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This came in just as we were shutting down for the 4th -- we'll be out tomorrow but back in on Friday and I'll be happy to help. A quick glance and you're on the right track -- I see one error ( not in your math, just in the number of emitters --100' of emitter line with 6" spaced emitters will have about 100 emitters and a flow rate of 100 GPH). That will likely change a few of your calculations, but on Friday I'll come in and do some math with you -- when using a Flo-disc, you have it exactly right that the feed ratio speeds up -- in that case, it's ok to pre-dilute the fertilizer to get to a lower ratio (this should lower the amount of fertilizer overall you use to a more budget friendly level). I'll be back early in the a.m. on Friday to run some numbers -- in the mean time, do you know what fertilizer you'll be using and its recommended ratio/usage? I can use those numbers to see how much you'll be using :)

@@dripdepot Oh DUH of course, every 6” isn’t half the emitters, it’s the other way! I’ll rework things, but actually that makes the $$$ worse. I looked at the fertilizer you were using in the video as my favorite water soluble fertilizers need to be shaken prior to mixing as they settle, so I’m thinking they wouldn’t work as much as I like them. They are 1 Tablespoon per gallon. I guess I could use the valves to turn it on and off but was really liking the idea of “set it and forget it” and doing small doses with each water, which is almost daily where I am. I’ll send an email so you know who you’re talking to. :). I really appreciate the help.

You got it exactly right :). One elbow at the bottom to turn the tubing vertical, then one more at the top so it can run horizontally across the bed.

Choosing the size of the tank is mostly based on the "Water Volume to Empty Tank" line in the specifications (here's an example for the 3/4 gallon tank: www.dripdepot.com/file/parent/1205/1205-2005HB-Spec-Sheet.pdf). Basically, that's how many gallons will run through before the tank is emptied of fertilizer -- you don't want to end up having to fill the tank up in the middle of a watering cycle, for example. The volume to empty is based on the flow rate of the irrigation system (sum of all emitters operating at once) and the setting used on the adjustment dial (Slow to Fast, essentially). Like the Hozon, EZ-Flo units are Venturi, and I can happily confirm the EZ-Flo units work with drip irrigation. EZ-Flo units come with "Flo-Discs" that can be used for particularly low flow or low pressure systems -- The Flo-Discs create a little more pressure differential to keep them injecting. Some Venturi injectors won't work with drip, but that's really about sizing, as they can be designed to create the necessary differential for suction through manipulating constriction sizes. For sizing an EZ-Flo for your system, check the PDF files that say "3/4" Gal Spec Sheet" and "2 Gal Spec Sheet" at the item page here: www.dripdepot.com/fertilizing-system That's where you'll find the volume to empty the tanks based on the system flow rate and the setting used -- in most cases EZ-Flo recommends just using the slow setting.

Okay, more questions please. On the item page you referenced, the video on the right, "EZ FLO Hose Units", at 2:37, as in the thumbnail, it shows a typical installation with a timer. They show this unit before the timer for drip systems. I could be wrong, but it appears they also show a backflow device immediately after the EZ Flo and before the timer. Is that true? According to one of your other videos, the correct order (but without the EZ Flo), is Timer --> Backflow --> Filter --> Pressure Regulator --> Tubing Adapter. In a 4 port hose splitter drip irrigation system, a) Can you put the backflow before the splitter necessitating only one backflow device or must it go after the timer, necessitating 4 devices? b) Can you put the EZ Flo before the splitter so that you only need one EZ Flo? You could put it on a diversion line so that water only flows through it when needed, thereby not keeping it under constant pressure. Flip your valve, water goes through it and downline. Flip the valve the other way, and it is not pressurized and bypassed. Based upon how they have the setup in the video, I would think this possible as long as it is not under constant pressure. But the pdf you linked to, "1205-2005HB-Spec-Sheet.pdf", clearly emphasizes that the "Optional Irrigation Line Connection" "must be connected after the zone valve." It also continues on to say it, "must be installed after back flow prevention" (contrary to video) and "downstream of any zone valve" again, contrary to the video. Clearly the manufacturer has no consistency and cannot make up their mind as to its placement options, even for what they emphasize as a "must be" location. c) Is there sufficient inflow pressure from a typical brass Y splitter that you sell to support the EZ Flo being immediately downflow of it? I would think so since I believe I have seen it in your videos after your 4 port manifolds. The internals of the 4 and the 2 port splitters are identical. d) What kind of psi is maintained in the tank during operation? I am presuming it is not very high based upon the fact that barbed connectors are used to hold the 1/4" hose onto it and the venturi piece. e) What is the minimum PSI inflow? I see gpm with and without the flo disc kit, but not psi. This kind of ties back to question c) above, since venturi systems depend on psi input/output differences to work properly. Sorry, I'm one of those "must fully absord it all before buying" kind of analyzers and people. I am borrowing money to buy my setup, so I cannot afford to make any mistakes and need to save wherever possible.

