CHOOSE YOUR IRRIGATION
PARTS WISELY

There are many kinds of sprinklers and more types are appearing on the market every day. Sprinkler parts allow you to water your yard. Without them we could not have the luxury of beautiful lawns and landscapes. We can no longer water each plant by hand with a bucket of water. During the drought we learned to water by hand with excess bath water, but this method is hardly efficient all the time.

To survive a drought you must carefully choose your irrigation equipment and including sprinkler parts. There are so many varieties on the market to choose from that you are guaranteed to find something that is right for your yard. Many sprinkler parts have been designed to make your job in the yard a little easier. We really encourage you to go out and look for yourself. You may have heard that pop-ups work great in a big yard, but then you may discover that single spray rotaries work even better. Purchase quality parts that you can trust. There are many parts and brands to choose from, especially during times of drought, and many of them may not work as well as they claim.

Before you go shopping, know what kind of system you have so the parts you buy will work together with the system you already have. Ask a lot of questions. Be clear about the pressure and volume of water that comes into your yard so that you can select the correct size of pipe, the correct sized valve and the proper sprinkler system to go with each of these. Choosing an irrigation system is not an easy task, but the more you know the better your choices will be. Questions you need to ask yourself are: Do I want drip irrigation? Do I want my system to be above ground or below?

Choose an installation design that will work well with your yard and system. Spend some time deciding what kind of system will work well with your current landscape as well as any plants that you may want to add later on.

We have attempted to define most of the basic irrigation parts that you will find in any hardware store, so that you can make some of these decisions for yourself. If you are planning to begin the adventure of putting in a sprinkler system, keep in mind that the sprinkler parts are going to be the backbone of your yard maintenance. These are the tools that are going to keep your plants healthy.

STATIONARY IRRIGATION PARTS

Gravity flow pop-ups, spring action pop-ups, impacts, single and multiple spray rotaries are the main sprinkler types found in lawns and landscapes. There is yet another type of irrigation system called drip irrigation.

Gravity flow Pop-up This pop-up is designed to pop-up 1 1/2 to 2 inches above ground level and shoots water over an area of 10 to 15 feet. It got its name because pressure pushes the shaft up and gravity drops it back down. These early sprinkler types are slowly being replaced by the more modern spring action pop-ups. The problem with gravity flow pop-ups is that if the pressure is not maintained then they tend to leak at the base. If the sprinkler is not kept level then the shaft will not recede completely back down; making it possible for it to become sheared off by a lawn mower blade. Gravity flow pop-up sprinklers are available in plastic and brass. Impact Sprinklers There are two types of impact sprinklers, one is designed for the lawn and comes in a canister that allows it to sit in the ground, and the other fits on a riser that is designed for landscape and can sit at any angle. These sprinklers come in plastic or brass. Impact sprinklers are designed to cover larger areas ranging from 20-45 ft. IMPACT SPRINKLERS continued in next column.....

The canister impact is also referred to as a "rain- bird". These sprinklers sit in the ground and pop-up 1 1/2 to 2 inches, which can be a problem because they don't reach above the grass blades. When these are set in the lawn, the grass blades around the canister needs to be ringed on a regular basis. Because these sprinklers are operated by a hanimer that hits against the body, they fall out of adjustment rapidly and require constant readjustment. When an impact sprinkler is out of adjustment it tends to develop an "umbrella effect" because the water goes from point A to point B but it doesn't water anything in between. These sprinklers are being replaced with single or multiple rotary sprinklers. Multiple Spray Rotaries Use less gallons per minute than the single spray rotaries. These sprinklers work best on a hill or slope where less water is required and reduced runoff is desired. They are also used in other parts of the landscape but don't work as well as the single spray rotaries because they put out less water.

Nozzles The nozzle screws into the end of a shrub adapter as well as a gravitv and spring action pop-up. Their function is to distribute water in the form of a spray pattern to a direct target area. Pictured below are some examples of the most common spray patterns. PVC Pipe PVC is polyurethane plastic that is designed to carry water underground. The most common sizes used are 1/2 inch, 3/4 inch, and I inch in diameter. The pipe is also available in a variety of thicknesses called "schedules". We do not recommend using schedule 125 because the walls of the pipe are so thin it wears down fast and tears easily. We strongly recommend using schedule 40 pipe from the street main to the irrigation valve because its thicker and handles the pressure better than thinner pipe. Beyond the valves, schedule 200 schedule works fine because the pressure is lessened. Shrub Adapter The shrub adapter screws into the 1/2" riser. The nozzle simply screws onto the shrub adapter. It is common to place a filter between the nozzle and shrub adapter. Shrub adapters are used to water smaller areas in the landscape. They are more efficient for watering small areas than impacts or rotaries, which are designed to cover larger areas.

Single Spray Rotaries Rotary sprinklers were designed to replace the impacts. Rotary sprinklers are designed to cover large areas ranging from 14-45 ft. They pop-up 4 to 8 inches above ground level. These sprinklers are geared action. The gears allow the mechanism to go back and forth which eliminates the hammer device that causes impact sprinklers to go out of adjustment. Single spray rotaries let out a single spray and move slowly to allow the water droplets to penetrate the soil better. These sprinklers have different types that are designed for lawns and landscapes. In lawns they pop-up and in landscape they are mounted on a riser to the desirable height. They can be adjusted from a small 1/3 spray pattern all the way up to a full circle spray pattern. Single spray rotaries come with adjustable nozzles that allow you to calculate the amount of water coming out of the nozzle. Spring Action Pop-up Made from hard bodied plastic with a high intense spring inside. The pressure allows the spring to pop- up and when the water pressure is off the spring snaps the shaft back down inside. This insures a good tight seal that reduces leakage and prevent accidents with the lawn mower. This pop-up is designed to pop-up 3 to 8 inches and covers an area ranging from 6-15 ft. The sprinkler is designed to rise above the grass blades to reduce water restriction. All pop-up sprinklers are available in a variety of spray patterns ranging from 1/3 up to I full circle.

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