On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 22:16:13 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
wrote:

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 07:09:59 -0700, Oren wrote:

They make a figure "8" plastic piece to use on the end. Poly does in
one hole, bent and passed back through the top loop. This is great
for draining a line to prevent freezing.

Hi Oren,
Thank you very much for that drawing as I see that whomever it was who
originally set up the tubing actually made what appears to be a crude
version of a "poor man's figure 8" endloop using electrical tape:

http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13410465.jpg

Both methods will work. If a pipe breaks, tape will work until a
repair is made.

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 18:18:43 +1000, David Hare-Scott wrote:

- With no scale I cannot tell for sure if you have 1/2" or 3/4",
did you measure it?

Hi David,

I'm sorry. I should have provided more detail.

I just measured the plumbing.

1. The white PVC appears to be 1" in OD so I'd say it's 3/4" pipe.
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13410565.jpg

2. The black plastic appears to be 3/4" in OD.
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13410552.jpg

3. The "runners?" appear to be 1/4" or even less in OD.
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13410571.jpg

Of course, now it's all gone, so, I'm actually at a *starting point*
of this!

http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13410583.jpg

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 22:19:56 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
wrote:

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 07:09:59 -0700, Oren wrote:

That is an insert for the 3/4 PVC. The poly is pushed in. It can be
pulled out, but can be a little difficult. Twist and pull. Twist and
pull.

You weren't kidding it was hard to pull out (the Chinese finger lock
description is apropos). I had to pull hard, with pliers:

http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13410474.jpg

Of course, I forgot to think ahead; so, um .... I now have a brand
new 80psi leak in my plumbing!

http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13410476.jpg

Put a short piece (12" of so) of old poly in the insert and use the
tape or "figure 8" until you get ready for new poly. Remove it for
the new poly. That will stop the flooding for now.

Honestly, I've never seen one of the compression fittings leak.

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 18:18:43 +1000, David Hare-Scott wrote:

I cannot advise on the best refurbishment as I don't know how big your
garden is or where the white supply line runs in relation to it.

The garden has two duplicate rectangles of about 10 feet by 4 feet,
both of which now have scattered tomato seed planted about a week ago.

It never rains here in California, at least until December or January,
and the garden gets a good mix of sun and shade during the day, as it's
overshadowed by some trees on the east but not on the south and west.

Each of the two plots has a single 3/4" elbow feeding it, one of which
already has a NPT-to-GardenHose Thread male end on it. The other plot
now has an open compression fitting to 3/4" poly hose (which needs to
be plugged or replaced).

Both elbows are on the same irrigation zone, and there is a whoppingly
huge 80psi of water pressure to deal with.

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 18:18:43 +1000, David Hare-Scott wrote:

I suggest you stop buying stuff and sit down and plan what
you want to do and then buy what you need.

This sounds reasonable.

Part of the problem is that the wife took over my kitchen-compost spot,
so now, she "owns" this garden (and she has forbidden me to enter
it because she feels I end up ruining everything I touch).

At the moment, I've flooded her tomatoes, and, I've tried to save
all the tiny 6-inch oaks which, in the end, infuriated her because
that meant I ended up digging up more of her young tomatoes.

I've never done "drip" irrigation, so, I'm not sure what's the
*right* way to irrigate her tomatoes (and present it as a surprise
to her, all done and working).

I *think* my options a
a. Garden hose soaker
b. Poly irrigation
c. A sprinkler pop-up head

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 22:26:25 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
wrote:

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 05:32:56 -0500, The Daring Dufas wrote:

Was it chewed up by critters or just been shredded by rough treatment
and exposure to the elements?

I'm not sure what chewed it up.

The whole thing predates me. I've been using it to create compost
from kitchen scraps, until my wife got the bright idea of actually
using the resulting mulch to grow tomatoes.

http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13410495.jpg

The drip lines used need to be covered with some mulch or buried a few
inches. In the desert here; the tend to crack and leak sooner while
on the soil surface.

The funny thing was, no water came out of the thing (it only dripped
a bit at the early connections) so I had figured it wasn't working.

How wrong I was!
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13410500.jpg

LOL - turn the valve off at the valve box; unless you need water
elsewhere. You and all the past water leaks make me giggle.

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 17:35:22 -0500, The Daring Dufas wrote:

I wonder if it could have been damage done by a drain bamaged individual
wielding a wild weed eater or a lawless lawnmower?