What a time we live in where that would even be possible! I'm not AI yet, but if you see videos of me looking the exact same 10 years from now, don't hesitate to leave this comment again just in case :)

In the video, our head assembly is: Timer --> Backflow Preventer --> Filter --> Pressure Regulator --> EZ-Flo Adapter. Do you know if the Dr Earth is water soluble? If it's water soluble, you have the usage correct -- fill up the tank with the fertilizer, top it off with a little water, set the dial and off you go. With injectors, the fertilizers do have to be water soluble or liquid, however.

You're very welcome! If any questions come up, don't hesitate to reach out at any time :)

Your'e very welcome! And don't worry about the mistakes too much, they're probably teaching you as much about drip irrigation as the videos do -- so much of what we've learned (and put in the videos) come from our own mistakes as well -- you're in good company :)

This is a great question -- for the most part, the friction losses incurred by the length of the tree rings will be minimal. In the first example, our tree rings were going to have 8 0.5 GPH emitters -- with 12" spaced drip line this gives us an 8' length of 1/4" drip line and a flow rate of 4.0 GPH. 4.0 GPH going through 8' of 1/4" line will only lose 0.1 PSI from friction. In your example (15' to 20' of 1/4" line), the friction loss would only be 0.3 PSI assuming 8 0.5 GPH emitters in the tree ring. Basically, it is something you account for if things are on the cusp of not having enough pressure, but for the most part tree rings (or even 1/4" tubing with drippers at the end) will be low enough flow that their friction loss will be minimal.

It's a form of Hügelkultur -- the branches, cardboard, etc are all organic material, so they break down over time in the bed and become soil themselves, and before that they provide good drainage for the soil -- perhaps the biggest benefit though is how much it saves on soil since you'll need less to fill up the bed. It's fairly popular in the gardening community at the moment, largely due to savings on soil and good yield results :)

Either one can work well for flower beds! I'm a fan of winding or snaking 1/4" drip line through my flower bed, but my flower bed is fairly small -- for larger beds (and flowers that are ok with wet foliage, which is fairly common in the flower world) having something that can provide area coverage can make it easier. Basically, for small beds, I'm a fan of snaking drip line, for larger beds I find it easier (and just as effective) to go with something that covers some area :)

Do you know the flow rate of the emitters in your drip line? I'm surprised the beds are getting too wet -- most drip line will have that same 2 lph your spike emitter does (though we do sometimes see them with 4 lph which could be the case here). Adding another spike emitter (or even a button dripper) to the plants being watered by the spike emitter can definitely work -- it's one of the tricks we use for thirstier / larger plants. It has the dual benefit of ensuring those plants receive enough water and that they also get water to all sides of the root zone. Button drippers are likely to perform similarly to your spike emitter -- the most commonly used flow rate that we see is 2 lph, so adding one would be very similar to adding another spike emitter. Button drippers are available at higher flow rates if that's the route you wanted to go -- 4 lph is also fairly common. Though not as common, 8 lph button drippers are out there too. Those are likely the easiest solution, but there is one other -- you could zone the system so that the raised beds and the landscape plants are on their own zone -- this allows them to each have their own watering cycle that you can tailor to their needs. A faucet splitter or multi-outlet timer (if you're automating it) makes zoning fairly straight forward.

​@@dripdepotThanks for your reply. Yes, flow rate for dripline is 2lph. The beds aren't too wet, just noticeably damper than the landscape area. I run the system for 20min early morning.I will try replacing the spike emitters with 4lph button emitters.

