Drip Irrigation Fittings: Choosing the Best Type for Your Project

Are you trying to find the best fitting to use in your home drip irrigation system? Adam compares 4 common fitting types used in drip irrigation to help you select the best one for your project.
Shop Drip Irrigation Fittings: www.dripdepot.com/irrigation-...
Find each fitting type here:
Compression - www.dripdepot.com/category/dr...
Barbed - www.dripdepot.com/category/dr...
Perma-loc - www.dripdepot.com/category/dr...
Drip Lock - www.dripdepot.com/category/dr...
Fitting Clamps - www.dripdepot.com/category/cl...
Helpful Links
Fitting Buying Guide: help.dripdepot.com/support/so...
Shop our selection of easy-to-install Drip Irrigation Kits: www.dripdepot.com/category/dr...
How to Design a Drip Irrigation System: • How to Design a Drip I...
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Intro
1:14 - Compression Fittings
3:05 - How to Install Compression Fittings
3:24 - Barbed Insert Fittings
4:41 - How to Install Barbed Fittings
5:10 - Perma-Loc Fittings
6:29 - How to Install Perma-Loc Fittings
6:37 - Drip Lock Fittings
7:35 - How to Install Drip Lock Fittings
8:00 - Which Fitting Is Best for You?
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[@__S__435]

This channel is honestly so good. I wasted money thinking that when irrigation companies say their tubing is "1/2 inch," they actually mean 0.5 inch. But in irrigation tubing, "1/2 inch" is not a diameter, but a _class._ So far, I haven't seen any "1/2 inch" tubing that was actually half an inch. Not inside diameter, and not outside diameter either. Instead, there are several diameters in the class in the ~0.6-0.71 inch range. This makes it much harder to reason about the tubing and fittings than any other kind of tubing I've worked with. Companies like Rain Bird are not helpful here either. Their websites are designed by people who have forgotten what it's like to NOT already know all the crazy opaque rules about "1/2 inch" tubing. They don't make it easy to figure out which tubing works with which fittings; and you have to do a great deal of research to figure out not only which fittings to buy, but in fact, which tubing you _CAN_ buy, because you need to hook the tubing up to a water source that's a standard diameter (like 3/4 NPT) rather than crazy irrigation moon units where the nominal diameter is more of a diversion than a specification. For Rain Bird "1/2 inch" tubing which is actually 0.71 inches (OD), I wound up heating the end of the tubing with a hot air gun and then sliding it over a 5/8 brass barbed fitting. Even without a clamp, this has been completely leak-free for several weeks, so hopefully it'll hold. The other end of the fitting is in real units (3/4 NPT) so I actually know for sure it'll fit with an NPT pipe without having to get out an astrolabe, or consult with an astrologer, or however it is that people usually grapple with this needlessly annoying problem. In the video, you see 0.7 vs 0.71 inch, and that 1% is enough to make things not work. Why on Earth is that even a thing? Why don't they just standardize on half, 5/8, 3/4? Or the same thing in metric, i.e., 17mm? What is this "tubing A is 0.01 inch thicker than tubing B" nonsense???

[@dripdepot]

I fully agree on standardizing these! It's frustrating for us too (which is one reason why we made the video) trying to help folks who have pre-existing tubing. Finding out exactly which 1/2" size it is can be a huge pain. I'm in 100% agreement (and I bet they are too!). I think you're touching on what would be the right answer as well, when you mention metric. Metric would allow there to be different sizes all very close (like we see now with 1/2") but still be able to clearly know what size fittings to get. This would allow large commercial growers not to over spend (why spend more for 17mm when you're spec'd out for 15mm) while at the same time allowing gardeners, DIY'ers and hobby farmers to easily get compatible tubing and fittings. PVC/Iron Pipe Size standardized decades ago, it's time for poly to do the same -- you have an ally in me to see it so. :)

[@__S__435]

​@@dripdepot I think we could actually take things a step further. How many times have you heard from someone who could only get a threaded fitting on a couple turns because they didn't realize there's a difference between NPT and GHT? I saw a bunch of reviews for a Rain Bird NPT to drip-lock fitting just today which complained about that exact thing, and it was pretty obvious what was going on.

[@meegssan5716]

perhaps the most simple guide to fixing drip irrigation

[@DripDepotAdam]

Thank you for the feedback! That's exactly what we were hoping for in this video. By the way, awesome Overwatch skills you have there! I never could train my aim to that degree so I played a lot of Winston lol. Thank you again!

[@AZshootist]

Great presentation. Answered all of my questions.

