Variable flow or adjustable drip emitter above and below.Do you like to play Whack a Mole? If you do, then you will love adjustable chip emitters. |
Close-up of an adjustable or variable drip emitter. I don't hate them but I don't like them very much and give precision drip irrigation a bad name. |
When cleaning and flushing a drip system, the primary
filter or screen must be cleaned
thoroughly, every “dead end” must be opened and flushed with several gallons of water and emitters should be inspected for plugging when they are operating. If emitters are plugged, they must be cleaned or replaced if they cannot be cleaned.
thoroughly, every “dead end” must be opened and flushed with several gallons of water and emitters should be inspected for plugging when they are operating. If emitters are plugged, they must be cleaned or replaced if they cannot be cleaned.
A major problem is created when drip systems are repaired
and but not flushed afterwards to remove dirt that enters the drip lines. If
drip irrigation lines are cut and repaired, I guarantee dirt entered these drip
lines. It is mandatory that the “dead ends” associated with the repair are
flushed immediately afterwards.
Drip system filters are cleaned and the system flushed
because dirt or sediment in the water collects inside the filters and eventually
plug drip emitters. Flushing the irrigation lines removes algae and bacteria
that plug emitters as well.
How frequently to clean and flush a drip system depends
on the quality of the water and how much water flows through the system.
Irrigation systems should be flushed more often in summer than winter.
How long it takes to flush and clean depends on the
design of the system. Poorly designed drip systems take longer to flush and
clean. When designing drip irrigation systems, minimize the number of “dead
ends” so that flushing the system takes less time and there are fewer places
that accumulate “dirt” and slime.
Most drip irrigation systems attached to municipal water are
flushed once a month if the municipal water delivered is clean. Sometimes it
is, sometimes it isn’t, depending on the age of the municipal system.
Even though filters must be installed as part of every drip
system, small amounts of sediment pass through these filters and eventually
become a problem if the system is not flushed and cleaned regularly. Failure of
drip systems is gradual, not like an “on and off” switch.
Drip systems attached to well water should be flushed
more often because this water is “dirtier”. How often depends on the quality of
the well water which varies from well to well. Typical cleaning and flushing might
vary from weekly to biweekly during the summer months.
Algae and bacteria (you might call it “slime”) grow
inside every irrigation system. Algae and bacteria are not problems with most
sprinkler systems but can be problems with drip emitters because the “emitter” holes
are so small.
In my opinion, drip
irrigation systems must be flushed and filters cleaned on a regular basis
depending on the quality of the water and the gallons used. The drip emitters used
should be easy to clean and inexpensive. Variable drip emitters are inaccurate
in their delivery of water but are subject to the same plugging as all other
drip emitters.
Drip irrigation saves the water wastage in the farmland by 90%
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