50mm Black Underground Pipe

Product details

50mm Black Irrigation Pipe is designed to run underground to invisibly connect the irrigation system together. The irrigation pipe may be used to run from the water supply to the valve box or from the valve box to popup sprinklers or to connect between flower beds.

To comply with the UK Water Regulations, irrigation pipe is coloured black to ensure that it can be easily differentiated from drinking water pipe, which will always use blue underground pipe.

For strength and durability underground the irrigation pipe is manufactured using either Medium Density Polyethylene (MDPE) or High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) pipe. This has a thick pipe wall to prevent crushing and damage when buried underground.  In private gardens we recommend the pipe is buried at least 300m underground and on construction sites we would recommend the black irrigation pipe is buried underground at least 500mm.

Medium-density polyethylene (MDPE) pipes are versatile and widely used for various underground applications. These pipes are specifically engineered to withstand the harsh conditions and demanding requirements of buried installations. Their key uses underground include:

1. Water Supply: Blue MDPE pipes are commonly used for underground water supply networks. Their resistance to corrosion and durability make them an ideal choice for safely transporting potable water to homes, businesses, and communities.

2. Gas Distribution: Yellow MDPE pipes are extensively employed for underground natural gas distribution systems. Their strength and leak-resistant properties ensure the safe and reliable delivery of gas to residential and commercial properties.

3. Irrigation: Black 50mm diameter MDPE pipes serve as the backbone of buried irrigation systems. Their flexibility and resistance to root intrusion make them well-suited for efficiently delivering water to horticultural and agricultural fields and landscape irrigation systems.

MDPE pipes are favoured for underground applications due to their exceptional performance, longevity, and ability to withstand the challenges of buried environments, ensuring reliable services for water, gas, electricity, and more.

Use compression fittings to connect the 50mm Black Irrigation Pipe

How much water can 50mm irrigation pipe carry?

The amount of water that can pass through 50mm irrigation pipe depends mainly on the length of the pipe and the number of outlets along it. As the pipe gets longer, friction causes more pressure loss, so the recommended maximum flow reduces.

If there are several outlets spaced along the pipe, water leaves the pipe progressively rather than the full flow travelling all the way to the end. This means a pipe supplying several evenly spaced outlets can carry a higher combined flow than a pipe supplying a single outlet at the end.

Use the table below as a simple design guide. The figures show the maximum recommended total flow in litres per hour for 50mm MDPE pipe.

Number of outlets	25m pipe	50m pipe	100m pipe	200m pipe
1	7,750 l/hr	5,650 l/hr	3,850 l/hr	2,670 l/hr
2	7,750 l/hr	7,200 l/hr	4,900 l/hr	3,400 l/hr
3	7,750 l/hr	7,750 l/hr	5,450 l/hr	3,700 l/hr
4	7,750 l/hr	7,750 l/hr	5,700 l/hr	3,900 l/hr
5	7,750 l/hr	7,750 l/hr	5,900 l/hr	4,050 l/hr
6	7,750 l/hr	7,750 l/hr	6,080 l/hr	4,150 l/hr
7	7,750 l/hr	7,750 l/hr	6,080 l/hr	4,150 l/hr
8	7,750 l/hr	7,750 l/hr	6,080 l/hr	4,150 l/hr

Example: If you have 100m of 50mm pipe supplying four evenly spaced outlets, aim to keep the combined flow through those outlets to around 5,700 litres per hour or less.

Check the flow available from your pump

The figures in the table show how much water the pipe can carry, but the pump must also be capable of supplying the required flow at the pressure needed by the irrigation system.

Our Category 5 pump units will generally provide around 2,500 to 4,000 litres per hour, depending on the pressure required.

For most installations using these pumps, 50mm pipe provides considerably more flow capacity than 25mm or 32mm pipe and can help keep pressure losses low over longer distances. For example, 100m of 50mm pipe with several evenly spaced outlets can carry around 5,700 to 6,080 litres per hour.

On very long runs, the pipe can still become the limiting factor. For example, 200m of 50mm pipe supplying a single outlet is recommended for around 2,670 litres per hour, whereas the same length supplying several evenly spaced outlets can carry over 4,000 litres per hour.

Maximum usable flow = the lower of the pump flow or the pipe capacity.

What do we mean by an outlet?

An outlet is a point where water leaves the main 50mm pipe. This might be a connection to a sprinkler, a branch pipe or another part of the irrigation system. The figures in the table refer to the combined flow from all of the outlets, not the flow available from each individual outlet.

How have these figures been calculated?

The table is intended as a practical guide for selecting irrigation pipe sizes. The figures are based on:

• 12 bar MDPE pipe
• Level ground
• Outlets evenly spaced along the pipe
• A maximum pressure loss through the pipe of approximately 0.2 bar
• A maximum water velocity of 1.7m/s

If the pipe runs significantly uphill, the outlets are concentrated towards the end of the pipe, or the irrigation system requires a particularly high flow, the system should be checked in more detail before selecting the pipe size.

Technical specification:

Outside diameter: 50mm
Pressure rating: 10 bar
Pipe colour: Black
Wall thickness: 4.6mm.

Available in 50M or 100M coils. Please note: Bulky items such as large coils of pipe attract an additional carriage charge and will take longer to be despatched.