Bench & Tubing Support

Support hardware is the part of an irrigation system nobody budgets for until it is missing. Overhead PE tubing that sags between hangers puts nozzles off level, risers that dribble after the cycle spot the foliage underneath, and laterals left loose on a bench get kicked out of line by every cart that passes.

This category holds the Dramm PolyRail extrusion system, no-drip risers and run-out valves, Kwik Klamps for PVC lines, dribble tubes and Dramm Stix, Abot riser bases and PipeLoc riser pipe, Netafim Q-Flex flexible risers, Tavlit stands and adjustable risers, and Maxijet stake bodies for container blocks. ML Irrigation in Fountain Inn, South Carolina sells all of it wholesale and ships to growers in all 50 states.

Which support type fits the house: overhead rail, PVC riser, flexible riser or stake?

Start with where the water has to come from. In a bench house with overhead nozzles, the tubing needs to hang straight and level, and that is what the Dramm PolyRail extrusion is for: an aluminum rail that sleeves PE tubing tightly so it stays rigid without sags, keeps the nozzles even for uniform coverage, and installs without glue. Start with the 16 mm rail. Move to 25 mm where the line carries higher flow or needs more support, or where the rail will also carry hanging baskets.

Where overhead lines are impossible, or you would rather not run them, put the nozzle on a 1/2 inch PVC riser instead. The Threaded Pipe Nipple screws onto a threaded riser and the Slip Fit version cements onto plain pipe; both take the nozzle at 1/2 NPT by 3/8 Whitworth.

In nursery aisles where carts and equipment clip the risers, a rigid riser snaps off at the saddle. The Netafim Q-Flex bends and springs back, which turns a recurring repair into a non-event. Tavlit stands and adjustable risers carry a sprinkler at the right height above a crop that keeps growing. For container and pot-in-pot blocks, Maxijet stakes hold a micro-spray head on .205 inch OD or .240 vinyl tubing at 6 inch or 13 inch heights.

What do the pipe, pressure and fittings need to be before this hardware works?

Most of this hardware is sized to a specific pipe or tubing. PolyRail punches are matched to the rail, ALU509A for 16 mm and ALU503A for 25 mm, so the hole fits the fitting instead of being stretched to suit. Every run needs a PolyRail Stop at both ends, rail sections join with the 4 inch connecting band and its set screws, and the 90 degree hangers come in a 16 mm and a 25 mm version, so match them to your rail.

Dramm Run-Out Valves go on the end of 1 inch or 3/4 inch PVC pipelines and open when the water shuts off, so the line drains and the overhead nozzles stop dripping. They need at least 15 PSI to work properly, and on 3/4 inch pipe you connect them with PVC cement and a 1 to 3/4 reducer bushing. Follow the cement directions on pipe preparation and drying time; the same goes for the Slip Fit Pipe Nipple. The No-Drip Riser handles the same problem at each nozzle by closing as pressure falls, and the extension version adds height plus a check valve against backflow.

Kwik Klamps hold PVC lines to a wall in 3/4, 1, 1.25, 1.5 and 2 inch sizes, and Kwik Spacers stack in 3/4 inch steps to stand the pipe off the wall. To cut a 3/8 Whitworth thread into PVC for Pin-Perfect, Nifty or Misty Mist nozzles, use the Drill Tap rather than forcing the nozzle in.

What goes wrong on real benches, and how do the four lines differ?

The failures we see most are not product failures. Tubing hung on too few supports sags, the nozzles tip, and the far end of the bench dries out while the near end floods. Overhead nozzles with no run-out valve or no-drip riser dribble onto the crop after every cycle, which is where foliar disease tends to start on the plants directly under the line. Rigid risers in a traffic aisle get knocked over, and stakes that are not UV-stabilized go brittle in a season and snap the first time a pot is moved.

The four lines approach support differently. Dramm covers the most ground for overhead and bench work: PolyRail and its hangers, no-drip risers, run-out valves, Kwik Klamps, dribble tubes and Dramm Stix, Abot riser bases and 20 inch PipeLoc riser pipe, and preassembled valve stations and manifolds built for easy maintenance. Netafim contributes one part here, the Q-Flex riser, and it solves one recurring problem. Tavlit supplies stands and adjustable risers for sprinkler work where you need sound components in quantity rather than a premium badge. Maxijet makes the bare stakes for container production in clip or barb style, with a side hole on the 13 inch stakes that tucks the tubing in and, on some, a second hole that grips crimped vinyl to shut off a head without cutting anything.

Not sure which mix you need? Request a quote with your bench count and pipe sizes, or ask us which parts go together.