Repairing a 1/2" water trunkline for a drip system

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I've had occasion to repair the 1/2" water trunkline on my system a few times. It happens mostly when I, uh, dig through it accidentally, which I did a couple of days ago, while moving some daffodil bulbs. These things happen! There are a few ways to repair this type of damage, and I've tried them all, which is why I do it the way I am going to describe.

Even though this is a low-pressure system, it is still under pressure, and a leak is the least of your concerns. A water explosion is more likely whenever there is a breach of the system! So don't even think about being sloppy on this type of repair! I've used the simple compression-type repair tubing, but they really don't work. The best thing to use is this system that I found at Home Depot (pictured). In order to do this right, you will need two assemblies and a short piece of 1/2" tubing.

Cut away the damaged tubing and slide the connector over the existing tubing. There is a nipple that fits in snugly, and the connector tightens it up. Do the same for the other side and for the tubing in-between. If you get it wrong, just recut and try again. Your goal is to have just a tiny bit of *buckle* in the line (not so much that it pinches) so that the whole system is self-bracing. You certainly don't want it to *not quite reach* or it will come apart! Done correctly, it's a very sturdy repair, and I've used it to expand the line, too (which is really what it's for).

Even though I'm sure that I've done everything right this morning, I don't trust it until I see it work for a while, so I will leave it uncovered for a few days. After that, it gets covered up, and hopefully I can forget about it!

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