# Metalworking support of Irrigation



## tq60 (Oct 3, 2021)

One of the hobbies is irrigation...yes we are odd.

It is more of the control of irrigation as it can have good tech.

Our home is on community water and the water pressure has always been a challenge.

In our former Motorola years we supported a Motorola product MIR5000 which was early generation system.

Many years later we have upgraded to current product, Irrinet PRO.

This allows us to control by volume using meters, vary the pressure using regulators and bypass valves and other creative things to make the most of limited resources.

The garden is all drip tape with flow rates 0.2 gallon per minute so we can get good control.

So we have a manifold with bunch of valves and the regulators.

We had pressure gages at different places to monitor pressure and it was sloppy.

Picked up a handful of good units and decided to build a manifold to hold them since no brackets.

Just as we were ready to build the housing they had issues in the system and now the fine mesh filter clogs up often so we needed to add a differential switch, more work.

Since we needed to make a new cover we added some status and alarm LEDs.

All of the aluminum was scrap.

The swivel brass fittings were from Restore, $0.25 ea.

The manifold is some stainless stuff from scrap yard, very difficult to tap pipe threads due to tapered threads.

The "frame" of the box is radio rack.

The face plate was difficult as the round holes first were punched, just happened to have a chassis punch the right size.

But the gages have the fitting on the bottom so it needs to go in at an angle.

It also has a fill plug on the top.

So careful measurement to get holes punched.

Then file them to allow the gages to pivot in.

Next screw in all of the gages through their holes then flip up the faceplate (filing as needed) to make it fit.

Once all together tear it apart and place the lettering and clear coat.

We then realize the sun at end of day will hit this and a cover is needed.

We like a double arm pivot like used on some cars as it allows the cover to pivot an move away.

Made brackets that used existing holes since it was built after the rest.

Needed latches to hold it closed. 

Made some magnetic latches from cup hooks.
The 4-20ma sensors arrived and barely fit, this will allow the computer to record actual pressure.

Currently working on the wiring harness, using weather pac connectors so it just plugs in.

























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## jwmelvin (Oct 3, 2021)

I like the hinges.


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## Just for fun (Oct 3, 2021)

Wow,  That looks like a lot of work.   But very cool.   

We also have a limited water supply, but our irrigation is spread out over a couple acres.  It would be cool to monitor all the locations from one place.  It's not going to happen though.   We use faucet end timers,  drip irrigation and a two page schedule.

Your setup looks awesome!


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## MrWhoopee (Oct 3, 2021)

Very nice work.

To quote J.G. Boswell (the man who brought cotton to California): "The land is just dirt, the water is gold."
Glad I no longer live in the Central Valley.


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## mattthemuppet2 (Oct 3, 2021)

wowsas, that is really cool! I also dislike tapping pipe threads. The ones I've done in brass sound like I'm murdering small children.


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## mksj (Oct 3, 2021)

I use a computer controlled irrigation system, currently with 28 stations that is expandable, you can also add a flow meter and digital alarms as well as valve currents. Grit and sand in the line is still an issue although I use fine mesh screens on drip lines. One consideration I had for the main water supply line is an electronic fine mesh filter with an automatic flush cycle, might be something to consider.
iSpring WSP50ARB





						iSpring WSP50ARB Reusable Spin-down Sediment Water Filter with Scraper and Touch-Screen Auto Flushing, 50 Micron, 35 GPM, 1-MNPT, 3/4-inch FNPT
					

As a larger, upgraded version of WSP series, WSP50ARB filters out particulate, sediment, rust, and floating objects. Used to create a multi-layer gradient filtration system taking considerable workload off finer filters that follow it and result in a long




					www.123filter.com


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## Weldingrod1 (Oct 3, 2021)

Now THAT is some proper over-the-top hardware!

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## tq60 (Oct 3, 2021)

We have a flush valve that can clear out the filter, problem is the design of the filter has pockets that retain the silt and not enough from to clean it.

I can easily program the system to stop irrigation then clean filter and resume but we will need to get a different cartridge first.

We have a 1.5 inch Y filter on a 1 inch service with an additional 1.5 inch whole house type ahead of it that catches sand stuff.

Improvement to filter is another project.

Got the panel installed today.

Used nylon hose protective sleeve to protect the water lines from sun.

All works as designed, still need to add cross connects for new things. 

The indicators are simply slaved off of the bypass valves and the Main valve supplies the power for the filter alarm as the switch is switched ground on active.

Cross connects are another day.

Added a photo of the hinge.

Popsicle sticks help in testing then creation is somewhat simple.

Place brackets where they go, make one arm and install, then make second, drill one ND and attach, thenwith transfer punch mark hole and drill hole and cut end.

Set screws keep the screws holding the arms from coming out.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	













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## Just for fun (Oct 3, 2021)

Looks Really nice!


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## tq60 (Oct 4, 2021)

Weldingrod1 said:


> Now THAT is some proper over-the-top hardware!
> 
> Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk


Ya think?

It is what happens when you tinker.

Collect some parts, lay them out, get more ideas and collect more parts.

Started this last year and little bits of time here and there.



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## hman (Oct 5, 2021)

OMG!!! _ the hoops some of us have to jump through, just for water.  When I lived near Sulfur Springs Road north of Corvallis, Oregon, I was fortunate enough to have a utility room I could dedicate to a (well) water treatment system.

H2S, high salt content, and significant hardness were all problems.


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