Hose Manifolds - I hate'em

[Tom A To]

Even though I have 6 sprinkler timing boxes set around the homestead, that is not enough for my wife who keeps planting more and more, thus extending the garden areas beyond the reach of my sprinkler zones. So this is what she comes with to handle the extra soaker hoses and rainbirds.



I know...right? A rats nest of hoses and timers all on a brass manifold that has teeny knobs that will become a bear to turn after the first season. You need a pair of pliers to turn the darn things and sooner rather than later they will just break. She's got five of these just like it scattered around the place.

This is what I came up with:



A lot easier to deal with and should last a lot longer. Haven't installed it yet but it's on my list.

[Worth1]

Dennis.

If I may I need to warn you about something.
You are to never install male threaded fittings into female PVC fittings.
Sure many people unknowingly do it but I can assure you that many times they split out.
Many times they will keep swelling and split before you can get them tight enough to stop leaking.
It is okay to install metal female fittings on male PVC.
This is part of the plumbing code.
Before you install that manifold I would scrap it go buy the right fittings, return the faucets and get female threaded ones.
You do not want to come home to a flood.

Worth

[Cole_Robbie]

I've been told the same thing. It has to do with the taper of the threaded fitting. The male threads will get wider at the base. As it gets screwed in, that is what makes a tight fit. But pvc is not meant to take the force that metal threads put on it like that, spreading it outward. That's why it's ok to have metal female threads. The male pvc threads push outward, but not strongly enough to split the pipe.

But as soon as it's all metal, you will have a vastly improved manifold design, I agree.

[Stvrob]

I concur with Worth. Especially so with Schedule 40 PVC fittings such as the ones you used. There is a schedule 80 fitting female threaded adapter that has a stainless ring around it to constrain it, but that would cost more than you need to spend.

[Tom A To]

I have never heard of this before, very interesting. Thanks for drawing my attention to it.

I do have maybe a dozen or so faucets around the yard where a male-threaded faucet is attached to a female sch. 40 PVC. In all the years I've been living here (30+), none have failed. I think maybe for two reasons: First, with Teflon tape, I don't have to tighten the threads all that much for them not to leak. I don't use a wrench, just hand tighten the spicket. Second, I'm on a well - pressure goes from 40 to 60 lbs. Not sure how much pressure in city water, maybe this is lower?

However, I will file that information away for future consideration. That said, I've got water running here, there and everywhere around this place and if a leak develops it'll just water the plants around it until I find it. Since I am out there every day, it won't take long to discover. I do get leaks periodically, what with the rototiller, tractor, wife , etc. So for me, not a big deal. If I lived in the suburbs, that might be more of a problem to be sure. With your responses in mind then, people should perhaps steer away from this design.

Thanks again.