@@listdoludzie It might be worth checking one thing first -- if you haven't already, dig around in the soil a bit around the spike emitter after a watering cycle and check the soil moisture levels. It could be a case where the beds have denser soil, so more moisture is visible on top. If the landscaping area with the spike emitter has faster soil infiltration rates, the moisture might be there but just beneath the surface -- if you've already checked this, then going with 4 lph emitters will likely be the route :)

Great question! There are a couple ways you can handle this to protect your tubing but also get water across the driveway. 1. You could bury the tubing beneath the drive way -- they make hose attachments that use water to bore a small passageway beneath concrete. This is probably one of the more difficult ways to do it, particularly if repairs ever need to be made. Running it through some protective conduit (class 200 PVC pipe works well there) is advised so that repairs are minimal. 2. You could use quick connects so that you can quickly disconnect when not watering and then reconnect before the next watering cycle. This does take more babysitting of the system than is always desired. 3. I saved what might be the best for last -- this solution actually came from a customer who was asking the same question (I wish I could take credit!). He ended up using larger sized cable protectors -- the same type you see in offices and other locations where a lot of wire or cable is ran. This allowed him to simply run the tubing across his driveway, but still protect the tubing from damage. You'd want it to be the sturdier and larger cable protectors, but they did the trick for him :)

For the most part, it doesn't matter too much -- if it's fully horizontal the overall weight of the head assembly should be considered -- some are heavier depending on timer and filter in particular. In my home garden, my hose bib is only about 6 inches off the ground, so I had to make mine horizontal -- I rested it on some bricks just to make sure the weight didn't cause any problems with the threads on the hose bib :)

You're very welcome, any time!

If any questions come up while you install it, don't hesitate to reach out!

LOL that's great! That does explain the sound we heard haha -- had you mapped the system and ended up finding it due to the map, or did you happen to just locate it when you were walking the system wondering what on earth was going on? Because, I've done the second before -- the reason mapping the system is a tip in this video is that I didn't map my first home system and did pretty much the same thing you did, had a shut valve somewhere blocking water. Most of the tips in these videos come from my mistakes, I've made just about all of them (and some of them twice!).

Mike, check for the gasket in the female side of that connection -- if the gasket is missing, that's the culprit. If it's there, fire me off a picture (or maybe even video so I can hear the sound too) in an email from here, happy to help everything get up and running like it should: help.dripdepot.com/support/tickets/new I can confirm that, with the gasket in place, that connection should not leak (also make sure there's no thread seal tape, that can cause leaking but shouldn't be used with hose threaded connections).

Thank you! If any questions come up, don't hesitate to reach out, happy to help :)

I fully agree on standardizing these! It's frustrating for us too (which is one reason why we made the video) trying to help folks who have pre-existing tubing. Finding out exactly which 1/2" size it is can be a huge pain. I'm in 100% agreement (and I bet they are too!). I think you're touching on what would be the right answer as well, when you mention metric. Metric would allow there to be different sizes all very close (like we see now with 1/2") but still be able to clearly know what size fittings to get. This would allow large commercial growers not to over spend (why spend more for 17mm when you're spec'd out for 15mm) while at the same time allowing gardeners, DIY'ers and hobby farmers to easily get compatible tubing and fittings. PVC/Iron Pipe Size standardized decades ago, it's time for poly to do the same -- you have an ally in me to see it so. :)

​@@dripdepot I think we could actually take things a step further. How many times have you heard from someone who could only get a threaded fitting on a couple turns because they didn't realize there's a difference between NPT and GHT? I saw a bunch of reviews for a Rain Bird NPT to drip-lock fitting just today which complained about that exact thing, and it was pretty obvious what was going on.

@@__S__435 You're spot on here! The GHT x NPT confusion is definitely even more common than the different sizes of 1/2" tubing, it's something we hear almost every day. That one is a bit tougher to solve, but maybe another thread type that combines the best properties of each (quickness and ease of hose threads and the tapered property of pipe threads) would do the trick -- after a few years of serious confusion, things might settle on the new thread standard :)

You bet, pumps are often used with drip systems very effectively -- if the pump is a particularly low pressure pump, you can go with lower pressure emitters. Drip systems already operate at low pressure, and there are some emitters that can operate at extraordinarily low pressure (less than 1 PSI even). Here is an example of one of those (this one can operate at less than 1 PSI so long as there is flow): www.dripdepot.com/cleanable-dripper

I think this plan sounds fantastic -- a head assembly at the spigot, followed by 30' of 1/2" tubing and running microtubing with emitters and drippers to your containers is exactly how we'd do it, your instincts here are spot on. With that route, everything is well into the green specification wise :)

