6.0
Water Supplies
In the main the quality of the water going into the hose is irrelevant to the performance
of the hose for irrigation purposes, providing that it is not put in at pressure. The only
major criterion is that anything dissolved in the water is not harmful to the plants for
which it is intended.
6.1
Water Solids
6.1.1
Water Calcium
In South Australia much of the underground water, especially in the South-east,
has high concentrations of calcium. These concentrations are high
enough to cause problems with micro sprays and drippers - sealing them on a
regular basis.
Most commercial growers and vineyards spend a lot of money on complicated
filter systems to reduce the regularity of the blocking, and home gardeners
replace components on a regular basis.
Calcium carbonate has low solubility in water and begins to precipitate from
water droplets which have a relatively large surface area, immediately upon
being exposed to the ambient air. Therefore scale deposits begin to form
immediately above-ground systems are activated.
Leeaky Hose has been installed below ground in this area of South Australia
for two years and systems have not been affected by the calcium.
This is believed to be for the following reasons:-·
When installed below ground it remains moist between watering. It is
also not exposed to high ambient temperatures and air flow which would
cause the calcium and lime to form a crust.
- Drippers and sprays have only one or two small outlets which flow at
around 2 litres per hour. Leeaky Hose’s flow rate is slower as two litres
per metre per hour is released each hour through thousands of pores in
each metre. Thus the calcium is applied over a much greater surface
area.
- With each water cycle through Leeaky Hose the pores firstly expel air as
the hose is charged, and the hose swells. These actions effectively
contribute to removing any scale that may have built up.
6.1.2
Filters
If using pressures higher than 25kPa (4psi), you MUST use a filter. This is
because at pressures greater than this, the dirt particles are driven into the
pores and may not be easily removed by flushing. This also applies to the
inline tap method of pressure control.
6.1
Water Solids
6.1.1
Water Calcium
In South Australia much of the underground water, especially in the South-east, has high concentrations of calcium. These concentrations are high enough to cause problems with micro sprays and drippers - sealing them on a regular basis.
Most commercial growers and vineyards spend a lot of money on complicated filter systems to reduce the regularity of the blocking, and home gardeners replace components on a regular basis.
Calcium carbonate has low solubility in water and begins to precipitate from water droplets which have a relatively large surface area, immediately upon being exposed to the ambient air. Therefore scale deposits begin to form immediately above-ground systems are activated.
Leeaky Hose has been installed below ground in this area of South Australia for two years and systems have not been affected by the calcium.
This is believed to be for the following reasons:-·
When installed below ground it remains moist between watering. It is
also not exposed to high ambient temperatures and air flow which would
cause the calcium and lime to form a crust.
- Drippers and sprays have only one or two small outlets which flow at around 2 litres per hour. Leeaky Hose’s flow rate is slower as two litres per metre per hour is released each hour through thousands of pores in each metre. Thus the calcium is applied over a much greater surface area.
- With each water cycle through Leeaky Hose the pores firstly expel air as the hose is charged, and the hose swells. These actions effectively contribute to removing any scale that may have built up.
6.1.2
Filters
If using pressures higher than 25kPa (4psi), you MUST use a filter. This is because at pressures greater than this, the dirt particles are driven into the pores and may not be easily removed by flushing. This also applies to the inline tap method of pressure control.