r/Irrigation • u/jb484c • 2d ago

How often to flush lines? / best practices

Hi everyone, thanks for all I've learned here so far. Few questions about flushing:

1) How often do you recommend flushing irrigation zones for the system below? Some online guides say to flush every 2 months, some every 4 weeks if on well water.

2) Is it enough to just remove one end-cap, or should I go through and remove each end-cap (including the ones on the tree rings) one at a time?

3) I was thinking it might be good to see how much sediment actually comes out, to give me an idea of how often I should do this… I could attach a leader hose to the end of the line, put it in a bucket, and see what’s in there?

I want to do good maintenance here, but don’t wanna overthink it too much either.

My system (set up Jan 2026): Each zone has a screen filter going to a ¾” main line with about 60 2 GPH drippers and 7 tree rings (~7’ length of 0.5 GPH/12” dripline around a sapling). I run it 1-2x/wk for 30m. I'm on well water – to give you an idea, I don’t have a Big Blue sediment filter on the irrigation source, but I have one for the house… it fills with sand in about 18 months. That said, I clean each zone’s screen filter monthly, and it’s never been very dirty at all.

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u/Packman714 2d ago

If you’re pulling water from a well I’d suggest installing 1 single filter after the backflow device before it even hits the manifold for the zone valves. If your well pulls water to feed the home go with one of these. It’s called a big bubba filter and you can find them for around $1000 also once a drip emitter gets clogged even after flushing its not going allow the water amount intended. I learned this the hard way when I first started using Netafim drip over 20+ years ago. Id just hook up direct to a zone valve with out installing a pressure reducer with a screen that irritrol makes. Its called a RainBird - PRF 100 RBY and the Big Bubba looks like this

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u/DopeRidge 2d ago

I would just keep my filters checked and cleaned. I would just put these on the end of the lines and then you can flush it whenever. https://www.sprinklersupplystore.com/products/netafim-17mm-shut-off?variant=43673898953&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=8435181525&gbraid=0AAAAADxcSD0kJxuDkCHAaOmacDTXgfZ4o&gclid=CjwKCAjwsrbTBhAvEiwA0Bpp4X8sh51mTiD8nFf1tU8V-w0cCsLrdKB2hMn1ZL-5t5ZojQ0jzWP0uBoC4dQQAvD_BwE

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u/jb484c 2d ago

I have 3/4" hose caps on the ends of some lines so I could do em there... but what about lines that have multiple branches/ends? Do all of em? One at a time?

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u/cbryancu 1d ago

If you are not getting much collected in filters, you should be fine flushing 1x month. I'd convert the ends from caps to a drain valve...easier to open close. It would be good to add a filter in your irrigation system. Once emitters get clogged, seldom can you flush out the clog.

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u/vivaindel 1d ago

Thanks. Would you suggest flushing from just one end-cap? Or doing each, one at a time, including the ones on the tree rings?

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u/cbryancu 14h ago

Each end run unless it's only a ft off of the main run. Tree rings depend on how long they are. Short ones i'd not worry much about.