Fitting Buying Guide
May 25th 2023
Fittings are essential hardware for your drip irrigation system. They are designed to connect your drip lines, tubing and other gear to each other and your water source. There are many different sizes and shapes available, so it is essential to find exactly what you need before you buy. Here is your ultimate fitting buying guide for your drip irrigation system.
Easy Loc Fittings
As the name implies, easy loc fittings are the easiest fittings to use. Because they are so simple to add and remove, they are also reusable if and when you want to change your irrigation system. Easy loc fittings come in a variety of sizes, including ½", ¾" and 1-inch, as well as in a variety of couplings, end caps, hose, tees and four way crosses.
To install your easy loc fittings, simply press the fitting into your drip line and tighten it. An example of an easy loc coupler can be found here, or an example of an easy loc end cap can be found here.
Compression Fittings
These hold extremely well and are a bit cheaper than the other fitting options. However, they can also be a bit more difficult to use. The tubing must be forced into the compression fitting, and once in cannot be taken out and reused. These fittings are popular with large contractor projects because of their low price.
Compression fittings also come in a wide range, including couplers, elbows, tees and end caps. Heating the end of your tubing in hot water before trying to insert it into the fitting may make installation a bit easier. Be sure to choose the correct size, DripWorks carries both ½" and ¾" compression fittings.
Tape Loc Fittings
Similar to easy loc fittings, tape loc fittings use, you guessed it, drip-tape instead of standard irrigation tubing. These fittings simply slip into the drip-tape line and have a ring that twists down and tightens to become secure. Tape loc fittings have the same variety of offerings as the previous two, as well as a few valves to allow for customizable shut-offs along your irrigation line.
Micro Fittings
Micro fittings are perfect for your smaller tubing. Fittings come in ⅛" and ¼" sizes with either a barbed or threaded design. Barb fittings are the most convenient to use. There are a variety of goof plugs, elbows, transfer barbs and micro-flow valves.
PVC Fittings
Using PVC fittings can help your irrigation system be leak-free and economical. Durable and corrosion-free, these fittings come in every variety mentioned before, including couplers, elbows and adapters. The most important thing to know about PVC fittings is that they require PVC glue to be secured.
Manifolds
Manifolds allow you to place your valves closer together than standard PVC fittings and make it simple and easy to add on to your watering system and align your valves.
Miscellaneous
At DripWorks, we also offer a few other kinds of fittings for your drip irrigation system. Hose clamps and hose fittings directly connect to your garden hose in order to control the flow of water. We have many hose-to-pipe adapters that will allow you to connect incompatible threads and prevent leaks.