Types of Irrigation Pipes In Kenya
Grekkon Limited supplies and installs various types of irrigation pipes in Kenya. These pipes are of different diameter sizes, lengths, and wall thickness. The larger the pipe diameter, the more volume of water it carries, and the lesser the frictional losses. With a longer pipe, a grower requires less connections between pipes. Wall thickness determines the amount of water pressure a pipe will withstand. The thicker the wall, the greater the water pressure withstood. It is indicated as pressure nominal (PN), with a number. The higher the number the thicker the walls
Types of Irrigation Pipes in Kenya
1. HDPE pipes (High density polyethylene pipes)
They are black in colour and are manufactured as rolls of 100M for these diameter sizes below
16mm, 20mm, 25mm, 32mm, 40mm, 50mm, 63mm, and 90mm.
Larger then 90mm, we supply them as 50M rolls. Grekkon Limited’s HDPE pipes are UV treated for surface application. They have a long lifespan because they are not easily degraded by the sun when exposed.
HDPE Pipe prices in Kenya
Size in MM | PN6 | PN8 | PN10 | PN12.5 | PN16 | PN20 | PN25 | Length (M) |
16 | 17.00 | 17.00 | 100M | |||||
20 | 25 | 28 | 31 | 33 | 36 | 41 | 49 | 100M |
25 | 34 | 36 | 40 | 46 | 52 | 64 | 74 | 100M |
32 | 49 | 49 | 59 | 71 | 86 | 101 | 120 | 100M |
40 | 61 | 76 | 90 | 112 | 132 | 157 | 187 | 100M |
50 | 95 | 115 | 139 | 169 | 206 | 243 | 289 | 100M |
63 | 151 | 178 | 222 | 269 | 324 | 390 | 454 | 100M |
75 | 207 | 255 | 313 | 382 | 453 | 547 | 648 | 100M |
90 | 300 | 364 | 450 | 547 | 657 | 789 | 930 | 100M |
110 | 441 | 548 | 669 | 810 | 974 | 1,170 | 1,394 | 50M |
125 | 568 | 700 | 854 | 1,044 | 1,264 | 1,514 | 1,793 | 50M |
140 | 716 | 876 | 1,073 | 1,307 | 1,575 | 1,898 | 2,254 | 50M |
160 | 940 | 1,149 | 1,399 | 1,706 | 2,063 | 2,472 | 2,932 | 12M |
180 | 1,171 | 1,444 | 1,770 | 2,165 | 2,614 | 3,126 | 3,706 | 12M |
200 | 1,451 | 1,789 | 2,183 | 2,655 | 3,223 | 3,866 | 4,584 | 12M |
225 | 1,824 | 2,168 | 2,771 | 3,372 | 4,080 | 4,895 | 5,797 | 12M |
250 | 2,254 | 2,767 | 3,395 | 4,153 | 5,017 | 6,015 | 7,154 | 12M |
280 | 2,819 | 3,492 | 4,265 | 5,205 | 6,291 | 7,560 | 8,972 | 12M |
315 | 3,592 | 4,389 | 5,401 | 6,596 | 7,963 | 9,562 | 11,358 | 12M |
355 | 4,538 | 5,573 | 6,875 | 8,363 | 10,108 | 12,147 | 14,401 | 12M |
400 | 5,755 | 7,106 | 8,688 | 10,605 | 12,833 | 15,408 | 18,288 | 12M |
450 | 7,277 | 8,987 | 11,007 | 13,433 | 16,251 | 19,507 | 23,137 | 12M |
500 | 8,976 | 11,087 | 13,601 | 16,576 | 20,052 | 24,038 | – | 12M |
560 | 11,252 | 13,877 | 17,038 | 20,796 | 25,120 | 30,158 | – | 12M |
630 | 14,257 | 17,529 | 21,579 | 26,285 | 31,828 | 38,163 | – | 12M |
2. PVC Pipes (Polyvinyl chloride pipes)
PVC pipes are 6M long, come in different diameter and wall thickness sizes. They have no UV treatment and are thus for sub-surface irrigation application.