[@BobAndrson]

VERY helpful! Glad I found this. I'll be calling you real soon.

[@christopherhickie4194]

This was incredibly helpful. Thanks!

[@GardeningwithDave]

Adam great job with the clear explanations and visuals. We decided to go the perma locking route and It’s great being able to extend/reduce a system. I am working on full converting my backyard into a garden. Wish me luck 😂.

[@AbidAli-bv2gl]

Excellent video

[@Pinochet1969]

Perma-Lock ROCKS!!

[@franzgutowski2980]

Too bad I didn't watch this video yesterday. Thanks for the info!😅

[@rickr530]

Wish I had found this a year ago. Great info and nice shop you've got there. Will do business on my next irrigation project.

[@dripdepot]

We sincerely look forward to exceeding expectations! Don't hesitate to reach out at any time if questions come up, happy to help :)

[@ssaharan75]

Excellent video!!!

[@dianap423]

Really helpful. Thank you so much.

[@dripdepot]

You're very welcome, thank you as well for watching! :)

[@Hisarrogance2]

Very succinct and informative. Thanks

[@dripdepot]

Thank you!

[@keithmurray9241]

Good video. I just use an old coffee cup (one you don't care if it gets broken working outside.. and won't be drinking coffee from later) filled 3/4 full with water that I then heat in a microwave to a reasonably hot level (not too hot... don't want to scald yourself!!). Dip the end of the 1/4" or 1/2" line into the hot water for a few seconds... quickly shake off the excess water.. and shove the hose home. It makes pushing barb-fittings into 1/4" hoses and 1/2" poly hoses into fittings super easy compared to doing it 'cold'. They go together like butter. This works especially well if you're working on a cold day when otherwise it's super difficult to push things together.

[@dripdepot]

Fully agreed, and fantastic tip for anyone reading this who wants to make installing fittings magnitudes easier. Those cold morning installs without hot water are absolutely not my favorite. I like to use the hole punch on tubing that is cold, but for everything else (installing fittings, rolling out the line) hotter tubing is going to be easier :)

[@christinaannabel]

I wanted do use a hose warming method, but my local irrigation supply company said that warming the dripline may comprise it. Perhaps I’ll try it anyway. Barbed couplers are much less expensive than other coupler designs.

[@annliang887]

U R th Best!

[@colinguthrie5885]

Excellent….. as a newbee dripperyou scored 20 out of 10

[@dripdepot]

Colin, thank you for the kind words! When making these videos I always think back to when I was a newbie too -- I was fortunate to have some patient teachers :)

[@debbieeckels25]

I really liked this video. Your explanations were great. I’ve used drip compression fittings for years. Now I’m having problems with my wrists. I think Perma Loc fittings make sense. I was wondering when I can get a pressure regulator for my sprinkler valves that I’m converting to drip. I have 6 sprinklers on a valve. If I put a pressure regulator on the valve, what pressure do I need for the valve pressure regulator? Thanks for your interesting presentation.

[@dripdepot]

Debbie, thank you for the kind words! Perma-Loc is definitely easier on the hands than a compression fitting -- I'd say the drip-lock are the easiest on the hands (but not the easiest on the wallet, always that tradeoff!). Most likely all you'd need is a threaded regulator that can thread on at your valve and maybe an adapter or manifold nipple to go between the valve and the regulator. Do you know the size of your valves and if the connection is threaded or slip? If so, let us know, we'd be happy to go over the information with you. Converting sprinklers to drip is one of my favorite topics, so don't hesitate for a second :)

[@usafballer79]

You don't have the specs for perma-loc on your website, but I would recommend operating PSI under 50. My biggest issue with all fittings is I've had a lot of leaks to deal with. Perma-loc tends to not deal with lateral pulls on the joint all that well without problems. I think I may try some of the drip lock fittings to see if they do better at dealing with movement in any of the hoses.

[@dripdepot]

Absolutely correct on all counts -- the manufacturer doesn't tell us the max operating PSI for them, they say to keep the operating pressure for what the tubing is rated for, which is fairly reasonable and is also, as you noted, 50 to 60 PSI. I'd agree they're best used in low pressure drip applications. Drip-Lock could be a good choice here -- the teeth inside the drip-lock fittings can rotate, so they might indeed be a little better with moving hoses as they can be connected but still rotate.

[@ematters4548]

The compression fittings can be used again. You just have to use a set of pliers, preferably needle nose, and work out the portion of tubing that is stuck inside. It’s a total pain but the fittings are not single use only.

