---
title: "Which pipe should I use for irrigation?"
description: "Low-density polyethylene tubing with barbed fittings for drip lines, and PVC or MDPE for buried mains. The ranked options, the technique that changes the outcome, an"
url: https://atoneplace.net/which/pipe-irrigation/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Which pipe should I use for irrigation?

**Which pipe should I use for irrigation?: Low-density polyethylene tubing with barbed fittings for drip lines, and PVC or MDPE for buried mains.**

Two things determine whether an irrigation system still works in its third season: filtration and freezing. Emitters have openings measured in fractions of a millimetre and block from silt, algae and the mineral scale that forms as water evaporates at the outlet, so a filter at the tap and periodic flushing of the line ends are not optional extras. Freezing is the other: water left in a line expands and splits fittings, so systems in cold climates are drained or blown out before winter. Backflow protection also matters more than it seems — a hose or drip line lying in a puddle of fertiliser or manure can siphon back into the supply if mains pressure drops, which is why an anti-siphon device or check valve belongs at the connection.

## The options, ranked

*Ranked best-first for the stated job. The third column is why the others exist.*

| Option | Good at | Bad at |
| --- | --- | --- |
| LDPE drip tubing | Flexible enough to follow beds, easy to punch for emitters, and cheap enough to replace. | Degrades in sunlight over a few seasons and is easily cut by a spade or a strimmer. |
| Buried PVC or MDPE mains | Carries pressure to distant zones with no loss and is protected underground. | Needs trenching and must be drained or freeze-tolerant in cold climates. |
| Soaker hose | Simple, no emitters to block, and it wets a whole line evenly in a small bed. | Output varies badly along its length and with pressure, and it clogs from the inside. |
| Pressure-compensating emitters | Deliver the same flow along a long or sloping run, which plain emitters do not. | Costs more per emitter and they still need filtration. |

## Technique that changes the outcome

1. Fit a filter at the supply and flush the line ends at the start of each season
2. Use pressure-compensating emitters on long runs and on slopes
3. Bury or mulch over tubing to protect it from UV and from being cut
4. Drain or blow the system out before the first frost
5. Fit backflow protection at the tap

## What goes wrong

- Running unfiltered water through emitters
- Leaving pressurised lines out through a freeze
- Connecting to a potable supply without backflow protection

> Compiled practical guidance rather than a published standard. Product formulations vary by brand and market, so read the label — and where the work is structural, electrical or gas, the regulations that apply where you are govern rather than anything here.

## Other pipe questions

| For | Use |
| --- | --- |
| Hot and cold water | Copper or PEX for most installations — PEX is faster and more freeze-tolerant, copper is more robust and takes heat without question. |
| Waste and drainage | Solvent-weld or push-fit PVC-u or polypropylene, at the right diameter and fall — and ABS and PVC cements are not interchangeable. |
| Central heating | Copper, or a barrier-grade plastic pipe — non-barrier plastic lets oxygen into the system and corrodes it from the inside. |
| Boiler condensate | Plastic, never copper, at a generous diameter with continuous fall — and insulate any external run, because frozen condensate is the classic winter breakdown. |
| Gas | Steel, copper of the right grade, or yellow MDPE underground — and in most jurisdictions only a registered installer may do the work. |
| An underground water supply | Blue MDPE for potable water, in one continuous length at the required depth, with no joints under a building. |
| Compressed air | Copper, steel, stainless or a purpose-rated aluminium or HDPE air system — never PVC, which fails explosively. |

## Common questions

### Which pipe should I use for irrigation?

Low-density polyethylene tubing with barbed fittings for drip lines, and PVC or MDPE for buried mains.

### What should I avoid?

Running unfiltered water through emitters Leaving pressurised lines out through a freeze Connecting to a potable supply without backflow protection

## Related pages

- [Which pipe should I use for hot and cold water?](https://atoneplace.net/which/pipe-hot-cold-water/)
- [Which pipe should I use for waste and drainage?](https://atoneplace.net/which/pipe-waste/)
- [Which pipe should I use for central heating?](https://atoneplace.net/which/pipe-central-heating/)
- [Which pipe should I use for a boiler condensate drain?](https://atoneplace.net/which/pipe-condensate/)
- [Which pipe is used for gas?](https://atoneplace.net/which/pipe-gas/)
- [Which pipe should I use for a buried water supply?](https://atoneplace.net/which/pipe-underground-water/)
- [Which pipe should I use for compressed air?](https://atoneplace.net/which/pipe-compressed-air/)

## Sources

- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place (/about/)