PVC Pipe Prices in Kenya
Size in MM | PN6 | PN8 | PN10 | PN12.5 | PN16 |
379 | |||||
425 | 532 | ||||
32 | 553 | 588 | 694 | 795 | |
40 | 698 | 744 | 877 | 1093 | 1220 |
50 | 935 | 1,162 | 1,383 | 1705 | 1760 |
63 | 1,475 | 1,833 | 2,177 | 2722 | 3359 |
75 | 2,024 | 2,529 | 3,111 | 3839 | 4702 |
90 | 2,955 | 3,664 | 4,459 | 5527 | 6755 |
110 | 3,508 | 4,388 | 5,951 | 6717 | 8260 |
140 | 5,782 | 7,060 | 8,795 | 10805 | 13229 |
160 | 7,295 | 9,195 | 11,536 | 14189 | 17032 |
200 | 11,566 | 14,538 | 17,915 | 22116 | 27086 |
225 | 14,610 | 18,210 | 22,521 | 27991 | 34312 |
3. Delivery/ Lay-flat pipes
They are highly flexible irrigation water pipes made from UV treated PVC material.They are supplied as 30M, 50M or 100M long. The diameters are 2″ and 3″, with thicknesses of PN6, PN8 1nd PN10. These pipes are designed for surface use.
In sprinkler irrigation systems, they are connected to a water pump, or a HDPE or PVC pipe main line, then to a water sprinkler. In drip irrigation systems, it will be a main, or sub main line
Types of Irrigation Pipes In Kenya; How to select your irrigation pipe
- Farm ownership method. A leased farm will have the surface HDPE pipes which will be disconnected when the lease period expires. A permanent farm will have sub-surface PVC pipes
- Irrigation method. Drip and rain hose kits will have HDPE and PVC as the main and sub main line often times. Sprinkler systems are best done with delivery pipes due to sprinkler movement in the farm
- Farm size. A larger farm will have larger diameter pipes because more water is needed to irrigate
- Pressure type. Irrigation water flow by gravity is through less thicker pipes such as PN6 or PN8
How To Install Rain Hose Kits
Grekkon Limited’s manual on how to install rain hose kits in Kenya is an easy to read step by step guide. It details every aspect of rain pipe assembly in the farm to provide understanding to farmers. As the pioneer of rain hose kits in Kenya, we are keen to that farmers receive the full benefit of rain pipe irrigation. Rain hose pipes work under high gravity pressure (from 6M or 0.6bar), and with high volume water pumps. The discharge rate of the water pump is from 40 cubic litres per hour. These water pumps are surface solar, electric, petrol or diesel powered
How To Install Rain Hose Kits
- Trench where the poly vinyl chloride (PVC) main line will be laid. This is not necessary for the high density polyethylene (HDPE) which are surface pipes. PVC pipes are sub-surface pipes because they have no UV-treatment, and will thus degrade easily under the sun. HDPE pipes have UV treatment and will be surface pipes
- Connect the PVC or (HDPE) main line to the water pump or high tank. This pipe evacuates water from the source to the farm and is the largest in diameter. The larger the pipe diameter, the more the water it delivers. .
- Join the HDPE or PVC sub-main line to the main line. The sub-main line is smaller in diameter, and so carries less water. It is joined to the main line through PVC or HDPE accessories such as; tees, elbows, saddle clamps, adaptors or valve sockets
- Connect the rain pipe to the sub-main line or the main line where a sub-main line does not exist. This is done with a rain hose connector or a saddle clamp
- Spread the rain hose along the length, and close the terminal end with an end cap
- Connect one rain pipe to another with a connector
A drilling tool is the only tool used when installing a rain hose kit. This is to create an opening on the main or sub-main line to insert the rain pipe ball valve