There isn't one right answer to this, as a lot of variables are involved (cultivar of the plants, soil moisture retention rates, maturity of plants, number of fruit, etc) -- basically, it will vary from location to location. For the most part, we recommend "water and watch" -- pick a watering cycle and monitor the health of the plants so you can adjust accordingly. With that said, during the hottest part of summer (often around 100° here too) I typically water my garden fruit and vegetables for 30 minutes, twice per day using 0.5 GPH emitters. Your optimal cycles will likely be a little different, but you can use that get a rough idea -- for example, my soil moisture retention isn't great (I really need to get more mulch) so I have to add that second cycle in the evening. When experimenting with watering cycles, always remember it's easy to add more water at almost any time, but not to remove water, so I like to err on the side of potentially too little when first picking a cycle. Also, don't use the wet circle on top of the soil as a benchmark -- when done correctly, drip irrigation should only leave a small wet circle on the surface, all the action happens beneath the surface of the soil. You can dig around a little after a watering cycle to see how the water spread -- remember, for most plants you want it to be moist, but not wet :)

No real functional difference :) The Tee filter works good for hose bibs that are low to the ground, the Tee shape allows the head assembly to go horizontal instead of vertical -- but other than shape, they're pretty much identical.

Any time! :)

If the plants are good with having wet foliage, a Fan Jet could definitely work here -- they cover a reasonable area so you can get pretty good coverage with just a few of them. They put out quite a lot of water, so you'll want to make sure to plan for the flow rate of the system (the sum of the flow rate of all fan jets operating at once) versus the flow rate of the water source. If this was previously feeding a sprinkler system, you'll likely have plenty of flow though :) Labor wise, they're pretty equal, with fan jets likely being a little bit less since you need fewer of them -- either way isn't too bad though, except on very large landscapes.

@@dripdepot thank you for your advice ! I really appreciate it!

@@KevinB_123 Any time Kevin! If any questions come up along the way, don't hesitate to drop a line, happy to help :)

I've never used one before, but I just took a look at some of their literature and videos, and I do think they'd work well -- like "Bite" and "Loc" fittings they work with a range of sizes which is always handy, and I like how they work as a socket fitting (inserting the pipe into the fitting instead of over the fitting). Solid looking fittings!

You bet, the poly tubing we used in the video actually first gained in popularity in the US up in the northeast due to its freeze damage resistance. Poly tubing tends to "bend and not break" so it can be left out over winter, even when used above grade. With systems like in the video, all you usually need to do is let gravity drain the water from some low point end caps and you're good to go for winter. The head assembly parts (backflow preventer, filter, regulator) can be easily removed from the hose bib and stored inside. Here is a link to our winterizing video if you wanted to check it out -- it covers the things I mentioned above in a bit more detail (but it really is as easy as it sounds): czcams.com/video/qOSIav1DiCQ/video.html

@@dripdepot thank you so much for explaining this!

If it's well drained, I'd lean towards the 1/4" drip line, the materials are just a little bit more flexible. The adjustable emitters on stake can also be left out over winter, but we have seen the adjustment caps get displaced by freezing water trapped in the threads where the adjustment cap is connected to the rest of the assembly. Typically easily fixable, but that's not something that can occur with the 1/4" drip line so it gets the edge, even if by a small margin :)

Thank you so much!

Nope! If you have some end caps at low points, a gravity drain will usually be more than sufficient, even in places with particularly harsh winters. Poly tubing has a "bend but don't break" material property that allows it to be left out over winter, even above ground, so long as it has been reasonably drained. I'd say for poly tubing drip systems, using a compressor is usually the exception rather than the rule. :) Head assembly parts (timer, backflow preventer, filter and pressure regulator) should be stored indoors, but the tubing itself can be safely left out when gravity drained.

people in gardening groups have highlighted that even expensive timers seem to stop working after one season due to water and elements. Especially water reaching the battery compartment somehow. My outdoor spigot is not shielded from the elements at all. Is there anything I can do to protect the (pretty expensive) automatic hose end timer outdoors to make it last (during gardening season) ?

