Product Description
What It Does
This valve sits between two sections of a drip irrigation line. Turn the red handle one way and water flows through. Turn it the other way, and water stops.
It is like a tap for a single drip line. One side has a lock nut that clamps onto a PE pipe. The other side is a socket; you push a barbed fitting or another piece of PE pipe into it.
Installation: Lock Barb Side (with Lock Nut)
Cut the 16mm PE tube square. Push the tube onto the barbed fitting under the lock nut. The tube should cover all barbs, about 15 to 20 mm.
Slide the lock nut towards the tube and tighten by hand. Hand tight is sufficient.
Do not use pliers. The nut compresses the tube against the barb for a leak‑proof seal.
Installation: Female Barb Side (Socket)
The female side is a socket with internal barbs. Push a 16mm PE tube or a barbed fitting (such as a start connector, elbow, or coupler) into the female socket. Push firmly until it seats, about 15 mm. The internal barbs hold the inserted piece.
No lock nut on this side. To remove, twist and pull. This side lets you disconnect lines without cutting.
Operation
Turn the red handle clockwise (right) to close the valve; water stops. Turn counter‑clockwise (left) to open fully. Only use fully open or fully closed. Leaving it half open for a long time can damage the inside seal.
Where a Farmer Would Use It
- To shut off one row without turning off the whole system – If you have several rows of tomatoes and one row is already harvested, put a valve on that row’s line. Close the valve and water keeps going to the other rows. No need to cap or cut the line.
- To repair a leaking section – If a drip line gets cut or starts leaking in the middle, cut out the bad section. Put a valve on each side of the repair. Then you can turn water back on gradually and check for leaks. The valves also let you isolate the repair later if needed.
- To add a temporary branch – Push a barbed start connector into the female socket side. Attach a new drip line to that connector. Now you have a new branch that you can turn on or off independently.
- To make a manifold for small zones – Connect several of these valves to a mainline using the lock barb side. On the female side of each valve, attach a short drip line to a different bed or row. Each row gets its own on/off control.
What If It Leaks?
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Lock barb side leaking – The pipe may not be fully pushed in, or the lock nut is loose. Re‑cut the pipe square, push it in all the way, and tighten the nut by hand.
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Female side leaking – The barbed fitting you inserted may not be fully seated. Push it in harder. If it still leaks, wrap a couple of turns of PTFE tape around the barb before inserting.
Pressure Limit
Works with drip pressures up to 3 bar (about 45 PSI). For higher pressures, the pipe might blow off the barbs.
IrriHub provides reliable irrigation and farm systems for small and medium‑scale farmers across Kenya. For help choosing the right product for your farm, reach out to us directly. Call us: +254 729 717 881. Visit our store: Shubham Complex, Old Mombasa Rd.