Why professional irrigation system design is important.
By John Hutten
Your lawn and gardens need the right amount of water to thrive. Watering may sound simple, but too much or too little water can damage your yard. When you consider different plants or areas of your garden that require different amounts of water, it becomes a little more complicated.
A professionally designed irrigation system ensures your lawn and gardens get the perfect amount of water. When paired with a smart controller, you can save 50% or more in water costs…making it an obvious choice for most busy homeowners.
A lot of planning goes into getting an irrigation system in your yard. Zones, valves, heads, controllers...those are some of the terms you will hear when working with a professional irrigation company. Today I want to show you what our technicians consider when designing your irrigation system.
Most yards have more than just grass. Garden beds, trees, shrubs and even hanging baskets all require different amounts of water and methods of watering.
To give your lawn and gardens the perfect amount of water, our technicians begin by dividing your yard into different “zones.”
Zones determine what type of irrigation method a section of your landscape needs. For example, a big lawn will use a rotor head and a large tree line or raised garden bed may use a drip system.
Once your yard is strategically divided into zones, we outfit each one with the right sprinkler head. To choose the right sprinkler head, our technicians make precise technical measurements of the dynamic water pressure within your home and tap into their knowledge of horticulture.
These are some of the most common types of sprinkler heads:
Drip irrigation — This method uses a slow drip to save water but still effectively water your plants. This system is installed low to the ground and slowly drips water to the roots of plants to give them a slow, deep watering.
Drip irrigation is excellent for large trees, tree lines, hedges, raised garden beds and vegetable gardens. This method can also help prevent fungus and disease in your plants. Watering the soil via drip irrigation instead of watering the entire plant from above helps to keep the water where it belongs.
Rotor/Rotory head irrigation — This type of irrigation is used when you need to water large areas, like that big expansive lawn in your backyard. These systems come with different radius coverage, which is determined by the amount of water pressure.
Since this system waters your lawn and gardens from above, it's best to water early in the day to limit damage and disease like fungus.
Spray heads — This sprinkler head is excellent for gardens and smaller lawns. This system has a fixed pattern that helps distribute water equally. A spray head irrigation system has a fast and constant stream of water, creating a mist that falls on your lawn or garden.
Every irrigation system is operated by a device called a “controller.” These are the two most common types of controllers:
Timed controllers — With timed controllers, you set up manually when to water your lawn. This method is a more manual option, like having to turn off the timer yourself based on weather conditions. This system also does not have an automatic shut-off system if there's a leak or alerts you to issues.
Smart controllers — A smart irrigation system uses local weather data and sensors to determine your yard’s watering needs. The smart controller makes decisions based on weather conditions, sends alerts when something is wrong and automatically shuts off when a leak is detected. Using a smart controller saves you time and money and effectively waters your plants.
Smart controllers are becoming more popular because they can save homeowners up to 50% or more in water costs. They can also be set, monitored and controlled remotely by either the homeowner or a professional company.
As you can tell, there's a lot to consider when designing an irrigation system for your property. If you're unsure what irrigation type will work for you or how many zones you have… We can help! At Select Sprinklers, we will determine what zones you have, then plan and install an irrigation system that works for your property. Give us a call to get started!
