Driptape vs Dripline
Dripline and Drip tape are commonly confused for one another in this industry. Both are fundamentally the same item, having drip emitters evenly spaced, built internally into the pipe. But they are drastically different in material and application.
Drip irrigation systems have revolutionized water management in agriculture and landscaping, offering precise and efficient water delivery to plants. Two popular components of these systems are driptape and dripline, which, despite their similarities, have distinct characteristics and applications. This guide aims to answer the question, what are the differences between drip tape and drip line? helping you make an informed decision for your irrigation needs.
Drip line Characteristics
- Dripline is a structured pipe that is rigid, similar to the lateral/poly pipe.
- Drip Line commonly has a wall thickness of 0.9mm to 1.2mm
- Dripline can be used in short or long term crops and will last 10 to 30 years.
- Dripline comes in 50m to 400m coils and can not be recoiled to store away easily.
- Dripline has either pressure compensated or non-compensated drip emitters that can have operating pressures varying from 15 psi to 60 psi.
Drip Tape Characteristics
- Driptape is a thin-walled tube/pipe, lying flat upon application, only enlarging once filled with water.
- Drip tape is a thin-walled pipeline with a common wall thickness of 0.15mm, 0.2mm and 0.3mm.
- Drip tape is commonly used in short term crops and lasts between 1 to 5 years (depending on customer care). This is due to the thin wall pipe.
- Due to the driptape lying flat when not in use, it allows for it to recoil when the season ends or for harvesting. Driptape comes in much larger coils between 1000m to 3000m. this allows for multiple applications for when rows deteriorate, you can easily run a new line from the coil supply.
- Drip tape operates at low flow and low pressure, approx 0.2 - 1.25 Bar (8 – 15 psi). Higher than the recommended will split either the tube or the fitting connection.
Drip Line Overview
Drip tape Overview
Applications
Common Applications of Dripline:
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Raised bed gardening: Dripline is popular for home gardens using raised beds, providing precise water delivery to plants.
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Home Gardening: Flower beds, trees and shrubs
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Row crops: such as strawberries, tomatoes, bell peppers, lettuce, beans, and squash.
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Orchards and vineyards: It's effective for irrigating grape vines, olive trees, and other fruit trees, especially on irregular landscapes.
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Root vegetables: Crops that grow just below the soil surface, such as potatoes, onions, and carrots, benefit from dripline irrigation
Common Applications of Driptape:
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Row crops: ideal for watering long, straight rows of crops such as strawberries, tomatoes, and other vegetables.
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Field crops: Drip tape can be used for irrigating maize, soybean, sugarcane, cotton, corn, and wheat.
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Greenhouse cultivation: It's effective for watering plants in controlled environments.
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Fruit trees and orchards: Drip tape provides precise water delivery to tree roots.
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Flower cultivation: It's suitable for watering various types of flowers.
Drip irrigation is a highly efficient method of watering crops and gardens, using lateral pipes or driplines with fixed emitters to deliver water directly to the plant's root zone. This system can be installed on the surface or buried underground, offering precise water and nutrient delivery while minimising waste. Drip irrigation is widely used in residential, agricultural and horticultural applications, including row crops, orchards, vineyards, and home gardens.
It offers numerous benefits, such as water conservation, improved crop yields, reduced disease pressure, and the ability to irrigate irregularly shaped fields or those with challenging topography.
Drip tape is widely used for growing row crops due to its efficiency and precision in water delivery. It is typically installed along the rows of crops, commonly on the soils surface. For large plants like tomatoes, one or two lines of drip tape may be used per row, while for smaller crops like lettuce, one line can be placed between two rows. The tape delivers water directly to the plant roots, reducing water waste and keeping foliage dry, which helps prevent diseases and fungal growth. There is a variety in emitter spacing and flow rates to match specific crop needs and soil types.
This irrigation method is particularly effective for crops with shallow rooting depths, as it provides frequent, shallow irrigations. By using drip tape, growers can also easily incorporate fertilizers into the irrigation system, ensuring precise nutrient delivery to their crops
Filtration
Both Drip tape and Dripline have pretty similar filtration requirements.
Water quality and filtration are essential for drip irrigation systems. Even if you have very good quality water, you always require good filtration for drip irrigation. If you have poor quality water, we need to know what is in the water in detail to decide what filtration system will suit you.
