Valves can be grouped together in manifolds, or installed individually - and valves should always be buried inside a plastic irrigation valve box. Never bury a valve directly in the dirt.
Although some irrigation installations are still being done with valves installed above grade, it is becoming more common for the valves to be placed below ground. However, there is an important additional component to be added when burying valves, the valve box!
The Importance of Covers for Irrigation Control Valves
That control valve system should be protected from unauthorized access or extreme weather conditions. It should be enclosed and secured with a Safe-T-Cover aluminum enclosure.
Q: How Deep Do You Bury Sprinkler Wire? A: Like the pipes, you should bury the conduit at least 6 inches deep. Depending on your municipal code, you may be required to dig them deeper. This will protect it from shovels and tillers.
Dig for Your Sprinkler System
The trenches will be relatively shallow, usually 6 to 12 inches deep, depending on your area's freeze cycles and frost severity. The trench must also be deep enough to allow the sprinklers to retract underground to prevent breakage from lawn machines.
International Plumbing Code states exterior water supply system piping should ideally lie 6 inches below the frost line and not less than 12 inches under grade for best performance.
For a rough rule of thumb, 18-gauge is good for 750 feet, if you are operating one valve at a time.
Dig trenches following the string. Mark the sprinkler locations with flags or the stakes. Typical trench depths range from 6 to 12 inches.
These cables might be used for either electrical “bonding” or “grounding.” Bonding is permitted, but grounding is not. Bonding is the process of connecting the metal in the sprinkler piping to the metal in the building (like structural steel) and provides that metal with a path to ground stray electric currents.
So, there are 4 options: Aboveground enclosure, wall-mount enclosure, leaving the valves bare aboveground, and belowground. Above ground: Your system is running off a hose, so you could build a portable valve setup which you can move around as needed, connect extra sprinklers too, etc.
In newer lawn irrigation systems, the valves should be installed in valve boxes set into the earth. Often these are easily visible. In small yards, there is often a single valve box located near where the irrigation pipes enter the ground from the water source.
Leave all valves in the manual open position all winter to prevent repressurization. Open by turning the bleed screw or solenoid counterclockwise.
One of the main reasons to use an irrigation valve box is to protect your sprinkler irrigation system's components from adverse environmental conditions. Whether it's extreme heat, freezing weather, or heavy rainfall, valve boxes provide protection to valves and wiring.
Rent a valve-locating device. These devices detect lost valves by tracking the wires from the controller to the lawn irrigation system valve site. A valve-locating device contains a transmitter, a receiver, two lead wires, and a grounding stake. It transmits a beeping signal along the wire to find irrigation valves.
Typically, a zone can accommodate between five to ten sprinkler heads, with the understanding that each sprinkler head has a watering radius of about 15 feet.
The irrigation valve boxes are usually buried. They can be difficult to locate when they need maintenance or replacement. In small yards, the valve box is located near the point where the pipes enter the ground.
We can just run the wire in the ground in the same trenches as the pipe. We'll tuck the wire up underneath the pipe to protect it from any shovels in the future. But again, we don't have to worry about running conduit because we are using a wire that's designed for direct burial out here in the yard.
Sprinkler lines should be buried below the grass roots, and deep enough the sprinkler heads sit flush with the soil surface or slightly above grade. The depth varies depending on factors but typically ranges from eight to 12 inches.
16-Gauge Direct Burial Wire Is The Most Common Sprinkler System Wire. Typically if you are installing a valve manifold where you have several valves grouped together. 18-gauge multi-strand wire can be used as a low-cost solution.
Sprinkler lines should be buried at least the depth of the pipe, which is 4 inches. But you'll want to dig a trench closer to 12 inches in some climates and yards to cover your sprinkler system. Consult a local sprinkler installer to determine the best depth for your system based on your lawn and its watering needs.
12/2 low-voltage wire: Suitable for a total length of 200 feet with a total wattage of 60W.
High-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe is a good choice for underground water lines because of how the pipe is connected. Rather than using joints, which can leak, or glues and cement, which can degrade over time, HDPE pipe is connected via plastic fusion.
It's not just a pipe dream, because you can still do it on your own! Running water lines in your house comes down to knowing what tools you'll need, and how to use them to repair or install brand new pipes.
Pipe for conveying liquids susceptible to freezing should be buried no less than 12" below the maximum frost level. Permanent lines subject to heavy traffic should have a minimum cover of 24". For light traffic, 12" to 18" is normally sufficient for small diameter pipe (typically < 3" diameter).