Sprinkler systems are convenient, can save you time, and are more effective than watering your lawn on your own. Whether you’re interested in getting an sprinkler system installed or learning the components of your irrigation system, it’s important to know the components of how it works.
How It Works
In order to have a functional irrigation system, you need to know how everything works behind the scenes. First, it all starts with the water source. Whether it’s from a lake or pound, or a utility department, water has to be supplied to your mainline. From your mainline it will branch off to your property. The backflow preventer which is a PVC pipe, will prevent contaminated water from flowing back into your drinking water. The backflow preventer is where you can shut off the water if you need to. Next is the controller whose sole purpose is a timer. This is the brain of the entire operation because it controls when the valves need to open or close in order to release water. Each valve controls a group of sprinklers in a zone. When the timer goes off, the signal is sent to an individual zone to indicate the valves have to open. This is how water goes through the pipes and into the sprinkler head and then on to your lawn. When the timer is preparing to shut off, a signal is sent that closes the valve while decreasing the amount of water pressure inside the zone. Then, the signal is sent to the next zone to turn it on and repeat the process.
Sprinklers
For sprinklers, there are two different kinds including popups and shrub styles. Popups go underneath the ground until the timer sends a signal to the zone that it’s ready to start watering. These are most commonly used for lawns and low growing flower beds. Shrub style sprinklers are elevated using a fixed pipe which makes it easy for the sprinkler to reach over the plants and shrubs. Both of these sprinklers come in rotors and sprays. Rotor type sprinklers run off of a rotating stream or multiple streams to water your property. They are used for large lawn areas and work in a rotating pattern. Sprays are a fixed water pattern and release water in a mist form. These are used for smaller more delicate lawn areas such as flower beds or small plants.
An irrigation system can be complex and confusing. Luckily, our team at Piscataqua Landscaping and Tree Services are experts on the sprinkler system components. Contact us today to get started on designing and installing your irrigation system!
