A Complete Guide To Drip Fittings

Types Of Fittings For Your Half-Inch Poly Tubing 

Well, today I’m going to show you the advantages and disadvantages of barb fittings, compression fittings, and lock nut fittings. Alfred Castillo here, The Sprinkler Warehouse Pro. Let’s talk fittings!

DIG 1/2 inch Black Poly Tubing For Drip Irrigation

What Is The Difference Between OD And ID For Tubing?

What’s this O.D. I.D. stuff?  Well if you’re buying half-inch tubing, it isn’t just half-inch.  It has a few different sizes all considered half-inch.  O.D. is the outer diameter:  .67, .70, and .710. Then there’s Ithe inner diameter:  .57, .60, .58, .615.  The inside diameter depends on the thickness of the material.  For Barb fittings, you’ll need the I.D. or inner diameter, and for compression fittings, you will need to know the O.D. or outer diameter. 

Check Your Tubing Manufacturer Specs

If you’re in doubt about what size you’re working with, most manufacturers print the specs on the side of the tubing. So, here’s a number of barb fittings.  I’ve got some couplers, tees, elbows, and end caps.  There are also various kinds of adapters.  You push them inside of the poly tubing.  Now, I’m going to dip the tubing in a little warm water to make it a little easier.

Use A Hose Clamp For Tight Fittings

It’s usually a good idea to use a hose clamp to keep the fitting good and tight.  You could use crimping clamps, worm gear clamps, or plastic ratchet clamps. I like these little plastic ratchet clamps for my drip system because they go on fast with no tools. 

Stainless Steel Worm Gear Clamp For Poly Pipe

Why Use Barbed Fittings? 

They are cheap and go on fast.  Barbed fittings are great if you need a lot of fittings. However, they are not reusable.  Also, if you’re concerned about the longevity of your system, you should know that the barb fittings do stretch the tubing just a little, weakening it.  Over time the weakened area where the fitting is installed may crack or split.

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Antelco Double Barb Tee For Poly Tubing

Compression Fittings For Irrigation Tubing

For the compression fittings, you’ll need to know the outer diameter of your tubing. The tubing is inserted into the compression fitting. It’s a little difficult. A little warm soapy water will make connecting the compression fittings easier. Just soak it for a few seconds till the tubing heats up first. Rocking the tubing back and forth while inserting also helps.

If you need to remove the fitting, you’ll have to cut it off like this.  Compression fittings are not reusable. Unlike barb fittings, the tubing is not stretched. Compression fittings are inexpensive but slightly more difficult to install than barb fittings.

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Compression Tee For Poly Tubing Drip Irrigation

Locknut Fittings For Drip Irrigation

For our final category, we will discuss locknut fittings. Various manufacturers make fittings that are similar in that they have some sort of restraining nut system. The cool thing about these is they fit various sizes. Now, this is not your normal “righty tighty, lefty loosie”. The nut turns opposite of what you’d expect. If you’re having trouble you may be turning the nut the wrong way. Right turning this will take you back to the tubing. The left turn will get you back to the fitting.

Screw down the nut exposing the barb.  Push on the tubing. Screw the nut back up.  These are removable and reusable. The downside is they are rather expensive compared to the other types of fittings. If you need a lot of fittings, it may be pretty tough on your wallet.

DIG Tee Locknut Fitting, Also Knows As Nut Lock Fitting Tee

For More Information On Drip Irrigation Fittings And Tubing, Contact Sprinkler Warehouse

If you have any questions about our products, chat with one of our incredible customer service agents on Sprinkler Warehouse dot com. They really know their stuff, seriously.  I ask them questions all the time.  They’ll get you taken care of.

Browse All Drip Irrigation Fittings Here To Find One To Fit Your Irrigation Project

Remember, Sprinkler Warehouse has everything for your irrigation needs so your trees, lawns, flower beds, and gardens are lush and beautiful. Please subscribe to our YouTube channel to get the most out of our user-friendly shop and compare our website. For Sprinkler Warehouse, I’m Alfred Castillo, your Sprinkler Warehouse Pro!