Techline CV Design Guide

TECHLINE CV IN TURFGRASS:

Background: Netafim products have been used successfully in turfgrass since the 1980's. It is a popular choice for a variety of residential and commercial general-use and specialized-use turf areas, and has been used very successfully in sports turf, as well as composition and grass tennis courts.

WHERE AND WHY TO USE TECHLINE CV IN TURF:

• Long, odd-shaped or narrow areas:
- Allows greater landscape design freedom to use curvilinear layouts that cannot be utilized when overhead irrigation is used
- Eliminates wet roads and sidewalks
- Helps save water
- Reduces slipping and tripping hazards
- Reduces wet surface hazards to vehicle traffic
- The ability to irrigate areas with less water in long narrow areas where either getting the water is hard, or zoning the area is difficult
- Overspray is eliminated

• Areas close to buildings and at-grade windows:
- Stops windows from getting wet
- Allows the use of turfgrass close to a building without damage to facades
- Reduces deterioration and discoloration of building facades

• Athletic fields:
- No exposed sprinklers reduces impact injuries
- On tight-soil fields:
     • Can be irrigated and softened prior to play without wetting the surface
     • Helps reduce impact injuries from hard soil surfaces
- Because water window issues are eliminated, time of play increases

• Auto dealerships and other parking areas:
- No overspray reduces the cost of auto detailing
- Reduces slipping and tripping hazards
- Reduces wet surface hazards to vehicle traffic

• High wind, or constant wind areas:
- Overspray and wasted water is eliminated
- Water gets where it is supposed to be regardless of wind

• High liability areas:
- Tripping and other liability issues are significantly reduced
- Maintenance costs to repair broken sprinkler heads are greatly reduced

• Vandal-prone areas:
- "Out of sight, out of mind"
- Maintenance costs and potential liability of unrepaired problems is greatly reduced 

• Wood hardscapes:
- Bleaching of hardscapes such as wooden fences is eliminated
- Aesthetics of the wood hardscapes is maintained

• Steep slopes:
- Allows turf to be used on slopes
- Water is easily managed on slopes with dripperline
- Wash outs are eliminated

• Locales where the cost of water is too expensive for overhead irrigation.

• Unlike spray or rotor irrigation, which does not have an even application rate across its pattern, Techline CV has an extremely well-balanced application rate in the entire area. As such, you do not need to overwater to make sure the driest area receives enough water.
- Techline CV uses about half of the water of an overhead system
- Techline CV is about 90% efficient vs. overhead irrigation, which is about 60% efficient

• Techline CV seals in 1.3 gallons of water for every 100', saving water from draining out of the dripperline each time the zone shuts off.

• Water window issues:
- Irrigate whenever necessary because there is no exposed spray

• Recycled/reclaimed water or fertigation applications where spraying water is illegal:
- Allows for use of nutrient-rich water, often at a greatly reduced cost
- Saves potable water supplies

TIPS FOR USING TECHLINE CV IN A NEWLY-SODDED LAWN:

• Follow Table 1 General Guidelines recommendations for turf, click here.

• Bury the Techline CV approximately 4" below final grade

• In areas where mechanical aeration will be used, bury the Techline CV 6" below final grade and ensure aeration does not exceed 4"

• When installing the sod:
- It is important that the final grade is smooth, ensuring that the sod makes solid contact with the soil
- Properly "knit" the edges together
- Thoroughly wet the sod with overhead irrigation
- Roll the sod to ensure good contact

• If the irrigation system is automatic:
- Set the zone to run several times daily
- Keep wetted from above as necessary until the roots establish

• Once you cannot pull the edges of the sod up, discontinue overhead watering

• Irrigate on a daily or every-other-day basis

• Protection against root intrusion
- For years of trouble-free system performance, and a limited lifetime warranty against root intrusion, use Netafim Techfilter with Techline CV, click here.

PARKING LOT ISLANDS:

If islands are small, consider tying several of them together on the same zone.

• Once you have determined that the conditions of the islands are similar enough to interconnect them, design each for the same precipitation rate by using the same Techline CV and spacing.

• Use one Low Volume Control Zone kit at the source, and install a TLSOV or TLFIG8 either at the end of the last island or, if the islands dead-end, on each island.

• Connections between the islands should be PVC, or as called out by the designer or local codes.

ELECTRICAL GROUNDING:

• The effectiveness of electrical grounding is dependent on the soil and its moisture content. In moist soil, grounding is more effective than in dry soil.

• One method of ensuring moist soil is to install a length of Techline CV along a length of unclad copper wire being used for grounding purposes. The Techline CV is installed in the usual method. Run it from a separate station on the controller to give you maximum control.

• Techline CV can also be installed over the top of a grounding plate or ground rod.

TECHLINE CV ABOVE AND BELOW GRADE:

Techline CV is designed to be used in a variety of ways:

• It can be laid on the surface, (it's UV resistant!) and held in place with Techline Staples (TLS6),
• It can be laid on the surface, stapled into place and covered with mulch, or
• It can be buried below grade.

NOTE: When using Techline CV above grade with staples, use enough staples to firmly hold the tubing in place, especially in freezing climates.

TECHLINE CV WINTERIZING INSTRUCTIONS:

Winterizing an irrigation system involves removing enough water to ensure that components do not crack or break during freezing weather.

Because Techline CV is designed to keep water sealed inside the tubing between irrigations, it is important that these simple steps be followed.

MANUAL WINTERIZATION (no compressed air blow-out)

• A drain port must be present at all low points in the zone.

• Ports may be a tee or elbow with a threaded plug, a Netafim TLFIG8 or TLSOV which, when opened, will allow water to drain. If a Netafim "automatic" Line Flushing Valve has been used, disassemble it.

• If the Techline CV zone is a grid or closed system, the supply and exhaust headers may contain a significant amount of water because they are either blank Techline CV tubing, PVC, or poly pipe. It is important to provide drain ports for these components.

• If the Techline CV laterals dead-end, and are not connected to an exhaust header, the lateral ends should be opened to drain at the lowest point(s).

• In the event that some water remains in the system, the disc filter should be disassembled, and the discs removed to allow any water to exit. Leave the filter disassembled in the event that some water remains in the system.

• In systems where elevation is a concern, install a drain port upstream of the filter to ensure as much water as possible is drained.

• Follow manufacturer instructions for any automatic zone valves.

COMPRESSED AIR WINTERIZATION

Follow the same initial procedures for a Techline CV zone as you would for a zone of overhead sprinklers.

Note: Techline CV fittings are rated to 50 psi without clamps, so the air pressure must be adjusted according. It is air volume, not pressure that is effective when winterizing in this manner.

• The pressure regulator, which is normally installed in the valve box along with the zone valve and filter regulates water, not air pressure. Air pressure should be regulated to 50 psi or less.

• The drain ports, (a fitting with a threaded plug, a Netafim TLSOV, TLFIG8, or Netafim Line Flushing Valve), which are normally installed as far away from the water source of the zone as possible, must be open. Unscrew and disassemble any "automatic" Line Flushing Valves.

• With all drain ports open, compressed air should be applied until no water is seen exiting the zone.