Step 1
Clean water baseline
1.05 GPH
Cv 0.02 across 20 emitters
Center for Irrigation Technology (CIT)
Independent Clogging Resistance Tests
Double Grit Test videos showing the Max-Emitter operating under high contaminant loading.
- 0 / 20
- Emitters plugged after final flush
- 5,500 PPM
- Peak grit concentration during test
- 11 sizes
- Grit mesh sizes (140 → 30 mesh)
- 2 ×
- Standard CIT grit loading
Test protocol
A doubled CIT grit test, end to end
The standard CIT emitter grit test was modified to double the total grit load and broaden the size distribution — a deliberately punishing protocol that plugs most off-the-shelf emitters during the first cycle.
- 01
Sample preparation
20 inline 1 GPH Max-Emitters installed in a circulating loop with controlled pressure and temperature, baselined on clean water before grit was introduced.
- 02
Eleven graded grit additions
Aluminum oxide grit (mesh sizes 240, 220, 180, 150, 120, 100, 80, 70, 60, 54, 46) added in sequence, each step adding 250 PPM and a flow measurement after every dose.
- 03
Peak load reading
After all eleven grit additions, the loop carried 5,500 PPM of suspended solids — twice the contaminant load of the standard CIT emitter test.
- 04
Flush & post-test reading
Grit was filtered out of the loop and a final flow measurement was taken on clean water to confirm whether emitters that had plugged could self-clear.
Test results
16 mm 1 GPH Max-Emitter scorecard
Twenty inline emitters, three flow checkpoints. Cv (coefficient of variation) is a measure of how uniform the flow is across all emitters — lower is better.
Step 2
At 5,500 PPM grit
1.04 GPH
1 of 20 plugged · Cv 0.02
Step 3
After clean-water flush
1.04 GPH
0 of 20 plugged · Cv 0.02
In the loop
Double Grit Test Videos
All 10 legacy test clips converted to web-ready MP4 format.
Clip 01
Ore-Max emitters installed and operating with grit load
Clip 02
Collection chute after test solution has passed through emitters
Clip 03
Adding more grit to the test solution
Clip 04
Adding more grit to the test solution
Clip 05
Adding more grit to the test solution
Clip 06
Collection chute showing grit building up on edges from the emitters
Clip 07
Test solution dripping from emitters
Clip 08
Test solution dripping from emitters
Clip 09
Test solution captured in clear container
Clip 10
Collection chute with grit load
Study details
About this test
The results above come from the original CIT Double Grit Test report on the 16 mm 1 GPH Max-Emitter. Citation details are reproduced verbatim from the report's cover sheet and footnotes.
- Conducted by
- Center for Irrigation Technology (CIT), California State University, Fresno
- Report file
- 1213(AQS/07), Test #1B
- Test dates
- March 1 – 7, 2007
- Test sample
- 20 inline 16 mm 1 GPH Max-Emitters
- Operating pressure
- 15 psi
- Flow velocity
- 3 ft / sec
- Grit dosing
- 250 ppm per addition · 11 graded aluminum-oxide additions to 5,500 ppm total
- Grit material
- Aluminum Oxide grit, Fusco Abrasive Systems, Inc. (Compton, CA), ANSI B 74.12-1992
- Samples provided by
- Ore-Max, Inc.
- Technicians
- Vic & Andrew (Supervisor: Ed Norum)
Protocol: Standard CIT emitter plugging protocol, modified to double the total grit loading. “Plugged” is defined as flow less than 1.0 ml / minute. CV in this report is used for statistical clarification and is not intended to represent the coefficient of manufacturing variability. Copies of the test protocol are available on request from the Center for Irrigation Technology, California State University, Fresno.
Keep reading
Why the numbers look this way
The protocol shows the result; these pages show the design choices that produce it.
Max-Emitter Technology
The patented turbulent flow path and oversized screen area that drive these clog-resistance numbers.
Technical Data & Flow Curves
Pressure-compensation curves, flow rates, and engineering tables for every Max-Emitter line.
Emitter Comparison
Flow path length, screen area, and flow path volume vs. NetaFim, Toro, and Plastro emitters.
Pilot the Max-Emitter
Test it on your own solution chemistry
Request a sample roll of Max-Emitterline and run it against the contamination, pH, and temperature profile of your actual heap.