Mainline saddle hole size? 7/16 vs 5/16

[Shakersugar]

Hey all, long time lurker and learner. Second time poster. Located on the NY/MA border.

With the 2023 season well underway I’m running a small bush this year under vacuum and RO for the first time. This has been very much an experimental year for us with a mainline, RO and Shurflo vacuum on 29 taps. Looking to take everything we learn this year and putting it use overhauling a very tired 200-300 tap tubing system a quick walk from here for next year.

I was wondering if there was any added benefit to drilling 5/16” holes vs 7/16” holes in the mainline for the saddles. I’m using the DSD 90’ saddles and picked up the 7/16 Mainline drill tool on clearance from Bascom this year because of the price. I think I like the DSD fittings. The gaskets seal good and can accomidate both sizes of holes. I haven’t had any problems with them other then the wire kinda being in the way for drilling. Really curious about trying the LaPierre Flexclips as well.

Thanks a bunch.

[VT_K9]

We used to use saddles. We used the maxflow with larger hole. The mainline tool is just the ticket an you can have both drill sizes available. The first big 1" mainline I put in was a learning process an fortunately I only made the major error when 6-10 saddles were installed. Never ever again will I do that....don't hang the line, stretch, then install saddles before you are done stretching. It makes your nice round holes ovalish. Ours wanted new saddles every year to be tight until we upgraded lines and tools. We switched from saddles to spinseal for our mainline connections. With that said we were in the process of expanding and upgrading several lines in one year with more future expansions planned so we justified the cost. Plus with a couple difference sizes of saddles you always had to keep the right size on hand.

This year we have replaced 2 100 foot runs of black poly with saddle because of too many leaks. Both runs had taken on a fair amount of sag due to tree or limb damage an I know from experience the hole would elongate. My vote would be to use saddles with smaller holes to reduce the chance of elongating the holes. I am not familiar with your bran of saddles.

Mike

[Shakersugar]

Good info! Thanks! I can see how the holes would elongate if the mainline tubing wasn’t stretched. Anyone wait a week or so after putting their mainline up before drilling?

[VT_K9]

I waited a few days. I would have waited longer, but the season was just starting or if I had been able to do the work when it was warmer it would not take that long.

Mike