What NOT to do. This may be the most criminally ignorant of any DIY irrigation video ever produced. This dude lays out an array of garbage purchased from the big box store, and claims for around $200 you can build your own sprinkler system. Follow his advice and watch your investment turn into thousands of dollars of major repairs, possible property damage, a huge water bill, and the good chance of contaminating your neighborhood’s water supply.
Fortunately most of this “how-to” lacks any real information or instruction, making it harder for someone to follow through with this lunacy. Remember when Homer Simpson tried to build the barbecue pit in his back yard and ended up with a modern art masterpiece? That would be a better end to the materials presented here.
The most alarming omission from “How To Lou” is any discussion of plumbing code or backflow prevention. It’s one thing to risk fines, but it should be a matter of conscience to protect the community’s potable water. My favorite line of the video comes at the beginning where Lou confesses, “Unfortunately mine’s already installed…” Indeed it is unfortunate. I’m glad he’s not my neighbor. When these inferior valves fail or his system finally blows apart, someone will have to race to the street meter, because he hasn’t chosen to include a separate shut off either.
Glue-It-Yourself Lou wants you to believe you can just easily cut a tee right into your waterline. With one 3/4″ PVC tee no less, because ALL waterlines MUST be 3/4″ PVC, right? Hmmm, I wonder what the static pressure is at the waterline? Should we shut the water off before we cut into the line or does that matter?
Apparently flow testing isn’t required either because Lou has decided that 1/2″ poly pipe is fine for all lateral lines. I won’t bore you with pipe sizing basics or friction loss charts- that would just take too long.
Precipitation rates are boring too. Lou shows us we can just buy four different sized and shaped heads. Look at the pictures on the heads and point them where you want them to spray. In the more technical section of the lesson, Lou uses satellite technology to plot the site. Big yellow circles represent spray arcs on Lou’s ‘plan’. He starts off okay with some head to head spacing basics on the right side of the drawing, then when that gets too mentally taxing he fills the empty spaces with full circles- dousing the little cartoon house’s windows and siding.
After learning nothing, we’re told in conclusion, “Install your sprinkler system, turn it on, and you should have a green lawn in no time.”
Please hire a certified professional to design and install your irrigation system. You will not save money going this cheap route. I guarantee your money would be better spent hiring the neighbor kid to hand water. My intent in this post wasn’t to shame Lou (pointless), but to warn folks who are Crusty fans ‘Cave Idiotis’.
