Sprinklers designed to be driven over?

[gsuty17]

In the not too distant future I'd like to pave my driveway but would like to make it a teardrop loop so I don't have to pay for so much asphalt, and also to keep the area from being so hot in the summer. Also would alleviate the temptation to rip donuts on my new asphalt. I'd like to put grass in the center of the loop, but I must drive through it to get my motorhome, truck-trailer, etc. into the shop. I'm confident I can get my hard lines buried deep enough to not be an issue, but does anybody know of a sprinkler design or installation method that will tolerate being drive on my a ~30k motorhome every now and then??

Short of pouring little concrete piers flush with the lawn and protecting them that way I haven't seen anything that solve my problem. That, or a sprinkler on a hose, that is.

 

[BrandonV]

I wouldn't have any concerns about the weight of an RV on the pipes under the ground but I would probably install those concrete donuts that you put sprinklers in. If they're using funny pipe it should be good.

 

[duneslider]

I assume you have some idea where you need to drive? Could you just not put sprinklers where you will be driving? I occasionally need to drive in my backyard and i just mark the sprinklers and don't drive over them...

 

[CraigStu]

Maybe cut several 2'x2' squares of 3/4 plywood. Each time you need to drive there just set them over each sprinkler? I would think that as long as you are not making a tight turn as you pass over them, they would shield the sprinkley head.

 

[LXCam]

The trick is to use threaded 90’s. Look up a sprinkler swing joint and you’ll get it better than me trying to explain it. By using the threaded 90’s in both horizontal and vertical positions it’ll allow compression and lateral movement without breaking the piping.

 

[kiole]

Using a swing joint should work. Whether using poly pipe or PVC.

When I did irrigation for a living I’d use saddle Ts with funny pipe running to a threaded 90 for the head. This has enough movement to move up and down with the ground.

The concrete donut will help also.

 

[niget2002]

Using a swing joint should work. Whether using poly pipe or PVC.

When I did irrigation for a living I’d use saddle Ts with funny pipe running to a threaded 90 for the head. This has enough movement to move up and down with the ground.

The concrete donut will help also.

Swing joints work well for smaller equipment, but I rolled off the edge of my driveway with the truck and still managed to break the sprinkler that was by the edge of the concrete.

Granted, our black clay is hard as a rock when it's dry, so it may not have flexed like it should.

 

[rlitman]

I assume you have some idea where you need to drive? Could you just not put sprinklers where you will be driving? I occasionally need to drive in my backyard and i just mark the sprinklers and don't drive over them...

Lots of commercial mowers drive over sprinklers all the time. They may not have quite the pressure of a vehicle, but with some foresight (and the OP is asking the right questions BEFORE building), cars driving over sprinklers are totally doable.

First and foremost is the pipe connecting to the sprinkler housing. It needs to be able to move around, and a swing joint with beefy threaded street elbows and a short length of funny pipe in the middle is the best solution. To niget2002's point, if your soil is too hard to let things move, you need to amend it when you excavate to install the swing joint.

kiole shows a very nice commercial swing joint, and I have a number of this exact style in my lawn, but if I planned to drive over it, I wouldn't use that particular joint. I would build one up from components, with a female fitting directly under the sprinkler body (and you MUST use a bottom entry sprinkler for this), with a 35 cent riser ****** between the swing joint and the body. Those risers are quite easy to remove with a cheap extractor tool, and it leaves you an inexpensive weak point that will break before anything else. Well, it's a good weak point if you use the 35 cent black polypropylene ****** with the hex center, but if you use a gray schedule 80 ******, well you've defeated the purpose.

Second, is use a better sprinkler. Lots of commercial sprinklers are built stronger for stuff like sports fields. Find something with a fully rubber top, and avoid a hard plastic top.

And yeah, those concrete donuts have a good reputation.

 

[kiole]

Swing joints work well for smaller equipment, but I rolled off the edge of my driveway with the truck and still managed to break the sprinkler that was by the edge of the concrete.

Granted, our black clay is hard as a rock when it's dry, so it may not have flexed like it should.

Im used to sandy loamy soil in the north east. I do think for larger equipment a concrete donut or similar would be smart.

Ultimately they should be avoided and not run over as long term it will damage the head.

 

[gsuty17]

Wow, I had notifications turned off! Thanks guys! I hadn't seen the concrete donuts. I'll obviously try to avoid them, but at some point it's inevitable. I use the swing joints now; I hadn't considered that it will just move with the sprinkler. Obviously not ideal to drive on them, but I'll add the concrete ring to my plan and go from there. Thanks!

 

[3doghouse]

Using a swing joint should work. Whether using poly pipe or PVC.

When I did irrigation for a living I’d use saddle Ts with funny pipe running to a threaded 90 for the head. This has enough movement to move up and down with the ground.

The concrete donut will help also.

Thank you for sharing this. I think swing joints are in my near future.

 

[Paycheck]

Best Sprinkler Head Protector - GRASSHOLE

GRASSHOLE Sprinkler Head Protector helps protect your sprinkler heads and solar lights from lawn trimmers, mowers, sinkage, damage, & grass overgrowth

grassholesystem.com