[@dripdepot]

While they can be reused, they should not -- the manufacturers of the compression fittings also recommend not re-using them. It's one of those situations where reusing them is a "do so at your own risk" kind of thing, which when it comes to plumbing and large amounts of water, it's usually better to play it safe. The reason is because the compression ring inside, they're generally considered a one time use. To some degree the time since installation does apply -- if you inserted some tubing into a compression fitting then need to immediately remove it, chances are you'll be good -- but if it has been installed for awhile, definitely best to just get a replacement fitting :)

[@shionyr]

2:49 protip: don't attempt to reuse compression fittings unless you want a free surprise sprinkler system installed in some of your garden beds.

[@dripdepot]

Fully agreed! There's a couple comments here suggesting you can re-use them, I do suspect there's a few surprise sprinkler systems out there like you noted. Even when it looks like you can reuse it, best not to :)

[@shionyr]

@@dripdepot real question, though: which one is best for subterranean use? I'm assuming barbed tubing with metal collars, since these seem the most damage-resistant. For the record, I currently bury only the tubing itself, leaving all joints above ground, but it's something I've been thinking to try as a budget-friendly funny pipe substitute for small / semi-permanent projects.

[@dripdepot]

​@@shionyr I think you are correct -- I'd stick to barbed fittings with clamps or with the Loc style fittings. With the Loc style fittings I'd only use the professional ones made by Irritec (they have different names on various sites, on ours they're called Twist-n-Lok, Irritec calls them Perma-Loc), they're durable enough to be used sub-surface and the locking nuts on them work like clamps. Some of the off-brand ones might work, but I haven't used them (if the plastic is dense and heavy, good chance it's durable enough). When going barbed fittings with clamps for sub-surface, I'll usually put 2 clamps on each side of the fitting, with the tightening gear on opposite sides for each one to level out the tension. Like you noted, I definitely avoid compression fittings in any sub-surface application, because eventually you are indeed going to get a surprise geyser lol

[@MimiKessler]

I love your videos! I have questions. I am setting up two drip systems from 2 rain barrels which are about 2' off the ground. I have drawn my design and know what fittings I need, except for these questions: 1) One application might be fine with drip tape (the run isn't very long and there are no turns). What is the advantage of drip tape over tubing and emitters? You reference emitters getting clogged. Does trip tape clog? 2) The other application has a total of 47' where there would be holes and emitters (there are 13' that will not have holes). To get the water all the way to the end of the longest length, should I get the emitters that adjust flow and make them drip more slowly at the proximal end and as I get to the distal end open them up? Or am I going to have the use city water with pressure to get that far? 3) Can/should I put emitters in the holes if I get the tubing with the holes pre-drilled at intervals? 4) If I need to use city water intermittently, I know I need a backflow and pressure regulator, but for the rain barrels I don't need those. Do you recommend that I set up a separate hose connection and switch it when I need it? Any help would be great. Then I can place my order.

[@dripdepot]

Let's dive in! :) 1. Drip tape has some very low flow options, which can be an advantage in a gravity system -- basically, the low flow means each emitter creates less of a demand, which leaves flow for emitters further down the line. Drip tape is one of the most popular gravity irrigation options as it can also work at very low pressure. 2. For this part I'd likely get a low flow emitter that can operate at very low pressure -- the one I'm referring to is at this link, it can operate at near 0 PSI: www.dripdepot.com/12200 3. Most of the pre-drilled tubing will already have an emitter beneath that hole -- similar to drip tape, when you're close/holding the drip line, you can see the actual emitter in there. This type of emitter line often has a minimum PSI to reach which might not be possible in a gravity system. Going back to question 2 for a moment, those drippers would work similar to what you're describing -- you'd punch a hole with a hole punch, and then you could insert the barbed end of that dripper. 4. That's a great idea and would help ensure you can run the system even if there has been no rain to collect -- alternatively, you could use a hose or similar to fill the barrels with water (if it's allowed in your area) so you could continue to use those. Mimi, we have a video all about gravity / barrel irrigation systems that uses a lot of what we talked about above -- if you haven't bumped into it yet, you can check it out at this link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g3mok2x5fJ2Fosk :)

[@MimiKessler]

@@dripdepot Yes. That was the first video I watched and where I started. Thank you for your thorough reply. And what a great suggestion to put the hose in the barrel! Had to slap my head and say "Why didn't I think of that?" Based on what I learned from that video, the pressure from my barrels is 0.866 GPH. Will that be sufficient to reach the far end of one of my lines is 30'? I can't thank you enough!

