Drip Irrigation System Zones

If you’re looking to further customize your watering schedule, it may be in your best interest to create a drip irrigation system with separate zones. Separate zones allow you to tailor the watering so that each area receives exactly what it needs. Below, we’ll discuss the best way to set up one of these systems and how it may benefit your lawn or garden.

Multi-Zone Drip Irrigation

By dividing a landscape into different watering zones, each with its own controller, you can tailor the watering frequency to the specific needs of different plants. For example, most lawns require frequent, light watering, while shrubs or trees prefer deeper, less frequent soaking. This customized approach also leads to substantial savings on water. Furthermore, separate zones address limitations in water pressure. Simply have each zone turn on at different times of day. This precise, targeted delivery of water to the root zone also helps reduce weed growth in unwatered areas, saving time and labor on maintenance.

And the best part is, you can create your two zones right through the hose bib.

What You’ll Need to Create Your Drip Zones

To construct your drip irrigation system with two head assemblies, we recommend using the following materials:

Y Adapter – This is a crucial starting point for your two-zone system. It screws directly onto a spigot and splits the water flow into two separate outlets. This allows you to run two independent lines, each leading to a different watering zone. Most Y adapters also have individual shut-off valves for each outlet.

Backflow Preventers – These devices are a critical safety feature. They are installed at the beginning of the system, before the filters and pressure regulators, to prevent contaminated water from flowing backward into your main home water supply.

Inline Filters – Drip irrigation emitters have very small openings that are easily clogged by debris in the water. An inline filter is installed after the backflow preventer to catch these particles, ensuring consistent water flow to every plant.

Pressure Regulators – Drip systems operate at much lower pressures than a standard home water supply. A pressure regulator is installed after the filter to reduce the water pressure to the correct level. This prevents your tubing and fittings from blowing apart and ensures that every emitter in your two zones delivers water at a uniform rate, regardless of its location.

Compression Adapters – These fittings are used to create secure, leak-proof connections between your main water line and the main drip irrigation tubing. They work by compressing a ring around the tubing to create a tight seal without the need for glue or clamps. This is often used to connect the pressure regulator to the start of the tubing for each of your two zones.

Hose End Timers – A hose end timer can be installed on each of the two outlets of the Y adapter. These timers are what make your two zones automated and independent. You can program each timer with a different watering schedule, allowing you to give two zones entirely different watering schedules.

Swivel Adapters – These adapters provide a flexible connection point that allows you to rotate a connected component without having to unscrew it. They are particularly useful when connecting the main line to the start of your drip system, as they make installation and alignment much easier and reduce the chances of a leak.

Just about every product listed above is available at Sprinkler Warehouse for great prices. You can even pick up Hose Bib Connection Kits to get most of the supplies with a single purchase. Just remember that you’ll need two of everything, aside from the Y adapter.

Building a Drip System with Two Zones

Now that you have your materials, here is an easy-to-follow guide to help build your two head assemblies.

Connect the Y Adapter: Screw the Y adapter directly onto your outdoor faucet. Make sure the connection is snug to prevent leaks.

Attach Backflow Preventers: Screw a backflow preventer onto each of the two outlets of the Y adapter.

Attach Timers: Screw a hose end timer onto each of the two backflow preventers. You now have two independent control points for your zones.

Connect Filters: Screw an inline filter onto the outlet of each timer. Check that the filters are installed correctly with the direction of water flow.

Install Pressure Regulators: Connect a pressure regulator to the outlet of each inline filter. You may need a swivel adapter installed first.

Use Compression Adapters: Use a compression adapter to securely connect the main tubing to the pressure regulator for each zone.

Adding Zones to Your Irrigation System

If you’d like more than two zones in your system, you can install a brass manifold. These parts allow for even more zones from your spigot. With a larger manifold, all you’ll need to do is replicate the process above with as many zones as you need.

If you have any questions about setting up your hose bib drip connection kit, you can chat with one of our superb customer service agents at SprinklerWarehouse.com. They really know their stuff, and they’ll be happy to provide product recommendations for your next project. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel to get the most out of our user-friendly shop.