Gravity Drip Irrigation Kit Selection Guide

About Drip Depot Gravity Feed Drip Kits:

Drip Depot Gravity Feed kits are designed to make it easy to install a professional drip irrigation system. Our kits come complete with everything you need to create a working drip irrigation system and hook it up to any standard water faucet bib or garden hose.

Gravity drip irrigation systems normally pull water from reservoirs and because of that fact, the cleanliness of the water is a major consideration when choosing a gravity drip irrigation kit. Drip Depot has created both clean water and dirty water gravity drip irrigation kits. The main difference between our clean water and dirty water kits is the drippers that are included in each kit. 

Why the difference? In dirty water situations, normal button drippers would clog from the debris that is constantly present in the water running through the drip irrigation system. The advantage to using a 1⁄4” micro shut off valve is that the orifice is larger allowing debris to pass through without clogging the drip point. shut-off

What is a clean water source? Clean water would come from any municipal water source or storage container free of debris and thoroughly filtered. We define dirty water as water coming from ponds, rainwater or any open water catchment tanks.

Our gravity drip irrigation kits are much like our other kits except they do not come with a pressure regulator because gravity systems already operate at very low or no pressure. With that being said, either of our gravity kits could be converted to a pressurized system by simply adding a pressure regulator at a later time if needed.

The following useful guide was written to help you choose the right kit for you. It will show you how to design your drip irrigation system, gather the necessary parts and information and it will show you which kit to choose to suit your particular gardening needs. 

Step 1: Gather Information

To help ensure that you gather all the critical information needed to successfully choose and install a gravity feed drip irrigation kit we created a list of questions below that will act as an information gathering guide.

Questions to Answer:

1. What is your water source? 

Any water sources that come from ponds, rain water or open water catchment tanks should use one of, our dirty water kits. If your water is from a municipal water supply then we recommend a clean water kit. 

2. How many plants do you wish to water? 

Our kits come with a set number of drippers so having an idea of how many plants you would like to water helps narrow the kit choices down. 

3. Does your water source have an outlet with 3/4” male hose threads (MHT)? 

All of our gravity feed drip irrigation kits are designed to connect to an outlet that has a 3/4” male hose thread. 

4. How much mainline tubing will you need? 

This question is best answered by drawing out the path of your mainline tubing in a sketch. Once the lay-out is known measuring the distance the mainline tubing will cover is recommended. 

5. How much 1/4” micro tubing will you need? 

Once you know how much mainline tubing you will need, you will need to approximate how much micro tubing will be needed. If your mainline tubing comes close to the plant you wish to water then you can insert the emitter directly into the mainline tubing. If your mainline tubing is too far from the plant you wish to water, then you will need to use a micro tubing feeder line to bring the emitter close enough to the plant’s root zone. At each spot where you will place a watering device note how much micro tubing you may need to reach your final destination from your mainline. Write down the value for every spot you wish to place a watering device. Then add up each value and this will give you a great idea of how much micro tubing you may need. 

6. Will you need to go in two different directions from the water source or at any other place in your layout? 

You will need a Tee fitting for every spot that requires the mainline tubing to go in two different directions. Write down how many times you need to Tee your mainline tubing. 

7. How many places does your mainline tubing come to an end? 

Each end of a run of tubing needs an end cap. Write down how many end caps you will need in your system. 

8. Will you need to make any 90-degree turns? 

Mainline tubing will kink on corners, so every turn must have an elbow fitting. Again write down how many elbow fittings you may need. 

Step 2: Creating a sketch

Once you have answered the questions in Step 1 we recommend creating a sketch of your project area. We have found that a sketch helps to visualize the area and ensures that you have not overlooked any detail, which may result in not ordering enough parts or incorrect parts the first time. We have enclosed a sample sketch of a project to show the details that you want to provide in your sketch. 

Step 3: Using your information to choose the right kit

Now that you have gathered your information and created a sketch of your project area it is time to use that information to choose the best gravity feed kit for you. Below is a chart that lists the quantities of important items in each of our gravity feed kits. Start in column 1 and work your way to the right by choosing the quantity that best matches your results. When you have finished with each column look to find the kit that best matches your needs. Remember, every part we sell is available individually so if you find a kit that is closest to your project requirements, choose it and add the parts you need.

No kit fits your design needs exactly?

Let’s say that you have accomplished the above steps and you still don’t find a kit to suit your needs. We can help! Just use the Drip Depot exclusive “Customize this drip irrigation kit" feature.

To start: choose a gravity feed kit that is close to your design needs. This will become the template for your customized kit. Once on the item page of a kit, next to the "add" button is our "customize" button. Click on the link to begin customizing your kit.   Below is a short video (1:30) that will walk you through how to customize any of our drip irrigation kits. 

Installation Tips:

Although installing your own professional drip irrigation system might sound difficult, it is actually very easy. In fact, many of our customers who were apprehensive at first, found the installation process was very easy and took less time than they thought thanks to our kits. You don’t need any specialized tools or training.

Lastly, every Drip Depot kit is...

Durable

Drip Depot kits use only the highest quality parts in every one of our kits to ensure our customers receive many years of repeated use.

Reusable

We use Perma-loc fittings in our kits because they are durable, reusable and reliable. They offer flexibility and ease of assembly making our kits the best in the industry.

Backed by a Lifetime Guarantee

Every kit Drip Depot sells is backed by a lifetime guarantee. We are confident that our kits, including the components within, will provide our customers many years of use.

Expandable

We sell our components individually as well as in kit form. This means that you can add to your drip irrigation system at any time without having to buy new kit. Our components are in stock and ready to ship today, making Drip Depot your reliable source for drip irrigation kits, components and accessories.