[@dripdepot]

@@MimiKessler You're very welcome, any time at all! Potentially you'll have enough pressure -- this will largely depend on two things: 1. Friction loss -- friction loss is determined by the length of the line (30' in this case) and the flow going through it in gallons per hour -- the flow going through it is just the sum of all emitters operating at once. As a quick example, if that 30' line was supported 20 0.5 GPH emitters, the flow would be 10 GPH. If you know how many emitters and their flow rate the line will be feeding, just let me know, I can check on the friction loss for you -- if you're not sure yet, just let me know when you've decided on emitters and how many and I'd be happy to check it then. 2. Flow -- flow and pressure are different, but both equally important to account for -- in this case I mean the flow rate coming from the barrel. If the flow of the system is 10 GPH (20 0.5 GPH drippers as an example), you'd want the water source to flow a little higher than that. If there's not enough flow, some emitters would be starved of water (even if technically there were enough pressure at the start). Is your rain barrel already setup? If so, you can get a good idea of its flow rate with the timer and bucket test -- time how long it takes to fill the bucket with water and then put the numbers into this flow rate calculator, it will give you a good approximation: www.dripdepot.com/irrigation-calculators :)

[@MimiKessler]

@@dripdepot Good idea. I will do that.

[@sharonb8714]

Thank you, this is exactly what I was looking for.

[@dripdepot]

You're very welcome, thank you for the comment as well! If any questions come up, don't hesitate to send them this way :)

[@dig-ud3ez]

Would you ever use a Fernco coupling for a repair?

[@dripdepot]

I've never used one before, but I just took a look at some of their literature and videos, and I do think they'd work well -- like "Bite" and "Loc" fittings they work with a range of sizes which is always handy, and I like how they work as a socket fitting (inserting the pipe into the fitting instead of over the fitting). Solid looking fittings!

[@jazminetjb]

Can the brown tubing and black tubing use the same fittings?

[@dripdepot]

In many cases you can -- the 1/4" brown and 1/4" black tubing are the same size, so they can pretty much always use the same 1/4" barbed fittings. In the 1/2" label, they're not always the same size, even if they're both labeled 1/2". With the brown 1/2" it's best to check the tubing's inside diameter to see which fittings would be compatible. :)

[@DJSilverSoundon1]

can you bury a barbed coupler? which is best for burying?

[@dripdepot]

You bet, it's fairly common (particularly on larger Ag projects) for them to be buried. With 1/4" couplers I'd say it does slightly increase the chance of debris getting in (which should be flushed out), with the 1/2" couplers the risk of any debris getting in a fairly minimal :)

[@stevenstevens3968]

Can the perma-loc fittings be buried under ground

[@dripdepot]

You bet! I'd say it's fairly common for them to be buried. Just like when burying other pipe types, you'll want to be careful not to let too much debris get inside (a good flush after installation helps with that) and you'll want to give them (and the tubing) a nice bed of soft crumbly soil to lay in :)

[@martinistirred007]

unable to find perma-loc in australia (beside amazon)

[@dripdepot]

In addition to Amazon, there's a good chance they can be found on eBay as well. Unfortunately the international shipping costs might make that prohibitive. It could be worth checking around at local irrigation shops to see if anyone carries them. While I don't think they make Loc style fittings, Antelco is an Australian manufacturer of drip irrigation parts that do carry some reliable barbed insert fittings (and lots of great emitters and micro-tubing fittings).

[@StephanieFung]

Drip lock fittings are really difficult to remove after they have been on there a while. Ask me how I know :(

[@dripdepot]

Stephanie, I am definitely and genuinely curious! I have a system that uses some drip-lock fittings I'm going to need to remove (for expansion) here in a couple weeks, so I'm about to find out first-hand -- what can I expect? Thank you truly for the feedback!

[@StephanieFung]

@@dripdepot There was no way I could release them in place. I had the cut the tubing and after about an hour of fighting with a plier... they're still on there! I think I would have to clamp the fitting onto something to rip the tubing out but I'm just going to call it quits and go with permaloc. Please update if you have a different experience and if you figure out any tips!!!

[@dripdepot]

I absolutely will Stephanie! I'll make sure this feedback stays here so other folks can see it as well. It sounds like maybe the pressure of multiple watering cycles coupled with the thermal expansion of the tubing may have dug the teeth on the fitting in too deep? Cutting out tubing is just like a compression fitting, not my favorite either :) Thank you again!

[@StephanieFung]

@@dripdepot updates? I'm still on the hunt for easy reusable fittings that won't wreck my arm.

