How To Have The Most Efficient Sprinkler System Possible

How To Have The Most Efficient Sprinkler System Possible

Whether you already have an underground sprinkler system installed or are planning to have one installed at some point, this article will help you get the most out of your Automatic Sprinkler System.

Efficiency is important with every sprinkler system because they use so much water. There are good and bad ways to set up a sprinkler system, and then there are the very best ways to set up one up. We will try to go over all things you must be careful of when using an automatic watering system, and some tips and tricks to conserving water and getting the most out of your underground sprinkler system.

First, never mix and match sprinklers within the same station or zone. This means that you should not have two or three pop-up sprinklers in the same zone that is being watered by a pulsating sprinkler head. Each zone needs to be assigned one specific type of sprinkler without any exceptions. Keep this in mind, especially if you are beginning to design the layout of your underground sprinkler system. Plan it in such a way that makes it easy to differentiate the zones with the Gear Drive sprinkler heads from the zones with the stationary sprinkler heads.

Choosing which type of sprinkler should occupy a particular zone should not be random.

Large Zones

Large zones should be using either gear-driven sprinkler heads or impact sprinkler heads. Gear-driven and impact sprinklers are more heavy-duty than your common stationary sprinkler head or even your spring-loaded pop-up sprinkler head. Gear Drive Sprinklers are good for larger zones because they can spray water up to 40 feet in part or full-circle patterns. Some common Gear Drive Sprinkler heads are Voyager, Voyager II, Saturn, and Saturn III.

If you have an extremely large lawn, you may want to consider using an Impact sprinkler that either sits on a spiked base or a tripod stand. Impact sprinklers come in many shapes and sizes, but the brass impulse, impact sprinklers are most common. They are extremely sturdy and since they are above the surface of the ground all of the time, they are weatherproof and do not break or wear easily.

Medium Sized Zones

For medium-sized zones, the traditional spring-loaded pop-up sprinkler heads do just fine. Take advantage of the full, half, and quarter pattern spray sprinkler heads. While many spring-loaded pop-up sprinkler heads are adjustable, you will end up saving yourself money by only buying the patterns that you need.

One way to organize the sprinkler head placement for a medium-sized zone measuring roughly 40 feet by 80 feet is to have a spring-loaded pop-up sprinkler head in the front right and left corners, and one in the back middle. 3 appropriate sprinkler heads are enough for a zone of that size. No need for a fourth and certainly not a fifth.

Smaller Zones

For smaller zones consider using either a Drip Irrigation system or mushroom bubblers. Mushroom bubblers are certainly easier to set up and install than a full-blown drip irrigation system, however, a drip irrigation system is more efficient because you are able to water specific plants individually rather than soaking an entire flowerbed. It is advised to use Orbit sprinkler parts and a drip irrigation system wherever possible mainly because you can lose a lot of water to overspray with regular sprinkler heads.