Most likely, it was some big fat guy who was composting
kitchen scraps with pick and shovel and rake ... who didn't
realize what was buried under the soil prior to his arrival.

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 18:18:43 +1000, David Hare-Scott wrote:

The fact that it needed to be stepped down twice
says to me either the underground pipe is much wider than required or you
have 1/2" poly coming out instead of 3/4", or both.

I *think* I have 3/4" PVC feeding the poly:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13410565.jpg

What would you suggest I connect to this elbow?
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13410592.jpg

I was *thinking* of cutting off the elbow, and connecting a "T",
and then from the T, screwing on *two* garden hose male threads
(I figure if one is good, two must be better).

PS: I'm partial to garden hose connections because I can remove
them easily when I get my kitchen-scrap compost location back
in the winter.

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 15:29:47 -0700, Guv Bob wrote:

thanks for posting the great photos!

Thanks for noticing. It's usually only Oren who appreciates
the softer, more artistic side of my OCD personality

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 23:02:10 +0000, Danny D. wrote:

At the moment, I've flooded her tomatoes, and, I've tried to save
all the tiny 6-inch oaks which, in the end, infuriated her because
that meant I ended up digging up more of her young tomatoes.

Here are the oaks which will be replanted somewhe

http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13410683.jpg

I've never re-planted an oak before, but what I plan on doing is
picking a spot on the hillside where the roots and crown won't
be bothersome - and seeing if they can grow on their own.

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 15:44:12 -0700, Oren wrote:

Put a short piece (12" of so) of old poly in the insert and use the
tape or "figure 8" until you get ready for new poly. Remove it for
the new poly. That will stop the flooding for now.

Hi Oren,

Ah, that's a good idea (I already have the raw materials for that!).

As for a more permanent fix, what do you think about me putting
one of these 3/4" slip-to-MHT (male hose thread?) fittings directly
onto the white-and-green part sticking out of the existing PVC elbow?

http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13410696.jpg

That seems to be a looser fit than a normal PVC pipe dry fit; but
with lots of "glue", I think it might work.

Is it possible to pry out that green endcap & just place the slip
fitting over the remaining white part? (Or do I need to cut off
the entire elbow and start again with the slip:slip coupling)?

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 23:13:36 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
wrote:

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 15:29:47 -0700, Guv Bob wrote:

thanks for posting the great photos!

Thanks for noticing. It's usually only Oren who appreciates
the softer, more artistic side of my OCD personality

I'm still tinkering with the freeware you suggested. Maybe you missed
it when I posted about removing rust from cast iron.

....
DIY photo made using freeware suggested by Danny D.

http://oi33.tinypic.com/rmnwo5.jpg

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 23:09:00 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
wrote:

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 17:35:22 -0500, The Daring Dufas wrote:

I wonder if it could have been damage done by a drain bamaged individual
wielding a wild weed eater or a lawless lawnmower?

Most likely, it was some big fat guy who was composting
kitchen scraps with pick and shovel and rake ... who didn't
realize what was buried under the soil prior to his arrival.

That same guy wears a size 11.5 W shoe

A guy trying to help me once split a 3/4" PVC irrigation line with a
shovel. Not me but I had to fix it.

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 15:35:09 -0700, Oren wrote:

It will need new poly pipe

I will put all new "stuff" on there, as that's the only way
I'll know how it is put together anyway.

What I *think* I'll do is replicate what "was" on the other
elbow (of the other nearby tomato plot), which is a MHT garden-hose
fitting (which had a soaker hose on it until the wife
ripped it off in the mistaken believe that I put it there and
that it was a thread, somehow, to the baby tomato plants):

http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13410718.jpg

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 22:43:53 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
wrote:

3. The "runners?" appear to be 1/4" or even less in OD.
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13410571.jpg

I follow the notion to use fewer 1/4" tubes in the 1/2" poly. The
more holes you pierce in the 1/2" adds to potential leaks. It cuts
water flow a bit, but the tube drip heads can be adjusted to
compensate. Or run it longer on the timer.

The 1/4" can be "teed off" the main drip line with barbed fittings.
Easier to fix than a 1/2" pipe with 10 holes in it.

I put in my front yard (desert) a manifold. Tubes run from it.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41HoeIZg0eL.jpg

Each line can be adjusted for water flow.

Given your small space I bet the manifold (4 port) would be best.

I forget if the manifold is threaded into an old sprinkler head tee.
You get the idea.