What is a sprinkler system?
Just like drip irrigation and flood irrigation system sprinkler systems is also a method of irrigation for field crops, orchards, and lawns in the home. Practically an irrigation sprinkler device is designed to irrigate lawns, crops, landscapes, and other such areas with plantation or vegetation. Apart from this, this method is also used for cooling purposes and to control the dust in the air. Sprinkler’s method is pretty much similar to rain.
Advantages of a sprinkler system:
The Sprinkler system has many advantages as compared to other methods like drip irrigation and flood irrigation. The one major advantage is that applies water in a very targeted manner so chances of water getting wasted are very low. Due to this, we can irrigate more areas with relatively less amount of water. This method gained popularity over the last 10-15 and due to the presence of sprinkler system installation companies the installation become much easier. Moreover, the government offers subsidies on the installation as well. With the water shortage issues all over the world, this method will become more and more popular in the upcoming years.
How does a lawn sprinkler system work?
The main components of a sprinkler system:
The backbone of a sprinkler system is the underground PVC pipes. The whole system is based on these. These pipes are usually buried at depth of 206 feet below the ground surface. There are swing joints in these pipes. Swing joints are plastic joints that connect the sprinklers to the PVC pipes. These swing joints are kept adjustable to make sure that the sprinkler is not above the ground surface. Sprinklers above the ground can cause damage to mowers. Sprinkler heads get the water from PVC pipes and deliver it to the lawn. Sprinkler heads come in various shapes and sizes. The lawn is divided into a lot of smaller zones and each sprinkler head covers a specific area of the lawn.
Positioning of control box:
The control box is usually installed in the garage vicinity as needs a power outlet.
How do rotating sprinklers work?
These types of sprinklers rotate at a certain degree to provide an even supply of water in the allocated area. The main advantage of this type of sprinkler is its easy adjustability. This allows you to get a uniform supply of water all across the lawn. It also avoids overwatering.
Working of automatic sprinklers:
Automatic sprinkler systems are controlled and programmed to operate at a particular time during the day. Mostly early in the morning. These sprinklers don’t become on until they get an electronic signal from the control box. Once the signal from the control box reaches the sprinklers they operate for a specific period and become off automatically after that. Pre-programmed settings can be altered by using a smartphone app depending on the weather forecast. Setting can be adjusted for different seasons to ensure the application of the right amount of water to your lawn.
Planning for installation:
Installation of a sprinkler system isn’t all about digging holes and laying the pipes. It requires proper planning before starting it. Here are the points which you should consider while installation.
Drawing up the irrigation plan:
First thing is to sketch where you want to install your sprinkler system. Focus on these three points while drawing the sketch.
Be close to scale as possible. Draw up a map of the lawn noting down the positioning of plants, flower beds, or other vegetation. Because all these mentioned things have different water requirements than the turfgrasses. Also, note down any hardscape structures like driveways or walkways.
- Mark the area where you want to place your PVC pipes and place your control box.
- Note down any obstructions in the lawn like the slope. To irrigate the whole area properly a spray pattern should be established in such a way each sprinkler head overlaps its neighboring one by 50%.
Determination of flow rate and water pressure:
It’s important to determine the flow rate, water pressure, and other such parameters in the area before you buy all the equipment. Once you know all such things it becomes easier to buy everything correctly according to that.
How to determine water pressure?
Water pressure can be determined through a pressure gauge. Attach the pressure gauge to the outside of the faucet and turn on the water. Ensure to turn off the water both inside and outside the house while determining the pressure. DIY is good but if don’t have much knowledge about this then it’s better to hire any professional such as sprinkler system contractors.
How to determine flow rate?
- Flow rate is a measure of how many gallons of water are flown per minute. It’s measured in GPM. Here are the steps to measure it.
- Take a standard size gallon, turn on the valve and fill it with water
- Record the filling time
Divide the size of the filled gallon by a total number of seconds for complete filling. Then multiply the result by 60 and in the result, you’ll get the flow rate per minute. To get the flow rate in gallons per hour multiply the flow rate by 60.
