I purchased the Drip Irrigation System, Quick-Connect Garden Watering System Kit/DG-DIS201 with 50 feet of main line and 100 ft of irrigation tubing. We ran about 40’ of main line using all the 4 way & 2 way couplers (and tees) to irrigate a raised bed and multiple grow bag garden.
When we turn on the water, we have to turn it up in order to get dribbles out of the emitters at the end of the line, but the emitters at the beginning are spraying. The emitters at the end of the line are fully open while the emitters are the beginning are close to closed.
Why is this happening and how can we fix it? Is it because we ran the main line too far in one piece? It’s frustrating.
Pressure loss is occurring due to pipe friction and the large number of connectors; this results in high pressure (and spraying) at the inlet end, while the pressure at the far end is insufficient, causing a weak flow. The use of a single, overly long main line further exacerbates this pressure differential.
To improve the pressure balance across the system, you might consider the following measures:
Install a pressure-reducing valve for drip irrigation at the water inlet to stabilize and balance the overall pressure.
Divide the long main line into multiple shorter branch lines for zoned water supply, thereby shortening the piping runs.
Switch to pressure-compensating (PC) drippers, which automatically adjust for pressure differences to ensure uniform output.
Minimize the use of unnecessary tees or cross connectors to reduce additional pressure loss.
If you would like more specific advice, please feel free to share photos of your system layout—ideally showing the water output.