@@mnchnn This is a great question, as it is correct that exposure to the elements will shorten their life span -- particularly direct sun exposure. It's not so much the UV, but the heat generated from sun exposure, particularly on any timer with an LCD screen (the liquid crystals can overheat). If you have any way to create a temporary shade or enclosure for it, that would be best to keep the heat at reasonable levels. Water getting into the battery compartment isn't one I hear about too much -- the hose timers can typically handle rain with no problem, but definitely avoid submersion -- they're water resistant, but not water proof. This would also be from not removing them from winter -- if there's some water left inside and the timer is left outside, the freezing water could expand and cause internal damage that then allows water to enter the battery compartment. With all that said, I find heat damage to be the most common by far, and shade (even if it's something temporary just for the season) will go a long way towards getting its full life expectancy.

Great question -- water hammer arrestors are not always needed, but if you are experiencing any water hammer when the timer valve closed, I would recommend one. I usually recommend one for older houses (whose piping may be older) as well. They're fairly inexpensive and the shock of a sudden change in water flow can eventually lead to damage, so if there's any water hammer (or if you want maximum protection) I'd go with one.

In what order would this be installed with regards to the head assembly? Can it be screwed to the tap first then hose splitter after it?

@@mnchnn You got it -- the most important part is for it to be before the timer -- it sounds like you're thinking something alone the lines of: Arrestor --> Splitter --> Timer --> Head Assembly If so, that is a solid order -- that order will allow the arrestor to absorb the shock of the sudden change in flow when the timer valve shuts. :)

Perfect, thank you for all your help. Much appreciated!

@@mnchnn Any time!

Winterizing a drip system like this is fortunately very easy -- in most cases, you can simply drain the lines of water from a low point end cap and then leave the tubing out over the winter. The backflow preventer, filter and pressure regulator can be stored inside, but the tubing itself is safe to leave out if it's reasonably well drained. :) Here is a link to a winterizing video we made to show how easy it is if you wanted to see it in action: czcams.com/video/qOSIav1DiCQ/video.html

Awesome, and you bet, it works great as a normal programmable timer as well -- In my home garden I'm using a standard timer as well and it gets the job done :)

You're very welcome, thank you for the comment as well! :)

And raccoons! Great question -- The easiest and most inexpensive way is to provide them with an easier source of water -- if they don't have to chew through lines to get a drink, they won't, they always prefer the easiest source. If it's your mainline they're chewing into, the mainline can be safely buried (so can emitter line, typically under a layer of mulch, but mulch might not be enough to deter them). There's also a solution that can be injected into the lines that deters them -- it's non-toxic to plants and animals, it just makes the water very unappealing to them. The primary ingredient is castor oil, so they won't want anything to do with it. Flushing the lines after use can also help since it drains the water, which is what they're usually after. With all that said, I've had the best luck by just providing other water sources, even a bird fountain will keep a lot of them from going after the water in your lines.

Michael, thank you for the comment! This is by far the best one I've ever received -- to even be mentioned in the same sentence as either of those distinguished gentlemen is pretty much a career high. Thank you!

In most cases it's best to terminate the run in a cap or plug -- looping it back into the mainline often just uses more material for no benefit. Looping style systems do have benefits on large irrigation systems, but on smaller low pressure drip systems there really is no benefit and can increase costs due to the extra material usage. :)

@@dripdepot Thank you! I have been puzzling over that for a while.

@@maddymiller2646 You're very welcome, any time! :D

So far from what you've described (running from a timer connected to a hose bib to irrigate 50 pots with 1/4" drip line and drippers on a stake), you'd be best served by a 25 PSI hose threaded pressure regulator. If the above is correct, this one here would serve you well for many years to come and requires no additional adapters to get connected to other hose threaded connections: www.dripdepot.com/3523 I hope this helps! Don't hesitate to reach out if any other questions come up, happy to help :)

Thank you for the prompt reply!

@@mnchnn Any time! :)

You bet, this is generally pretty easy to do -- if you're using barbed insert or Perm-Loc fittings, removing the tubing from one of them isn't too bad (easier with Loc style than with barbed insert, but both reasonable to do). If you don't need to remove a fitting to make the change, you can simply cut into the tubing where you'd like to add a new fitting and just splice it in to run you new lengths. If you're using compression fittings it's still not too bad -- they are generally regarded as not re-usable, but you can cut them out, add in a new coupling and run your new length from there. All in all, I think you'll have a pretty easy time of it -- drip irrigation is often referred to as "modular" -- in this case it's not just a marketing term, it really is quite modular and pretty easy to add on to and expand at any time. When the time comes for you to make some changes, don't hesitate to drop a line with any questions, we'd be more than happy to assist :)

Thank you for the nice comment Lisa!

