Self Test questions B3 / B4 Flashcards
What is seen as being a downside to installing an automatic sprinkler system rather than water manully?
Cost of installation
What style of irrigation system is installed to water small, specific areas such as planters and hanging baskets?
drip
What is the service known as in BC that will send iinformation on any buried utilities to interested parties at no cost?
BC call 1
What is not need to be plotted on a site plan for a proposed irrigation system?
Gutter downspouts
What is the term given to the water that is used by the plant and lost into both air / soil?
Evapotranspiration
What can easily be used to determine the soil’s texture?
Jar test
What soil type is considered best for water absorption / retention?
Loam
What is most likely the result of applying water too fast to sloping ground?
runoff and erosion
If a 3-gallon pail take 18 seconds to fill, what would this be in GPM?
10
Would proximity to the house water supply be a consideration in the choice of location for mounting a residential timer/controller?
No
What type of sprinkler nozzle has almost no spray radius?
Bubbler
What type of sprinkler is best suited for small areas that may require many heads?
Fixed spray
What type of sprinkler is used in areas where there may be conflict with foot or vehicular traffic?
pop-up
What type of sprinkler has a paddle that “slaps” the water stream to cause the head to rotate?
Impact
What type of sprinkler is best for slopes / tight soils where lower precipitation rates are preferred?
Rotating
Is the ability to serve small areas an advantage of a rotating sprinkler over a spray sprinkler?
No
When plotting sprinklers on the site plan, what design aspect saves water / ensures its uniform application?
Use head-to-head coverage
According to industry standards, how much extra length should be added to the measured length to allow for friction loss through fittings in an irrigation system?
25%
What is the body size of most residential irrigation zone valves?
3/4” - 1”
What is the manufactures rule-of-thumb flow rate for 1” PVC SCH 40 pipe?
13GPM
What type of sprinkler system has its own backflow preventer built into it?
an anti-siphon zone valve
What 2 backflow preventers are normally specified by AHJ for installation on irrigation systems because of their ability to be in-line tested?
RPBAs and DCVAs
What is not an in0line testable backflow preventer?
DCAP
What is not a good location for a zone manifold?
driveway
What type of irrigation pipe has the most pressure drop, fewer fittings and required the least amount of trade knowledge to install but is most difficult to keep in alignment?
Polyethylene (PE)
What factors determine the number of zone valves needed?
Available GPM and sprinkler flow rates
What is the industry standard max velocity for pvc pipe used for irrigation systems so the friction loss is kept to a min?
5ft/sec (1.5m /sec)
Why does class 200 PVC allow more flow than SCH 40 PVC?
because of wall thickness difference
Electrical cables for irrigation zone valves must be?
acceptable for direct earth burial
What is the most common gauge of wire used for residential sprinkler systems?
18 AWG
What does Toro call their composite pipe used on barb fittings at sprinkler locations
funny pipe
When trenching through an existing lawn, what is a good way to min the amount of final cleanup required on the lawn?
Place the removed sod on plastic on one side of the trench, spoils on the other side also on plastic
What is a relatively easy way to get a pipe under an existing concrete sidewalk?
by jetting it
What type of connectors are used for writing at the zone valve locations?
waterproof twist on
What is the recommended method of flushing the zone piping (zone valve to sprinklers)?
Install all but the furthest head, open the valve and flush through the open end
How many stations should a controller by capable of operating?
at least 2 or more than are currently installed
If a lawn has sandy soil, what would be the most logical approach to programming the controller?
Set longer run times, decrease the number of cycles / day and increase watering days
If a well is used only for irrigation purposes, what feat does the controller need?
pump start relay
What characteristic of water that contains calcium / magnesium may cause the sprinklers to become plugged over time?
Hard water
Where in the system should a blowout connection for winterizing be installed?
Downstream of the backflow preventer
How should any ball valve be left after winterizing?
Half open
What is the most important aspect of the air supply used to winterize a system?
it’s volume
What are the only acceptable uses for non-potable water systems?
toilet flushing / underground irrigation
a harvested rainwater system is categorized in the plumbing codes as what type of system?
Auxiliary
What is the code requirement for interconnecting a potable water system with a non-potable water system?
They cannot be connected