Most driptape systems require a minimum filtration of 130 Micron or 120 Mesh. A disc filter is very handy in this situation as it has a removable disc cartridge that can be cleaned and reused.
Some Popular Picks
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Automat Y Type Manual Disc Filters – 20mm to 50mm
$14.95 – $52.79 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
20mm – 40mm Jimten Filtmaster Disc Filters
$44.84 – $96.14 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
20mm Arkal Disc Filter
$53.35 – $58.60 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Fittings
Dripline
Drip line typically uses "push fit" fittings with a tapered barb design. Once you push the pipe past the barb, it locks into place, creating a secure connection. These fittings are designed for easy installation and reliable performance.
Pipe Diameters:
There are different diameters of pipe used for drip lines:
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Industry standard size: 16mm OD (outside diameter) / 14mm ID (inside diameter)
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Landscape drip line: 13mm ID
Fittings sizes and compatibility:
- 16mm drip line and fittings are often referred to as 16mm but actually use 14mm sized fittings.
- These are typically double barbed fittings, which provide a stronger hold than single barb designs.
Additional information
- Double barbed fittings generally do not require ratchet clips, as the dual barb design provides sufficient grip.
- Landscape Dripline (13mm ID) uses 13mm lateral fittings
- The choice between 13mm and 16mm drip line often depends on the specific application and water flow requirements of the irrigation project.
Driptape
Drip tape uses a special type of fitting called a "screw nut" style fitting. This fitting consists of two main parts:
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A barbed insert: This part goes inside the drip tape. The barb helps to grip the inner surface of the tape.
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A screw-on nut: This nut fits over the outside of the drip tape and the barbed insert.
To connect the fitting:
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The barbed insert is pushed into the end of the drip tape.
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The screw-on nut is then threaded over the outside of the tape and tightened.
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As the nut is tightened, it compresses the drip tape between the nut and the barbed insert.
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This compression creates a secure, water-tight seal.
This design allows for a strong connection that can withstand the water pressure in the irrigation system while being relatively easy to install and remove when needed. The "biting down" action of the nut ensures that the fitting stays in place during use.
What Are the Different Options?
Dripline
Driptape
Techline
This is "techline" or commonly reffered to as landscape dripline. It is recommended for residential & light commercial applications and the most popular dripline we have on offer
Aquadrip
This thick-walled drip tape is ideal for the running a drip tape system. With a thicker wall than the competitors this drip tape can withstand more and provide you with the water where you need it.
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Netafim 13mm Landscape Dripperline – Techline AS
$79.12 – $235.52 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Home Watering Dripline Starter Kit
$74.99 Add to cart
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AquaDrip 16mm Drip Tape with Integral Dripper
$201.25 – $304.75 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Bioline
This is Netafims Bioline, which is used for irrigation systems with non-potable water. It is recommended for both commercial and residential applications and commonly in effluent applications.
T-Tape (Mini Rolls)
T-Tape drip tape is used in a variety of crops around the world, helping to reduce water consumption, increase crop quality, and increase crop yield. T-Tape drip tape can be installed on the ground, under plastic, or even subsurface. Because of T-Tape's material strength, design, and quality production standards, you can count on T-Tape year after year
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Netafim Bioline AS, 16mm Heavy Wall PC Dripperline
$99.28 – $120.75 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Effluent Dripline Start-up Kit
$707.25 Add to cart
DripNet & Uniram
Dripnet & Uniram Dripline are ideal for deciduous plantations, tree irrigation, and permanent (10 or more seasons) subsurface row crop applications. They are the ultimate solution for subsurface drip irrigation.
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T-Tape Mini Rolls – 16mm
$162.93 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
T-Tape Driptape
T-Tape drip tape is used in a variety of crops around the world, helping to reduce water consumption, increase crop quality, and increase crop yield. T-Tape drip tape can be installed on the ground, under plastic, or even subsurface. Commonly used in tomatoes, peppers, melons and strawberries, minimum tilled soils, double cropping and medium textured soils or where rocks or previous crop residue is a factor.
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Netafim DripNet 16mm PC Dripline
$386.86 – $463.57 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Netafim Uniram AS 16010 Dripperline
$529.09 – $558.90 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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T-Tape Drip Tape – 16mm – 0.20mm Wall Thickness (8mil)
$514.89 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
T-Tape Drip Tape – 22mm – 0.20mm Wall Thickness (8mil)
$526.16 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
See the full range below
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