[@DripDepotAdam]

@@StephanieFung Heya Stephanie! I hope the day finds you well :) I suspect your best bet will either be a Perma-Loc or Barbed Insert Style fitting -- both are reusable and aren't too bad to get connected. Have you ever tried either type before? Out of the two, a Loc style would probably be easiest since no outside clamps are needed. How many fittings does your project require? If it's not too many, you could employ the hot water trick too -- dipping the end of the tubing into hot water for a few moments softens it up and makes it very easy to get on over the barb. Inconvenient if you have tons of fittings to do, but not too bad if it's only a handful.

[@johnholloway691]

Installing compression fittings is a lot easier with a heat gun. Do a couple of practice fits first to determine how much heat is needed.

[@dripdepot]

You've got the right of it there -- heat makes installing pretty much every type of fitting easier. My least favorite time to install (any of them) is on cold Spring mornings early in the season.

[@litonchakma3505]

I am looking this iteam.plz help me.

[@dripdepot]

You bet, happy to help -- reach out to his here via our contact us link and let us know which fitting you're looking for, we can link you directly to it (and answer any other questions you might have): help.dripdepot.com/support/tickets/new

[@christianguerrero5970]

I thought the dumb nail was a Dune 2 reference

[@dripdepot]

LOL now that you mention it, I can absolutely see it. Well, that's ok, the spice must flow after all!

[@dfab8356]

You didn't address reliability over time. To me, that's the most important characteristic.

[@dripdepot]

Good call, you're right that durability is a big concern. Any and all of them can last for years if they're clear of some of the common hazards (landscape maintenance equipment, foot traffic). Out of them all, the Perma-Loc is going to be the most durable -- they're the densest of the lot by a good margin but still flexible enough to over-winter with no troubles when drained of water. In second would be the Drip-Lock fittings -- also densely made, I give the Perma-Loc fittings the edge due to the teeth on the Drip-Lock fittings -- the teeth will experience issues before the plastics (though it should still be long down the line). Barbed insert and compression fittings are on the lower end of the durability scale. In a low pressure drip system they should still enjoy a long life, but they are much more easily damaged by impact damage than the others (but cost a good bit less as a result of fewer materials used).

[@DubsackD]

Compression fittings are reusable if you're determined enough lol

[@dripdepot]

Kind of (and you're right about determined lol, not easy to get tubing out) -- once the compression ring has been engaged, it's no longer 100% -- so you can technically re-use them (after fighting the tubing), but it is a little riskier since the compression ring has already been used.

[@DubsackD]

@dripdepot ya i am definitely just buying a new one next time lol

[@ROHENESHALSARAVANANMoe]

hi

[@dripdepot]

Welcome!

[@ROHENESHALSARAVANANMoe]

@@dripdepot is there anyway u can check out my Irrigation system for a project

[@lifeisgood070]

..... everything is 4/5.... maybe you should reconsider your ratings.

[@dripdepot]

The individual ratings drip below 4 pretty common, but the overall ratings make sense -- after all, if one of them were truly poor across the board it's highly likely it would simply no longer be produced :)

[@bobmiller2921]

Who the hell ever uses clamps with barb inserts?????

[@dripdepot]

Professionally, virtually everyone -- note, this is in reference to LDPE poly tubing. Funny pipe, for example, does not typically need clamps, same with most braided tubing. With an above surface DIY install for a low pressure drip system, we've seen people go without clamps, but even then the low cost of some clamps is probably worth it, a blown fitting while the system is running can cause a lot of damage quickly. For sub-surface systems, I'd always recommend going with the clamps, even if it's just for the extra peace of mind. And for anything higher pressure than drip, I'd always go with the clamp (again, for LDPE, not for funny pipe or braided tubing) :)

[@betwil3]

@@dripdepot In a video on irrigation, on youtube the show "Garden Answer" uses barb inserts with clamps.

[@dripdepot]

@@betwil3 You bet, using the clamps is definitely best practice -- even if it's unlikely a fitting will blow off in a drip system, the odds are greater than 0 and given what can happen with a fitting blows and it's not noticed right away, best to use the clamps when using barbed insert fitting :)

[@martylynchian8628]

Do you think you have the Camera close enough to your face?

[@dripdepot]

We'll relay this to our video team to be considered when filming future videos. 😊 We appreciate your feedback, Marty!

[@MaYbYl8eR]

dont think i didnt notice that block collar in the close up shots

[@DripDepotAdam]

There was definitely a shot we had to add later lol!