to me. But then, trenching 200 meters to gain a couple of years of extra life on a 630 baht investment doesn't make much sense to me.

Edited January 20, 2011 by Pacificperson

[teletiger]

We are still using the original hosing. Last year we moved it all to an adjacent field and found no problems at all. Last week I took about 200 metres to use as irrigation for our driveway privet hedge and again, everything was OK. A few of the drippers had salted up and needed cleaning, but the pipe itself (3+ years old now) was fine.

Maybe it was a different make. At the time we paid 800 Baht per roll. Don't know the maker offhand, but can look.

Regards.

[GuidoGoedheer]

The tubing keeps itself rigid and round. The cost here in Phayao was 630 per roll (200m). The drippers were about 3 baht each and t's and elbows i think about 5 baht each. Im sure better prices are available in BKK and with larger quantities.

Does anyone know of a good place in chiang rai to get irrigation and hort supplies? and also somewhere to find decent tools?

Many Thanks

theres a good irrigation shop as you turn off the main drag in the centre of town towards the bus station .its on the left hand side about 30 meters down. There's a seed merchant behind the bus station (on the corner of the soi that is the main entrance to the night bazaar from the main drag, loads of varieties including a range of hybrid seed.If you carry on past the bus station towards the super highway junction there's some tool shops at this junction.

hope this helps Jandtaa

are you talking about Chiang Mai ?

[craigt3365]

Not sure if any one will read this but It has been a couple of years now and it seems that the sun is too much for the irrigation tube, at least in places.

At first glance I immediately thought it had been hit by the strimmer blade but after closer inspection it was clear that the hose is brittle and degrading from what must be the sun. Several drippers have also snapped off and are brittle.

I just saw this post. My Mom's house in Nevada uses PVC piping buried 3" or so underground and has the same cracks. Getting pretty bad now. Our neighbor is the greens manager for the local golf course. He said it's from expanding and contracting with the water flow. The pipe is about 6 years old and has never seen the sun. Replacing all of it this year.

Here in Thailand, we have plastic impact sprinklers in the yard. They don't last that long. The sun eats them up...going with metal ones now.