Best to open it all the way in most cases. The pressure regulator will regulate the pressure down if it's too high, and having it fully open allows for all the flow to be available for your irrigation system. :)

Does the sound persist the entire time it's running? First let's check to see if it's a trapped air issue -- the turbulence from air can cause a humming (or even hammering) sound at time. To bleed the system of air, remove one of the end caps on the system and just let water run for a few moments -- this will generally allow trapped air to escape. If you can, also pin down the source just in case the hum is coming from one of the head assembly (backflow preventer, pressure regulaor, etc) components :)

The Premium Container Kit (at this link: www.dripdepot.com/124) would probably be the best place to start -- that kit is designed up for up 70 plants of varying sizes. A few more plants than you have, so you may be able to modify the kit to remove additional items you don't need -- most of it just making sure there's enough mainline tubing to get from your water source to your furthest plant, and enough fittings to accomplish your design (mainline elbows for 90° turns, tees if you need to split the tubing anywhere, etc). If it's helpful, here are a couple same designs we made for our container kits -- scroll down a little bit to get to the larger ones that use the 1/2" mainline for more plants: help.dripdepot.com/support/solutions/articles/11000119079-container-garden-sample-layouts I hope this helps!

@@dripdepot thank you!

If we mention the Tootsie Pops too much they won't' be a surprise! My favorite is the chocolate ones -- never thought I'd enjoy a chocolate Tootsie Pop until I tried one, now I have problems saying no to them lol. Thank you for the kind words, truly! What a great way for me to start the week down here on Monday. Happy gardening out your way! :)

Though manufacturers don't like to share the exact recipe with us, I can confirm it is not PVC and is going to be mostly Polyethylene for it UV resistance and molecular stability :)

You bet, any time!

I think you're on the right track :) Like any fitting or adapter, some loss will be incurred by adding it to the head assembly. It's fairly small in its overall length and has a fairly standard channel size (for 3/4" hose bibs) for water to pass through, so it does not cause significant losses. You mentioned passing it through a valve -- is this going to be a solenoid valve? If so, you might want to look into the EZ-Flo Mainline Dispensing units -- the EZ-Flo in this video is designed to operate from a hose bib -- though it can operate downstream of a solenoid valve on a run of pipe or tubing, it's going to take a few additional adapters to get it installed inline since the adapter itself is hose threaded. The mainline dispensing units use a PVC coupling valve instead of a hose adapter -- they're also a bit larger and the additional capacity might come in handy with a 6.8 GPM system flow rate. Unfortunately we haven't made a video for the mainline units yet, but it works very similarly -- just install the adapter (PVC coupling valve in this case) on the irrigation system, fill the tank with fertilizer, and pressure differential will do the rest. In regards to not always wanting to use fertilizer, that should be no problem with either injector (hose or mainline) -- they both come with coupling valves on the tubing that connects to the inline adapter. When you don't want to inject nutrients, you just turn those valves to their off positions, no need to remove the unit or inline adapter. Here is a link to the mainline dispensing systems so you can check it out, just in case it would be better for your application: www.dripdepot.com/main-line-dispensing-system

@@dripdepot Yeah I looked at the mainline ones, unfortionately the cost is huge vs the hose ones. I just won't use it enough to justify the extra cost (ntm like a dummy I already bought the wrong type regulators so I have hose threaded ones already). So I was wondering If I cld make a 2.5g one work in a pinch. And yes it'll be downstream of a solenoid switching valve

@@brianchrisman4331 You bet, I do think you can make the 2.5 gallon one work :) You'll need a couple adapters, but that's fairly normal either way and shouldn't cause any issues -- the channel is short enough that the smaller 3/4" size shouldn't incur any significant losses unless this is a very high flow zone (I wouldn't anticipate heavy losses in the adapter from 6.8 GPM). If you're not using the "Fast" setting on the dial it should empty out at a reasonable rate too, so you won't have to be constantly re-filling it. I can also confirm downstream of the valve is the right place -- this one's not rated for constant pressure, so you're doing it exactly right having it after the control valve. :)

@@dripdepot awesome, thank you for the assistance!