Frequently Asked Questions: 
Drip Tubing, Emitters and Fittings

Drip Tubing FAQs

¼” tubing maximum flow capacity is 15 GPH (gallons per hour)

½” tubing maximum flow capacity is 150 GPH

⅝” tubing maximum flow capacity is 180 GPH

0.71” tubing maximum flow capacity is 188 GPH

¼” tubing maximum flow capacity is 15 GPH (gallons per hour) 

½” tubing maximum flow capacity is 150 GPH 

⅝” tubing maximum flow capacity is 180 GPH 

0.71” tubing maximum flow capacity is 188 GPH

¼" tubing maximum run length is 50’

½” tubing maximum run length is 200’

⅝” tubing maximum run length is 200’

0.71" tubing maximum run length is 200’

Yes, Raindrip tubing is made out of polyethylene with built-in UV inhibitors.

Raindrip supply tubing and feeder lines can be buried. However, drip tubing should not be buried. If buried, you risk clogging the emitters. If you do not want your drip tubing exposed, you can cover it with mulch.

The flow capacity is 1 GPH (gallons per hour) per foot if your run is kept under 15 feet. Runs longer than 15 feet will result in inconsistent and uneven watering.

If you are having problems connecting your tubing into the swivel adapter, we suggest trying the following:

Cut the tip of the tubing at a 45° angle, push the tubing onto the adapter and then turn the collar. At least ¾” of the tubing should be inserted onto the swivel to secure a proper connection.

Alternatively, you can also leave tubing outside, exposed to direct sunlight or use a hairdryer to heat up the tubing. This will cause the tubing to become softer and help ease installation.

Emitters, Drippers and Watering Devices FAQs

Raindrip makes four different types of drippers: Pressure Compensating, Mini In-Line, Button and Flag.

Pressure Compensating drippers are used in landscapes and container planters and will maintain a constant flow rate even on hillsides or long circuits.

Button drippers are appropriate for most drip watering applications on a flat terrain.

Mini In-Line drippers are best for irregularly spaced plants and short rows. They will connect to ¼” tubing on both sides.

Flag drippers can be used for potted plants or in other flat terrain plantings, and are the only the drippers designed to be taken apart for easy cleaning.
 

Drippers are color coded to differentiate the different flow rate outputs:

Red: 0.5 GPH

Black: 1.0 GPH

Green: 2.0 GPH

Yellow: 4.0 GPH

You should never mix drippers with sprinklers, because of their varying flow rates. The flow rate of a sprinkler may vary from 0 to 20 GPH (gallons per hour). Pressure Compensating, In-Line, Button, and Flag Drippers have a flow rate of ½ GPH, 1 GPH, 2 GPH and 4 GPH.

A Pressure Compensating (PC) Dripper is a terminating dripper that has only one arrow head barbed connector. It should be installed at the end of ¼” tubing or inserted directly into a ½” tube.

An In-Line Dripper works very well with plants that have been spaced out. It has two arrow head barbed connectors, one on each side. The In-Line Dripper takes ¼” tubing on both sides. The length of the tubing between In-Line Drippers should match the distance between plants.

Water flow is regulated by adjusting the screws on the manifold itself.

To help alleviate or minimize this problem Raindrip suggests you fill small containers with water and scatter them around your area. Squirrels and other rodents chew on Raindrip product due to the ease of accessing water. Providing them with other sources of water can deter them from chewing up your product. If this solution does not help with your problem, you can use wire screen mesh to protect the product from ease of access by these rodents. Note: the mesh may interfere with the spray radius of the sprinkler heads.

Drip Fittings, Filters and Pressure Regulators FAQs

Raindrip fittings having barbs that allow them to be used with other manufacturer's; however, the only universal fittings Raindrip offers are our Smart Loc™ fittings and ¼” fittings. Our ½”, ⅝” or .710” fittings will work with other manufacturer's tubing as long as the I.D. (inner diameter) is within tolerance. For example, our ½" fittings will work with any manufacturer’s tubing with an I.D. of .620” - .630”.

Mismatching threads or cross-threaded connections are the main cause of leaks. Raindrip makes both pipe & hose thread parts, so to prevent a leaky connection, it is important to match hose thread to hose thread and pipe thread to pipe thread.

Yes! A liquid, water soluble fertilizer will work fine with the “Y” filter.

The flow control goes inside the swivel adapter with the black rubber washer facing up. The filter washer goes inside the faucet connection. If you try to set both the flow control and filter washer inside the swivel adapter, there will not be enough thread on the adapter to make a connection.

Yes, a preset Pressure Regulator is necessary when installing a drip system. A drip system is designed to work with a pressure of 25 to 35psi. Any pressure over 35psi will damage the system over time.