Which Tile Inlet is Better?

Both of the Inlets pictured keep the crop residue out of the tile.  Why is one or the other used?  The type 1 inlet usually has holes or slots.  They can be made of aluminum, steel, PVC, or plastic.  They have slots or holes. The type 1 inlets limit the amount of water that can get into the tile.  Some terrace systems are designed in such a way that water on the up hill inlets must be limited to prevent it from coming out of a down hill inlet. 

The bar guard intakes or type 2 inlets are used to maximize inflow into a tile.  In a terrace situation with type 2 risers, tile size and grade are used to prevent outflow on the downhill inlets.  In a terrace situation, you should replace damaged inlets with the same kind that was originally installed.


Sometimes inlets are used in closed depressions to increase drain water out of the depression faster.  In those situations, if water is not getting away fast enough with a type 1 riser, you could try a type 2.

So which one is better?  It depends on engineering requirements. 

Type 1 inlet

Type 2 inlet