Tips for Choosing the Right Sprinkler Head for Your Lawn or Landscape

How to choose the right sprinkler head for your project? It really breaks down to knowing what pressure per foursquare inch (PSI) is bachelor for each head in your system and the size of the area y'all wish to water. Knowing these two factors will help guide y'all in making the right choice for which sprinkler heads to purchase and install. Start, I will depict the 3 basic types of sprinkler heads. Followed past a curt checklist that volition help in your option. Remember, a healthy lawn is dependent upon having the correct arrangement of heads throughout your lawn.

Types of Sprinkler Heads

Spray heads:  Best used for pocket-sized to medium sized lawns and/or in systems that volition be operating with pressure betwixt twenty - xxx PSI. Because of the lower PSI the distance of the spray rarely exceeds 15ft. Meaning that spray heads should never exist placed further than 15 ft. autonomously as this would create dry spots (i.e. expressionless grass) in your lawn.  Information technology is e'er important to install sprinklers with overlap for full coverage.

Spray heads have a higher application charge per unit than other sprinkler heads. Significant they put out a lot of water fast. Ane benefit to spray heads is that at that place are no moving parts eliminating mechanical failure. They can be installed on pop-upwards spray bodies  or stock-still risers .

A variety of spray patterns are available, such as 90, 120, 180, 210 & 360 degrees. Many manufacturers also have speciality nozzles for brusque radius, narrow strips or corners.

Note: Spray heads give a fine, misty spray so watch out on windy days. The spray can be easily diddled away thus reducing watering efficiency greatly. If yous alive in an surface area that is very windy spray heads would not exist a adept choice for you.

Rotary Heads:  Often referred to as Sprinkler Rotors, are best used for medium to big lawns with an irrigation organisation that can supply a PSI above 30. Smaller rotary heads can encompass distances of 15 to 50 ft. It is important when planning your sprinkler system to go along in mind that the distance between each rotary head should exist less than the PSI supplied to each rotary head. For example: y'all wish to install a rotary head every 35 ft. This means that you will need at least 36 PSI supplied at each rotary head.

Rotary heads deliver water slower than spray heads which is ideal for dull-draining soils and slopes. Also rotary heads are less susceptible to wind drift as they deliver water in a stream instead of fine mist like spray heads. Due to the slower precipitation, rotary heads tend to lead to less runoff which means less wasted water when compared to traditional spray heads. To learn more about rotary heads watch this curt video by Hunter Irrigation. Run into our selection of Sprinkler Rotors here .


Bubblers:  Designed for delivering a lot of water fast in small spaces like tree basins or around shrubs and ground cover. These are non used to water lawns. Avert using bubblers in places that are not level or has soil that does not drain quickly (i.due east. dirt) as the water volition either run away from the plants to be watered and/or flood the area. Bubblers tin can exist constructive for areas that are too far away from sprinkler spray or for areas that yous don't wish to be sprayed, like up against houses or plants near windows. If yous have an extensive landscape that you wish to water we strongly recommend installing a baste irrigation organisation instead of lots of bubblers. Drip systems are much more efficient for big landscapes.

Note: Whether you lot utilize bubblers or a drip irrigation arrangement, both should always be placed on their own zone and non connected to the aforementioned irrigation valve that runs the spray heads or rotors. Having everything on one zone seems like a good idea, however; it volition consequence in over watering some plants and under watering others since the applications are so different. To larn more most installing a drip irrigation system for landscapes check out the video below.


Checklist for Choosing the Right Sprinkler Heads for Your Project

Can your irrigation system supply 40 PSI of water pressure?

If no, so we recommend using spray heads since they can function at lower PSI.

Is your expanse larger than 30' ten 30'?

If yes, then rotors are the way to get. Provided you lot accept enough PSI.

Does your backyard take curved borders?

If yeah, you can use rotors if the non grass area is okay to be sprayed (like a flower bed).

If the surface area should not be sprayed (borders a firm) or y'all wish to minimize overspray for water conservation purposes and then become with spray heads

Exercise yous accept a few (2-3) shrubs or trees to water outside of your lawn?

If yep, then incorporate a few bubblers into your blueprint. If you have more than 3 of such areas to water then consider installing a drip irrigation system. Drip irrigation systems are easier to install (don't have to be buried) and are much more than efficient.

What if I need more than one type of sprinkler head in my blueprint?

Past answering these questions you may realize that you might need each kind of sprinkler head or 2 of the 3 in your blueprint. Which brings upwardly the question can you mix and match sprinkler heads? The answer is yes, as long as yous install like heads on separate zones. Why is this important?  We mentioned earlier that spray heads deliver water at a much faster rate than rotary heads(oft 2x faster). If y'all had both on the same zone there is no way to control the flow of water to forbid over or nether watering in ane of the areas. With irrigation systems it is important to always group like items together on one zone.