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Types of Irrigation Pipe
Types of Irrigation Pipe. To most anybody going to the local hardware store, irrigation pipe is irrigation pipe, but over the past 20 years significant changes have come about in the industry. Irrigation pipe now comes in several types for different applications. Each type of irrigation pipe has a specific color that designates what it is designed...
To most anybody going to the local hardware store, irrigation pipe is irrigation pipe, but over the past 20 years significant changes have come about in the industry. Irrigation pipe now comes in several types for different applications. Each type of irrigation pipe has a specific color that designates what it is designed for. The colors are white, brown, purple and black.
Regular Irrigation Pipe
Regular irrigation pipe is a rigid white PVC pipe. It is used for standard sprinkler applications, meets the majority of at-home uses and is buried underground. Some white irrigation pipings are made with UV inhibitors, but not all, and therefore it is recommended that the pipe be buried underground in accordance with local codes. The buried pipe will last for years in the ground. It comes in sizes ranging from ? inch all the way up to 8 inches.
Drip Irrigation Pipe
Drip irrigation pipe is usually black and is commonly called poly. Drip irrigation pipe is far more flexible then regular sprinkler pipe and is sold in spools. Poly ranges in size from ? inch to 2 inch. It does contain UV inhibitors, which means it can be installed above ground, but it will last longer if buried.
Reclaimed Water
Large water users, such as golf courses and parks and in some cases homeowners, can use reclaimed water to irrigate plants. The color for reclaimed water pipe is purple. Like white pipe, it is intended to be buried. Reclaimed water is wastewater that does not undergo the process to make it drinkable. This type of water is therefore cheaper to produce. It is used strictly for irrigating plants not intended for human consumption. Signs should be posted that the water is not drinkable where this type of pipe is used. This type of irrigation pipe comes in the same sizes as white pipe.
Brown Line
Brown line pipe, or UV pipe, is for above-ground use. As regular irrigation pipe is exposed to solar radiation, it affects the pipe by making it brittle so that in time the pipe is more apt to break. You can see a decline in PVC after just 24 hours in the sun if the pipe has no UV inhibitor. After six months you can see brittleness. UV pipe lasts longer in solar radiation and is for use on hillsides. Hillside irrigation piping is usually above ground because of the difficulty of burying it.
