Watering Tips & Tricks
Tips and tricks to help you install and use your Mister Landscaper Drip Irrigation or Micro Irrigation system.
Ever wondered how many micro sprinklers or drippers can be run from a single faucet? Or maybe you want to know how many drippers can be added to a line of micro sprinklers. All this info and more can be found here: Maximum Runs
Turn on the water before installing your Stake Assemblies or Drippers. Allow a gentle flow of water through your system to allow any debris to wash out before ending your system. This will help prevent clogging the emitters.
If a Micro Spray Mister becomes clogged, first check the black/purple flow controller at the end of your Stake Assembly. Simply twist apart and check the hole. If this is not the problem, unscrew the Mister and use a pin to clean it out. The MLA-TOOL comes with a cleaning tool for making this job simple.
To make rolling out your 1/2-in Poly Tubing even easier, hook the tubing up to a faucet as the directions instruct and put the end fitting on the end of the line, closing off the water. The tubing will fill up with water, making it heavier and easier to unroll. Another tip is to sit the coil of 1/2-in Poly Tubing in the sun for 20 minutes. This will also help make rolling it out easier. The last tip is after attaching the tubing to the faucet, place a 1/2-in Support Stake (MLA-57) every 6 to 8-ft by snapping it onto the 1/2-in Poly, then push it into the ground to securely hold the tubing while you continue to unroll the coil through your landscapes.
To make the installation easier for any of our 1/2-in Poly Locking Collar Fittings, first put a dab of olive oil onto a paper towel or tissue. Next, wipe the olive oil inside of the hole of the 1/2-in Poly tubing. This will make pushing the end of the 1/2-in Poly Tubing onto the built in O-ring of the fitting very easy!
To make the installation of any of the 1/4-in Couplers, Tees, Elbows, Drippers, Goof Plugs, or 1/4-in Valves into 1/4-in Vinyl Tubing or 1/4-in PE even easier, just dip the end of the Vinyl or PE into a cup of very warm water until the Vinyl is warm. Or if you can use the Installation Tool (MLA-TOOL), it can be used as leverage to push the Vinyl tubing onto the 1/4-in Barbs. This is especially helpful if you have arthritis or weakened hand strength. Or a dab of cooking oil on a paper towel, rub the outside of the adapter and slide tubing on.
Use a pressure regulator (MLA-58 or MLD-25PR) if your water pressure is too high. This will help prevent the Stake Assemblies, Drippers, and 1/4-in Fittings from blowing out of the 1/4-in Vinyl Tubing or 1/2-in Poly Tubing.
Adding a timer (MLWT-TIMER) to your Micro Sprinkler or Drip Irrigation System will allow you to have the peace of mind when traveling, going on vacations, or just too busy to turn it on.
During winter months, remove your timer, pressure regulator and backflow and store it inside.This will keep the mechanical parts from freezing and breaking.
You can leave your system out year-round! To winterize your system, undo the end fitting and allow water to drain out. It does not have to be completely empty of water.
Hook up a Birdbath Dripper Kit-in (MLK-BBKT). You will never have to fill up your bird bath again! And the birds will love you for this! Hooks directly into your 1/2-in poly tubing.
If you have a window box or flower pot that needs water, simply unscrew your existing sprinkler head and screw on a MLA-SPR1. You can now run a line of 1/4-in Vinyl Tubing with a Dripper or a Stake Assembly to your plant.
For seasonal plants or veggies, you can turn off specific Micro Sprinklers by turning off the on/off valve on each Stake Assembly or shut off a whole line of 1/4-in Drip Tubing.
Remember to adjust your Timer during the rainy season. This will avoid over-watering your plants and save gallons of water!
Inspect your system regulary to make sure it is running properly. Check for leaks, position of sprays, etc. You may find that as your plants grow, you may want to add more Micro Sprays or Drippers. It is a good idea to always have your punch tool and extra Stake Assemblies or Drippers on hand!
Perhaps you would like to cool off your pet's kennel. Hooking up Micro Spray Misters is a great way to keep your pets cool during the hot summer months.
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The MLM-05 and MLM-404 are excellent Mister choices for Green Houses. The MLM-05 will give you a small 5-6 ft. pattern with heavier droplets. The MLM-404 with just the Green "G" shaped micro spray gives you a 320 degree small 5-6-ft fan pattern that is more of a mist with smaller droplet size. You can either thread these directly into our 1/2-in poly or use our MLM-231 Mister Riser. If you decide you want to run 1/2-in PVC pipe, you would want to use our MLA-54 Shrub adapter.
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